Watch this TED talk by Ken Robinson if you have the time (it’s 19 and a half minutes). It’s informative, entertaining and inspiring, and is the kind of thing I aspire to deliver. Here’s what I think are the most important aspects that you can learn from it:
- He knows the subject.
- He’s passionate about it.
- He uses humour.
- He appears to be very intelligent.
That’s a fantastic four of public speaking right there (for me, only Stephen Fry is better). You can use all four of those qualities when you speak before a group, and here’s how:
- Learn your material.
- Find what moves you about it, even if it’s relatively trivial (see my post ‘Release the Fury’).
- Try a joke if you think it suits your audience. Make yourself the victim of the joke.
- If you’re smart – you’re reading this, so you must be pretty bright – then show it.
So, learn from the masters: watch some talks at TED.com, and watch any of Stephen Fry’s BAFTA speeches on youtube.
Laters.