There are simple tips you have to keep in mind when you have to do public speaking
If you are in the financial sector and have to educate and inform people about the consequences of their financial decisions, talk to their hearts, their future, their hopes and their dreams.
It's not information that puts people off, it's how the message are conveyed. The financial sector has so much to offer and what you find, once you start researching, can change your life. But the message get lost when you can't bring it to life for the person who's listening. Just think how financially empowered people will be if they can understand the fundamentals of personal finances, and how it can change the lives of future generations.
If you have been chosen to share your message on any public platform, online, on radio or television or in person, use these seven simple tips to wow your audience:
1. Keep it simple
Money is what drives many of our decisions. It dictates where we live, what we drive, what we eat and how we live. Money is emotive and managing your money is highly technical. The mistake many of us make is thinking that getting rich and having enough money will come easily and automatically. That's why we stay broke and financially frustrated.
Money and finances are mind numbing boring discussions to have. The moment money management comes up your brain automatically switches off and our eyes glaze over. That's natural because very few people can talk about money in a way that interests you, let alone captivate you.
I used to host a radio show about personal finances and small businesses. The focus always came back to money management. Some of my guests were brilliant at breaking down technical money terms into easily digestible pieces that could make sense to anyone, even if you're not in the financial sector. They knew how to keep things simple
Everybody wants to make money but we're not interested in how to keep and manage it. But if you have the right people in your corner you can make your money, keep it and enjoy it. You will be better equipped to make the right choices that will relieve you of the stress and the fear of spending your money. One of the experts I've spoken to was Leonie O' Connel , a financial adviser from Momentum who spoke with so much heart about financial planning for women. And she knew how to keep it simple and interesting without using unnecessary industry jargon.
2. Be real and understand not everyone in your audience is in the same financial position
Now more than ever people need advice on how to get out of debt, how to start over again, just how to survive financially in a very tough economic climate. Covid-19 has been brutal, and people need hope now more than preaching. If you talk about saving and investment, let the listener feel as if you understand their fear and pain about their financial situation.
Too often speakers talk about a financial reality that is so far removed from the reality of their audience or their listeners that no one actually pays attention. If you can give one piece of advice to someone that's practical, yet life-changing it can make a difference to someone who didn't see a way out before they heard you speak. We all know that we need to save for different reasons. Instead of preaching that message, paint a picture of what it means to have enough money for an emergency.
3. Come with a fresh perspective
Years ago I read that The Economist employ their writers for only two years. This was to prevent them from using jargon and losing touch with their readers. I'm not sure if this is still the case. What I do know is that when you do a job for too long you become comfortable and forget that people are listening to you who have no idea what you are talking about. You end up becoming so comfortable that you repeat the same information, in the same way, every single time you speak on radio, at a conference, or as a speaker on a public platform.
There are many new financial products that people should know about but they don't. Be the one who tells them about these products. There's fantastic research that's done yearly to understand people's financial behaviour; share that with your audience, even if it's not your core message.
It's amazing how people become interested when you give the same information with a different spin and make it sound fresh and new. That takes skill. But is worthwhile and it shows that you care about your message and your audience.
4. Make it personal
What does the topic you're talking about mean to you? What do you believe about the message you're sharing?
People love it when you share your personal experiences with them. What is your story? How was your journey? Why are you doing what you're doing?
It makes you seem more real when you give people a glimpse into you, and they can relate to you much better. Just don't share the whole book with the inappropriate bits. And don't brag. There are few things more boring than someone bragging about how much money they've made and how good they have it, and you have to sit and listen to them because you paid to be there.
How is knowing how good you have it going to help getting your message across. People came to be inspired and motivated, they didn't pay to hear you talking for hours about what time you get up and your morning routine. Give them little snippets of practical advice they can use immediately to improve one little thing in their own life. It's great when you discover that one little step can really lead to bigger things. Be the one who show that connection to your audience
Share how you've overcome something that you've battled with. Or share a feel good story about a client who used one of your products or someone else who overcame a difficult time in their life by making the right financial decisions. But keep it real and authentic. If you feel uncomfortable to talk about yourself, share the story of someone who inspires you and what their support meant to you.
Nothing peaks the interest of an audience more than when you share your journey in a humble, heartfelt and inspiring way.
5. Tell a story
Nothing beats storytelling. When I was working in radio, the best interviews were when the interviewee told an anecdote about a client that served as a lesson to the listener.
Tell a story about someone who saved and how it made a difference. That is so much more inspiring than just telling someone to save. Explain investments in a story, and the difference it can make when you make the right investment choices. There are amazing stories to be told, and you know them, so why don't you share it? People will remember the story long afterwards, and they will remember your message and your advice.
They will repeat the story long after you've forgotten that you've told it. And they will associate your company with that story, the lesson and the feeling.
If you're planning to go and just share statistics and research, rather stay home and eat popcorn. There's no heart in numbers. And if you're not a numbers person, it means nothing to you.
The world is full of amazing people who are doing wonderful things. Use your platform to tell their stories.
There is so much magic in story telling and it's a skill that will keep your audience captivated and entertained.
There are little titbits that you know about the industry and experiences you've had with colleagues, clients, management, family members or the man in the street that can make for a riveting story once you understand how to reconstruct and spin it for your audience.
Have you ever had an ordinary conversation with someone and they share something boring in such an interesting way that you never look at it the same way? That's the art of story telling. And if you have to speak in public it can change any boring speech or talk into something juicy and gripping.
6. Remember that you are the expert.
You were asked for a reason to share your knowledge on a public platform. It's because you know things that most of us have to research to find the answers to. You have answers to questions we don't even know how to ask. That makes you the best person to be on that platform.
I used to tell every single person I interviewed that I want the inside scoop on the industry they're in. I encouraged them to take the lead in the interview and share what they know is important and relevant in their industry. I wanted their perspective, their opinion, their experiences. Who can tell your story better than you?
You have the perspective and the insights only someone who's in the industry would have. You have access to information that gives you a unique perspective because you can dissect what might seem like complete jargon to the rest of us. You know more than most people in the audience. And that makes you the expert in our eyes.
7. Solve someone's problem
People make the mistake of thinking that listeners want to hear about your company. Don't fall into that trap. People listen because they are looking for a solution to a problem. And you just might provide them with the answer they were looking for. You never know who might be listening, hoping for a way out. Point people in the right direction with the right advice.
You know what can be done immediately to get out of financial trouble. Give the information for free. You will lose nothing but gain so much. Help someone in need with your knowledge. Your advice might give hope to someone who was at their wits end. And they will remember you for that.
Next time when you get an opportunity to be on the radio, or tv or to be interviewed think of all the people you can reach, and ask yourself if you are the best person to talk about the topic.
If it was an instruction from your boss, have the guts to say no. It will save you from a very traumatic experience. But if you are ready to talk, and it's your first time, then go for it. Put up your hand, even if you haven't been asked, many great speakers are hidden and overlooked in companies because they were never asked and they never volunteered. You never know that by sharing your knowledge that you forgot that you have you might find the fire in your soul again.
This was written by Olivia Sambo, Podcast producer on anchor.fm/olivia-sambo and Content Creator.
Co-founder of Profits and Books Bookkeeping Services
Comments
Post a Comment