Speeches can be extremely effective in making points without the use of slides. I'd been struggling against a tide of negativity and needed to talk about it but of course, every speech has to be about the audience. I put myself in the shoes of the group I was speaking to and asked how would they benefit from what I've learned.
The people in this group are courageous, self-confidant and optimistic. These characteristics serve them exceptionally well probably 95% of the time. Sometimes though, they run smack into a person who thrives on negativity and these qualities make it hard for them to accept that the negative person isn't going to budge.
What to do? I spoke about the three behaviors that will let you know that you're facing a person who chooses to be negative and resistant.
I had real passion about this. I used rhythm and cadence to call them out. I looked at many individuals in the audience as I was speaking. And I brought it back to the positive by saying "the next time you face resistance like this, keep your courage, keep your self-confidence, keep your optimism because your people need you." There was strong and heartfelt applause. I hit a nerve and helped them know how to heal it.
How do you make powerful points? There is no slide, no matter how hard you work on it, that is as powerful as your pure YOU. The next time you find yourself reaching for the slide software, stop and think about how you can reach the audience instead with your own intelligence and emotions in a speech that's well crafted and powerfully delivered.
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