Making Public Speaking FUN! Part 5

Let’s delve a little more into our box of great responses to the question “What do you do to make public speaking FUN?”

Let’s first head to Bozeman, Montana, where Shelley Bluejay Pierce believes you should get your audience INVOLVED:

One of my BEST tips is simple…. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION!

I have sized up my audience and chosen someone who seems outgoing and of the personality type to handle this one– I ask the audience member to come and teach the audience what THEY know about the topic. After that, I follow up with the speech I am prepared with BUT! more often than not, the person doing the preliminary “teaching” has given me a critical insight into some of the aspects of the group and its knowledge. Works great! This also gets the audience more relaxed because they have had their first introduction to the topic by someone they all ready are familiar with.

Also, I ROLE PLAY with the audience members. If I am working with young people, I take my presentation into more of a “create as you go”  storyline. The KIDS complete the story based on what topic you are using, with my guidance, and we create our own unique exchange this way. If I am speaking with adults and trying to explain a communication pathway for better work environments or effective communication for managers… no matter the topic, you can get the ideas across MUCH better if you use all the senses….get some laughter going… relax people and let them know that you are a REAL person… not just some hired speaker. If the audience is engaged visually, physically and also hearing the presentation? You’ve got the attention of a broader spectrum of people!

Then it’s off to Andrew Langer at the Institute for Liberty:

I always warn people (humorously, of course), that I’m going to call on them while I’m speaking—and then I do. I always try to get involvement from the audience whenever I’m giving a speech. I know, that’s fairly standard – but honestly, when you’re talking about political theory or regulatory policy, the more you can draw people in, the better. So, I ask questions – usually simply questions, but in a rapid-fire manner that is more like a game-show than anything else.

Singing and interacting with the audience? Sure, why not, according to Beth Butler, Founder of The Boca Beth Program: The Fun & Easy Way to Raise a Bilingual Child!

Our mascot BOCA joins me on stage for our upbeat bilingual echo song titled “What Time Is It? / ¿Qué hora es?” followed by him throwing our company t-shirts out to audience members. They act like children again (which is the point of my keynotes).

Simon-Says style song has 50 & 60-year-old women sticking their tongues out at me as we go through a short bilingual song I wrote and recorded to get Americans up off their rears and raise physically fit children. The sea of attendees doing as I say through this 20-body-parts-song is enough to make a grown man laugh & cry!

Happy Educating! ¡Sea feliz educando!

And finally (at least for this edition), we go to Portland, Oregon to hear from Jeff Fisher :: Engineer of Creative Identity Jeff Fisher LogoMotives:

I am often speaking to audiences of younger, creative individuals at design schools, colleges and design conferences. That demographic often allows me to have a bit more “fun” than many public speakers.

1.) I once stripped down to my t-shirt, boxer shorts and dress socks to wake up, and get the attention of, a late afternoon conference of several hundred design professionals.

2.) When completing presentations, I will usually give “prizes” to those initially asking questions to get the question/answer process moving along. I’ve used books, toys and Hello Kitty art supplies as “prizes” in the past.

3.) I may also pass the hat at a presentation to collect the business cards of attendees. I will then have a host/organizer draw names for “prizes.”  On some occasions I have made the ‘rule” that those not bringing a business card to the event are not allowed to participate.

4.) For some events I have used a photo of the lip print tattoo on my ass as a “THE END” slide.

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