Public speaking: engages the imagination, physiology, and emotion of the audience

The kind of self-awareness and self-enthusiasm that a public speaker wants to personify, which I called for in my previous article, is not the selfishness and self-centeredness that we find in self-absorbed people. This is the humanistic conscience, the enthusiasm and joy of being alive and grateful to be powerful, capable and good; that you are an important part of the interconnected whole of being. This includes the awareness that the people he seeks to motivate are an equal part of this greater being and that everyone benefits from his message. The meditation and visualization exercises that I guide you through in my book will help you connect with yourself and with your audience.

Feel and share your passion for yourself, the topic and the audience

There are other qualities that a great communicator embodies; sincerity and credibility, among others. For now, suffice it to say that to persuade your audience, you must be knowledgeable, focused, and passionate about yourself and your message. That is prior to you engage others in communication. Once you begin your speech, your focus and intent are on the audience and your need to reach and excite them with your passionate message. Your goal should be to guide them through an enriching experience; one that motivates them to take action for further enrichment.

Persuasion

The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the means of persuasion into three categories: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.

• distinctive character refers to ethical appeal or credibility. Ethos is critical to effective persuasion. We are more likely to believe people we respect; people who seem credible to us. Alternatively, we are unlikely to trust or believe a person who seems unreliable to us.
• Pathos refers to the person’s personality and emotional appeal as a means of persuasion. Like ethos, this is crucial to effective persuasion.
• logos refers to the ability to logically persuade someone of your ability to solve a problem they have or provide some other benefit to them. Logic is the least important of the persuasive factors, but it is nonetheless relevant and often crucial.

Embody genuine respect and interest from the audience

Research by behavioral scientists has shown that two qualities consistently improve communication and persuasion. These are empathy and sincerity– ethos and pathos from above. We must have confidence in another person before he can persuade us. Emotional appeal, more specifically through active and personalized stories, is perhaps the most powerful tool for persuasion. The audience sees a story well told in their futile and perfect imagination. In addition, they and their loved ones become active protagonists in their story. This is a much more powerful and effective motivational vehicle than simply “saying” something to the audience. After all, the main purpose of public speaking is to motivate the audience to action.