Life can be rough. We are not necessarily in control of the proceedings and things happen that we don’t aim for happen. It’s bad enough when things like this happen to us, but it’s even worse when it happens to others. As public speakers, there will be occasions when because of the incredible importance of speaking in public we are asked to use our speaking in public skills to provide bad news to an audience. Once you get over your initial reaction to run away, you’re going to have to make some decisions about how you want to deliver this news.
Get accustomed to What is this great Before you Speak
So what can make bad news even worse? If it affects you also. You may not agree with the message you’ve been asked to provide. That’s OK — it’s not up Black Cube to you to understand everything that may be going on. However, you do owe your audience a reasonable and balanced speech.
Therefore that you are going to really need to get over whatever emotions the bad news is creating inside of you. When you give your speech, you don’t want to be bringing any negative energy to the speech. If you do that, then you’ll just end up feeding any of the negative emotions that your bad news is creating in your audience.
Cut To the Chase
As public speakers, we all have our own way of writing the speeches and toasts that we are going to give. Often we like to begin with an opening, proceed to the middle, and the wrap things up with a strong closing. This kind of structure can cause problems when we’re delivering bad news. Our audience knows that we are going to be delivering bad news — if we take our time getting to it, they’re going to become restless.
You need to realise how your audience is feeling. They are under a great deal of stress and as they sit waiting for you to begin your speech they are on high aware of hear what the bad news is going to be. With too long to get to the part that they want to hear, then you will have made the anticipation even worse than the actual bad news.
It’s All In the Timing
Just exactly when you are going to give your bad news speech is nearly as important as what you are going to say. We need to realize that if you wait too long to give the speech, the rumours that are always flying around may have clouded everyone’s view of the current situation. Additionally, if you move too quickly, you may not have had time to consider all of the outcome of the current situation and you’ll deliver your message with too much feeling.
Just as important as when you determine to deliver your bad news, you also have to take time and step into the shoes of your audience. You need to realise what their frame of mind is. What time or day of week will work best with their schedule?
What All of this Opportinity for You
In this life, bad things happen. As a public speaker, because of the benefits of speaking in public you are going to be placed in a position where you may be called on to deliver bad news to an audience. Keeping in mind that how the bad news will be received by them will depend on how you deliver it, you are going to have to carefully plan this speech out.
It is entirely possible that the bad news that you are going to be delivering affects you in some way. Therefore that you need to make the time to get accustomed to the message that you are delivering before you try to share it with others. When you are telling your audience about the news, you need to get directly to it. Don’t build up to the “big announcement” — your audience already knows what’s coming so get to it. Finally, if there is bad news to be delivered, it makes sense to provide it at some point. Rumours will be making the times already so it will be important that you set the record straight.