Speaker - July/August 2010

Imagine presenting a topic to an audience of 500-plus key individuals who have no back- ground, no information and no understanding of said topic. Also imagine that if your speech is successful, millions of people will ive. But if your speech is ineffective, many more could potentially die. While this situation may sound like a movie script, it’s actually the situation I faced early in my career. Before 9/11 and the Internet became a part of everyday life, I coined the term “cyberterrorism,” which is the use of technology by terrorists. It’s a complex, technical and critical topic that needed to be presented to non-technical professionals in both gov- ernment and the private sector. That presentation to over 500 government executives was one of the greatest chal- lenges of my life. I had to present the topic effectively because the American population depended on my success. Fortunately, most presentations are not a matter of life or death (at least, not literally). But our society is becom- ing increasingly complex and technical in all aspects of our lives. With that change is a growing gap between what people know and what people need to know so they can take action. The good news is that those gaps are rapidly creating demand for speakers who can reach broad audiences effec- tively on a variety of topics, including economics, politics, social media or even how the smart grid works. A premium is paid for speakers who can create true understanding and stimulate action, often while bridging the “digital divide.”
As a professional speaker, you know
that despite the one-to-many nature of
speeches, you’re really having a per-
sonal conversation with each listener.

But to have a conversation, all parties need to speak the same language. If your audience is not educated on your technical or complex topic, you might as well be speaking ancient Greek. The communications challenge, however, extends beyond language. Psychological studies dating back 50 years or more cite mounting personal and societal stress caused by rapid advances in technology and complexity in our work and everyday lives, accord- ing to Michelle M. Weil, PhD, and Larry D. Rosen, PhD, in their book, TechnoStress. Hence, speakers who can clearly communicate technical and complex topics to an audience become ver more valuable.

Technical or Complex? It’s important to note that a speech’s topic may be technical, complex or both. A technical topic evokes specific or esoteric elements, but should not be confused with technology. Stock market analysis is a technical topic, but it is not technology based.

Complex topics generally have a number of interoperable components that relate to each other in ways that may be difficult for your audience to comprehend.

You don’t need to have a “ technology gene” or a videogame-playing child or a PhD to be sought after for complex or technical speeches for non-technical audiences. Any professional speaker can learn and implement these four principles, which I call “the 4 Rs”: relate, reduce, raise and replace. Here is an overview of these principles that can help expand your career.