Book Review: <em>Confessions of a Public Speaker </em>by Scott Berkun

By Diane Danielson • Apr 01, 2010

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Note:After blogging for Entrepreneur over at Top Shelf Reading Picks for a few years, we decided to add my reviews to the Daily Dose.So, I bid welcome to my new readers. Hope you find these useful and fun. “What should I read next?” Confessions of a Public Speaker
Speakers often worry about the wrong things.

Not having an interesting opinion
Not thinking clearly about your points
Not planning ways to make those points relevant to your audience

Logistics do matter

Big rooms + small crowd? Take charge and move them all up front near you.They will be more engaged and more likely to focus.
“Failing to own your turf is the big mistake that can create a tough crowd.”
“Taking responsibility for the crowd means showing up to the room early enough to at least hear the previous speaker.” (It gives you time to read the audience.)
If you have a tough crowd or are flailing, find the person who hates you the least, and focus on him or her.

Content is key and preparation is non-negotiable

Take a strong position in the title (note to self: no more Social Media 101 titles …)
Think carefully about your specific audience.
Make your specific points as concise as possible.
Know the likely counterarguments from an intelligent, expert audience.

Play the part: You’re the star Troubleshooting Do you have any public speaking horror stories or potential ones that you turned into a success?I’d love to have you share them below in the comments!
Top Shelf Bottom Line. Confessions Confessions of a Public Speaker

Not having an interesting opinion
Not thinking clearly about your points
Not planning ways to make those points relevant to your audience

Logistics do matter

Big rooms + small crowd? Take charge and move them all up front near you.They will be more engaged and more likely to focus.
“Failing to own your turf is the big mistake that can create a tough crowd.”
“Taking responsibility for the crowd means showing up to the room early enough to at least hear the previous speaker.” (It gives you time to read the audience.)
If you have a tough crowd or are flailing, find the person who hates you the least, and focus on him or her.

Content is key and preparation is non-negotiable

Take a strong position in the title (note to self: no more Social Media 101 titles …)
Think carefully about your specific audience.
Make your specific points as concise as possible.
Know the likely counterarguments from an intelligent, expert audience.