I’m a DTM from a club in Saskatoon. Over the last couple of years I’ve become comfortable making presentations to my fellow members. Spurred on by this new confidence, I accepted an engagement outside the club. It was awful! I was nervous. I hid behind the lectern. I could barely hear my voice over my knocking knees! What went wrong?
Cowardly in Kinley
Dear Coward;
DTM? Hmmm... ‘Dud Talking Machine?’ What’s the matter son? Didn’t your Momma ever warn you not to talk to strangers? It never ceases to amaze me; the only thing people do more than talk is breathe! (And Son, don’t try giving a presentation without breathing ...it makes for a long 5 – 7 minutes) We talk to our family, friends, neighbours, co-workers, and yes, we all, eventually, have to talk to our boss. You’d think that we’d have mastered the art by now. But, you take that ‘Talkin’ Machine’, and put it in front of an audience, and you can hardly get a squeak out of it.
Most people, put in front of an audience, act like they’ve just been parachuted into the middle of a herd of wild Rhinos! They take rapid, shallow breaths. They try to find something to hide behind. They don’t move. And they try not to make contact with those nasty, little, bloodshot Rhino eyes; it might draw attention to themselves!
Under those circumstances, they’re lucky if they can get their words out, let alone make a presentation! The actual words only make up about 20% of communication; (you been to school son? You know what happens on a test where you get the easy 20%, but blow the difficult 80%?) Ordinarily, the only place an immobile, well dressed person holds the attention of an audience is ...in a funeral parlour!
Like your Momma told you Son; “Don’t ever talk to strangers!” You aren’t nervous in front of your club, because, over your two years, the members have become your friends! When you’re before a crowd, picture them as all friends in your living room; it’s easy to act in a natural manner when you’re among friends. Imagine your Momma sitting right front and centre; no matter how you do, she’ll smile and glow with pride. Put one of your favourite aunts on each side of the audience; you know the ones I’m talking about, they give the best gifts, and laugh at all of your jokes
Now you’ve got the audience stacked with friendly faces, ...move! You ever watch a cat play with a string Son? If the string just hangs there a healthy cat will move on to other things! But, if you keep that string moving in random, unpredictable ways, the cat will play for hours! If your living room was filled with your friends, you wouldn’t just stand in a corner listening to your own knees knock! No! You’d be moving around the room, smiling and talking to everyone there!
Now son, if you can manage all that, and remember to breathe, eventually you’re going to think of something to say!
Sam Slanders
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