Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Rock Your Evaluation! (Part 2)

Rock It!

When evaluating a speaker, look for advanced speaking techniques. Did the speaker use pauses effectively? Or would his speech have been more powerful if he had incorporated the use of pauses? Did his pauses seem rehearsed and stilted? Or did the few seconds of silence in his speech drive home his points?

An effective way to use a pause is just before you make an important point or just after you’ve made a point. Also, if you’re telling a story, pauses can add emphasis and make the listener’s ears perk up, anxious to hear what’s coming next. Another reason to pause is during audience participation. If audience members respond to something a speaker has said, it breaks the connection when the speaker does not allow them time to have their moment. Here’s what a World Champion of Public Speaking has to say:

“As presenters are gaining confidence, they have a tendency to step on laughs. Meaning, as the audience starts laughing, because the presenter is nervous, he / she keeps talking. Because the speaker keeps talking, the laughs are suppressed, because the audience is eager to hear more. The power is truly in the pause.” – Darren LaCroix, Structuring Your Humor

To really ROCK your evaluation, you must:

Remember to give value
Organize it like a speech
Conclude with encouragement
Keep it real

Next time you evaluate a speaker, take a moment to consider: Did he use pauses effectively? Or did he step on laughs?

What about you? When you’re speaking do you allow your audience to participate in your speech? Do you give them a moment to respond or do you rush forward into your next point or story? Visit Darren’s website and see how his tips can help you make your next speech connect with your audience on an even deeper level. And, armed with that knowledge, your next speech will be even more powerful, plus you’ll give more value the next time you evaluate a speech.

Rock on,
Jean
2010 District 37 Evaluation Champion