Gain commitment by connecting with your audience

"What are the qualities you admire most in a speaker?"

The answers have included words such as "authentic," "passionate," "motivational," and "humorous." One person told me, "A good speaker relates to my problems and offers solutions."The common thread found in most responses is that people want to relate to a speaker in a meaningful way. Terry Pearce, in Leading Out Loud, states, "The unmistakable conclusion of contemporary social research is that people are eager to commit. They are truly starved to connect with competent, trustworthy leaders."

The connection is the major distinction between an ordinary speech and one that has the potential to make a difference in someone's life.

Remember, the ultimate purpose of most presentations is to move your audience toward a decision.

THE BOTTOM LINE

You should not concern yourself about what you receive as a result of the speaking engagement - whether it be remuneration or respect. You need to ask, "What am I going to give? Will my listeners take away something worthwhile?"

Every person seated before you has a need, and you have the opportunity to fill it. Lilly Walters, in her exceptional book, Secrets of Successful Speakers, suggests that you imagine that the minds of your audience are hurting. Says Walters, "Your message can touch and heal if you allow it to."

Audience benefit is the bottom line. That is what must guide every addition, deletion and revision you make to your program.

From the beginning, tell your listeners how and why they will greatly benefit from what they are about to hear. In essence, you're saying, "Listen up! Here is vital, important information for you!"

As author Morton Orman says, "Sometimes we get so caught up in the presentation that we forget that our purpose is to provide value to the audience."

THE CREDIBILITY FACTOR

Do your listeners see you as authentic and credible?

Lee Glickstein, founder of Transformational Speaking, believes that "authenticity is . . . one of the most effective leadership tools around. In an age of cynicism and distrust, it is one of the few things that inspires people to action." And he adds, "What we say doesn't count for much if people don't believe us, or if they don't think that we believe ourselves. Today, enlightened business leaders build trust and get results by revealing their authentic selves and setting an inspired example.

"If you want to check your credibility, test your material on your kids. My 10-year-old daughter, Erin, recently gave this sage advice: "If you have something to say, say it. If not, shut up!" You'll never motivate others unless you believe in yourself - and have total faith in what you are communicating. As author Granville Too good states in The Articulate Executive, "Once you stand for something, you have set yourself apart from every speaker - even if you may think you're not a particularly good speaker yourself."

On a cross-country flight, I was seated next to a college professor who told me about his speaking activities during the Vietnam war era while he was a graduate student at Stanford University. He believed the anti-war movement needed to take its case to the masses, so he would speak anytime - anywhere.

"Can you imagine what it was like addressing a conservative Kiwanis Club about the anti-war movement - and what a bad idea it was to invade Cambodia?" he told me.

At the conclusion of his speech, which received limited applause, he noticed a man following him to his car, anxious to talk. Instead of showing signs of anger, the short, rotund elderly gentleman was smiling. The man approached him, pointing his finger, saying, "You know, son, I didn't agree with what you said in there, but you had style. And I respect that in a person.

"To his astonishment, the man began to talk about his lucrative siding business and how he didn't have any heirs to take it over. Amazingly, the stranger was offering the student an opportunity to work for him and ultimately own the business. "If you can speak like that to a group of Kiwanis members, you can do just about anything," he exclaimed.

The graduate student kindly refused the offer, but he never forgot the man's kindness. "I also learned the power of the spoken word," he told me.

REMINDERS

* Connect with your audience by giving them something of value.

* Your objective is to provide benefits.

* People have needs that you have the opportunity to fill.

* Believe in yourself and your message.

* Authenticity is a critical leadership tool.

When you stand for something, you set yourself apart.