What makes a presenter GREAT?
Public speaking tops most people’s list of fears. Not mine. I absolutely love to talk to people. I may not know everything there is to know about a subject, but I know how to share information in a way that relates to people and comes off more like a story than a list of facts.
I have had the privilege of presenting to numerous groups of adults on various topics. I enjoy the opportunity to speak about education because I am passionate about it. My confidence comes from my background knowledge and first-hand experience in the classroom. Somehow through all of my presentations, I have learned to be cool, calm and collected. I believe achieving this confidence is what will take public speaking off many people’s FEAR LIST. If you are talking about what you love and what you believe in, how can you be nervous? I get lost in my own passion, thoughts, and dreams that I forget my racing heart beat, erratic breathing rhythm and the many eyes staring back at me. It drives me. It makes me interact with the audience and my pace feeds off of their energy. Every person should get the opportunity to reach a crowd and share their own unique ideas, especially if they are passionate about them.
I thought once I felt cool, calm, collected, and confident that I had public speaking all figured out; that I would be a HIT, a smash, and a natural. Well, I was wrong. Do you every accomplish a task to realize another one forms out of that one? That right when you cross something off of your “To Do” list, another entry appears? Well, it happens as a result of perspective and experience. When you achieve a goal, you are one step higher; thus, you have greater perspective due to that experience.
I have now realized I have the FEAR factor checked off my list and I need to dive into the skill set of public speaking. Sure, I can read lots of books and scour the internet for tidbits. But, watching a great presenter in action has brought all the technique I need to life. My church pastor, Steven Furtick of Elevation Church, is my public speaking role-model. I appreciate his dedication and passion to his life’s purpose and it speaks through his presentation delivery. He utilizes many techniques to relate to and engage with the audience. There is much to admire about his skill level, regardless of if you agree or appreciate the topic in which he discusses.
I will say that I do not wish to mimic Steven Furtick. I want to grow and develop my own speaking voice and approach but there are many techniques that he uses that I can learn a great deal from. I can tweak these skills to make them fit my personality and my audience. Listed below are some of the GREAT public speaking strategies my Pastor utilizes with each sermon delivery:
- Repetition- Often times Pastor Steven has some really good one liners; phrases the audience will want to write down. A GREAT public speaker will speak slowly to captivate the audience and even repeat a strong point so that the audience can not only digest the information, but think on it. When he repeats a particular point, I am able to let it sink in and have time to write it down so that I can apply or reference it later. This is true of any presenter- you want your audience to take what you are saying and utilize it in some capacity. Presenting is not a show, even though some people might view it as such. It is actually an avenue to connect and communicate with a large group of people. My students need to hear information multiple times, and so do adults. Repetition of key points increases the likelihood that your audience will not only listen but participate in thinking about your presentation topic.
- “Touch your Neighbor”- Out of context, I can see this phrase raising some eyebrows but I promise you it is appropriate, useful and effective. Pastor Steven emphasizes his key points further by having the audience repeat a portion of it. This way the audience hears it, writes it, and then speaks it. This further increases the likelihood the message is not only hitting the audience’s ears but they will do something with the information. For example, he might say something like “touch your neighbor and tell them “the best is yet to come!”” Then the audience complies. It keeps them awake, focused, and ensures that they interact with one another and the material.
- Relate to Life- The reason I LOVE my church is that I can relate to what Pastor Steven is saying. I grew up Catholic and learned to memorize phrases, sit, kneel and stand. I was a robot who utilized less than 1 brain cell during the entire experience. I do not want my audience to be lifeless zombies who routinely listen to me for no good reason at all. Pastor Steven utilizes his gift of public speaking to hook and engage listeners so that they look forward to coming to church and take something away from the experience. He does this by taking the Bible and relating the message to incidents in our own lives. This technique is applicable to any public speaker on any topic. Share your philosophical ideas, data, and important product updates but then share how this knowledge applies to the audience in more than one area of their life. Tell a story. Relate the quantitative data qualitatively. Make it make sense. Get the audience emotionally involved. Make them laugh. Allow them to connect. If they have a reason to hear what you have to say then they will do something with what you are sharing.
- Shrink the Room- Elevation is a large church, but Pastor Steven shrinks the room when he asks the audience questions, makes them engage with one another and even gives an audience member a “shout out.” It is easy to check out when someone is standing in front of a large room talking. But if they move around, make you interact, and personalize the message with the people that are physically in the room, how can you not pay attention? How can you not participate? Shrink the room; it’ll be the best tactic yet.
- Video Clips & Music- One of the other reasons I love my church is that it is current. Society operates on 4G and the church should represent its people. Therefore, my church sings and plays music in a way similar to the latest trends. They share audio and video clips to keep us informed of upcoming events, celebrate past successes, and emphasize sermon key points. The audience can relate because the presentation is speaking their language. If you speak to the culture of the room, they will get “it.”
- Alliteration of Points- So now that you have successfully engaged the audience and they heard your message, its time for them to remember what you said. It is helpful to make your main point short and sweet. But, it also helps if you use a play on words. Pastor Steven is King of Alliteration (where all of the words in a phrase begin with the same letter). For example, his latest sermon discussed “alertness, attire, and access.” 3 words and his sermon was ready to go! Plan ahead what you want to say and then make it stick!
- Take-a-Ways- Alliteration is catchy. The audience will remember it. But, how can we ensure they talk about the message or share with others? Give them a physical token of the conversation so that when they or others see it, the discussion begins. This ensures your message gets passed on and utilized. Keep the object small that they can carry it anywhere they go, and often wearing something is the best way to encourage discussion! “Where did you get that? What is it from? What does it mean?” Well, let me tell you about this awesome presentation I attended…
As a teacher, I get the added bonus of being able to practice my public speaking everyday with my students. They are a faithful audience who love me unconditionally. I can try any technique out and they will never know that I’m practicing my “on stage” delivery ideas. If it is a success, I know but they don’t. If it is a failure, I know but they don’t. It is the perfect environment to learn and take risks so that when I go out “on stage” I have studied, I have practiced, and I am now ready to D.E.L.I.V.E.R.
Who inspires you to hone your craft? What makes them GREAT?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.