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I know I’m not the first
person to say this. But I’m in love with my new iPhone.
I’m constantly picking it up, sending emails, checking
sports scores, revising my calendar, listening to music,
watching videos, and taking pictures. The thing has
blown me away.
And I can’t help but
think about the lessons it has to teach about public
speaking.
iPhones and
Good Speakers are User-Friendly
First, the iPhone, like a
good speaker, is user-friendly. Want to check the
weather? Easy. Want to record a voice mail? Easy.
Want to make a phone call? Easy. That’s not to say
that making the iPhone user-friendly was an easy task.
There’s a lot of Apple engineering blood, sweat, and
tears behind all that “easiness”.
A good speaker should be
the same way — easy and listener-friendly. For the
listener, the message should be clean and simple. ”Here
are the three things that you need to do to reduce your
warehousing costs.” That’s not to say that making a
presentation listener-friendly is simple. Good
speakers work hard to simplify. Focusing on three core
messages is hard. Honing a good story takes work. But
that work shouldn’t be apparent to the listener.
iPhones and
Good Speakers are Highly Interactive
Second, the iPhone, like
a good speaker, is interactive fun. In one month, my
phone has become an integral part of my life. It
provides non-stop opportunities for interaction. In
addition to the phone and the email, it’s also a
wonderful toy with apps galore. If you’re a sports nut,
then there are dozens of ways to feed your addiction.
Same thing if you’re a music nut. There is a Scrabble
app that I’m dying to get.
Similarly, great speakers
are interactive and fun. They grab listeners and make
them feel personally involved. They find ways to
interact with the audience, tell stories, take
questions. When talking about legal issues, let the
audience analyze a hypothetical. Make the presentation
an interactive conversation.
iPhones and
Good Speakers Accomplish Their Core Mission
Third, the iPhone, like
a good speaker, accomplishes the core mission. I would
have no use for a device that could get me the sports
scores but couldn’t make a clear phone call, send an
email or record my appointments. But those core
elements work beautifully on the iPhone.
A good speaker is the
same way. She has a clear sense of her core mission — to
connect with the audience and move them. If your
presentation is on how to grow sales and you deliver it
beautifully, it’s still a failure if the audience leaves
the room unclear about how to apply the ideas in their
daily work.
iPhones and
Good Speakers Generate Excitement
Finally, the iPhone is
beautiful. I was at lunch recently with two architects
that were praising the thing as a model of design. It’s
the ultimate eye candy.
Similarly, great speakers
speak with the kind of style that makes listeners want
to watch. Great speakers have energy in their voice and
passion in their face and eyes. That excitement makes
their audience pay attention.
I tell you I just love
this thing. I wonder if there’s an app to deal with
stage-fright.
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 now at 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 joeyasher@speechworks.net. His website
is www.speechworks.net.
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