Are you working hard on adding dynamism and humor into your speeches? If your answer is yes, you are heading in the wrong direction.
No matter how dynamic and humorous you are, if your audience has a hard time grasping your message or gets stuck on anything you say, you will leave no impact on them.
One important fact you must remember is that your audience doesn’t get a second chance to understand your words. Readers who don’t understand a section of a book can go back and read it again, while your listeners don’t have this luxury.
When you are on the stage, you must make sure what you say is clear enough for the audience to follow and understand. Speak to the ear instead of appealing to the eyes.
Here is my ABCD Principle to help you speak to the ear and leave a lasting impact on your audience.
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Articulation
Pay attention to your enunciation. If you mumble, your words don’t fall on your audience’s ears. Open your mouth a bit wider to get your words out. If you speak fast, your audience will have difficulty following you and soon they’ll give up on trying to figure out what you say.
Interestingly, some of my clients said that speaking fast makes them feel more confident. That’s a false belief. All great speakers who make an impact do not speak fast. Rather, they speak with a proper pace that makes their words linger.
Read out your speech in preparation. It will help you know how those words are going to sound and prevent you from stumbling over difficult words later. Reading the script over to yourself is not enough.
If you speak English as your second language or with a strong regional dialect, remember to slow down and enunciate every syllable.
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Brevity
Use short words and sentences. Many people believe that long and complicated words in a dense style will make them knowledgeable and credible. Contrarily, in speaking it is the short and simple words that are more effective and memorable.
Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “To be simple is to be great.” Winston Churchill also stated, “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. Broadly speaking, the short words are the best.”
Short words and sentences are easier for your audience to understand and remember. They have more power and impact. Use longer sentences periodically to add variety and make sure your audience could follow you.
Pause after longer sentences and between paragraphs, to give your audience time to digest and reflect.
Also read: Speaking to the Ear (II)
