Brokers can learn from professional orators and still be themselves

Karen Susman

As published in Scotsman Guide's Residential Edition, February 2009.

Each opportunity to speak publicly offers mortgage brokers a chance to establish themselves as leading professionals in the real estate finance industry. Often, these opportunities arise at mortgage-industry conventions or at local business-association meetings.

Whenever these opportunities occur, it's important to realize that potential clients and referral sources are seated in the audience. By learning to speak better in public situations, brokers can be prepared to shine.

The positive effects of a single speech given with energy and delivered by someone with industry expertise can reverberate for years. Because of that, you want to be at your best.

For brokers looking to improve their public speaking, it would be tempting to try to mimic one of today's most well-known speakers, President Obama. Although Obama's ability to engage audiences through the spoken word helped launch his successful bid for the White House, trying to copy his or anyone else's style isn't the best approach to take when it comes to oration. Instead, be yourself -- only better.

That said, one of the best ways to improve your own public speaking is to pay attention to those who do it better. The following tips should help.

• Look confident, make eye contact and work to eliminate any tics or habits that could distract your audience.
• Use vivid imagery to make your point. Rather than saying, "Getting divorced is challenging," say, "Getting divorced is like getting your heart slammed in a car door."
• Incorporate alliteration. Whether you're a lovely lady or a handsome hunk, alliteration grabs the ear.
• Tell illustrative stories. If you use statistics, support them with real-life examples. Chances are that the audience is more interested in meaning than data.
• Connect on an emotional level. Before you speak, consider the members of your audience and what issues they care about most. Then speak directly to those issues. Make sure that your points hit audience members in the gut as well as in the head.
• Don't assume anything. Even if you're speaking to your peers, strive to avoid losing people by not explaining ideas and issues that they might not understand.
• Use parallel composition to help your message stick. None of us was alive during the Civil War, but almost all of us know about President Lincoln's "government of the people, by the people, for the people." There's a reason for that. It's called parallel composition.
• Be positive and uplifting. Almost everyone wants to feel better about life. Be the light that helps people look on the brighter side of a troubled market. It's OK to acknowledge that times are tough, but also offer strategies for success despite the challenges.
• Eliminate the "uhs" and "ums." These little murmurs can come subconsciously and create a big distraction.
• Use restraint when poking fun at others. Although you might mean nothing by it, you could offend the very people you're attempting to impress. The safest person to poke fun at is yourself.

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