Weekly Thought – April 30, 2024
Fred gave his first professional speech in his late twenties to a human relations (then known as personnel) convention in Nashville. It garnered newspaper attention and opened the door for his second speech to be a national conference in Los Angeles. Years of keynote addresses, corporate conferences, and Christian organizations soon followed. These ideas are excerpted from a conversation about speaking well.
Create a Positive Atmosphere
To a large degree, the atmosphere we establish will determine how effective our talk is going to be. Atmosphere is created by both our verbal and nonverbal messages. I hear too many speakers who are sloppy in their opening comments. Perhaps it’s because they haven’t thought about it, but the negative mood they create is hard to overcome. All of us have heard a speaker begin, “I hope you all will excuse my voice this morning. I’ve had a cold all week.” Or, “I really appreciate your coming out on a miserable, rainy day like today.” Haven’t you heard one start with this hang dog start; “Folks, we are not getting enough people. When I stand up here and look at this sparse crowd.” You can fill in the blank and certainly determine the atmosphere created.
I enjoy starting with something like, “This has been a wonderful week” – people want to know why it’s been wonderful. It may be something as simple as “It’s been a fine week. I talked to some friends on the phone and was reminded of the marvelous gift of friendship.” This builds a friendly atmosphere. It conveys a feeling the audience can identify with. Perhaps they say to themselves, “Yes, I talked to some friends this week, too. And sometimes I forget how good that is.”
There are many ways to establish a friendly atmosphere. The most important thing is to avoid negative openings. Your own self-interest, or personal insecurity are not appropriate. I want to communicate openness. I want them to know I am there to serve them.
The setting of the atmosphere, of course, begins before I ever speak my first word. We can show friendliness by our demeanor on the platform. I try to pick out certain people and smile at them. This not only affirms those few people, but it shows the audience I am truly glad to be there.
For me, the most difficult of all disciplines in speaking is going into the talk with the proper attitude. If I do not want to speak, it is so difficult for me to speak well. Attitude control is essential. I must go with a friendly attitude, with a genuine desire to help the audience, and to give them something they will find beneficial. One of the best ways to let them know and to prepare my own attitude is to quietly, wordlessly pray then looking at the audience and affirming my desire to be helpful.
One note: it helps to notice how people are sitting and to gauge the emotional climate of the audience. This certainly affects how you need to come across to them. What do I mean? Think of the way that people sit in the room. When people are scattered in a sparsely populated auditorium they feel exposed. They can’t hide. In a jammed room, people think they are anonymous and you can detect and expect a more open response. In the smaller environment I have to be more personal, speaking as if I were face to face in conversation.
But whether you are a rookie speaker or a seasoned veteran, it is important to create a friendly atmosphere.
This week think about: 1) How do I feel about public speaking? 2) Who could I help by sharing these thoughts? 3) What can I do to create a friendly atmosphere for a speaker?
Words of Wisdom: “I must go with a friendly attitude, with a genuine desire to help the audience, and to give them something they will find beneficial.”
Wisdom from the Word: “The one who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious – the king will be his friend.” (Proverbs 22:11 NET Bible)