Public Speaking and Presenting Lessons from Halloween

For many people, giving a presentation or speaking in public can feel as spooky as Halloween, but it doesn’t have to stay that way.

As Halloween gets closer, households around the world are getting into the spirit. People are filling bowls and tubs with plenty of sweets and carefully setting pumpkins by their front doors.

I’m getting ready for the fun and excitement, too. Over the years, our doorbell has been rung by wonderfully imaginative young witches, goblins and ghouls, and it’s lovely to see parents and children come up with even more creative costumes every year.

Thankfully, Halloween only comes once a year

Sadly, the fear many people feel about presenting at work and speaking in public can be there every day.

Halloween aside, presenting and public speaking don’t have to feel so frightening. These three ideas can help you feel more confident and at ease.

1. They want a treat too

I’ve never opened the door on Halloween to a six-year-old who knocked with the intention of tricking me. Each one wants a treat. That’s why they went to the trouble of dressing up and made it all the way to my front door.

Your audience is no different. They’ve given up their time to listen to you, and they want a treat from you too. So, your first priority is to see the people who have arrived at your door as friends, not foes, and to make the experience a genuine treat.

What does a public speaking treat look and feel like?

– Energy and enthusiasm

– Empathy and understanding

– A focus entirely on the needs of your audience

– Insights, ideas and information they can’t simply Google for themselves

– Genuine smiles and mindful eye contact

– Rich content

– Authenticity

– Keeping it short and sweet

– Getting straight to the point

2. Leave the lights on

For some people, Halloween is the annual ritual of pulling down the blinds, turning off the lights and watching television with the volume turned down, hoping nobody knocks. Many of us approach presenting and public speaking in much the same way, keeping our heads down and hoping to get through it unnoticed.

You owe it to your audience to do the opposite: to turn the lights on and make the room as bright as you possibly can.

That means walking up with a smile, a purposeful stride and a mind and body that say you’re there to brighten their day. The best way to do that is to be absolutely clear, before you begin, about your intention, and in particular about how you want your audience to feel:

– Excited

– Inspired

– Encouraged

– Supported

– Concerned

– Empowered

– Enthused

– Energised

Once that intention is clear, hold on to it, because whatever you want your audience to feel, you have to feel yourself first. Keep that feeling at the forefront of your mind as you craft and deliver every part of your presentation, and tell your voice and body exactly how you want your audience to feel before you utter a word.

3. Get dressed up

For many of those scary six-year-olds knocking at the door, the best part of Halloween is the preparation. They arrive on the doorstep crystal clear about their intention. They want to scare you, and they’ve crafted every detail of their costume with that in mind.

When it comes to presenting, you have to adopt exactly the same attitude. I don’t mean trying to scare your audience, and I don’t mean only what you wear, though that matters too. I mean dressing your content for the occasion, so that everything you say supports your intention.

A well-dressed presentation draws on three kinds of content.

Factual

– Features and benefits

– Data

– Logical argument

– Examples

– Case studies

– Exhibits and props

This is what helps build your credibility and gives your audience good reasons to believe in you.

Emotional

– Stories

– Metaphors

– Anecdotes

– Thought-provoking questions

– Suspense, shock, humour and surprise

This is what helps your audience connect with the facts you’ve shared and remember them long after your presentation is over.

Visionary

– The big picture

– The difference your presentation will make to your audience’s lives

– How what you have to say will make their lives better, easier, happier or positively different

This is what helps your audience see where everything you’ve shared could lead, and why it matters, giving them a clear reason to take action.

I’d encourage you to use all three. A presentation built only on facts tends to inform without inspiring, while one built only on emotion can leave people moved but unconvinced.

It’s a mindset

Some people view Halloween as a stressful evening to be endured, while others see it as an experience to immerse themselves in and enjoy. As strange as the comparison may seem, Halloween and public speaking share some common ground.

If you approach presenting and public speaking as something to fear, it’s likely that’s exactly what it will be. If you reframe it as an opportunity to make a difference to your audience, the whole experience changes.

Knowing what your audience needs, being clear about your intention and building a message that does justice to both are also at the heart of The Presenter’s Operating System™, the framework all our training is built on.

So, this Halloween, give your audience a treat, leave the lights on and dress up for them.

How we can help

If you find presenting and public speaking a little scary and would like some help, there are three ways we can support you:

– Public speaking courses

– One-to-one coaching

– Presentation skills training for teams

You’ll also find a great deal of free help in our Learning Centre.

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