I have to say it was Scott Berkun’s title that caught my eye – Confessions of a Public Speaker
Scott Berkun is only in his late 30s yet has been speaking for 15 years so has many tales to tell. He’s done all forms of public speaking – TV and radio interviews, lectures, you tube videos, conferences and live comedy. Plus he usually earns $5000 per hour for the privilege.
For me, the two most valuable parts of the book, as indicated by my dog eared pages & notes in my iPhone are:
#1: Getting people to sit up the front (see page 49) . If the audience is scattered up the back, it really sucks the energy out of the room. Scott has a counter-attack for this but warns that we are a lazy species, so…
Make it a game. Offer a prize to the first person who gets up first. Ask the audience members if they need exercise today & when they raise their hand (people who go to lectures & conferences always crave exercise) tell them you have just the right thing for them to do!
#2: Getting constructive feedback (see page 120-121). Since most people avoid conflict they’ll say, “you did really well!” What you also need to ask are these questions:
- How did my presentation compare to others?
- What one change would’ve most improved my presentation?
- What questions did you expect me to answer that I didn’t?
- What annoyances did I let get in the way of delivering what you needed?
- Was this a good use of your time?
- Would you recommend this presentation to a friend?
- Are you considering doing anything differently as a result of this talk?
However the two best ways to tell if you did a good job, according to Scott Berkun are:
- Video tape yourself – practicing & delivering – your talk. Since you are hardest judge of yourself, you can pick up things that most people would be too polite to tell you!
- See if you are invited back to speak by the event organiser.
The book is hilarious & very practical. It is complete with plenty of pics so you really get a sense of what Scott goes through.
You can follow @Berkun on twitter, read his blog, check out the Speaker Confessions website.
Photo credit: Strandell (Flickr)
Conference Speakers Brisbane: If you’re looking a speaker like Scott, but don’t have a spare $5000, try myself or Toby Jenkins. Call 1300 258 394 for more.