TJ Walker argues that public speaking effectiveness is measurable, not a 'soft' intangible. He recommends empirically testing presentations by asking audiences (or rehearsal colleagues) to recall every message point and slide; if the audience can accurately recall points/slides, the presentation was effective, otherwise retool and repeat until remembered.
So how do you know if your speech was effective? There's this attitude out there that public speaking is a so called soft skill. Like it's a little puppy, like it's just this intangible thing. It's not a hard nosed thing like accounting or chemistry. Well, to that I say baloney. You can quantify your public speaking exactly the same way you do any aspect of counting or physics or chemistry. How do you do it? Same way you do anything else. You test, you measure. If you have to give a presentation to 30 sales execs on Wednesday, give them your presentation. When you're done, ask them every message point from your speech they remember. Ask them every slide from your PowerPoint that they remember any message point that they can throw back in your face. You now have empirical evidence that the way you presented that was effective. Any PowerPoint slide they remember and can toss back in your face, you have empirical evidence that the way you presented it was effective. However, if you ask them how you did and they say, oh, well, T.J. everything was great, you're a wonderful speaker. That was fine. Then. I know I was awful. I know I failed. I know I bombed. So it's very easy to find out what's effective and what isn't effective. Now here's the secret. You don't have to wait until you get in front of your real audience. If you're speaking to 50 clients on Thursday, find three colleagues together. Tuesday at lunchtime, give them a free sandwich. At lunch, give your presentation. When you're done asking, ask them every message point they remember. And if there's something they don't remember, you've got to go back and retool your presentation and do it again until they remember it. This is not touchy feely. This is not squishy. This is not, Hmm, I wonder if the room was warm that day. This is quantifiable. You can find out if your speech is effective or not. You're either remembered by your audience or you're not. It really is that simple.
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