Had a message from – LinkedIn Profile = ” a Professional Life and Business Coach and Public Keynote Speaker.”
Them: “Can you help me become a better speaker?”
Me: “Yes. Send me a video so I can have a look at your style. Or even better, let me come along to a presentation so I can observe your audience and get a handle on how they react.”
Them: “Afraid I haven’t got any video and there’s nothing in the diary.”
Me: “Okayyyy. So hire a room, and invite an audience.”
Them: “How’s that going to help? I just need better technique. Can’t you write me a hypnotic script?”
Me: “Yes, I could if I knew who it was for.”
Them: “It’s for me.”
To cut a long story short I suggested we do some heavy work on the basics.
They’re getting back to me when they leave Uni, which by the way is an ideal place to invite a practice audience in – you’ll almost definitely learn to handle hecklers and difficult audiences very quickly and learn how to sell yourself.
I learnt audience rapport and connection as a Mentalist and Stage Hypnotist working the Club, Cabaret, Corporate and Theatre circuit in the 80’s and 90’s inviting thousands of people to basically come on stage and entertain their friends and family for me.
Because no speaking trainer can teach you to really Speak unless they see you speak and observe your Audience, all the rest is theory or worse. “Works for me so will work for you…” Platform Pitching.
And please, don’t do the fake it till you make it anymore, it’s too easy to find out you don’t have an audience. 🙂
[P.S. They are Faculty not a student. . . ]