Impromptu speaking tactics (Part 2)
Public speaking for business development
A lot of public speaking is carried out from behind a lectern, or stood behind a desk. More often than not there is some form of furniture between you and the audience.
This is a great comfort for the nervous speaker, but is hiding behind a desk or lectern reducing the impact of your speech or presentation?
I regularly encourage others to ‘leave the lectern’ or ‘step out’ into their audience.
Moving in this way often makes the speaker feel ‘naked’ or exposed in front of their audience, but such fluidity can actually hide nerves and increase audience interaction.
Next time you do a speech from behind a lectern (perhaps at the end of a day full of similar, text book speeches or lectures) why not step out from behind the lectern, engage with your audience and change the way they see and take in what you are saying?
I know I would much rather listen to and am much more likely to remember a speaker that was prepared to break a few rules and really present something in a unique style – wouldn’t you?
