The Art of Authentic Public Speaking – by Michele Wilke

Posted by admin on March 22, 2010

We all have a mind, an imagination and words which are produced from combining language, syntax and grammar. This is mechanics. We put stories down on paper, offer metaphors for hitting a point home and in the process, we hope to get a moment of a totally silent audience. This is finesse. Embracing the art of authentic public speaking is a magical mixture of both.

Before I dive into this most fascinating topic, I wish to offer a disclaimer: my approach is unconventional. It will not work for those who enjoy their successful comfort zones – and more power to them. I am a fan of many things “guerilla”, doing things differently and realize that often, I am speaking to an already rather SAVVY audience. I am always refining the message and offering new twists on conventional wisdom. I keep it fresh not only for the participants, but also to remain engaged myself. Otherwise, I would get bored with my own words. I call this Going Off Script.

And inner ennui will always show. This shows a lack of authenticity in its worst form.

VeloCity Coaching Services is the kind of company which pays attention to trends while creating new ones. I am the kind of entrepreneur who listens to my gut when it says: low tech, high impact, interactive and insightful presentations are filling seats, and eventually creating revenue for the bank account. This is not my bottom line – however, it is worth saying. Many business owners like me who happen to have a talent for public displays of insight, use this medium as free marketing. Yes, I love to speak and act and perform and make a difference. Pay it forward. All that. Also, the exposure created by getting the company brand out into the open air is invaluable. This creates positive forward momentum. For the readers who are in sales, you know how vital positive forward momentum truly is. Without it, we not only stop – we tend to go backwards.

Onwards. These points to consider are worth a few moments of your time and energy. Because as one LinkedIn user recently wrote, it’s all about energy: “The tone of somebody’s voice alone is enough to engage or not engage an audience. If the energy is there, then you can get away with all sorts of other faults. If not, then no amount of content, relevance or story-telling can save you.” Ahhh, more unconventional wisdom. Does this resonate for you? It does for me, and helps calm my natural stage fright and creepy inner voice that says: no matter how awesome you are, they might not like you.

As public speakers, our backgrounds are diverse. Some of us started in theater arts, others in sales and Dale Carnegie methods, yet others in training or teaching. One thread, which I sense is of utmost importance, is: energy fueled by a commitment towards authenticity is key. This is as close to sharing a “secret” as I will ever come. The other “Secret” advertised on Oprah is actually old wisdom and is also worth adding here. It’s the idea that our thoughts, feelings, words and actions need to be in alignment. This is authenticity, too. Simple to understand. Complex to put into action.

Seven Points to Consider for Authentic Public Speaking

Here are some of my favorite myths and methods. Hopefully… they will resonate for you, your team, your company and your unique public speaking style and approach.

It’s All About Them… Another LinkedIn user wrote: “The best speakers I have ever heard seemed like they were telling the story for the first time, as if they were telling it just to me.” Our natural human egos and filters create separate satellites of meaning. Audience members are at the end of a speakers beam of light, as if sharing an inside joke with a stranger. Never underestimate the power of the human ego and identity. I accept this reality, and it shows in how I will first take a moment and read the room before I begin. This changes my entire approach sometimes and sometimes a part of the content as well. Too many public speakers stick to their own scripts and forget to pay attention.

The Signs Are There… Pay attention. No matter what, pay attention. A group of high-caliber professionals in transition, dressed for success, polished, on time and ready to network their network were recently offered a free presentation by a local “career expert”. She was a recruiter for 20+ years and 4 years ago, jumped on the career coaching train. She had a polished power point presentation ready, a book at the back of the room to purchase and an impressive testimonial via the event organizer. One hundred sixty four people created a high decibel of noise before the presentation, and it took the organizers a good nine minutes to get everyone seated and ready to listen. And what did this expert do? She launched into a very remedial presentation with the first slide saying: Dress for Success. Sigh. She forgot to pay attention. She lost the audience (you could almost hear the light swish of eyes rolling). A notch on her credibility belt went down, and her book sales were less than impressive. Pay attention.

Stories… We all love stories, and we love to use them in the anecdotal part of our content. Pedagogical theory says that we will remember information when it can be applied to the present moment. What people will remember are not the stories, but the images and metaphors that connect to their present lives and experiences. This bleeds into the pay attention advice. And so, tell your stories, but keep in mind that your images will be valuable to the audience only when they can be applied to their own experiences. I recently saw the 2010 President of the National Speakers Association, Phillip Van Hooser, present here in Detroit. He nailed it. His story telling was not only vivid and unique, but he constantly connected his content to how we can apply it to our own personal and professional lives, starting right now. He has a strong training background and it showed. His approach is unconvenional – a wonderful sight to see.

