How to be a better speaker

What I learned from presenting to the toughest audience

When presenting, we often envision a room full of industry professionals, colleagues, or perhaps a community eager to listen.

This audience is often calculable; questions and reactions can be anticipated. Yet, recently, I've found myself in front of the most unpredictably challenging crowd—one that defies all standard presentation rules and is often honest to a fault: children.

There's an adage I hold dear: "Always be prepared."

This motto has carried me through numerous conferences, interviews, workshops and various events around the world. But as I stood before a sea of tiny, restless faces, I was sharply reminded that children's curiosity knows no bounds—and my so-called 'preparation' might as well have been a blank slate, sort of.

For context, the children were learning about earthquakes, and having lived through the Loma Prieta earthquake at the same age, they invited me in to chat about it.

Expect the unexpected

You think you know your topic inside out, and you're ready for any question thrown your way—that is, until you present it to children.

They come armed with raw, unrefined curiosity that doesn't conform to the adult etiquette of sticking to the topic.

With children, any question is fair game.

An example? While demonstrating the wobbly nature of a building during an earthquake, a child might ask about the possibility of falling through the fault line or not being stuck under a collapsing building. However, one astute listener pondered, “But did your fish in your fish tank die?"

Another, eagerly pushing their hand up to ask another question, thanked me for choosing her and proceeded to say "It's my birthday tomorrow"... "Thank you darling, any more questions on earthquakes?" my response...

Indeed, not a question (or a random comment) I had prepped for—and although easy to answer and engage with the children, if you're not well versed in your subject matter, it could throw you off.

This untamed wilderness of a child's thought process teaches us a crucial skill: agility. Through presenting to children, I learn not to waffle or conjure up responses cloaked in jargon - but get to the point, keep it simple and...relax.

Children demand honesty, and they can smell pretence a mile away.

As presenters, we must be knowledgeable in our subject matter and prepared to think on our feet and adapt to whatever comes our way.

Plan to Improvise

Another hard-learned lesson: with children, your script is a mere suggestion.

Picture this: While explaining what my experience was like during the earthquake, as I was kicking back watching Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake on Mickey Mouse Club (to many giggles), one of the students decided that underneath the presentation table was an excellent place to sit.

This isn't bad behaviour; it's a child being a child, and your role as a presenter morphs into a storyteller, weaving in their unique sitting choice into your narrative about earthquakes - taking cover. You learn to roll with the punches, to embrace the chaos as not just a part of your presentation but the heart of it.

And then there are the priceless moments that pull you away from your speaker's agenda completely, like the girl who interrupted my talk about plate tectonics to ask if I ever met Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (I'm actually insanely impressed these 7/8 year olds connected the earth with the Rock ;-)).

But these tangents are what make presenting to children both challenging and rewarding. It's a chance to see things from a different perspective, to think outside the box and engage with an audience that is unfiltered.

This spontaneity is a gentle reminder to all of us presenters: connecting with your audience sometimes means stepping away from the stage set by your slides or script.

Embrace the free-flowing journey

Presenting to children has taught me an invaluable lesson in letting go.

As adults, we cling tightly to structures, to the plan. But children operate in the fluidity of the moment, which teaches us that sometimes the best action is to relax and go with the flow.

Their unrestrained enthusiasm, fresh perspective, and transparency create an environment that encourages authentic interaction. It forces a speaker to ditch constricting formality and embrace a more conversational, flexible approach—a skill exceedingly beneficial even when addressing a room of grown-ups.

How can I be a better presenter?

The small stuff matters to children, and it should matter to us too.

Every digression, every quirky question, and every unexpected turn is an opportunity to reach deeper into our topic and connect with our audience on a human level.

Therefore, if you truly want to hone your skills as a presenter, seek out the chance to present to children. It's a humbling, enriching experience that sharpens your command over material, hones your adaptability and, above all, rekindles the joy of sharing knowledge.

After all, in the quest to become a masterful communicator, there's no better training than navigating the unpredictability of a child's inquisitiveness. So here's to celebrating the tiny under-table sitters and the birthday announcements that shape us into speakers for all seasons. 🎉