Fear of Speaking

Members of the ISP-Marketing list discuss a common problem for marketers—fear of public speaking. Read on to learn the various cures recommended by this group of experts.

[June 11, 2002]

On the ISP-Marketing list in May, RF panicked,

"Does anybody have tips or outlines for public speaking? The owner of a neighboring business just stopped in to suggest I come and do a 20-minute lunch presentation to the Rotary Club. Should this just be a 'who we are and what we do' type of thing, or should I be focusing on benefits of our service, or what? It seems I should be more informational and less sales-pitchy, but I'm clueless about these things."

A number of respondents recommended a soft sell:

[HG warned] "These are not intended to be direct sales pitches. Since most of the audience are business owners or managers, educate them on the benefits of the Internet for their business. How can the Internet increase business, improve customer service, improve business efficiency, and lower costs? Be available for questions afterwards: they'll ask about their home access, computer problems at home and work, etc. It's a wonderful opportunity to promote your industry and your business for both corporate and home use."

[BH advised] "Talk about the industry, changes, where you see it going, how to use the Internet effectively, etc. By demonstrating your knowledge of the industry, you become the resident expert-the man they turn to when they need help. If you talk just about your company and turn it into a sales presentation, you will be seen as a salesman and not an expert. Have literature about your company to pass out to those who are interested, and allow a few minutes for questions at the end of your talk."

[JS added] "If I were these guys, I would probably not know a lot about your business. And as such I might be most interested in knowing exactly what an ISP does (don't assume your audience will even know what the acronym stands for), including why the ISP is not responsible for spam or pop-ups, how the ISP operates as a business, and what you enjoy and/or hate (in a fun sense) about it. Put yourself in their shoes and explain your business transparently to them, and that may well be a very strong sales pitch."

Others offered some advice on putting the speech together:

[AG noted] "If you want to keep it simple, use a basic topical outline: it's the easiest to use in terms of putting your thoughts on paper. I suggest asking the person who invited you what the audience would be interested in. If he can't tell you, contact a few of the members and ask them what they'd be interested in hearing about. Investigate the club's mission to make yourself appear concerned about their goals. Any connection you can make between your company and their goals is good."

[JR added] "Put together an outline, and practice your opening and the first five minutes of your talk until you feel smooth. After five minutes, you will be calm and able to think on your feet. Make sure you are giving them a lot they already agree with. Actual stories or case histories, if interesting and short, are great. Most importantly, have fun with it."

[MH suggested] "The best rule of thumb for a speech is to tell them what you're going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them-meaning, have a good intro and conclusion to go along with the body that outlines and sums up the key topics. Make yourself an outline, then take time to rehearse it. Record yourself if you have time.

Introduction. A good icebreaker, such as an appropriate one-liner or quick anecdote, is essential. Then outline your speech body. 'Today I'm going to share with you three major initiatives that our business is focusing on that will benefit the community. Those three initiatives are…'

Body. Go into detail about each key point in order. Keep it in layman's terms. Rotarians are a mixture of folks, and are there for community purposes and networking.

Conclusion. Probably the most neglected and most important part of a speech. Go back over the key points, then leave them with something to remember you by.

Don't subject them to a PowerPoint presentation. 20 minutes is quite a bit of time. Don't ramble, pay attention to vocal dynamics (don't sound like Ben Stein), utterances (don't say 'uh' or 'um' too much), and most of all, take charge and enjoy yourself. Have a glass of water nearby. If you find yourself with time to fill, or if you blank out, just open the floor to questions. And don't forget to smile—and check your teeth for pepper."

—End