Have you ever said something that was truthful, but later found out you were mistaken? Ever done that on stage? It can be costly. It was for me! What could it be costing you?
I’m not talking about losing credibility 18 years ago when I first started speaking — or even 10 years ago when I still had a lot to learn. I’m talking about last month!
While speaking to a Toastmasters District last month in Singapore, I felt so honored because they were the same district that had extended my very first invitation to speak internationally back in 2001.
During my presentation, I mentioned that fact and even got a little choked up about it. Some of the people in front of me were there ten years ago! It was the truth and I very much appreciated it.
What was the problem? The speech in 2001 was in Kuching, Malaysia. At that time, District 51 included both Malaysia and Singapore. Years later, as the District grew, they split into two Districts. Last month I was speaking to District 80. So the truth is, I did speak the truth during that presentation. One of the attendees later came up to me and mentioned that Malaysia was a different District. Many people in the audience were newer Toastmasters, and didn’t know about the history — but I also didn’t explain it well. The bottom line is, in the minds of several people in attendance, what I said wasn’t true — or at the very least, confused them.
You might be thinking that it’s not a big deal. Any loss of credibility is a big deal. If an audience member thinks they’ve heard even one half-truth, it flavors their view of your whole presentation. This is why I’m so passionate about teaching presenters to use 100% original material. If you use a story that’s been done before, it’s perfectly OK to acknowledge that fact. But it’s never OK to make it seem like it happened to you if that’s not the truth.
Our time on stage is so precious and fragile. What we do and say are amplified. You cannot go back and “correct” something you said, like you can in a one-on-one conversation. It’s a moment in time that cannot be repeated exactly the same way, good or bad.
Make no mistake… a loss of credibility is very costly to you. You will not be recommended by others… people won’t want to follow you on social media… they won’t sign up for your newsletter. If you have your educational tools in the back of the room, a loss of credibility will negatively impact sales. The most negatively-affected will be your reputation. That’s all I have — that’s all you have. Did some people in the audience not notice or mind? Of course. But, many more did notice and did mind. If someone thought enough to come and tell me, that was a huge gift. I will always remember that lesson.
There’s not much I can do to fix this now, other than teach you from my mistake. The truth needs to be considered from the perspective of the audience. Situations or facts must be clearly explained. If that doesn’t happen, it can be devastating to a speaker.
I lost it… have you ever lost credibility?
Stage time,
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Darren LaCroix
2001 World Champion of Public Speaking
P.S. Want to connect with the Champs? Check out the video below…
.
Here’s an email I received on June 28th…
(Shazil invested in the ’20 Years of Champions’ DVD)
Thank you so much for the customized card you sent to me, very brilliant… I enjoyed it a lot, and out of all 20, the most inspiring speeches were Mark Brown, Ed Tate, Craig Valentine, and yours. The wisdom that I could get is enormous. It will definitely help me a lot. I am definitely going to compete in the next intake of international speech starting from club level.
Thank you for your inspirations…
Best Regards,
Shazil
Click here to learn more about the
’20 Years of Champions’ DVD
.
Check out these two videos!
Top 10 Reasons to Go to the
Toastmasters Convention in August!
.
Top 10 Things to Do in Vegas…
that Most People Don’t Know About!
The post Stage Time: “I Lost It… Have You? appeared first on Darren LaCroix | World Champion of Public Speaking.