The Chicken Was Better Than the Luncheon Speaker because…
…the Speaker Read His Speech
What a disappointment. The speaker had an impressive history of accomplishments excellence in both public service and entrepreneurship. Plus, he had severed the university in many roles over several decades. This was clearly a fascinating person with inspiring stories to share.
You might imagine that he would share fascinating and engaging stories, anecdotes and personal lessons for the audience.
That’s why I attended the university alumni luncheon to hear this speaker.
Instead, he parked himself behind the lectern and dutifully read the speech that someone else wrote for him. Clearly the speech writer wanted to demonstrate his vocabulary by including several ten-dollar words. That doesn’t enhance comprehension, rapport or trust.
Occasionally the speaker shifted his stance, planted his hands in his pockets then withdrew them a few minutes later. It looked like nerves not intent. That is not making effective use of body language to support your message.
The presentation was disappointing, boring and uninspiring.
There was nothing personal about this speech. It started with an old joke that got a laugh – but it did not have a point – other than to discredit his credentials. That’s not the same as a personal self deprecation.
There was no call to action to his audience. I’m not sure why he gave that speech.
We didn’t learn about him as a person. He remained anonymous. There was no personality in the speech. It was simply words without personality.
That makes for a failed presentation.
It was a wasted presentation. So much potential was lost. What a shame. Oh well, the chicken lunch was decent.
The Chicken Was Better Than the Luncheon Speaker because…
©George Torok is The Speech Coach for Executives and creator of Superior Presentations. He coaches executives and trains professionals to deliver Superior Presentations.
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