Even seasoned speakers over-
look the importance of greeting people
as they enter the room. Shake hands
with everyone. At larger events, I’ll even
comb the balcony and introduce myself
before the event begins. This is an
unmatched opportunity to personalize
the experience. Each person you greet
is likely to remember you and your
speech as an event that was custom-
designed for their personal benefit.”
Always gather fresh informa-
tion and impressions. So many speakers
are satisfied with information they
may have picked up along the way.
Organizations change very rapidly
these days. An acquisition or merger
can remake a company culture in a
heartbeat. Nothing undercuts a speak-
er’s authority more than presenting
dated information that lacks cutting-
edge accuracy.”
If you’re speaking out of town,
browse the websites of that town’s
newspaper and business magazines.
Develop an ear for the local buzz.”
Surf the organization’s website.
Review house organs, newsletters and
social media. Inhale chat and buzz from
social media. Look for hidden strengths
that you can praise and which the orga-
nization itself may not fully appreciate.”
Never, never, never end a
speech with the Q&A. You want to
control the precious closing moments.
So start the Q&A about five minutes
before your blockbuster finish.”
PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOUR
PEER GROUP HEARS YOU. “What
do they pay attention to?” he asks.
“How do they respond to you? I really
listened to peers within the community and groups I belonged to, such as
the Young Presidents’ Organization.
When you’re in front of an audience,
you inspire people by appreciating and
responding to deeply felt ideas and
emotions. These may be experiences
throbbing within them that they may
have a tough time capturing or verbalizing. The audience is made up of people
very much like you. You aren’t trying
to please authority figures. Nor are you
talking down to people. You’re trying to
rouse, inspire and convince people who
are very much like yourself.”
INTERVIEW OTHER PROFESSIONAL
SPEAKERS. “Early in my career, I’d ask
what motivated them,” Mackay says.
“What frustrations did they experience?
What little tips did they learn over the
years? Believe me, I’m still wide open
to pointers from my associates on the
rostrum today.”
PREPARE BY LISTENING. Preparation
is a constant theme that runs throughout
Mackay’s writings. Before speaking to
a “corporate America” audience, he
invests seven to 10 hours being briefed
on the organization and its objectives
by the CEO or meeting chair. “I try to
learn everything I can about the pulse
of the organization before I mount the
podium,” he says. “I then ask for the
names of seven to 10 people—a good
representative sample of the audience—
whom I talk to prior to my speech. I
then use their personal stories of creativ-
ity, teamwork and so on in my remarks.
If I’m speaking to a retail operation, I
visit one of their stores and a competitor.
If it’s a restaurant chain, I do the same. I
have a fanatical attention to detail.”
LIVING TO LEARN
Expanding his speaking skills was just
one of many facets of lifelong learning
for Mackay. “Some of the lessons you
learn over time are big-picture considerations,” he says. “You become more
selective in the way you manage time
and more demanding in the yield you
expect from each involvement. As your
experience track increases, you can
afford to be more discriminating. But
expecting to start at the top without
