How much money are you losing because of poor public speaking skills and lack of preparation? How much credibility are you losing because your speeches are boring? How badly is the reputation of your organization suffering because the executives are simply horrible when they give a speech?
I ask those questions because I attended a board meeting yesterday in which different groups gave short speeches. One of the speeches was a blueprint for what you shouldn’t do … especially when the speech can get you a $750,000 grant!
The speaker began by apologizing for pacing during his speech. He hadn’t started pacing yet, be he warned the audience that he would. Why would you apologize for something you’re about to do in your speech instead of just not doing it? Am I missing something?
True to his word, the speaker slowly paced up and down the boardroom while rattling off statistics in a tone that could cure insomnia. To make matters worse, you could see one of the board members shaking her head as he went through his list of statistics. Maybe the statistics were wrong. Maybe there were just too many of them. But it’s never a good sign when you’re speaking and a decision maker is clearly giving you negative signals.
There was $750,000 on the table, but the speaker gave a $10 speech. He wasn’t prepared and he wasn’t interesting. Unless the speakers who went after him were just as bad (or worse), his chances of convincing the board were slim and none. Poor public speaking and lack of preparation cost him … big time!
There are a lot of people who’ll try to calm your fears and tell you that it’s no big deal if you don’t give a good speech. That’s true in some situations, but it’s rarely the case in business situations. When you’re trying to make a sale, increase donations and persuade an audience to support you in your efforts, it is a big deal if you don’t give a good speech. It could be costing you more than just money.
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Hi John
$750,000 are you kidding.
For that sort of money I’d make sure that you stayed awake.
Every speech should be a good speech but people need to start learning the techniques, long before they need to use them.
My advice… join Toastmasters or some other form of Speakers Club.
Learn the techniques and then put them to good use.
Keith Davis´s last [type] ..A splash of colour
Good, point Keith. The key is getting ready long before you need to be. Every executive will have to stand up and speak on behalf of his or her organization at some point. Why wouldn’t you make improving your public speaking skills a priority? It’s not as if the help doesn’t exist.
Great post John. There should be more stuff on the consequences of poor presenting. Companies lose millions of dollars (and pounds ) every year. A shameful waste.
Keep up the good work.
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