How To Improve As A Conference Speaker

Posted by Sara Jane on December 18th, 2019

They say it’s harder to make people laugh than it is to make them cry. So, whenever I get a chance, I visit comedy clubs so I can improve as a Conference  Speaker. When you go to a club, don’t let your personal hang-ups keep you from learning from these experts in humor.  Can you look past the swearing, the off-color jokes, and even the occasional novice who tries to embarrass you?  If you can, you win.  

The masters of comedy that I yearn to observe are the experts who allow me to relax, have fun, and to laugh—even at myself.  Learn this magical technique and good
things will come your way.  Think about it…one of the great pleasures from speaking is
to see an audience smiling and laughing, and ready for a truth.   I’m there to study how a comedian makes an the audience laugh and imitate that in my conference  speaking.Technorati Tags: Conference business speaker, conference  speaker, conference speaker,  business speaker
            
            
As a conference  speaker it is super important to find your strengths and the strengths of the company you are speaking to. As a presenter you have to know your strengths, and exploit them and find your weaknesses, and don’t devote much time correcting them or building them up. For some reason, we seem to do just the opposite. It is the job of the conference speaker to also do the homework on the company you are speaking to and exploit and extol their strengths

Most of the time, we ignore our strengths and work overtime to improve our weaknesses.
I once worked for a Fortune 40 Company that graciously  allotted me a yearly educational stipend. I was then  encouraged to get training in an area of weakness. And every year I politely declined and chose instead to focus  on my strength – speaking.

Year after year I decided against instructional design, consultant skills, and process improvement. Like a laser, I honed in on presentation skills. I finally left Corporate America at age 50. I was competent in only one area, and that was enough. An enlightening book has been written on this subject of focusing on your strengths. Now, the book: Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton, has been on bestseller lists for months, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. In this book, the authors paint the following scenario: A child comes home from school with a report card.

What’s the parent’s next comment going to be? And where’s the focus going to be over the next six months? Art?  English? Science? Probably not. Usually the attention goes to improving that
Algebra grade… “What can we do to raise that grade? We’ll hire an Algebra tutor for two hours every night.”

“But I don’t like Algebra, Dad.” “Doesn’t matter. You must get better at it. It’s your weakness.” What would happen if we brought in the tutor to help this young man further explore and develop his interest in Art, English, or Science? Who knows what future Picasso or Dickenson remains undiscovered?

So, my friend, ignite your torch by exploiting and nourishing your strengths as conference speaker. Bask in your uniqueness..success will assuredly come and you will be in demand as conference speaker!

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Sara Jane

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Sara Jane
Joined: October 24th, 2017
Articles Posted: 8

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