SO YOU WANT TO BE A SPEAKER

It has been said that every speaker gives three talks: the talk he prepared, the talk he gives, and the talk he wished he had given. To consolidate these three talks into one fabulous presentation, I would offer the following suggestions.
1) Your preparation.
Some of your best preparation is to be observant. Take a keen interest in life and the people you meet. Keep your senses sharp as you observe the drama of your ever-changing life.
Keep abreast of what is happening around you. Read everything positive you can get your hands on. This will help you be a conversationalist. What is happening in your community? Who is in the news? What is happening now that will influence the future. What has happened in the past that has an influence on the people of today. You can observe the negative as well as the positive—but be careful you don’t bite into the negative things that are happening. Jim Rohn says to "keep up your interest in people. Why do they do what they do?"
Be fascinated by the people around you. Observe the drama of life—not in black and white but in glorious color and 3D. Not only will you observe what is happening around you, but you will want to know why it is happening and how it happens. Be like a child, curious, asking questions, observing everything around you with eyes and ears open wide!
As you meet people, put a smile on your face. Someone once told the story of Babe Ruth. He was called the "home-run king" but he was also the strike-out king. But even when he struck out he came back to the bench with a smile on his face and a wave to the crowd. People loved him. He was asked why he smiled when he struck out. He answered, "I’m just that much closer to my next home run. Just stick around. It won’t be long. One will be sailing over the fence." What is your attitude? How fascinated are you with your life and of those around you. We all know that nothing works every time. Even positive thinking is not a guarantee of success. But if you approach every task with a smile your day and your ability to interact with others improves. As that improves, your ability to speak automatically improves with it.
All of us get frustrated at times, whether at work, play, or even our attempts at influencing an audience through speaking. If you are feeling frustrated, ask yourself; "What happened? I thought I would do better than that." Get excited about what you did, even if it fell flat. Make the necessary corrective steps and try again. I’m not sure I even like the word "try." It would be better to say, "Do it again." I love that segment in Star Wars where Luke Skywalker says to Yoda, "I’ll try." Think of Yoda’s response: "Try! Try! There is no try. Only do! Do!"
Just as you are sometimes frustrated, others are frustrated also. Observe the drama in others—their frustration, their joy, their sorrows, their happiness. Be sensitive to others’ needs. Your sensitivity will give you huge food for your speaking. Do your best to understand where people are coming from. Walk in their shoes for awhile.
Jim Rohn says, "Don’t be lazy in preparing; don’t be lazy in laying the groundwork that will make all of the difference in how your presentation turns out."
2) Your presentation
Now that you have done all of the preparation, your next step is to step in front of that audience and grab their attention. "Come out punching!" Get your audience’s attention. Don’t waste time with trivialities. Get right to your subject. Make a startling statement. Stand on your head. Do something that will get them in sync with you.
Know your audience. What are they there for? What do they want to learn from you? If you are the expert, show it! Make each segment of your talk answer the question: "Who Cares?" This will help you say something of value to your audience.
Use humor if appropriate. Don’t tell a joke for the joke’s sake. Your humor must fit you and your topic. Go for laughs that naturally come from your content. Avoid old, tired jokes. Avoid shady jokes. Listen to yourself as you watch you in the mirror. Does the joke add to your presentation, or should it be cut. Be brutally honest with yourself.
Use an outline format to organize your material. Most speakers put their presentation in three parts.
a) Tell them what you are going to tell them.
b) Tell them.
c) Tell them what you told them.
Such a presentation has a beginning, a middle, and an end. It is a great structure which will help you the speaker—but it also will help the audience understand. Keep your outline simple. Say what you want to say, in the way you want to say it, in the time you are allowed to say it, and your audience will benefit.
.