An explain article

Standing in the glare of public attention is no easy lesson for inexperienced speakers. Highly praised lecture or countless ridicule in tomorrow's professional press. Those who speak in public are guaranteed to leave their personal comfort zone.

In the book "The Book of Lists" by William Morrow, "Public Speaking" is unquestionably number 1 on the list of fears. While the reactions to a lecture in a closer business environment are easier to predict, a lecture in a public environment without appropriate preparation is a real blind flight.

Effectiveness arises from self-efficacy

To effectively address the public, one must be aware of their own impact. The stage is an ideal place for this. For the speaker to receive full attention right from the start, they must give themselves and their topic significance. If I were to try to put the word significance into an equation, it would result from the ability to highlight the relevance to the audience, convey the speaker's intention, and give the lecture a structure with a clear agenda—and this does not mean the tabular listing of topics, but the clear steering of general expectations. You generate relevance, for example, through impressive numbers, data, and facts that lend weight to your topic.

But that alone will not suffice if the subject matter to be presented does not have an immediate impact on the audience: "According to an independent study by the Wall Street Journal, for example, 97 percent of all presentations given over the past 10 years have been downright disappointing. A circumstance that will also decide on your company's success in the future..." Experienced speakers are also able to tie their presentation to a promise: I will show you that... / After this presentation, you will be able to... Formulations that achieve the desired effect in the audience.

Personal Appearance

Now, it is a matter of fulfilling the expectations that have been built up. Well-prepared slides can enrich the presentation. Whether supported by slides or not, you must have internalized the impact of what is said. Because effectiveness arises from the personal appearance of the speaker. A choreography between the spoken word and one's own body language. It is no coincidence that the pause is one of the most important rhetorical tools available to a speaker, and in this context, the so-called pause for effect.

The Staging

Most presentations are already very approachable due to a clean structure. Seasoned speakers often take it a step further and rely on special staging. Whether impressive object lessons or radical volte-faces, the momentum lies in unpredictability. However, avoid gimmickry that distracts from the actual core of your topic.

Your Motive

The more often you speak in public, the clearer you can gauge the impact of your personality. Those who want to create an impact do well to make their connection to the topic tangible for the audience. What does the topic mean to you as a speaker? What were your motivations?

Why do you want to speak to the world about it?

By doing so, you create a connection with the audience and are perceived as understandable to the general public and potentially sympathetic, inevitably, definitely authentic. But whether a figure of sympathy or a polarizing speaker, strong public personalities become significantly more anchored in memory. Shocking statements or a touching personal story. To stand in public, you need a profile. The sharper your profile, the better. Better a speaker with edges and corners than a smooth, interchangeable figure. Not least, good wines or fine perfumes are recognized by their unmistakable note. Give yourself your own and, above all, remain yourself.