Your Message

Have you ever looked at a professional speaker after they are finished speaking and thought “wow, that must be the life”! People are lined up to shake their hands, take pictures with them, and buy whatever they are selling. What is not seen is the behind the scenes work, which can be very rigorous. One of the most rigorous tasks that I have found difficult about speaking is delivering your message. Here’s why:

1.       Finding your message

a.       You want to speak in front of a sold-out arena full of people? Well make sure they have a message that you want to listen to. When you are finished speaking think about the action you want people to take. Many of us have stories waiting to be told, we just don’t know how to tell them. Often due to embarrassment, thinking we are the only one going through our internal struggle.

2.       Packaging your message

a.       After finding what your message is, now you must figure out how to package your message. Just like finding the perfect Christmas gift, you must find the perfect box and bow for your message. When you are packaging your message, you are preparing for it to be delivered. If you are giving a speech, how long is it going to be? What type of venue will your speech be held in? You should also think about your medium. Is your message best for radio, print, or television? After you have determined the best medium for your message it is time for the most important part of your message: the delivery.

3.       Delivering your message

a.       So, you found your message, packaged your message, and now it is time to deliver your message. The most important part of delivering your message is finding your target audience. Think about who will appreciate your message the most? People who can relate to your direct message usually will be the best market. An example of this is someone who lost 100 pounds talking to a group of individuals who just began the weight watchers program.

b.       Delivery will be different depending on what medium you decide. On television, you must look good, and have a great stage presence. On paper or online, you must have perfect grammer (or is it grammar)? When delivering on radio you need to practice the inflection of your voice to draw people into your message.

Once you have your message packages and delivered you will need to practice perfecting it. Practice makes perfect. You can start by recording your voice on a voice recorder, or using a camcorder to practice your stage presence. There are many other elements of being a speaker, but without a message you have nothing. Good luck, work hard, and find your message!