How do you update your speaking style for today's audience?

I consider my presentations to be a conversation with the audience. This always works. It's authentic, honest, and real. So ignore the gimmicks. And just be someone people would admire.

Crucial for me is getting out of my unique version of life to welcome each individual in the room. My listeners feel seen as I employ inclusive language and trauma-consciousness. Skip the "Recall a memory from childhood," which can invoke a minefield of triggers for those whose childhoods were filled with abuse or poverty. "Recall a time when you felt safe and cared for" allows for that memory to be from any age. Whenever possible, language that avoids cultural labels, specific pronouns, and assumptions about religious/spiritual beliefs transforms an audience into a community. Not "In your marriage, when your husband..." but "In a significant romantic relationship, when your partner...." Open your window on the world. Include everyone!

Public speaking requires lots of preparations. Putting some points of consideration- 1) Know your audience. The age group, their needs, their interests etc. 2) Work on your knowledge of the topic you are going to speak upon. Be absolutely clear about the message to be conveyed. 3) Interactive sessions are always a better option. 4) Frame a story putting all the points to be discussed. Prioritise the points to be discussed. Sequence matters. 5) Incorporate as many examples as you can. 6) Summarise your talk in the end. 7) Keep a spell for question and answers. 8) Keep your language simple and understandable by your audience. 9) Take care of your tones and pitches. 10) Keep enriching yourself with continued study.

Today's audiences are exposed to an overload of information, often much of the same. One way of connecting is saying what resonates with people, something they already agree with. However, I like to start with the familiar and then sharing my different perspective. Many times it is contrarian and may challenge my audience to think differently. They will likely disagree with me initially but the thought remains with them as they ponder over the matter, even struggle with it before realising the merit in an alternative perspective. At least some would. The connection thus made is not fleeting but lasts longer. A somewhat risky approach but the reward is worth it. Always works for me. My humour helps to ease the delivery.

You could provide some examples of how to tailor your message, tone, language, and examples to different types of audiences, such as professionals, students, seniors, or children. For instance, you could use more formal or technical language for professionals, more casual or humorous language for students, more respectful or empathetic language for seniors, or more simple or visual language for children.

You could provide some examples of how to use stories and emotions in different types of speeches, such as informative, persuasive, inspirational, or entertaining. For instance, you could use a personal anecdote or a case study to support your facts in an informative speech, a success story or a testimonial to convince your audience in a persuasive speech, a hero's journey or a vision statement to inspire your audience in an inspirational speech, or a joke or a surprise twist to entertain your audience in an entertaining speech.

Stories and analogies are some of the best ways to get your point across, especially explaining complex points that a lay person wouldn’t understand. As always, I try to find stories that can relate to the situation, but those that I can also break down fundamentally so that each point of the story matches the overall theme.

Stories are great but the audience is paramount and if they refer to popular culture make sure they're going to be comprehensible across the generations! As I said in a keynote a while ago, make sure you're not doing a Pierce Brosnan speech in a Daniel Craig world (I'll have to update that too sometime over the next couple of years!)

I have a very sceptical audience, company directors, and find that stories that are relevant, recent, and factual are the key to building credibility. Having grown up in South America, I love metaphors, analogy, and definitive statements. I have learned to reduce and refine those so that my audience is not alienated by a language palette that is too bright and interferes with their uptake of information.

Use stories but please make sure you don't bore your listeners with long stories that they could have lived without. I hope that helps.

When speaking to an audience in person or online, you have little time to get them interested. Once you lose them regaining their attention is much more difficult. I usually use humor or questions to engage with the audience and maintain their interest.

Less show and more conversational styles are called for these days. We don’t want to process or talk at people, but create experiences where interaction and dialogue occurs.

Interaction is key. I have found when people attend sessions on networking, they are keen to network. Not just listen and take away tips, without any practical application. Providing facilitated interactions within the event or sessions, illustrates the real power and value that the audience seeks .

There are lot of average speakers who use tons of technology to make themselves look better. If your message is engaging and authentic the the battle for the hearts and minds of the audience is almost won

This is so true. The days if delivering any sort of speech to a passive audience which just sits an 'receives' are gone - or you should assume they are when prepping. Instant feedback with the likes of Mentimeter works well as does an ongoing dialogue with the audience. I also like to know who will be in the audience and make sure I can spend a bit of time on social channels beforehand so that I know what they're engaged with. My background is media, crisis management an PR, so plenty of examples that I can use. Equally, nobody wants to listen to someone ceaselessly recounting anecdotes and tales from the 'trenches', so make sure your examples are interesting, current and appropriate.

