Why it’s a mistake to focus your preparation entirely on the time you’re standing on the stage … 

Read more thoughts on the art of communicating week-daily at https://michaelgerharz.com/blog

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A speech begins long before you say your first word.

How you walk up the stage.

How you interact with the audience members during the break before your talk.

How you treated the staff during the checkup.

Or how you interacted with your host in the pre event communications.

How you prepared material that the organizers needed.

How you spoke on the phone.

How you tailored the content to that specific audience.

How you practiced.

All these things add up.

As do the things that you do after you said your last word.

How you show up in the coffee break after your talk.

How you respond to questions from the audience, how you respond to people

reaching out to you on social media.

All these things add up to organizers who are excited to have you on the

stage, staff who are delighted to work with you, audiences who look forward

to listen to, and during analysts who are eager to write about you.

A speech is not just the time between your first and your

last word that you say on stage.

It's you – the entire you.

The shortcut to make it a delightful experience for everyone, is actually

the detour of treating every step along the journey as equally important.