Global Public Speaking
WHY IS GLOBAL PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETENCY CRITICAL?
Unfortunately, this story depicts a too familiar situation for many accomplished speakers in the United States, who have ambitiously ventured into the global arena. They accurately perceived globalization as a golden opportunity for business expansion, product exposure and even worldwide notoriety but, like many early explorers and pioneers, have returned with failed missions and low morale.
Skills, experience and success at home, in addition to well prepared materials and rehearsals, often fail to reach the audience, achieve persuasion, and meet the objectives. Presenters suffer an ensuing loss of confidence that had sometimes taken them years to build. Furthermore, poor international presentations can cost millions in missed sales, and spoil important relationship-building opportunities.
SpeakGlobal Global Public Speaking programs have been designed in response to the concerns of global executives, entrepreneurs, diplomats, journalists, trainers, artists, athletes, students and others who need to address foreign or multicultural audiences in a variety of public speaking situations.
BECOMING A WORLD-CLASS PRESENTER
After completing the program, participants will be able to:
- Screen their speeches for possible “U.S. centrism” (or another culture centrism) by recognizing the underlying values behind American (or another culture) public speaking models and behind American (or another culture) audience expectations, perception and attitudes
- Design and deliver global-proof speeches by acknowledging cultural differences
- Get the message across by choosing the right language, references, illustrations, metaphors, stories and props, and by using appropriate body-language, tone, pace
and eye contact - Build persuasive arguments by integrating the underlying values of the audience
- Connect with their multicultural listeners by focusing on what really matters to them
- Interpret accurately audience receptivity by recognizing cultural differences in audience behavior
- Skillfully and proactively address potential prejudice against Americans (or another culture)
- Gracefully assume responsibility for misunderstandings
- Become insightful, well-rounded and resourceful individuals
Contact us for more information and to discuss your specific needs.
To effectively communicate,
we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world
and use this understanding
as a guide to our communication
with others.
~ Anthony Robbins ~
A Common and Deplorable Scenario:
"The Chamber of Deputies was full; the delegates filling the large hall were businessmen and high-level government directors from many European countries.
The keynote speaker was an American. The German representative spoke first, carefully and formally addressing all the dignitaries by title and organization. The American listened to the translation via headphones and looked at his watch (10 minutes just for the introductions! he thought.) A French speaker followed, with similar formality. Finally, it was the American's turn (These folks were sure livelier at dinner last night, he thought. They just need loosening up.) He turned to the French speaker who'd introduced him, "Thanks, Françoise!"
Whispers of disbelief spread across the hall. Not only had the American insulted the speaker by using his first name, he'd pronounced the "s" at the end, thus turning the Frenchman into a French woman! Undaunted, the American opened with a joke (which had his fellow Rotary Club members rolling back in Oklahoma). He delivered the punch line and looked around expectantly. The chamber was quiet. The speech, thankfully, was brief. Strike three and the visiting team is out. Will the distinguished gentleman from the United States please come out from underneath the lectern now?"
Deborah Anderson, (The Toastmaster, September 2003)
