“There are three essentials of a good speech or presentation
– making a connection, having a message that drives change
and delivering with confidence.”

Now more than ever, being able to speak and present with impact is a fundamental life skill. It’s high on employers’ wish lists; you need it for meetings, networking, pitches and presentations, conference talks and keynotes. Speaking benefits far outweigh the costs, yet many of us turn down speaking opportunities rather than face the challenge and harness the three essentials of a good speech or presentation.

Why speaking is a good idea

Even before the advent of social media, speaking at conferences was part of my strategy for developing the Leisure, Travel and Tourism business area at MORI. And it worked, communicating expertise to large numbers of potential clients in the UK and overseas. The resulting papers provided impactful PR material and raised my personal and research credentials as a go-to sector specialist.

It’s no coincidence that the research industry now has, for example, AQR Young Disruptors, MRS &more and new speaker track at IIeX.

New research among speakers in ‘Now You’re Talking! Take your speeches, talks and presentations to a wider audience and a bigger stage’ sheds light on how we lose out when we shy away from speaking, and the opportunities it can bring to us as individuals, to our businesses and in terms of our collective research knowledge.

First, speaking at events raises your personal profile, especially on social media, showcases who you are and your ideas. It helps build your confidence, influence and reputation which, in turn, attracts opportunities and helps your career.

Second, speaking is also good for your organisation’s credibility and presence, and can bring new business derived from your authority as a speaker of value. Connecting with people who have listened to your conference talk is a less intimidating and warmer approach to new business relationships than a commercial pitch or networking.

Third, speaking strengthens our collective thinking and knowledge. Nowadays, we all have a voice and a channel for sharing our thoughts and opinions, though very little is new and often poorly curated. As speakers, we have a responsibility to deliver quality material of value to an audience that also drives forward ideas and thinking.

Being a good speaker is a real asset. But what makes a good speech and how can you build your own personal toolkit for giving one? The Now You’re Talking Speaker Survey reveals three essentials of a good speech – Connection, a message that drives Change and Confidence – the 3Cs.

Connection

If you can’t connect with your audience, you might as well be talking to yourself. Connection is not only about being likable – the smile, good eye contact, friendly conversational style, etc – but also about being relevant. And, with today’s notoriously short attention spans, you need to gain your audience’s attention and interest fast.

Picture yourself sitting in an audience. You’ve set aside the time, maybe even spent money to be there. You’re wondering ‘What’s in it for me?’ As a speaker, it’s your job to answer that question. To do that, you need to ‘deep research’ your audience. It’s not just about their name and job title. Depending on whether you’re talking to a larger, conference-style audience or debriefing a project team, key questions might cover the goals of the event, other speakers, audience profile, what they do/know/expect/how they talk and what do they most want from you.

The more you know about your audience, the stronger your ability to connect with them and influence their thinking and behaviour on their terms, ie answer their ‘What’s in it for me’ question.

And it’s not just about the content of your speech. Knowing your audience will also give you strong pointers about delivery – whether or not you need slides and how many, relevant stories, appropriate levels of energy, vocal variety, body language and so on.

A message that drives Change

Speaking is a privilege, an opportunity to share your knowledge in a way that positively impacts others. There is no point in speaking if you are only going to tell people what they already know. Having researched your audience, you will have a good idea of what they’ll value.

All too often we confuse audiences because we grab our data and start making slides without even thinking about our message and its value to our listeners.

Instead, try starting at the end. What do you want your audience to think, feel or do differently after they’ve heard your talk or presentation? What is the single most important message you need them to take away? Jot it down in large letters in fewer than ten words and keep it visible. Any content you try to include that doesn’t support your message doesn’t belong in this particular talk or presentation.

Confidence

“Confident speakers are frequent speakers,
so take every opportunity to speak up”

Confidence is one of the three essentials because it is part of your authority and credibility as a speaker. If you don’t feel confident in what you have to say, then why should your audience? When audiences sense your fear, they will often be more concerned about your wellbeing than about what you’re saying. Confidence allows your listeners to relax and engage with what you have to say; your message, not how you’re feeling.

Confident speakers are frequent speakers, so take every opportunity to speak up, be it to a small group of colleagues, in a meeting, on the phone, in a pitch or presentation. Get comfortable with speaking and use the opportunity to practise different techniques, eg voice projection, storytelling, opening a speech with impact, etc. Invite people to give you specific feedback on what they liked and any improvements they would welcome.

Building your speaker’s treasure trove

Your biggest ally as a speaker is you – your authentic self, your personal stories and experiences, your ideas, your style of speaking, your gestures and facial expressions. They are all uniquely yours and can help you express your vision in a way that is fresh and stands out. Here are some tips for building your treasure trove of ideas and techniques:

• Keep a special place where you capture your ideas for speeches – phone, electronic notes, recorder, etc. The important thing is to capture the thought, because otherwise it will get lost in the busyness of your day.
• Keep abreast of reliable sources of ideas, including Blinkist, quality publications, industry journals, TED Talks, etc. These may also give you some useful statistics or quotes for an attention-grabbing opening to a speech or talk.
• Be aware of how you normally speak. Your tone of voice, speaking speed, volume will change to reflect different words and emotions. These will form the basis of your vocal styling in front of an audience.
• Similarly, be mindful of your natural facial expressions, hand gestures and posture. They speak the truth. In the case where your non-verbal language and your words are incongruent, it’s the non-verbal communication people will believe.
• Take note of the things you say that make people laugh. For most of us, this gentle, personal and often self-deprecating humour is far more powerful than stand-up-style jokes.
• Practise different aspects of speaking at every opportunity.

Whether you’re an experienced researcher or at the beginning of your career, public speaking is a very good idea for you, your business and the industry’s collective knowledge. Embrace the three essentials of a good speech and finesse how you take your ideas to a bigger stage.

Originally published in MRS Impact Issue 29 April 2020