Somewhere in your life, you learned it is the right thing to follow through with what you say. This is a crucial lesson for you as a speaker.

Below are three benefits for you as a speaker in following through on what you say you will do:

Credibility and Trustworthiness

If you had a friend promise to do something for you and they didn’t, how would that make you feel? You probably would think the person was untrustworthy. You also likely would not depend on them again. This is why it is crucial for you, as a speaker, to follow through with your commitments.

Following through on commitments enhances your credibility and trustworthiness as a speaker. Your audience knows they can depend on you to fulfill what you say you will do.

When you promise to provide additional resources, share information, or take specific actions, your audience expects you to fulfill those promises. Failure to follow through can erode trust and credibility, making it more challenging for your audience to believe in your message.

On the other hand, consistent follow-through reinforces your reliability and strengthens the connection with your audience.

So, you should strive for credibility and trustworthiness in your speaking.

A positive by-product of you following through on your promises is audience engagement and retention.

Audience Engagement and Retention

Following through on your promises during your presentation keeps your audience engaged and interested – two requisites for a memorable presentation.

A vital sign of an engaged audience is they ask questions. Never fear questions from your audience. Audience questions are your “silver bullet” as a speaker. It tells you what the audience is thinking. Anything you can do to learn more about your audience is good.

The interest your audience shows from their questions is an added benefit. Earl Nightingale, one of my mentors, says, “The only requirement for a speaker is to be interesting.” Your audience asking questions shows they are interested in your message.

If you mention upcoming events, additional content, or interactive activities, the audience is likelier to stay attentive and involved if you fulfill these promises.

When you follow through, it demonstrates a commitment to delivering value to your audience. As you know, a requisite of an excellent presentation is delivering value to your audience.

This contributes to a positive audience experience, increasing the likelihood that the audience will retain and remember the key message of your presentation.

Another one of your crucial speaking goals is to design your presentation and deliver it so it is much more likely to be retained by your audience.

So, you should strive for credibility and trustworthiness and audience engagement and retention in your speaking

Another benefit of following through on your promises as a speaker is building a positive reputation.

Building a Positive Reputation

Public speakers often rely on their reputation to secure future speaking engagements and opportunities. Your reputation determines your “altitude” in the speaking business. Event planners often book speakers because of the speaker’s reputation.

Following through on your commitments contributes to building your positive reputation within the professional and public speaking communities.

Your good reputation also contributes to more people knowing about you and how you can help them. Word of mouth plays a significant role in being asked to come back to speak. Positive recommendations are more likely when you consistently deliver on your promises.

Building a reputation for reliability and follow-through can open doors to new opportunities and collaborations, as event organizers and audiences appreciate dependable speakers.

Quite often, speakers believe their audiences are their customers. They are not. Event organizers are your customers because they are the people who book you.

That doesn’t mean you should not satisfy your audience’s wants and needs. Happy audiences make happy event organizers. Happy event organizers will bring you back to speak to their audiences.

Following through on your commitments is essential as a speaker to maintain credibility, keep your audience engaged, and build a positive reputation in your speaking area.

It forms the foundation for trust and establishes you as a speaker who can be relied upon to deliver a valuable and memorable presentation.

Follow through, follow through, follow through!

Call to Action

Strive to

• Create and maintain your credibility and trustworthiness

• Engage your audience so they can retain the information in your presentation

• Build a positive reputation to bring you to the attention of event organizers

Frank DiBartolomeo is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and award-winning speaker, presentation and interview skills coach, and Professional Member of the National Speakers Association. He was awarded Toastmasters International’s highest individual award, Distinguished Toastmaster because of his outstanding work in public speaking and leadership.

Frank formed DiBartolomeo Consulting International (DCI), LLC (www.speakleadandsucceed.com) in 2007. The mission of DCI is to help technical professionals to inspire, motivate, and influence their colleagues and other technical professionals by improving their presentation skills, communication, and personal presence. Reach Frank at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com and (703) 509-4424.

Don’t miss Frank DiBartolomeo’s latest book!

“Speak Well and Prosper: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Better Presentations”

Available now at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com