Chapter 65 Let the audience contact with you "zero distance"

The most important thing in a speech is to have the power to grab the audience's interest immediately at the beginning.Don't let the audience think that your speech is so unpredictable, you must find a perfect matching point before introducing your point of view, so that the audience can have "zero distance" contact with you, so as to fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the audience. The famous speaker Russell Cornwell has participated in more than 6,000 speeches, the most famous of which is "How to Find Yourself".You might think that the speech that has been repeated so many times should have been deeply ingrained in the speaker's mind, and the tone of the words and sentences during the speech should not change much, right?

But this is not the case. Dr. Cornwell understands that every audience has a different level of knowledge and background, so the speech that the audience feels must be understandable, alive, and specially prepared for them. of. Why is Dr. Cornwell able to maintain a relaxed and pleasant relationship between the speaker, the speech and the audience in one speech after another? "Whenever I come to a city or a town," he wrote, "I always first visit the learned managers, school principals, and clergymen; , learn about their history and the opportunities they have had. When I get their thoughts and perspectives, then I give my speech, talking to those people about the topics that are appropriate for their circumstances.”

Dr. Cornwell is well aware that successful communication depends on the speaker making his speech a part of his audience and making the audience a part of his speech.Because of Dr. Cornwell's keen insight and diligent and rigorous spirit, although he has spoken about the same subject to about 6,000 audiences, the same feeling of speech will never be repeated for the second time.It is also for this reason that although "How to Find Yourself" has become the most popular speech, there is no copy of any speech for us to find. Dr. Cornwell's success can teach us something: When preparing a speech, you must keep a specific audience in mind.Learn the following methods, which can successfully help you establish a harmonious relationship with your audience.

(1) Speak according to the interests of the audience. This is the style of speech that Dr. Cornwell is best at adopting.The reason why the audience is interested in his speech is because his speech incorporates things that are closely related to the audience's interests and life.He used to include many things that local people often talk about and examples they are familiar with in his speeches.These things related to the audience and their interests can not only firmly grasp the audience's attention, but also ensure smooth communication with the audience. (2) Appreciate the audience with sincerity and sincerity.

The audience's reaction is the individual's reaction.If you dare to openly criticize one of the audience, there will be outrage; if you praise what they have done, you will earn a passport to their hearts.But compliments also need to be studied carefully, because if your compliments are just some exaggerated and nasty words, such as "you are the most intelligent audience I have ever faced", they will definitely be regarded as empty flattery by the audience. So disgusted. I would like to quote the famous speaker Johnsy Depp: "You have to tell them something about themselves, and something they never thought you would know".

(3) Build a bridge of friendship with the audience. Pointing out as soon as possible some kind of direct relationship that exists between you and your audience is an essential part of speaking.If you are honored to be invited to give a speech, you might as well say so. Using the second-person pronoun "you" in your speech instead of the third-person "he, they" keeps the audience's attention high and maintains a sense of personal involvement. (4) Encourage the audience to participate in the speech. Have you ever thought that incorporating a little showmanship into your speech can make your audience's thoughts follow you?If you can let the audience assist you in presenting a point or dramatize your point of view during your speech, the audience's attention will be significantly improved.This is because when one person in the audience is brought into "the performance" by the speaker, the audience pays keen attention to what is happening during your speech.Many speakers believe that there will always be a wall between the speaker and the audience, and that you can easily tear down that wall by taking advantage of the audience's direct participation.

(5) Maintain a modest and prudent attitude. Sincerity is the most indispensable basic element between the speaker and the audience. If you want to gain hostility from your audience during your speech, the best way to do it is to make them feel that you are superior.Speech is like displaying yourself in a window. Every aspect of human nature will be exposed. As long as you boast a little bit, you will lose everything; Also very bad.You can be humble, but you can't show that you are worried about gains and losses and have no confidence.As long as you humbly say that although your talents are limited, you will try your best to speak well, and the audience will naturally like and respect you.