Side note: watching others speak is valuable because it shows you vital statistics: what works, what doesn’t, what resonates for the audience by how they respond to a certain point, approach, tempo. I recently spoke to a group of Business Analysts and Project Managers who tend to be analytical introverts. I changed my approach the first 12 minutes to get the “buy in”. Then, I continued at a SLOWER pace than usual. It worked.

Free Marketing Has a High ROI… I moved from San Francisco to Detroit during an ice storm in January 2009 to be near an elderly parent – and therefore I often refer to my company as a “geographical start up”. Recently, I was asked by a group of start up business owners how I have created such high visibility in a rather short period of time. Along with sweat equity and having been in business for 26 years across the globe, I simply said: Free Stuff. If you are invisible or emerging and not yet able to “set your price”, leave your own ego at the door and give it away for free. I have 11 public engagements in the next 6 weeks, one of which is paid. And I BLESS my lucky stars!

Bragging Rights… More about sales and positive forward momentum. Last month, I gave a four-hour workshop on Leadership for Women. I arranged a deal with the American Cancer Society to get the space for a small donation in exchange for them offering a 10-minute commercial to the attendees. By the way, I am a big fan of equitable service exchanges. Apparently, one of the staff members heard a section of the workshop while getting coffee in an adjacent room, and was impressed by what she heard. After the workshop, they asked about VeloCity’s services and approach, and after some negotiations, we are now strategic partners for 2010 – free space in exchange for professional leadership and customer service coaching and training. Not only do I get to offer workshops and events in a beautiful facility in an excellent location in Detroit… not only does the American Cancer Society get high-performance professional coaching and training… but the bragging rights to be able to say that the Great Lakes Region American Cancer Society is a client, are priceless. Talk about positive forward momentum. And… I get warm fuzzies by contributing to a worthy cause.

Writing Up a Storm… One very wise man once said: if you are working in the public eye and not writing up a storm, then you are missing opportunities staring at you in the face. Even if you are not a good writer, write. Or hire someone to do it for you. Writing and public expression go hand in hand. It hones your craft by getting your thoughts to flow in a creative and unique way. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg is the best book I have found to “free the writer within”. Write it, blog it, article it, pod cast it, link it in, face book it, twitter it and say it out loud. It all starts with the written word.

The Art of Authentic Public Speaking… Carl Jung analyzed common threads of behavior, and came up with Six Human Needs: security / variety / significance / love and connection / personal (and professional) growth / contribution. They are all-important and shape our world. As we grow and change, our human needs and priorities shift as well. I find it interesting that Contribution is at the pinnacle of the human experience. And not the conventional kind that says: it is blessed to give. I am talking about the Law of Reciprocation here. The giving AND getting that happens without effort. This is my version of contribution, since we seem to forget that contribution includes US, as well!

Getting up in front of perfect strangers, with all those internal egos and voices clouding up our minds… it is hard enough to be good. What does it take to be extraordinary? When our message hits home and becomes significant for the audience, they are silent. The resonance in the room is like a distant yet clear bell bouncing off their imaginations, and you can almost see their synaptic connectors having internal dialogues. This is the ZONE. The authentic moment in time when we have nailed it, no matter the outcome. This is peace of mind and freedom of expression unlike anything our forefathers and mothers ever dreamed possible. And at the core of this Zone are contribution, energy and authenticity. To take the risk to pay attention and leave our own filters at the door, even for a brief moment, is art. In its purest form, it is creative art at its best.

But a word of warning: this is “guerrilla” public speaking – without laptops, electricity or white boards. This is raw and simple and the most effective approach for my own, authentic public speaking contributions. It also happens to be the most difficult style to pull off.

But when it works, it is magic.

VeloCity Coaching Services has been contributing to the professional coaching and training business for 26 years, with an extensive local and global background in Asia, Europe and North America. They have worked with over 10,000 participants and clients across the globe in the areas of global relations, leadership, business, career and life skills. They have coached, trained, educated and inspired a variety of people, in numerous companies and organizations – from BMW and Siemens to academic institutions and foundations, from start ups and municipalities to partnerships and professionals in transition.

For more information on Michele Wilke, President of VeloCity Coaching Services, and their highly educational BLOG, please visit: www.VeloCityCoachingServices.com.