Develop A Genuine Interest In People

One of the critical things you have to do to succeed as a public speaker, trainer, or presenters is to have a genuine interest in the people you are writing and speaking to – or you'll find it impossible to deliver a truly lively and sincere presentation.

You have to have a genuine interest in the individuals in your audience. " and the issues that affect their businesses, careers. and lives." Steve Slaunwhite was writing to copy writers when he wrote those words in The Golden Thread, an on-line newsletter for copy writers but that advice that applies equally well to speech writers and the speakers themselves.


You have to be a people person.



Extroverts are naturally that way. Others, more introverted or shy might have more trouble in getting their minds off themselves – but anybody can develop that interest if you really want to.

One of the tricks that that can help you to do this is to copy a tactic used by novelists and short story writers to help them create characters that come to life on their pages.

Using real characters they have met (or created in their minds) they ask themselves a wide variety of questions about that person such as:

• What is the person's marital status?
  
• What is their family like?
  
• What is their ethnicity?
  
• What are their fears or obsessions?
  
• What are their ambitions?
  
• What are their superstitions?
  
• What attitudes do they have?
  
• What characters flaws or strengths do they have?
  
• What food preferences do they have?
  

These examples taken from the book What If? By Anne Bernays and Pamela Painters are just examples you will think of many more yourself as you get into the habit of doing this when you meet people. It works and is another tool you can use in your public speaking career.

The trick is to get in the habit of doing this with people you meet. It can help you to develop a genuine interest in others. It is all a bit mechanical at first but the more you practice the more natural – and rewarding it will become as you seek answers to questions to such questions by focussing not on yourself but on them and what you see them do, hear them say, and express silently through their body language when interacting with others.

It is just like riding a bicycle. When you first try you likely fall down many times, but eventually you get better and better and before long found yourself racing down some mountain trail or along the road with not trouble at all.

From personal experience I can tell you that learning to defeat shyness or tendency to be introverted by building an interest in others can be very similar to learning to ride that bicycle. . It is very mechanical at first but it gradually becomes more and more natural and rewarding – in your everyday as well as your public speaking activities.