By Cath Daley, Communication & Presentation Skills Trainer
Liverpool, Merseyside
Wow! what a weekend of music…. I think the Glastonbury festival was better than ever this year. Even my 82 yr old Mum watched it! I didn’t know she was so interested….. although I do remember she wouldn’t let me go when I was 18… anyway that’s another story. I wasn’t able to be there but like many throughout the world I watched a lot of it live on TV. I saw all three headliners on The Pyramid Stage. Three very different acts who all gave something unique to the crowds.
I’m a big fan of U2 and Coldplay but didn’t know much about Beyonce’s music apart from what I’ve seen on Glee (I’m a great fan of that as well). Three very different performances. All amazing and fantastic and all very different but they all had one thing in common that made them a huge success – they all connected and engaged with their huge audience. They were all able to develop amazing rapport with the crowd.
They all got their audience involved, whether that was singing along, jumping up and down, answering the singer – whatever it was the audience was part of the performance and I don’t know about you but I was singing along and jigging about at home on the sofa!
And I think that there are 5 things that we can learn from this about speaking on any sort of platform …..
1. Be yourself. Do things in your own way, don’t try to copy other people because you won’t do it as well as they do.
2. Connect with the audience by being yourself and not trying to be something you’re not. Let your personality come across.
3. Engage the audience. Give them an opportunity to respond and be involved because they will!
4. Give great value. Give them something they can’t get anywhere else.
5. Have fun doing it because it’s infectious and when you’re enjoying it your audience will too.
Cath Daley is a highly experienced and successful Communication and Presentations Skills Trainer, Peak Performance Coach and Motivational Speaker. Her passion is helping others to overcome whatever is holding them back so that they can be the best they can be.