Well, we’re nearly at the end of the political conference season (hurrah I hear you cry!) ‘Same old same old ‘ some of you may say. But hang on, what’s this? Some sort of superstar must have arrived at the Tory conference this week – crowds of journalists pushing and shoving just to get a glimpse.
In the past the Tories have called upon stars of stage and screen to raise their profile and rally the faithful (remember Kenny Everett and Jim Davidson?!), but this time it's one of them – 'The Boris' show is in town. Who would have thought this apparently bumbling Etonian would stir such support. But why is he so popular? There is no doubt he is a very clever man, a journalist to boot and exceptional at knowing when to exploit a situation for his own gain.
My theory is that one of the reasons why he makes such a good orator, is that he’s funny. He makes people laugh, which makes them relax and want to listen more. Most politicians are absolutely rubbish at cracking a joke. It’s so well flagged up in their speeches it feels like an eternity before you actually get the punch line!
Boris is different he can do 'off the cuff' and yet still bring the speech back to the point or message he was trying to get across. I’m not advocating that you should all now rush out and start learning how to be the next Michel Macintyre, but think on. If you are delivering a presentation then I would recommend a few lines that raise a smile and breaks the ice. You’ll find your audience will engage with you more and connect with what you’re trying to get across. Confidence and presentation skills training can help you with this.
Once you understand the nuts and bolts of how to deliver a message whether it’s to a journalist or to a group of people then you can begin to develop your skills so that you can really engage your audience and add a little light and shade to the proceedings. Your audience is much more likely to remember you if you’ve given them an interesting and entertaining session rather than one that has them reaching for their Blackberry or IPhone after the first 20 minutes!