Simple Secrets
Effective speaking is built on some basic tenets. “There are fundamental skills that most speakers don’t use—you’d be surprised how basic these skills are,” says Dr. Wiese. These basics include:
Practice makes perfect: No matter how confident you are of your material, practice. Whether you’ll teach, speak to a quality-improvement committee or address a national group, make an outline and run through your speech. “There’s no talk I give without at least sitting down an hour beforehand to think through what I’m going to say,” says Dr. Wiese.
Give it all you’ve got: “When you’re asked to address a group, you have to convince yourself that this is the most important talk you’ve ever given,” stresses Dr. Wiese. “Your belief in this will give you the passion and commitment to your topic that comes out in how you speak.”
Start strong: Getting your audience’s interest and attention immediately is crucial.
“Engaging the audience successfully in the first one to three minutes is unbelievably important because unless you get them to care enough to listen at the outset, you’ve lost them for the rest of the talk,” he says. He believes only about one in 100 speakers do this well. “I assume the audience is not really with me and that I need to actively engage them—and I make sure they know enough to care about the topic. I start with the reasonable assumption that I know more and care more about my topic than they do. Make sure you give them enough background to get them started.”
Fledgling speakers can try capturing their audience’s attention by starting with a joke, story, dramatic anecdote, or shocking data. Starting your presentation with a bang, says Dr. Wachter, “is a learnable skill, and it’s a lot easier when you’re addressing a small group of people you know.”
Spice up dry information: If you’re stuck with a topic you fear is too boring to engage, find a “hook” to draw the audience in. Dr. Wachter suggests, “When you explain facts, use analogy and metaphors, and use graphics only when appropriate,” he suggests.
Find your voice: A tricky thing for new speakers is controlling their voice and using it to maintain interest. Avoid using a monotone—a common effect of reading from notes or slides.
“It’s important to work on your cadence and on the pitch and tone of your voice,” advises Dr. Wiese. “I think speaking is similar to music. Music has rest notes for a reason: to augment what you just said and to set up what you’re about to say. Try replacing the “ums” and “uhs” you use while you’re thinking about what to say next with silence. The audience will be riveted.”
Go easy on the PowerPoint: Don’t rely on your slides or flipchart to influence or engage your audience. Make eye contact with individuals and in a small group; touch a shoulder or two. “The truth is that most people use PowerPoint slides because they didn’t practice their talk,” says Dr. Wiese. “Turn away from your slides and talk person to person—you’ll be much more compelling.”
Speaking Opportunities
For an ambitious hospitalist, opportunities are abundant. “Find the residency director at the nearest program and tell them you’d like to give a conference for free,” Dr. Wiese recommends. “I guarantee this will get you 20 or 30 offers.”
He says national and regional organizations are great opportunities to get involved. “All it really takes is to attend the meetings, find the people doing the talks and tell them that you want an opportunity to hone your speaking skills,” he notes.