Speakers and their presentations can be classified roughly into five levels:
1. Utter terror
a. This is the speaker who cannot bring himself to
look at his audience for more than a moment or two at a time. He typically
buries himself in his notes, or spends most of the presentation facing away
from the audience as he reads from his slides. Often unintelligible, the
audience has no way of knowing whether the talk contains valuable information,
is well organized, or, indeed, what its point is at all. The speaker and
audience both feel relieved when the ordeal comes to an end.
b. This is the level many of us start out on. It is said that of all the
things we fear, public speaking comes in first. Death is number two.
2. Basic Comfort
a. This speaker overcomes her basic fears and learns
to at least appear comfortable before an audience. She probably spends time
outlining and perhaps even rehearsing her talk, but has not completely ‘owned’
the material. Anything that goes wrong can throw her, and the overall impact
is still one of relief on everyone’s part when the talk is over. Friends
will tell her she did a good job – and she will want to believe them,
but have doubts.
b. This is the basic level of most students taking public speaking courses.
The come away knowing that if they ever have to give a public talk, they’ll
be able to do it – but secretly hope they’ll never have to.
3. Professional Competence
a. This speaker has mastered his material, and is comfortable
before an audience. He has spent enough time in front of audiences to know
he can handle himself competently, and feels good relying on his notes and
slides to get him through. However, he has most likely NOT considered such
essential things as the ultimate primary and secondary purposes of his talk.
It is unlikely he has thought about structuring the talk to build emotionally,
or what his call to action will be at the end of the talk.
b. This is the basic “good” level we see in most corporate speakers.
They can get their message and information across and appear to be in command
while they do so. However, the audiences hearing them come away feeling
that the talks have gone on for too long, and without a clear idea of what
they were to take away from the talk. The seldom remember very much of the
talk once it was over, though they will tell you ‘it was a good talk.’
This is the level we see in most large corporate meetings, from most of
the speakers.
4. Inspriational
a. This speaker has a clear idea of how she wants to transform her audience,
and the techniques to inspire them to make the transformation. He talks
are well structured and succeed in emotionalizing every step she leads her
audience through on the way to her ultimate call to action. Audiences leave
inspired to take action, and remember whole stories and major points of
the talks.
b. Many of the more popular professional speakers and some political leaders
achieve this level. We think of this kind of speaker as a leader, and influential
and vital part of our teams and our society. This is the minimum level I
want my students to achieve. If our talks don’t inspire action, why
waste our time and that of our audiences?
5. Mind Blowing / Life Changing
a. This are the speakers whose speeches are remembered.
Think of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I have a dream,” or
JFK’s inaugural, “Ask not what your country can do for you,
ask what you can do for your country.” More recently, think of Benjamin
Zanders TED talk promoting classical music, or Obama’s campaign “yes
I can” talks. These talks change the course of history.
b. It takes a passionate, inspired speaker to reach this level. Not only
does one need basic competence, clear thinking, a well structured message
– one also requires the courage and/ or passion to push beyond what
we feel comfortable with. The speaker needs to love connecting with his/her
audience in a give and take of energy that is almost msytical. The experience
can be ennervating – and is really the ultimate goal we shoot for
whenever I work with clients, either individually or in group.
