Obsidian Launch | Be a Public Performer, Not a Public Speaker

Be a Public Performer, Not a Public Speaker

I finally received the compliment I had been waiting almost fifteen years for, and it happened after a presentation I did at Columbia University. One of the students came up to me after my speech and asked me if I was a professional actor.

Ever since I started running my own companies at age 24, I have been speaking in public. I have presented to groups as small as three and occasionally to groups in the hundreds (I’m still waiting for my opportunity to speak to thousands and tens of thousands.) Upon reflection, I now know that for all those years I had simply presented, but never once performed.

Recently, I changed. It came from paying acute attention to modern day masters, like Anthony Robbins and Bob Proctor. I also watched recordings of the world’s most powerful speakers, like Martin Luther King and Winston Churchill, and read biographies of the greatest presidential speeches such as the ones delivered by Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. What made them great were not only the words they used. It was their delivery. It was their performance.

There is a common thread that made them great, and I am trying to become proficient at it. To enhance your progress as a successful first time entrepreneur, you need to also put effort into mastering public speaking. There is no stuttering question about it. Here are the differences that take you from a presentation to a performance:

Acting – You will gain more knowledge by taking a one day acting class then you will by taking a five week speaking course. When you are in front of a group your are identical to an actor on a stage. Know that you are there to put on a performance.
Project Your Voice – The person sitting farthest from you must hear your words clearly. If she hears you, so does every body else. This is all about voice projection, not yelling. If actors can project a whisper to the back of a theater, you can do the same.
Pause - Take time to pause and let the audience absorb what you are saying. Pauses allow for emphasis and make HUGE impact. Could you imagine how weak Churchill’s famous line would have been if he rushed through “never, never, never give in.” But he didn’t and the impact was earth shattering because he paused when he spoke, “Never… Never… NEVER… give in.”
Peak & Valley – Amplify or quiet certain words for emphasis and to maintain an interesting and appealing flow. Monotone voices just don’t cut it.
Tell Stories – Facts are important, but tons of facts are boring. We all love stories. Tell ones that are relevant, eye opening and stick with the listener.
Ditch PowerPoint – Watch the best speakers in action… they don’t use PowerPoint. Can you imagine Martin Luther King pointing to slides during his I Have A Dream speech? Instead, great speakers paint pictures in the listeners mind with their stories; you need to do the same.
Video Tape Yourself – Some of us (ahem, I mean I) have some really nasty habits when we are up on the stage. The video tape doesn’t lie. Record yourself and watch it. It can be a huge eye opener.

Speaking to a group is significantly different than speaking with just one other person. You must go in with the expectation of delivering a performance and not a presentation. And for God’s sake, get rid of PowerPoint…. Martin is rolling over in his grave.

Posted by Mike Michalowicz

Like this article? Subscribe to the O-Blog and receive notices via email (through Feedburner).