KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Once you have a venue, it’s time to do your homework and find out a little about your audience. Your message should be dif-ferent if you are at a health and safety meeting for an industrial company versus a get together at your local retirement home. Remember to always speak to their needs. When you begin to organize your talk, be careful not to over-whelm the audience with too much information. Facts and fig-ures may seem important to you but may be lost on them. I am going to be biased and hope that your message highlights chiro-practic and its potential to help the body. Please do not leave this part out! Talking about lifestyle changes, exercise, nutrition, etc., is all OK but these ancillary topics should relate to how they can influence the spine and nervous system. This vital information is not being relayed enough to the public, so be bold and tell them what they need to hear. ORGANIzING YOUR TALK Some thought should also go into organizing the layout of the talk and how it flows. In my experience it is a good idea to seek out some resources for this. My motto when it comes to public speaking is “If the wheel ain’t broken then don’t fix it.” I encour-age you to use talks that other chiropractors have used in the past. They are quite effective, tried and tested. Next, you will need to practise and refine your delivery. If you are brave enough, video record yourself in order to make im-provements. Once you are familiar with the talk and have nailed it down, then make it your own by incorporating some of your own stories. Your storytelling skills are the key to your presen-tation. When I was at Parker Seminars in Toronto, in the fall, I heard all of our greatest leaders speak about telling stories and how these stories will inspire and move people to act. Therefore, don’t try to saturate your audience with information; tell them a few of your most inspiring patient stories and make a great connection. Inspiring people to act is what drives me to get out in the community and talk about this wonderful thing called chiro-practic. Whatever drives you, I encourage you to bottle it, get out there and make a difference. The biggest mistake you can make is staying within your comfort zone and not trying to take risks. They say “only dead fish swim with the stream,” so I chal-lenge you to turn things around and start sharing the message! Remember: when it comes to your practice, work from the inside out. • KEYS FOR PRESENTING TALKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY Take the initial leap to get out and try it, then commit to improving your delivery and your message. ACTion STEp 1: Start asking influential people in your circle for speaking opportunities. ACTion STEp 2: Know who you are speaking to and tai-lor your message specifically to them. ACTion STEp 3: Share stories with the audience that will inspire them to act. www.canadianchiropractor.ca CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | DECEMBER 2012 • 35 CMCC Supply Centre & Bookstore 6100 Leslie Street Toronto, Ontario, M2H 3J1 Local: 416 482 1532 Toll Free: 1 800 268 8940 Fax: 416 482 9745 [email protected] RMT Chiropractic Acupuncture Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College Your practice supply partner Visit our new online store at www.cmccstore.ca
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