It's not Enough to be "Engaging"

I gotta level with you:

While it's important to learn how to be an engaging public speaker, being "engaging" isn't nearly enough to make you stand out from the crowd. 

Every day I meet speakers who are engaging and charismatic as all get out.

They have stage-prThey have stage-prThey have stage-presence, they know how to create vocal variety, they tell amusing stories that have beginnings, middles, and ends. esence, they know how to create vocal variety, they tell amusing stories that have beginnings, middles, and ends. esence, they know how to create vocal variety, they tell amusing stories that have beginnings, middles, and ends. 

But here’s the thing... 

While they may be While they may be engagingengagingengaging, they aren’t , they aren’t effectiveeffectiveeffective. . 

Their audiences may go home amused or inspired, but Their audiences may go home amused or inspired, but they don’t take any sort of actionthey don’t take any sort of action. . 

What does this look like?What does this look like?What does this look like?

• The The entrepreneurentrepreneur who walks away from a speaking engagement with a very inspired audience...but who walks away from a speaking engagement with a very inspired audience...but no new clientsno new clients. .  ​ ​

• The activist activist who leaves her audience thinking, “My God, that’s terrible! Something needs to be done!”...but who leaves her audience thinking, “My God, that’s terrible! Something needs to be done!”...but they don’t do anythingthey don’t do anything. .  ​ ​

• The academicacademic who sets down the slide changer to their brilliant powerpoint and sees a crowd of faces that have learned something amazing....but have who sets down the slide changer to their brilliant powerpoint and sees a crowd of faces that have learned something amazing....but have no way to apply it.no way to apply it. ​ ​

The The entrepreneurentrepreneur who walks away from a speaking engagement with a very inspired audience...but who walks away from a speaking engagement with a very inspired audience...but no new clientsno new clients. . 

The activist activist who leaves her audience thinking, “My God, that’s terrible! Something needs to be done!”...but who leaves her audience thinking, “My God, that’s terrible! Something needs to be done!”...but they don’t do anythingthey don’t do anything. . 

The academicacademic who sets down the slide changer to their brilliant powerpoint and sees a crowd of faces that have learned something amazing....but have who sets down the slide changer to their brilliant powerpoint and sees a crowd of faces that have learned something amazing....but have no way to apply it.no way to apply it.

There’s a difference between being an There’s a difference between being an engagingengaging speaker and being a speaker and being a persuasivepersuasive one.  one. 

If you want to be the kind of public speaker that gets an audience to take action, the first thing you need to do is If you want to be the kind of public speaker that gets an audience to take action, the first thing you need to do is specify what action you want the audience to takespecify what action you want the audience to take. . 

((Fun fact:Fun fact: In the acting world, this is called your “objective.”) In the acting world, this is called your “objective.”)

Here’s a simple fill-in-the-blank for determining your objective:  Here’s a simple fill-in-the-blank for determining your objective:  Here’s a simple fill-in-the-blank for determining your objective:  

At the end of my presentation, I want my audience to___________.At the end of my presentation, I want my audience to___________.At the end of my presentation, I want my audience to___________.

Some examples based on the scenarios above:Some examples based on the scenarios above:Some examples based on the scenarios above:

• EntrepreneurEntrepreneur: At the end of my presentation, I want : At the end of my presentation, I want 10 people to sign up for sales conversations with me10 people to sign up for sales conversations with me10 people to sign up for sales conversations with me. .  ​ ​

• Activist:Activist: At the end of my presentation, I want At the end of my presentation, I want 5 people to join our working group5 people to join our working group5 people to join our working group. .  ​ ​

• Academic:Academic: At the end of my presentation, I want At the end of my presentation, I want each audience member to have written down a plan for how to implement this knowledge next weekeach audience member to have written down a plan for how to implement this knowledge next weekeach audience member to have written down a plan for how to implement this knowledge next week. .  ​ ​

EntrepreneurEntrepreneur: At the end of my presentation, I want : At the end of my presentation, I want 10 people to sign up for sales conversations with me10 people to sign up for sales conversations with me10 people to sign up for sales conversations with me. . 

Activist:Activist: At the end of my presentation, I want At the end of my presentation, I want 5 people to join our working group5 people to join our working group5 people to join our working group. . 

Academic:Academic: At the end of my presentation, I want At the end of my presentation, I want each audience member to have written down a plan for how to implement this knowledge next weekeach audience member to have written down a plan for how to implement this knowledge next weekeach audience member to have written down a plan for how to implement this knowledge next week. . 

You should be crystal clear on what your objective is You should be crystal clear on what your objective is beforebeforebefore you start preparing your talk. you start preparing your talk.

Your objective will be your North Star for what stories to tell, what sections to cut, and what your call-to-action should be. Your objective will be your North Star for what stories to tell, what sections to cut, and what your call-to-action should be. Your objective will be your North Star for what stories to tell, what sections to cut, and what your call-to-action should be. 

Establishing your objective is the first step to upleveling from an Establishing your objective is the first step to upleveling from an engagingengagingengaging speaker to a speaker to a persuasivepersuasivepersuasive one.  one. 

And, believe it or not, pausing to do this will actuallyAnd, believe it or not, pausing to do this will actually save you time save you time save you time while prepping your presentation.  while prepping your presentation. 

(Brief soapbox moment) (Brief soapbox moment)

People spend way too long preparing for speaking engagements. People spend way too long preparing for speaking engagements.

They spend hours writing, editing, and memorizing and often end up with presentations that are stiff and don’t lead to people taking action. They spend hours writing, editing, and memorizing and often end up with presentations that are stiff and don’t lead to people taking action. They spend hours writing, editing, and memorizing and often end up with presentations that are stiff and don’t lead to people taking action.

That's why I created my free gift, "Mesmerize, Don't Memorize." That's why I created my free gift, "Mesmerize, Don't Memorize." That's why I created my free gift, "Mesmerize, Don't Memorize."

It's a done-for-you template that you can apply to any speaking engagement to feel twice as prepared in half the time. It's a done-for-you template that you can apply to any speaking engagement to feel twice as prepared in half the time. It's a done-for-you template that you can apply to any speaking engagement to feel twice as prepared in half the time.

<<You can grab your free copy here!>>

My hope for you is that you'll download it, read it, use it, and knock your next presentation out of the park.My hope for you is that you'll download it, read it, use it, and knock your next presentation out of the park.My hope for you is that you'll download it, read it, use it, and knock your next presentation out of the park.

In fact, this is more than a hope...it's my objective. ;)In fact, this is more than a hope...it's my objective. ;)In fact, this is more than a hope...it's my objective. ;)

Sara Glancy is an NYC-based actor and public speaking coach and the founder of Speak Masterfully, a service that helps professionals take the stage with less fear and more fun! Want to nail your next presentation?!  Apply this basic outline to any speaking engagement to feel twice as prepared in half the time!