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Think back to the last time you
were in the audience watching someone speak and you were bored. You were
thinking about your grocery list, your weekend plans, maybe even cleaning
the litter box. Your mind was swirling and not engaged. Try to picture what
the speaker was saying and doing that was making you tune out. Was it the
lack of good information? Was it their tone? Their delivery? If you really
think about it, the reason speakers are boring is because of one important
problem: they’re talking about something that doesn’t get them excited.
How could they convey enthusiasm
and interest in the subject to you if they don’t even care
about what they’re saying?
If you want to avoid being a boring speaker, you have to
pick a topic that lights you up. If you’re not in charge of picking the
topic, you need to find an angle that gets you excited. If you don’t, you
end up with a boring, lifeless bedtime story.
Speakers have their own style,
ranging from loud and boisterous to quiet and stoic. While you may still be
working on your speaking style (and we’ll talk about that in upcoming
lessons), know that your style doesn’t really matter if you’re not sharing
something you love to talk about. There’s no need to try to act a “certain
way” on stage—the goal is to convey genuine enthusiasm and transfer that
energy to the people in the audience. This is where connection starts!
Your assignment: practice by
making a list of five potential subjects to speak about. When you have some
alone time, try coming up with an impromptu speech about each subject, only
two or three minutes long. Pay attention to how easily the ideas come to
you, how you feel when you’re saying them out loud, and the energy you are
left with when you’re done. Even this short exercise can give you insight
into how you will act on stage, because you’re tricking your body into
thinking it’s the real thing!
My favorite place to practice is
when I’m driving alone. I probably look crazy to the other drivers, but I
use that time to try out new ideas and concepts for upcoming talks. I can
tell the subject isn’t one I want to pursue if I get distracted by the
radio or start to trail off and lose focus.
If you want to avoid being a boring speaker, you have to
pick a topic that lights you up. If you’re not in charge of picking the
topic, you need to find an angle that gets you excited. If you don’t, you
end up with a boring, lifeless bedtime story.
You can also test out ideas by
putting together a small group of friends or coworkers and asking them to
rate your enthusiasm level while you give a few short practice speeches.
The best speakers are the ones
who sincerely enjoy what they’re presenting and can translate that to the
people they are trying to motivate and inspire in their audience.
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