Public Speaking: Final Thoughts

I hope the series on Public Speaking over the last few weeks has been informative and helpful.  There were a few other things that I think will help that either didn’t fit in with the various posts or I just forgot to include it.

A key way to teach your listeners something while keeping their attention is telling stories that illustrate the points you’re trying to get across.  Call them folk tales, parables, or illustrations, the key thing is they make your audience think and a really good story can help them remember your topic for a long time.

The best illustrations are based in real life, and should be relatable – which really depends upon your audience.  So, tailor your stories or illustrations to your topic and do in such a way that your audience can understand.  For example, if you’re speaking to a group of people from a large metro area, using illustrations based on rural subjects would not easily be something your listeners would understand.  

What are some good examples of effective stories?  Look at Aesop’s fables – the tortoise and the hare, the boy who cried wolf, and others.  Or The Emperor’s New Clothesby Hans Christian Anderson.  The Christian Bible has numerous examples of teachable moments, such as the parable of the mustard seed, the wheat and weeds, and the prodigal son.  Likewise, the Quran and the Torah have stories that teach.  The point is, all of them are directed at the audience in such a way that they relate to the moral or central tenants of the story.

My final thought is simple – make yourself accessible.  Even if there’s time for a Q&A session at the end of your presentation, it’s often beneficial to stick around afterward for those folks who have more detailed questions or comments.  If you have time, and if the venue allows, taking time to meet with people will help you become more comfortable with your listeners, and will help many of your listeners remember you and your topic.  Have at least one slide with your contact information, blog web site, or other ways people can follow up.  Likewise having a supply of business cards handy can be helpful.

This has been a good experience for me, and has helped me think about my time speaking in public.  I’ll put together a separate page that collates all of the articles on public speaking here.  Next post, on to something new!