Video Record and Test

The number one thing you can do to really be prepared for your speech to foreign audiences is exactly the same thing you should do when you’re speaking to domestic audiences.

Now I’m not telling you about just having an interesting message.

What I mean is you’ve got to rehearse but in a specific way not talking to him you’re not talking to your dog.

You’ve got to rehearse your speech on video and these days it can be as simple as reaching into your pocket pulling out your cell phone and capturing it doesn’t have to be well lit.

It’s not going on TV.

We’re not making a TV commercial or an infomercial out of it.

You just need something where you can see it and hear it now.

It doesn’t do any good to practice at once.

If you don’t watch it.

So you need to watch it.

You need to take careful notes.

What do you like.

What do you not like and then do it again.

Watch it again take notes.

What do you like.

What do you not like now.

Ideally the pile of stuff you don’t like is going down this pile of stuff you do like is going up.

Keep doing this practice on video until the likes are way up here and the legs are way down here.

Now people don’t like doing this.

I understand you don’t like T.J.

I don’t want to hear my voice on it like looking at my face and my hair is falling out I’m getting jowls.

Well guess what I am too.

Your audience is going to have to watch you.

Your audience is going to have to listen to you.

You might as well do the same thing.

Now here’s the specific tip I would give for the foreign audience.

Do this practice a good week in India and I know it’s hard.

You’ve got so many other demands on your calendar.

There’s always time for anything that’s important.

If you’re going to rehearse it doesn’t take any more time to rehearse.

Two weeks before the event or a week before the event than it does the day of the event.

So I’m asking you if you’re going to fly all the way to another part of the world.

You might as well prepare a little more.

So my recommendation practice on video watch it critique it get to the point where you like it but then send the video and these days it’s very easy.

Through Google Drive through Dropbox other services you can posted on a YouTube channel.

Send the video to the organizer in charge of the event where you’re speaking.

Ideally this person could even send it to three or four audience members to get some feedback.

Now I’m not suggesting send it to every single person who’s going to be in the room to hear you for the speech because then it might be a little repetitive but you do want one or two or maybe three people to watch it to give you feedback.

Now you’re not asking them to tell you just what do they think and what do you like and have them sell.

Great.

Good job which you’re asking for is what do you make away.

What do you take away.

What did you remember from this.

How would you describe this to people who should be at the event but can’t make it and then ask them.

Is there anything you think your audience would really want to hear from me based on who I am and my expertise that I don’t have in this presentation.

Now sometimes you’re too close to it.

But the foreign audience perceives you as an expert in a particular area and they really want to hear you address that.

So the feedback you get by sending a video of your speech in advance can be extraordinarily helpful.

So I again I understand it takes a little planning takes preparation.

Most people don’t like video recording themselves but this will help you tremendously.

It will be the difference between possibly a bad speech associated speech and an absolutely great speech.

And it really doesn’t take that much more time.

So I’m begging you I haven’t given you a lot of homework in this class but this is one bit of homework.

I want you to practice your speech on video get to the point where you like it and then send it to somebody either where you’re going to be speaking in another country or just send it to anyone you know in another country to get a sense of how people perceive it outside of your own immediate culture.

Do that right now that’s your homework.