In the last 5 articles, RAVI VENKATESAN has shared ideas about the reasons public speakers fail, the 26 Cs of good communication, body language and voice modulation, the ‘power of pause’ and the need for presence. In part 6 he focuses on empathy.
Most of us believe that we are very empathetic, but when we are in real-life situations how many of us really shine in this essential human quality? In the context of public speaking, empathy can make the difference between good and great.
Empathy essentially involves putting yourself in the shoes of your audience: speaking directly to what is of interest to them, conveying what benefits them, and avoiding what is offensive to them. It is the heart of Heartful Presenting. Being empathetic as a speaker will ensure that you speak to the hearts of your audience, not just their brains.
Try the following exercises with a group of friends, to develop empathy while speaking to audiences:
In each of these cases, don’t take more than 3 minutes. Refine and repeat as many times as needed after receiving
feedback from your friends on whether you came across as empathetic or not.
Article by RAVI VENKATESAN
Ravi Venkatesan
Ravi lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and is currently the Chief Executive Officer at Cantaloupe. He is also a regular public speaker and public speaking coach. He has been a Heartfulness meditator for over 20 years and is passionate about app... Read More
