And what of trust, the other feeling that audiences look for in a speaker, and that speakers need to establish with their audiences?  Trust has both a verbal and a non-verbal component, and I’ll start with the verbal (the content).

You establish trust with an audience by solving their problems.  Think of the doctor you take that mysterious ache to, for her diagnosis.  If she holds forth on all the possible diseases that could be causing the pain, she’ll establish her credibility with you.  But if she cures your ache, you will trust her as a doctor. 

So building trust is in large part the art of understanding your audience deeply enough to ensure that your expertise will solve their problems.  I once gave a talk on creativity to a group of CIOs in South Africa.  The talk was not, let’s say, a success, because I had misjudged the audience.  I thought their biggest problem was a lack of creativity, but they sure didn’t think so, and thus my witty, wise, and highly entertaining prescriptions for enhancing creativity in the workplace fell on profoundly indifferent ears.  I did get some nice press coverage because the local press was quick to pick up the idea that more creativity for CIOs was a great idea.  Just not the CIOs.   

There has to be a good match between audience, topic, speaker, and the speaker’s expertise.  If they don’t match, be prepared to leave town quickly. 

Remember, too, that solving problems is both an emotional and intellectual activity.  Doctors who form a good (communication) bond with their patients are much less likely to be sued for malpractice, regardless of how good their advice actually is.  It’s all about trust.  Use your expertise for the solution, but remember to tell stories about how your work has transformed people for the better, so that your audience can imagine itself in the same position.  It’s the stories that build the emotional bond and cement the trust relationship you’re creating with your audience. 

Also, remember that speaking is a poor way to convey information.  We only remember something like 10 -30 percent of what we hear in a typical speech.  So keep your solutions simple and allow the audience to interact with you to try out the solution, or take the first step toward it, or something similar.  If they have a chance to be active, there’s a much greater likelihood that they will remember what you’re preaching.

Next time, I’ll wrap up with how to build trust non-verbally.