In the late 90’s, I was totally intrigued by the Harry Potter book series. Created by legendary author J.K. Rowling, the books took readers through the lives of Harry Potter and his friends who were all students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If I think back to that time and remember why I was so committed to these books, it was because I felt like I was there with them. I took the books with me everywhere I went because I wanted to be constantly part of that experience. Whenever I wanted to get away from the real word, I could pick up wherever I left off and be instantly transformed. It would be a race between me and my friends to see who would get the latest book first and discover the newest adventure. We all felt like we were part of an experience. As a Public Speaker you want to do the same thing… provide your audience with an experience that they truly enjoy being part of.

At 29 years old, whenever I think back on the happy times of my childhood, Harry Potter always takes up some of that memory. I may not remember every single little adventure he had throughout those first four books, but it was a wonderful time for me. Public Speakers should always aim to give their audience a memorable experience. You don’t want to be a Public Speaker who is like the rest and you definitely don’t want to be a one that is forgettable. Separating yourself from the pack involves more than just delivering great facts, clear pictures and constant storytelling. There has to be strategy behind the madness. When your audience thinks of you, what can your audience think of to distinguish you from the rest?

Experiences can be geared around activities. Think about including an activity within your talk. For example, depending on your audience size, you may be able to pair people in groups of five or ten. Just for kicks, let’s say you are giving a talk on networking and you’ve gotten to the part of your presentation where you are giving tips on how to properly start a conversation. As your audience breaks out into groups, you are directing them on what to say and how to approach a stranger. They then follow your direction and start talking to one another. That’s a simple example of an experience. They’ll remember what you directed them to do and how they interacted with their counterparts.  Meeting a stranger, learning about that stranger in those few minutes…. You’ve just fostered an experience. Examples like this can happen at workshops, large conferences and events that fall in between.

All in all, great speakers create and provide a great experience for their audience. If you think that providing useful information is enough, you’ll be mistaken. You have to be invested in your message and that will involve going above and beyond and ultimately bringing your audience into your world. It’s never just about the words. If that was the case, practically anyone could do it. If you provide great information, but don’t break it down, then you are only halfway there. Storytelling and using real life examples will help get you fully there. The best thing about this is that we all have stories and examples to pull from. You just have to figure out which one will be the most impactful and tell them in a way in which your audience can experience them.

Make your next presentation, your best presentation!

Sincerely,

Julian A. Leonard
(Founder of The JLeonard Group LLC)

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