There’s no better feeling as a speaker when you know you’ve won over your audience.  That moment when they don’t just rapturously applaud you; they take action on what you’ve said.  It takes a great deal of practice, strategy, and the use of the right techniques to become a great persuasive speaker. It’s not something that happens overnight.  

In my Presentation Coaching, I work with many leaders who are continuing to practice their skills of persuasion, and in observing them, these are some of the daily habits that they practice consistently: 

• They observe and listen 

Persuasive speakers are exceptional listeners.  In fact, they spend more time listening than they do talking because they know that the first rule of persuasive speaking is to listen to their audience. 

When they go about daily conversations with people, they are inquisitive. They ask relevant questions or try to get more detail. If it’s a business-related conversation, they may clarify and reiterate the agenda or ask anything they might not be sure about so that they learn and develop empathy. 

By listening more, they understand what makes certain people tick, and what appeals to different people. This helps them create a persuasive presentation that they know their audience will respond to.

• They keep a black book of stories

Stories happen every day and all around us. They can change the way we think, work and live. The trouble is, when it comes to retelling those stories, we can’t always remember the important detail. 

The best public speakers I’ve heard tell amazing stories to persuade their audience. Now, they may not necessarily have even been part of those stories, but they tell them as if they were there.  To do this, they keep a black book of anecdotes, stories, and different characters that they’ve come across in their work and personal life, that they can draw upon to bring their ONE BIG MESSAGE® to life. 

• They create trust and authority 

Persuasive speakers have developed ethos. In other words, they have created good character and are credible therefore their words can be trusted.

Here are some of the ways I’ve seen them develop trust and authority: 

• Social footprint – they show up consistently on social media in a way that supports their beliefs and expertise. 

• They demonstrate their expertise – they regularly produce content on their blogs and socials that demonstrate their message and expertise.  Before or after their speaking event, the audience can tap into this to find out more so that trust is developed.

• Authenticity – they display a consistency between what they say and what they do. They are clear about their values and stand up for those in their personal and professional lives.

It goes without saying even the best persuasive speakers receive regular coaching, not only when they have an important presentation coming up, but so that they are continually improving themselves as a persuasive leader.  

Book a consultation with me to find out about how to become a persuasive speaker within YOUR industry or organization.