Speaker - December 2010

• It allows for a previously stated idea to sink in.

• It prepares the listener for what is about to be said next.

• It telegraphs that the next idea is more important or profound than others.

• It makes room for agreement or disagreement in the mind of the listener.

Executed poorly, a pause can appear to be indecision, lack of preparation or mental paralysis. Executed well, few techniques in the toolbox of platform skills are as simultaneously subtle and powerful as a pause.

In the same vein, really good mechanics are transparent. They work together in such a way that the audience doesn’t notice the particular skill but the sum result. When an audience member spots something a speaker is doing, it is probably gimmicky or not being done well.

Speakers who want to improve shouldn’t look for best practices— they should search out better practices. Today’s best practice is at risk of being next week’s second-best practice. While the fundamentals may change little and slowly, the ways those building blocks are employed are constantly changing. Don’t be content with what used to work.

Finally, recognize that good technique can save the day. Renowned speech coach Ron Arden often talks about how the best Hollywood actors weren’t always passionate. Some days they were sick, hung-over or depressed, yet they managed to perform extraordinarily well. How did they do it? Technique. When all else fails, knowing how to create the perception of energy or passion is every bit as important as possessing it.

SPARK PLUGS

3

PU TTING IT ALL TOGETHER

There are technically competent speakers who don’t make obvious mistakes, and yet their performance falls flat.

Why is that? Because they think they are doing it all right and still get it wrong.

For example, auto mechanics have access to the same tools, but like speakers, some are better than others. The key is in how they use the tools. Mastery is in the hands of the mechanic, not the wrench or screwdriver. And so is it for speakers.

Novice speakers can do everything
right and not succeed. Old pros can do
something that really worked, but in the
hands of someone else, it would have
killed the performance. (The corollary to
this is that a speaker can do much wrong
and still get it right.)

GET IDEAS. Become a student of all aspects of speaking, but focus on platform mechanics. As you watch others present—professional or amateur—pay attention to what worked, what didn’t work and what could have gone better. your goal in watching other speakers isn’t to imitate their techniques, but to use their performance, good or bad, to stimulate your thinking.

Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE, is on the faculty of the Keynote Lab, which will be held in Las Vegas, Jan. 12-13. He is president of Sanborn & Associates, an idea studio dedicated to developing leaders in business and life. He is an international best-selling author and noted authority on leadership, team building, customer service and change. Visit http://marksanborn.com.

GET SHOTS. Watching yourself on
video can be agonizing, but it is proba-
bly the quickest and most powerful way
to improve your platform skills. As you
watch, ask yourself:
•;What should I keep doing or do more
that works?

•;What should I improve on so that it works better?

•;What should I do less?

•;What should I stop doing completely (i.e., annoying habits and mannerisms)?

•;What should I start doing?

GET FEEDBACK. Before you ask for feedback, make sure you’re not looking for validation. “you were wonderful” will make you feel good, but it won’t make you better on stage. The best way to get feedback is to assure the respondents of your true desire, and to accept what they say without excuse or explanation.