My husband’s son, Dave, owns a successful company that distributes high-tech computer components. He loves technology. He loves his job. He is so full of energy you can almost see sparks flying off him. He believes completely in the value of his products. I know very little about the world of high-tech but when Dave is standing in our kitchen telling us about a new product or “app,” he speaks with such enthusiasm, it’s all I can do not to wave my wooden spoon in the air and shout, “Where do I sign?” It’s not just Dave’s enthusiasm that’s so compelling. It’s his authenticity. He’s not afraid to let others see how he genuinely feels. Dave is a perfect example of a speaker who makes friends with the below-conscious security guard in his listener’s brain.
Bette Midler sings with the same enthusiasm. I love to listen to her CDs. She sings every number as if it were her favourite song in the world, pouring her whole heart into her singing, whether it’s a lively, rousing song or a soft, gentle one. She moves people with her energy and her authenticity. If we made a list of people who are comfortable with being their authentic self, who don’t care what other people think, Bette Midler would be near the top. The combination of her passion and her authenticity make her audiences love her.
Think back to your high school, college or university years. Who was your favourite teacher? I’ll bet it wasn’t someone who droned on at the front of the classroom, dispensing endless data and showing nothing of their personality. I’ll bet it was someone who was enthusiastic about his or her subject and let you know it. My favourite teacher in university was a man named Jim Schell. He was positively on fire about music theory. (Music theory, of all things!) He moved all around the front of the classroom, gesticulating broadly. His face, his voice, his body, his whole manner radiated energy. For him, music theory was fun! And he wasn’t afraid to show it. Jim made such an impression on me that I can still see him vividly in my mind’s eye and that was a lot of years ago!
What if your personality is not the outgoing, sparks-flying-off kind, like the three examples I’ve given? What if you are a gentler, quieter person? Can you be authentic and still engage your audience? Yes! Introverts have personality, too! Introverts feel just as much passion as extroverts. We all just need to show our audiences who we are. Who you are is enough, if it’s the real you.
I was present at an event where a candidate for the Green Party was the speaker. He is an environmental scientist with a rather soft-spoken, gentle personality. Granted, he was a bit stiff and colourless while reading his prepared speech, but when he was answering questions afterward, he was riveting. He wasn’t a highly animated speaker, but he did make sure his voice carried to the back of the room, and he spoke from his heart as well as from his extensive knowledge. Although his answers were expressed in a gentle way, they carried the intensity of his passion. We could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. His authenticity and his passion allowed him to connect with his audience.
There isn’t anyone quite like you on the face of the earth. Rejoice! Your audience doesn’t want an imitation of anyone else. They want to connect with the real you and they want to feel something. If you want to inspire, motivate or move people, you have to talk with energy and passion. Don’t be afraid to let them see who you are. Audiences don’t need you to be perfect. They need you to be passionate and authentic.
