WHAT ARE THE SECRETS TO ACTUALLY BECOMING A GREAT SPEAKER?

Over the last eight years, we have watched and listened to hundreds and hundreds of talks at The Do Lectures. Some made us laugh. Some made us cry. Some made us go and quit our jobs.

But, all provided us with incredible learning about giving talks. All those notes we wrote down over the years which we kept thinking ‘why the hell are we doing this’ suddenly become very useful.

From watching some of the world’s most engaging and inspirational speakers, we had learned some of the vital clues to giving a great talk. And they are super simple techniques that are easy to learn.

Those notes, all that insightful learning, were written down as a simple methodology for us to help fellow Do speakers but has now become a one-day workshop to help you master public speaking.

We are excited to share this because it is one of the things we are asked about the most. As it will be a very interactive workshop and will involve your talks being filmed, this workshop is limited to just 30 people.

Stop Telling Yourself The Lie That You Can’t Give Talks.

Regardless of whether you are a CEO or just starting your first company, at some point, you will have to stand up and do some public speaking. For a lot of us, that makes us want to run for the hills without leaving a forwarding address.

“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous 2. Liars.” — Mark Twain

That feeling is perfectly normal. Nerves tell us that we care. And yet one of the key engagement clues the audience pick up from you is that you care. And that is pure gold. No PowerPoint can do that.

Nerves Are Good.

Your audience may not remember every word you utter. But they’ll always remember how you made them feel. Once you lern the techniques to cope with nerves, and understand how they help you to stand out, you will begin to look at nerves in a different way. Nerves are good. They remind the audience you are human. That is a good thing. Yes, say it even if your voice shakes.

Slick No Longer Engages.

When you see a talk that is super slick from someone who has done that same talk a zillion times, the audience doesn’t feel it anymore, because the speaker doesn’t. Slick provides a shield to stop people letting seeing the human giving the talk.

Engagement comes from understanding the struggle or seeing the vulnerability of the person on the journey. It’s an important clue that we have learned from great speakers: They make people feel something. A speaker on ‘Auto-Pilot’ leaves you feeling, meh, not very much. So one question we have learned to ask is this: Can you still see the human?

People Don’t Forget Stories. They Forget Facts.

Why are stories so important? We like the format. Since leaving the cave, it is our preferred vehicle for information. We know how to decipher them. They explain complex things simply. They inspire us. They spark our imagination. They often have a moral to share. Indeed, the best ones get handed down from generation to generation.

So to give a great talk, you have to understand what people remember. And why? Understanding the elements of a great story provides you with clues to how to deliver a great talk.

With each great story comes life’s valuable lessons. About determination, about struggle, about what drives us, about why we never gave up. When you have heard a great story, you seldom forget it. But you almost always, always share it.

And that is why giving a great talk is so important. Both for you as a leader and your company.

Why Should You Attend?

Whether you are a CEO or just starting a new company, or just starting a new job that entails public speaking, this workshop is for you. This course shares a simple 7 step methodology that is the result of watching hundreds and hundreds of talks first hand and learning from each one of them.

This workshop will help you overcome the fear of public speaking and give you the confidence to be standing on stage and actually enjoy it. And good at it. Because you have learned the secrets of how to do it.

Mark Shayler Has Learned From Doing It.

Mark Shayler is one of Britain’s most charismatic keynote speakers. He has made a reputation by thinking on his feet, by engaging audiences all over the world. He has spoken at some of the biggest companies in the world. He is compere at Do Wales, and so he watches each talk from the front row. He is also the legendary auctioneer at Do Wales and has turned the auction into a form of high entertainment. When he isn’t on stage he is a leading change consultant for companies around the world.

“For me learning how to give a great talk comes down to finding your voice, and just as importantly, finding the confidence to share it. A lot of people get up on stage and become someone else. They become less human, less funny, less engaging. And that is a real shame. Because if they could only trust themselves to deliver a great talk, they would.”

A Simple Methodology That Works.

We have taken nearly a decade of learning from hundreds and hundreds of talks and distilled into a simple methodology for making a great talk that can be easily learned. We have worked out what works and what doesn’t. How to relax on stage? How long your talk should be? What are the essential elements of storytelling? And how to make sure your talk has them.

We developed this initially as a way to help our speakers, and it proved a great help to them. We have now turned that methodology into a one-day Do Workshop which will give you the essential key tools that you need to make a great talk

You will learn about:

How to be you?

Why nerves are good?

Why slick isn’t?

How to prepare so you won’t forget?

How to use films to do the hard work?

How to relax on stage?

How to set up a counter-intuitive argument?

How to keep to time without looking at your phone?

Learn the importance of a great talk.

Learn how to read the motivations of the audience.

How to learn your style? Yes, you have one.

How to learn your voice? Ditto, for that too.

How to be you? You are very good at that.

(This isn’t about copying the best; it’s about finding your best.)

How to deal with questions, even tricky ones?

How to use your humour?

How to close the talk on a high?

This workshop is restricted to 30 people.

Expect to present in front of everyone.

Expect to be filmed. Bring a laptop.

Mark Shayler is a founding partner of The Do Lectures.

If you want to attend ‘Do Present. How to give a talk like you have always wanted to,’ book a place here.

London. Feb 3, 2017. £300.

Only 30 places available.