Photo by SlayerPhoto
Back in October, I wrote a post about 10 Tips to Take Your Public Speaking to the Next Level. One of the tips I included was to “know your subject inside and out“. Here’s what I wrote:
If you don’t know what your audience thinks and feels about your subject, then you only know your subject ‘inside’. Knowing your subject ‘inside out’ means understanding the subject from both points of view.
The Big Mistake Speakers Make
The big mistake most speakers make is to research only the information that supports their own point of view. They gather a bunch of statistics, stories, anecdotes, case studies and analogies that prove the point they want to make. This is what I refer to as ‘inside’ knowledge. ‘Inside” knowledge is necessary, but you need more than that to understand your topic inside and out. You’ll also need more than ‘inside’ knowledge if you want to persuade your audience.
Think Chess
The key to winning a game of chess is to always be thinking a few moves ahead. But when you are thinking ahead, do you only think of the moves you’re going to make?
Of course not. When you play chess, you think about the next move you want to make and then think about how your opponent will respond to that move. In essence, you are putting yourself on your opponent’s side of the chess board and trying to anticipate how they will respond to everything you do.
When you research your next speech, think chess.
For every statistic, story, anecdote, case study and analogy you plan to use, sit in the seat of your audience and anticipate how they will respond to everything you say. Once you anticipate their objections, misgivings and resistance to what you have to say, work that information into your speech. When your audience hears you state their point of view for them, resistance will decrease.
Knowing your subject “inside and out” will take more time. But if your goal is to take your speeches to the next level and get your audience’s king (donations, business, agreement), it will be time well spent.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Great concept – Knowing your subject “inside and out”.
You are so right… I’ve always banged on from my own point of view and never examined the other side of the coin.
Might give it a try by addressing some of the issues from the other viewpoint – how powerful would that be!