Wednesday was the first day of class for the spring semester at the state university where I occasionally adjunct. The students are studying communication and how to engage an audience. The first assignment is one I consider easy and fun. It is to pair off and interview each other. I tell them to start with the simple 5 w’s (who, what, where, when, why) and then build on that based on the answers. They are then to put that into a brief, 90 second- three minute presentation they will present verbally at the next class.
Piece of cake. Talk to fellow student and then tell everyone else in the class what you learned. And yet, every semester, this assignment is met with anxiety and some outright fear. Why? Because it involves standing up and talking to an audience. An audience of 18 of their peers, but a live audience nonetheless. It reminds me of the old adage many people would rather be dead than do any public speaking. Really? Do they really think that one through?
It’s the same thing when we are trying to introduce our products or services. Too often we hide behind stark and standard prose until we can’t tell why one product is better than another.
But having faith and confidence in who we are and what we are is the best way I know to attract an audience… talk and listen.
