I was recently listening to a speaker who was very emotional about his material. He thought it was very important for us to know and understand his message and so his voice became quite loud. The more important his points were, the louder he became eventually yelling his main points. I was shocked by his style in spite of being a former rock and roll drummer in the 70’s and serving in the artillery in the Army.
Listening to this gentleman, however, led me to wonder if I’ve overlooked yelling as a technique in my professional speaking toolkit. As I considered it further, I realized I’ve been missing out on a number of advantages to yelling in my presentations.
1. It would keep people awake during the presentation. I’ve often wondered how to motivate audiences who were not very interested in my topic. My yelling and the involuntary flinching responses by the audience would certainly discourage nodding off.
2. My message would reach those in the rest rooms. Invariably, someone steps out of the room just as I’m getting to the most important part of my message. I did the same that morning (the coffee will only stay with you so long) but it didn’t matter. I was able to hear most every word the speaker shared while addressing my biological needs. Not every speaker is that considerate.
3. It would reduce the number of annoying questions that come up after the presentation. No one will say “Sorry, but I missed that point, would you yell it again?”
4. It is a multi-generational approach to sharing my message.
a. As our population becomes older, my message would easily reach those who refuse to get a hearing aid.
b. Middle-aged audience members will be happy not having to repeat the points in the message whenever an older person utters “What did he say?”
c. The younger members of the audience will appreciate the intensely emotional volume of the message since it is similar to the screamer music they listen to.
5. I could save my clients significant cost. All clients are interested in saving money. Instead of cutting my fee, I can save them money on equipment costs by eliminating microphones and sound equipment.
6. It’s green to yell. Everyone is worried about the environment. By skipping electrical usage for the sound equipment I can help save on green house gases.
7. It could become a real competitive advantage. I could differentiate myself in the market. It is a wide open niche at this point. I could advertise my skills by listing how many decibels I can reach in a presentation.
8. I believe it will increase the application of the teaching points in my message. Many audience members would be afraid not to apply what they heard. Who knows how I will respond if I find out they were not applying the techniques.
9. There is the potential for personal health benefits to yelling. If done correctly – using the diaphragm, not the throat – it could increase deep breathing, lower blood pressure and release tension.
10. Marketing consultants stress how important it is to be heard in this crowded marketplace of ideas. Being louder is a technique that has been shown to work. After all, it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.
Be on the lookout for my new line of products and services: Keynote Presentations (Yell Your Way to Success) , CD’s (Best of Yelling – audio tracks), DVD’s (Best of Yelling Live), e-Book series (Yelling Isn’t Training, But It Works Anyway), training seminars (Yell All the Way To The Bank), webinars (Yelling Over the Web – It’s More Than ALL CAPS!) and personal coaching program (Anyone Can Yell, But Only I Can Show You How To Make Money By Doing It).
I also plan on developing affiliate relationships with manufacturers of microphones (Screamers Choice for Distortion Free Yelling) and sound amplification equipment (Maxed Out Amps – Our Knobs Go to 11!)
With all these benefits, I’m amazed that not more presenters and speakers use this technique. It appears I’m on the cutting edge of a new trend and I’m excited.
Here’s yelling at you!
Written by NSA-Virginia Chapter Member Ron Chapman, 5 Star Performance Solutions
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