Make Marketing Suck Less

Assess for Speaking Success

The first step in the ABC's of your presentation destination is to Assess where you want to go in order to achieve speaking success.

The goal of any presentation is NOT to get it over with it. Your goals as a presenter are bigger, loftier ones.

To start your asssement, you need to examine three different areas of your presentation destination: your audience, your goals and finally your strengths as a speaker.

Where do you want to take your audience?

The #1 most important thing you can do is speak with the audience in the forefront of your mind. Your ultimate goals is to build a relationship with them. You were invited to speak to them for a reason. Ask these 3 questions in order to connect with your audinece.

1. Who is in your audience?
2. Why did they show up to hear you speak?
3. What are their challenges or pain points?

If you are able to do your research and answer these questions, you will be able to make a lasting impression on your audience but more importantly give them the answers they need to solve their problems. For more tips on how to answers these questions, read 3 Questions to Ask to Connect with Your Audience.

What are your presentation goals?

The audience is your most important concern. but you also need to think about your larger goals for presenting. I think it is great to create goals like reducing filler words or making better eye contact. As a speaker, you always want to to raise the bar on yourself.

The bigger question is how can speaking help you? Will it allow you to meet people? Promote your business? Increase your visibility in an organization? When you define a larger goal. You now have skin in the game. There is a larger goal to motivate you to become a more effective communicator.

What are your strengths as a speaker?

I've heard from clients far too many times “I suck as a speaker. I don't have any strengths.” This is never true. In fact, it is my job as a coach to convince them otherwise. Everyone has strengths as a presenter. It might be their ability to explain complex ideas, organize material, tell a story, or smile freely at the audience. When speaking, you want to build from your strengths.

You need to get to know yourself as a speaker. One tool that you can use to do this is knowing your presenter type. Friend of Relationally Speaking, Gavin McMahon at Make a Powerful Point has identified 6 presenter types. You can take this quick quiz to learn about your presenter type. To learn more about your presenter type, read my collaborative post with Gavin about how your type builds relationships.

You have to assess for your speaking success. What is the one thing you think you excel as a speaker? Play to that strength.

Next week, we will discuss the Barriers that get in the way of reaching your presentation destination.