The Hindu Business Line : Make an impact

I am just back from speaking to an audience of 70 large companies in the US, including representatives from Boeing, Accenture, Rolls Royce and others, on the topic ‘India – A cross-cultural guide’. The subject of India gathers large, interested audiences these days. I was delighted to see how positively they evaluated the session. So I want to share some simple tips that I learned over time, with new managers who may need to speak in public too.

Know your subject

No matter what the topic is, you should speak only on subjects you know well or have learnt enough about to feel confident. Rehearsing the sequence of your speech and the likely questions are a must. This is to ensure timing, flow and effectiveness of your speech. In the beginning, I used to pace up and down and say it to myself or tape my speech into a recorder till I became comfortable. I still find it incredibly useful to test my speech on a willing audience at home or at work before I go on live.

Interactivity

Everyone wants information in easy-to-use capsule-form. So plan effectively, knowing that attention spans are short. Vary the presentation to keep the audience hanging on to your words. Different ways that are helpful include moving around the room in their midst, changing the speed or modulation of your voice, showing them some props or demos with a volunteer (I, for one, use two different coloured lenses for folks to see how the world looks through them and then I link it to how different countries see things in different colours) and showing interesting real life photos to make a point. Use three-four of these interesting methods. I like to use the ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ type quiz questions where one response is funny and obviously wrong. Like when speaking of booming India asking: “How many teens will India have in 2015?”

1. 550 million

2. 1 million

3. None - India is close to discovering how to get rid of teens altogether.

The answer is 550 million, of course. (I don’t know how we are going to handle that; I can barely handle the one teen daughter I have!) All these techniques make the audience feel “Wow, that speaker is excellent, time went by so quickly with him/her.”

Quit while you are ahead

Never keep saying you are going to be finishing soon and then go on. Keep the audience wanting more. Make the last part of your talk a call to action; have a clear body for your speech and in the end state the summary in a different but powerful way. I find the use of anagrams to remember the key points very powerful. For example, in my own subject I might say something like “To be an effective cross-cultural person simply remember the word CARE — C is Clarity in communication; A is Adapting to the other’s ways; R is Respect for differences; and E is Empathy or being in their shoes. And if you also CARE truly, then cross-cultural understanding will come naturally.”

Pre-speech research

Do check the Web site of the company or club you are addressing. Use something powerful from their site like their motto or tagline. Hold a needs assessment dialogue with the speech coordinator or ask to meet a sample audience. I always arrive early and like to mingle with participants just before a speech. It makes me less nervous when some of them are already my friends and they too feel comfortable. Stay on the floor level and shake hands with a few before mounting a dais — it makes that human connection which makes all the difference.

Leverage those who are tuned in

Our natural tendency is to address those in the audience who seem to be following our talk and enjoying it attentively as they nod their heads. They are your prime target to deliver punch lines, as they are sure to laugh or give an answer encouraging others to follow suit. So sweep the room with your eyes and include the audience, but then seek out one person and look them in the eye as you deliver that powerful punch line. It almost always has its desired effect. If the audience laughs or responds with multiple answers, give them a chance to finish, repeat into the microphone some of what they said or you thought you heard and only then, move on.

balance of humour and inspiration

Do use humour, but customise the anecdote using real names or situations and your audience will relate to it better. Using yourself as the but for jokes goes down well with audiences, bringing the speaker down to earth.

For instance, when I give an example of an Indian adapting to US language, I use this story of how I spelt my name while reconfirming a reservation in the US over the phone. “M as in Monkey, A as in Ahmedabad, N as in Nagpur, I as in Ink, A as in Ahmedabad again and N as in Nasik,” I said. “Lady, I was less confused before you started,” the American replied! That is when I knew I had to change the way I spelt in America. I now use the international spelling code — ‘A as in Alpha, B as in Bravo..’

While teaching cross-cultural practices, I do use stories to entertain and show human follies and getting over them. But when I end, I end with an inspiring quote or a serious recap for them to remember and take away. That way, the impression you leave is of not only being an entertaining speaker, but also one who takes the subject seriously.

(The writer is CEO of Global Adjustments, a company that offers integrated India destination services and cross-cultural education delivered through the portal www.globalindian.com)