Stop Presenting and Start Transforming
Don’t Give a Speech – Create an Experience.
If you’re interested in causing the ripples of change to course through the audience, you’ve got to do more than just speak.
Some say that the alternative to giving a speech is performing – give 'em a show. Putting those acting chops to good use. Learning the best lessons from Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga about performing for the audience.
Performance has never inspired changed for me. Performance is entertaining and engaging – you can learn a lot from a good performance. Inspiration is not purely performance.
Transformation comes from inviting the audience in to your experience. Allowing them to see themselves in your story. A speaking experience transports the audience and that travel causes change. Yes – it’s part performance – but it’s also about telling one hell of a good story.
Lady Gaga weaves a magical tale of radical self-acceptance in her shows. Beyonce empowers all the single ladies to step into their best self. Miley Cyrus – well I’m not sure what the heck she’s doing with all those teddy bears.
Don’t just give a speech create an experience because the experience is what changes your audience. Although a book or a blog post cannot show you how to give an experience, speaking experience and having an amazing message is the start place to transformation.
There's no sense in speaking if you can't serve and make the world a bit better of a place one compelling presentation at a time.
What's your message? Tell me about in the comments.
A taste from my upcoming book, Speak Up for Your Business, coming in Winter 2014!
I thoroughly agree with you – although some people are more comfortable with public speaking than others and some are so intimately involved and passionate about their field of expertise that they present with so much enthusiasm it looks like they’re about to explode! I wrote a very similar blog post, check it out: http://olsoweir.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/passion-vs-presentations/
I love your idea of letting people see themselves in the story, and that by mentally travelling with you (so to speak), they’re transformed.
Have you seen Chris Anderson’s TED talk along those lines? It transfixed me.
You can watch the talk via this link (where you’ll also find links to 4 of his best tips, which take you to the right bit of the video.)
TED talk: Persuading your audience to come with you
You’re so right – “Transformation comes from inviting the audience in to your experience.”
I have not see Chris Anderson’s talk – I’m off to watch now. Thanks for adding great content to this post, Craig! 🙂