One of the benefits of having this blog has been getting to know various people around the world that I never would have met before. The following post comes from Joey Asher from Speechworks.
Public Speaking Tips
from my Dog Balou
By Joey Asher, President Speechworks
My dog Balou is a 60-pound, black-lab mix that we adopted at
a PetSmart rescue day last year in Sandy Springs, Ga. And if he could only talk and write on a
flip chart, I’m sure he’d be a great public speaker. That’s because he
understands how to connect with people better than most humans.
It’s about connection
not perfection
First, Balou understands that you can do a lot wrong if you
establish great rapport.
Balou makes lots of mistakes. He eats the insoles out of shoes. He chewed
the upholstery on our nice living room sofa. When he vomits on the kitchen
floor, it’s truly disturbing. And I
won’t bother describing the foul and prodigious “gift” he left for us in the
basement on Thanksgiving morning last year.
I guess we forgot to let him out the night before.
But we forgive Balou’s mistakes because we love him. When
I’m working at the kitchen table, he sits at my feet. When my kids come home
from school, he runs to the window and starts barking for joy. And he does this hilarious thing with this
ratty stuffed panda where . . . Well you
get the idea.
Like Balou, great public speakers understand that you can
overcome mistakes with connection.
They’re not worried about forgetting a point, using an awkward phrase,
or having their hair out of place. They don’t worry if the projector
breaks. They know that if they connect
with the audience with energy, eye contact and stories, all will be forgiven.
My Dog Displays Lot
of Passion
If Balou were a public speaker, his best trait would be his
passion. Balou has no trouble
expressing his excitement. When I’m about to take him for a walk and he sees me
grab his leash, he goes berserk. He leaps, twirls, and sneezes repeatedly
(Sneezing is how Balou shows excitement).
That excitement is contagious and endearing.
Great speakers also show passion. I worked with an attorney
that gave a presentation on how women attorneys can balance work and
family. As she spoke, her face lit up,
her voice became intense, and her arms moved wildly. Her passion was obvious and I was riveted.
Balou Makes Great Eye
Contact
Balou knows that to connect with people, you need great eye
contact. If I say, “Hey Balou”, he looks
up at me. If he wants to go outside, he
looks at me and barks. When I come home
from work, he shows he’s happy to see me by looking right at me and wagging his
tail.
Similarly, great speakers understand that eye contact is
critical. I worked with a project manager recently who had great energy but
looked at his feet when he spoke. We
helped him by making him hold the eye contact for three to five seconds with
individual listeners.
Balou just loves you
Finally, Balou understands that you win affection by showing affection. We love Balou because he loves us and shows us in dozens of ways.
The same is true with great speakers. They show their
affection for their audience by addressing their key concerns rather than
giving a generic speech. They leave plenty of time for questions. They then
answer those questions with a helpful, sincere tone. Audiences return the love that you give.
I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that Balou knows how to
sell himself so well. His livelihood
depends on it.
Joey Asher is
President of Speechworks, a selling and communication skills coaching company
in Atlanta. He has worked with hundreds of business people helping them learn
how to communicate in a way that connects with clients. His new book “How to Win a Pitch: The Five Fundamentals That Will
Distinguish You from the Competition” is available on Amazon and at www.speechworks.net. He is the author of “Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers” and “Even A Geek Can Speak.” He can be reached
at 404-266-0888 or [email protected].