5 speakers you'll see in the wild

In the uncharted wilderness of public speaking, many speakers roam the terrains - some more successfully than others.

Here are five speakers you’ll see in the wild. Observe them, learn from them, and evolve.

1. The Nervous Nelly

Witness the Nervous Nelly, anxious and high-strung. Their lack of confidence can be uncomfortable to watch and will make you feel nervous for them - notes shaking in sweaty fingers, a strained laugh and wavering tone. 

“So...hi everyone. First off, I’m sorry for my bad public speaking skills.” 

This statement signals to potential predators: “I’m trying to lower your expectations early so that you won’t judge me for failing to live up to the unrealistic expectations I set for myself.” 
Nervous Nellies tend to be hard-working and highly competent on their home turf, but adopt a defensive stance around others that prevents them from expanding their influence.

2. The Fountain of Facts

“Good afternoon everyone. I hope you all had a chance to review the extensive slide deck that I sent you this morning. And I don’t have time to explain this complicated flow-chart on this PowerPoint slide, but I *will* strongly imply that it’s important for you to read, understand and memorize it in the next 2 seconds.” 

When you venture into Fountain of Facts habitat, make sure you bring a comfy chair and a snack because you’ll probably be there a while. Keep your ears open, and you’ll soon hear their distinctive call. Then you’ll keep hearing it, for much longer than you expected. The Fountain of Facts’ call is exquisite…ly long and detailed, and often full of jargon. They have trouble distinguishing between information that is useful to their audience and information that is only interesting to them personally.

The Fountain of Facts is not dangerous, but may pose a threat to your attention span. Approach with caution. 

3. The Robot

Typically found in heavily corporate environments, the Robot’s survival mechanism is to regurgitate company talking points with buzzwords, tired clichés and fake enthusiasm. 

The Robot attempts to attract others of their species through mimicry of famous visionaries from the business world. They can be identified by their stilted body language and repetitive cries of “innovate,” “disrupt” and “synergy”.

4. The Winger

Observing the Winger in its natural environment is like watching a high speed car chase. The Winger did not prepare for this presentation, and their behaviour is characterized by sharp turns, confusing tangents and sudden pauses. Their distinctive cry of “I’m just going to speak from the heart” is a warning that you are about to witness one of two things: brilliant improvisation, or a slow-motion car crash.  

Often mistaken for the Winger is the False Winger, whose meticulously-planned performance is designed to appear spontaneous. The key distinguishing feature is that False Wingers leave you with an uncomfortable feeling in your gut that something isn’t as it seems.

5. The Guru

The flashy, charismatic Guru can be identified by their podcast, multiple book deals, millions of Instagram followers, and lofty rhetoric about creating a better life for yourself.

Of the many thousands who set off on the path, only a very small percentage reach full Guru-hood. Key to their success is their effectiveness at targeting their audience’s existential angst and offering a plausible-sounding way out.

The Guru’s song is pleasant, but depending on the sub-species, it may or may not mean anything at all.

Have you seen these common species in the wild?  Anyone can fall into these traps, especially in the wild west of bad public speaking advice. Learning how to spot them will help you become a better presenter, one who knows how to make the most of your own quirks and personal brilliance.

Come join us in the Get Your Speak On Facebook group to chat about public speaking, overcoming common pitfalls, and growing your own influence in a genuine, empowered way!