Matt Abrahams a communication expert, joins TheStreet to share some tips on how to become a better public speaker.
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00:00What is a quick tip to command the room's attention in the first couple of seconds?
00:05First couple of seconds. Basically, you're getting buy-in right from the top.
00:09Absolutely. And nowhere is it more important than there to engage your audience. I believe
00:15the most precious commodity in the world today is attention. Getting people's attention is critical.
00:21And what's even harder than getting attention is engagement. Three quick ways to engage an audience.
00:27One is physical. Get them doing something. Raising their hands, watching something,
00:31turning to somebody. If you're virtual, have them type into the chat, watch a shared video,
00:36take a poll. There's not only physical, there's also mental. Tell a story, ask a question,
00:44use an analogy. Those are ways to get people engaged. So you can start a presentation with
00:49a story. You can use an analogy or ask a question. And then finally, use language.
00:56I like to call it time-traveling language. I can take you into the future by saying,
01:00what if you could picture this, imagine. When I use language like that, you see it in your mind's
01:07eye and you begin to get engaged and involved. So you're absolutely right. How you start matters.
01:13Hook people right away. Do it through physical, mental, or linguistic engagement.
01:18So what traits differentiate an average public speaker from a great public speaker?
01:25Ah, thank you. I think it's really three things, being clear, being concise,
01:31and being compelling. That's what makes the difference between an average speaker
01:36and a really good speaker. You have to be clear. That is clear in your intent,
01:41clear in the way you say what you say in terms of enunciation, having a clear goal.
01:46We have to be concise. Many of us say much more than we need to. My mother has this wonderful
01:52saying, tell the time, don't build the clock, be concise. And then we need to be compelling.
01:59We need to be engaging for our audience, which means we need to make sure our content is relevant.
02:04So clarity, being concise, and being compelling are what differentiate average communicators from
02:11really, really good communicators. What are your tips for thinking quickly and effectively
02:17under pressure? Because most of us know the place where we are most under pressure is at work.
02:23Absolutely. Thinking fast and talking smart is what I'm all about. I have a podcast on that
02:28topic, a new book on that topic. You have to be able to respond quickly. The thing that we,
02:34most of us, miss is one, we don't listen first. We think we have to respond right away.
02:43Slowing down and listening helps you respond more appropriately. Now, many of us feel great pressure
02:48when somebody asks a question or asks for feedback to respond right away. You can say,
02:52give me a moment to think about it. You can ask a clarifying question. You can paraphrase what's
02:58said. That buys you enough time to formulate your thoughts. Next, think to yourself, what's the
03:04bottom line that I want to get across? Many of us, when we're put on the spot, we think about so many
03:09things at once. If we land on one bottom line, we can then build our messaging from there. And when
03:16we're done, we have to take a moment to check in with the other person. Can I tell you more? Do you
03:21have a follow-up question? What more can I share? By following up, you signal that you want to really
03:26help the person and it gives you an opportunity to correct anything that might not have gone the way
03:32you wanted. So, first and foremost, buy yourself some time. Focus on the bottom line. Check for understanding when you're done.