Four Commitments Audiences Want from their Speakers

In my ongoing occasional series on the persona that a speaker presents to the audiences she addresses, I’ve talked about finding the right balance of warmth and expertise, as well as a touch of humor. Those attributes, in the right mix for each individual, form an excellent basis for the beginning of a strong, unique speaking persona.

Now, let’s take the persona a few steps further. It’s useful to think of a set of commitments that the speaker makes to the audience. If these (implicit) commitments are adhered to, the audience will get a complete sense of a persona from the speaker, one that is memorable, effective, and well-rounded.

First, the speaker commits to understanding the audience well enough to know the audience’s challenges and demonstrating that understanding in an engaging way. People want to be seen, and that means knowing their hopes and fears, their successes, and their stumbling blocks. The speaker’s persona must encompass that, either through personal connection or deep empathy.

Second, the speaker commits to helping the audience with those challenges by showing expertise which can relevantly address them. We will listen to a tax expert talk about changes in tax law with real interest if we think she can save us some money we’d otherwise give to the government. The driest of subjects, in…