Publicly Speaking

I had the honour of judging a public speaking contest at the weekend (not Toastmasters).

The speakers were professional adults; the standard variable. Without a doubt, the stand-out speakers were the storytellers. Yet, many of them made a basic error. This error, in my opinion, reveals the speaker to be inexperienced, unconfident and unaware of the audience's needs.

When I arrive at a venue to deliver a talk, I usually find myself rearranging the furniture. I am often met with objections and/or surprise. Yet, the way most rooms are set up are NOT conducive to delivering a good presentation. No matter how good a presenter you are, if the audience can hardly hear you or see you, it's going to be a challenge to connect.

Most rooms are set up all wrong.