Training people in his own organization is one of the most significant roles one person can be assigned to do. It is crucial because whatever he says and does can create a consequence whether positively or negatively. The impact of his words and actions on the audience listening to him can be inevitable. Thus, it is proper that as trainer he should not only spot what a good training session is but more importantly he should make it happen.
It is my intention to share with you some eight simple tips to speaking better as trainer in your own programs and activities. It is believed that whether you are a neophyte or an expert trainer, all of these tips would properly fit to every task you are entrusted to perform.
Tip # 1
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, speak from your heart. Let your heart speak your mind and not the other way around.” Speaking about what you know and speaking about how you feel of what you know are two different things. The first conveys ideas, knowledge and principles that one person could have learned from various sources. The second directly speaks to the listener’s inner self in a reflective way through his own experiences pertaining to the subject matter. Yes, it is true that the value of a person in an organization is not about what he knows but on his ability to present what he knows. Yet, going deeper, one can make a difference when he speaks about what he feels on what he knows. After all, he is there to speak not only to inform but also to influence and inspire.
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Tip # 2
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, show them your best and show them that you care.” Your audience deserves nothing except your best. One should have a masterful delivery of his talk. It is a must. But while the audience deserve your best, they also deserve your care. Showing care for your audience is finding out what they feel about your topic, knowing their most pressing concerns, and being cautioned of what you should not talk about.
Tip # 3
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, simplify the complicated.” Simplicity is clarity. Simple is big. Have you reached the party to whom you are speaking? When you talk, it is very important that a real strong connection between you and your audience is formed. And one way of doing this is to make your language simple and understandable. Those ideas that are complicated must be made plain. As one earns higher academic degrees, he also accumulates higher level of understanding of the things around him. This is the reason why he is expected to simplify things better than ordinary persons do.
Tip # 4
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, speak not to be admired but to admire.” Beginners usually want to impress their audience with how much they know, so they say everything. They talk and talk not mindful of what their audience also know about what they are presenting. Admiration of the audience knowledge about the subject matter can increase the level of discussion and learning of the group. Genuinely engaging the audience in a discussion is an avenue for a trainer to better position himself in a situation where everybody becomes an active part of a solution.
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Tip # 5
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, show them your best not because you want to be the best among the rest but because you want to bring out others' best.” Usually, you will encounter cases when there are other better speakers than you. More experienced. Look at the lighter and more fulfilling side of the situation. Ask, think and reflect “how can I bring out the best from my listeners?” After all, when your listeners felt that they exemplified the best, it is an echo of how well you did things.
Tip # 6
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, present a powerful PowerPoint not a beautiful ‘PowerlessPoint’.” Trainers fire up PowerPoint presentations by creating animated slides for their use. Does your presentation really make things simpler, more understandable and clearer? Or does it enhance your dependency on the PowerPoint? Does it capture the attention of the audience and not heedful of their attention to you as speaker? A presentation can be beautiful but powerless. It can also be simple but powerful.
Tip # 7
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, aim not to be perfect, aim to be true.” Projecting your authentic self is the most powerful and influential way to present. You don’t need to be perfect. You just have to be true. It will take hard work, practice, and self-confidence to be yourself. Do not imitate. Do not disguise. Do not pretend. Say things differently as you take a stand.
Tip # 8
“If you want your audience to listen to what you say, pray and prepare.” You may acquire vast knowledge in this world that will help sharpen your axe. But still one fact remains that God is the source of wisdom. No one knows everything. Remember that a life centered on God is a life of completeness (EGW, Education p.40). And preparing for your talk means making God as your omnipresent second facilitator (F2).
It is my fervent hope that as you speak to people and train them, you will be God’s instrument in sustaining the momentum to communicate, to influence, to inspire and to bring your audience closer to our Master Teacher- Jesus.
