Like everything that Bob Goff puts out, his public speaking course was inspiring, enjoyable and helpful. Here are my takeaways…

Stand On Solid Ground

I was inspired to be vulnerable and confident. Bob encouraged me to bring my authentic self to the table and trust that God has placed me on my platform for a purpose.

A Harvard study found that in the first 30 seconds of a talk people are deciding on the answers to two questions.

1. Do I like them?
2. Do I trust them?

Therefore, establishing connection and credibility is the key effective communication. The best way to do this is to start by confidently telling your story.

The best talks feel like conversations with someone who fully embodies the message they are delivering. So make sure you are genuinely living out what you are sharing.

It’s also important to have fun and show people you are having a good time. But beware, joy can’t be contrived. Really internalizing your message through solid preparation is the only way to be free enough to truly enjoy the delivery. You don’t have to memorize your talk, but you do have to understand your talk deeply.

I must get to place where I really believe that it’s not about me. As Bob says,

“If you want applause, join the circus.”

Understand Your Audience

Find a point of connection as soon as you can, only then will they join you on your journey.

Skip the green room, and meet as many people as possible before your talk. Also informally sharing your ideas in advance with real people will help you see what really resonates and what falls flat.

The more you understand your audience, the more connection. Connection trumps transference of information every time.

Take People On A Journey

Once you have them with you, you must actually take them somewhere worthwhile!

The anchor point for your talk should be a tweet-able statement that answers at least one of the following questions…

• • Head – What do I want them to know?
  • Heart – What do I want them to feel?
  • Hands – What do I want them to do?

Like a sailor who uses preset coordinates as “waypoints” to break up their journey, Bob loves using stories and illustrations to drive people to the final destination of the talk.

Develop a library of personal stories you can use in future talks and practice telling your stories so that you can share them as powerfully and as simply as possible.

Use great images that draw everyone into the stories and find whatever way you can to show people what you are talking about and not just tell them. Be encouraged,

“The world needs to hear what you have to say, and they need to hear it from you.”