This entry is the last installlation to a seven part series that answers to some of your most frequently asked questions.

How do I interest, impact and impress the audience?

Can you share with me how I can influence my audience?

How do you make sure that your audience listens intently to you?

What suggestions can you give to help me capture the attention of the audience?

What are all the crucial ways to draw the audience into your speech hence connecting with them. Please elaborate in details each of the way.

E7. Sincerity Rules

Nothing beats speaking from the heart. Ask anyone and they will tell you that sincerity wins it all. Nobody wants to listen to a speaker who is pretending to be somebody else. Here’s another problem. We all know how important it is to be sincere but how exactly can we create the effects of sincerity such that your audience will go “wow, this guy really mean what he says…” or “i love the way he conveys his message - he is so real…”

Firstly, question your intention. Ask yourself this question: Why is it important for YOU to share this message with them? If the stake is not high or worse, you don’t even care about your message or the impact it has on your audience, then no matter how experienced you are as a speaker, you will never be half as good as someone who speaks from the heart. Likewise, if you care too much about how you look in front of your audience or how much approval you will get from your audience (being I-centric), you will never come off as being authentic. A sincere speaker focuses on his audience. He wants the best for his audience and will go the extra mile to make it happen for them. If your intention is in the wrong place, it is going to be difficult - even as an actor - to appear sincere in front of your wise audience.

Secondly, share personal stories. This is one of the easiest way to create sincerity and build rapport with your audience. Audience love it when speakers share personal stories as they create instant connection. It also allow them to get a glimpse of the speaker’s world. When you share with them about your challenges and your victories, you are silently implying to your audience that you have nothing to hide. And as you open up to them, they too will open up to you. This is the power of reciprocity!

As a word of caution, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT use stories from the internet or worse, Chicken Soup for the Soul. For a very simple reason - they are not yours. It will be even worse if you tell these stories as if they were yours. This will discredit you as a speaker and no matter what you do later, it will be twice as hard for you to win them back.

To conclude the series I will like to introduce to you two speakers who pulled the heartstrings of the audience by a simple act of sincerity.

One of them was a speech given by Jennifer in Panorama Toastmasters. Her speech was titled “Inspiring by Example”. It was a very simple message yet at the end of the meeting, her speech was the most talked about. I believe it was because she spoke from the heart. Right from the start of the speech, we were drawn into the life of grandma Florence, a lady whom she love and respect a great deal. Her speech was spiced up with interesting anecdotes of her encounters with Grandma Florence. For that 7 minutes, we felt as if Grandma Florence was right here with us…

Then there was Dr Chris Pak. He was one of the panelists for an entrepreneurial event - The Making of an Entrepreneur 2. He wasn’t the most articulate or charismatic speaker in the panel. But I will never forget his message. Never ever give up! It was with conviction and fervor that he delivered the message. He meant every word he said, with every fibre in his body and every chord of tenderness in his heart…

Jennifer and Chris are two ordinary speakers who have spoke with extraordinary passion and sincerity. These are the kind of speakers that will ALWAYS leave a deep impression in the audience.

The next time you give a speech, talk about something that you are passionate about or share with your audience some personal stories that have inspired you. You don’t have to have the coolest passion or be the greatest storyteller. As long as you speak from your heart, your audience will be with you all the way!

Cheers,
Eric Feng
Your Public Speaking Coach

P.S: Want answers from experts to ALL your pressing questions on public speaking? Dying to get hold of a cheat sheet that can help you win audience over in no time? In a hurry to become a speaker superstar? … … … NO YOU CAN’T until you get yourself a complimentary chapter of The FAQ Book on Public Speaking right now. (Download Free Chapter Now!)

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