Try sharing your expertise by speaking live on your social media channels. During the livestream sessions, your audience will be able to ask you questions. This is a good way to keep the audience interested and engaged. It also helps you build rapport.

Using technology to share your speech across multiple channels or platforms can mean you can reach more people where they’re at. You can also take that content and break it down into bite size pieces to share through things like posts, videos, audio, and infographics. This keeps your message consistent while highlighting a different aspect of your message they may otherwise miss.

An issue many speakers face is The Enemy, or they think of it, PowerPoint. Not that it's a bad tool, but like a perfectly decent hammer I wouldn't use it to put a window in place. It has to be used judiciously. So have a look at your slides. If you're likely to have to say "many of you won't be able to read all the wording on this", stick that slide on a handout. If you're using your slides as notes, take notes with you instead. If an image is intended to cover you rather than support you, drop it and find something that enhances your message. Ideally you'll have been doing this for yesterday's audience too but if you haven't, it's worth considering.

Slide decks can be helpful through a live or online presentation, but use them to highlight your points. Use images and graphics as your guide, and don't read off your slide deck. Prepare and practice your speech or presentation well before hand.

What I find works for me is to use conversation style instead of talking at people, using relatable stories, using questions to allow interaction with the audience, and usung some humor where possible.

I also feel it’s important to stay open and curious. What else is present in the room? How can other people’s perspectives add to the topic so that everyone learns together? Even though you may be the speaker, to acknowledge you don’t know everything and be open to multiple perspectives and being willing to be changed throughout the course of the event. Fostering a space for growth and development can make you as the speaker really relatable and help to maintain the audiences attention.

There’s only one you, so when you show up as yourself there’s no competition. Being you also gives people permission to be themselves and to feel like they’re not alone on their journey. This is especially true if you can find a way to link your story to a current prevailing trend, situation, event, or feeling. If you’ve gone through something and survived, it can offer hope to someone else to keep going.

Yes! People are drawn to others that they can relate to. But not only must you be relevant and authentic, but you must also be vulnerable. I argue that you can only truly be your authentic self if you are vulnerable. And really you can only be relevant to today's audience if you are vulnerable. Share your successes AND Failures. What made you who you are today? People love to hear how others' resiliency served them in their journey.

Be you, and don't mimic someone else's technique. A well-rehearsed presentation, with stories planned into the speech at the right time, makes such a difference. Be authentic, relatable and have a sense of humor.

Don't try to copy anyone else's style but yours. When I first started speaking, it was almost like I thought I needed to get as far away from my speaking voice as possible to be successful. It was the opposite. I needed to get closer to who I was as a person and speaker.

Be prepared to go in a new direction if your audience genuinely needs or wants that. Don't stick to your preconceived plan if that doesn't serve. You should always have 80% of your expertise over and above the topics that you plan to cover in the 20% you have in your speech. Any less than that, you are not qualified to speak on the topic.

A nugget of wisdom I'd like to share from my experience is to sprinkle a bit of vulnerability into your narrative. Just recently, during a keynote, I shared a personal hiccup I had faced in the early days of my career, a moment where I felt like giving up. It was not scripted, yet it resonated profoundly with many. It led to a heart-to-heart conversation post the session, with individuals sharing similar experiences. This little addition not only made the speech more human and relatable but also fostered deeper connections with the audience. Remember, a touch of vulnerability can truly elevate your connection with the audience.

Be conversational, and avoid speaking TO people. Invite our audience to speak with us, and create a space for storysharing. I always ask my host about who’s going to be in the room (demographic, experience and role) and where appropriate / possible I use well known acronyms and tailor my language the suit. For example I say LOL, ROFL and WTF to an audience to who understand the jargon, and mix it with references to social media sites which they are familiar with.

Powerful presenting is art, science and practice. There are so many layers under the surface of an impactful presentation. Many people underestimate the skills required to connect with, inspire or influence any audience (regardless of age) they are privileged to speak with. Be mindful of language and context.