Well, this hasn’t gotten off as fast as I’d hoped. Few things ever do. In the weeks since trying to get WordPress to do it’s thing, I’ve worked with several clients one-on-one in reviewing their presentations, classes, materials, and keynotes. I’ve also attended a couple of speeches, taught a class, and participated (and won!) in a Toastmasters speech contest. There is much to share (perhaps TOW, not TOD). I’ll be brief.I had a friend try to tell me today that he had three people tell him that he said something he knew he didn’t say. He was adamant, even going so far to say that he had watched the tape and he DID NOT SAY THAT! I gently reminded him that it didn’t matter what he said, all that matters is what he communicated. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that if three people told him they understood it a certain way, there were probably MANY more (audience of several thousand) that did as well. In that vein, I tested my contest speech to my Toastmasters’ Club yesterday. I thought it was much funnier than a previous speech I had done, but I got much less a response. I polled those who had seen both. Every one of them that registered a response said the first one was better. So one hour before the contest, I switched topics to a speech I had not rehearsed in several weeks. Other than a miserable location for presenting (dark, crowded, cavernous acoustics, and breakable glass everywhere), the change worked out great, the audience responded, and my speech was voted #1, and sent me to the Division level of the competition (two weeks!).
Listen to your audience — they’re the ones that matter
Hi, Alan. I really enjoyed reading your comments. As a pastor, I think about communication all the time. I am in the middle of my doctoral work at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (near Boston). My doctorate is in “Expository Preaching.” During the first year, I had to write a paper that entailed surveying my congregation after a few sermons. I would preach, they would answer, I would interpret the data and write the paper.Upon returning to Boston for the next intensive, Haddon Robinson asked about the project. I noted that several (most) of the respondents failed to grasp the main point of my first sermon. Robinson then quipped, “Well, they can’t ALL be stupid.” He’s right – I failed to communicate clearly – even though it was clear as crystal in my head.