My podcast this week is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
Enjoy!
The Podcast:
The Transcript:
I’m Johanna Rothman, and this is Johanna’s 60 Seconds of Writing WIP for August 23, 2024, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This is from the Effective Public Speaking book.
While I've asked you to focus on your audience as you develop and prepare to deliver your presentation, consider the common characteristics of your ideal audience:
- They want you to succeed because they're interested in your topic or in you.
- While they do need to understand your context, they want to hear your successes and failures in ways that allow them to relate to and then use your experiences.
- They want your enthusiasm to shine through, so they can take inspiration from you.
Yes, audiences want you to succeed.
Audience Members Are Human, Which Includes Jerks
Jerks come in all shapes and sizes. Some jerks wish they were the ones speaking. Others refuse to believe what you say–even with your stories and data. Still others want to talk on their phones, type on the computers, and even—I kid you not—clip their nails.
All of us are human. Therefore, some of us are jerks. Don't let the jerks get you down. Focus on the rest of the audience, the ones who want your content.
Link to the video.