The Inner Workings of a Speaker's Mind

The Inner Workings of Speakers Mind

Below are my study notes for a talk I had the honor to give at the Irving Bible Church Big Man Conference. I wanted the notes to be available for the 100 men who attended as a take away. So, I began preparing a handout to give the group. Then I was asked an interesting question.

As I was prepping for the conference I was asked what my process looks like as I prepare to speak. The inner workings of a speakers mind vary depending on the speaker. Many write out what they are going to say word-for-word. For some, like myself, it is easier to work from an outline that covers the basic thoughts.

Given my learning style skews toward visual I tend to be very visual when I take notes. What speakers/teachers have to be aware of as they prepare to speak are the different learning styles present in any given room.

There are four basic learning styles a speaker must consider when preparing a presentation.

1. Visual: This is the individual that needs to see something to fully grasp what it means.
2. Audio: This is the person, which learns best by listening to someone speak.
3. Read/Write: This person is the note taker or book reader.
4. Kinetic: This person needs to be moving to fully learn.

The challenge every presenter deals with is we tend to teach the way we learn. When we balance our presentations to accommodate each of the learning styles we become more effective as a communicator.

So, attached are my handwritten prep notes, for the read/write folks reading this blog. Have fun taking a peek inside how my mind works (or doesn’t work at times) as I prepare to speak