Diversity is a huge topic being tackled in many ways throughout business and society. Given its history, the property industry in no exception. How does diversity in speaking relate?
I recently attended a public speaking competition. All of the participants were brilliant. Was the winner the best public speaker? Probably. Were they the person I enjoyed watching the most? No. I often find this – the person who wins the competition is not the one I connect with the most. And that’s OK. I always admire a great public speaker. It doesn’t mean that I will connect with them though.
There are two main aspects to public speaking – content (what you say) and delivery (how you say it). Most public speaking competitions primarily assess these two facets. You need to have both good content and for it to be delivered well to win a competition. In a close competition the prefrences of the judges will determine the winner. Whilst they have guidelines for scoring different components, people will have different ways of assessing these (which is why you have a panel of judges).
I’m not a huge mover on stage and I therefore liked the simplicity of the person who didn’t move too much in the competition I watched. They probably weren’t ticking all the competition boxes in terms of body language and delivery, but their message was impactful. Different people connect with different personality types and communication styles (more on that here). That’s why it’s so important to have diversity in your team, on stage at conferences and in leadership roles. The more variety there is in those communicating, the more likely it is that a diverse audience will find connection.
Those that are more talented at public speaking are more likely to be the ones that do it the most. They are the ones that have the confidence to get up and do it, either naturally and/or through practice. That doesn’t mean that they are the most likely to connect with the audience. Audience members often want to see themselves in the speaker. In many cases, that means those who may instinctively think “I’m not good enough” or “that’s too intimidating” when it comes to speaking in public.
In the recent competition, the participants used personal stories, humour and examples from history, literature and the media. It is easier to connect with someone talking about a book, if you’ve read it. If you have a personal story, the theme or message should be conveyed in a way so that the audience will connect with it. For those who aren’t the naturally outgoing, confident and charismatic amongst us, that could well mean someone similar, who has overcome their hesitations and pushed themselves to take on a speaking role despite the challenge.
You may not see yourself as a “natural” public speaker. You may be nervous about speaking. Those should not be reasons not to do it. Seeing someone with your background, personality type and speaking style might be just what some in the audience need. Perhaps you could inspire them to think “I could do that too”. Anyone can become a great speaker with practice. And great speakers have many different skills and styles.
It is so important to have speakers with varied personality types and skillsets on stage. With diverse audiences, you need a diversity of speakers to ensure the most chance of connection with those in the audience.
