Say it Better

Feel you flubbed the last speech you gave?

You’ll feel much better after watching Phil Davison’s emotional appeal for support.

His talk demonstrates that recommending the use of emotion is not sufficiently specific advice for a speaker. Also, having apparently apt credentials like a Masters in Communication, does not necessarily mean one has mastered the skill.

In the apparent absence of their use Davison demonstrates the vital need in preparing for a speech to:

1. Discern, ahead of time, what most matters to your audience.

2. Craft an outline for your talk with a main point, no more than three supportive points, segues between them – each supported by a few relevant and vivid facts or examples - and “bookending” the beginning and ending of your talk with the same point and a call for action.

3. Praise the audience and/or individuals in it for specific, positive actions or beliefs that reinforce the stands you are advocating.

4. Ensure that your metaphors and figures of speech are congruent and make sense.

5. Practice in front of one or more people who are familiar with your audience and who will give you intelligent, candid feedback

 At least Davison probably made Jan Brewer feel better. 

Here's two speaker friends who continue to provide valuable insights about how to connect with your audience, move them to act and make a positive difference in the world: Bert Decker and Nick Morgan.

One final thought. Even if you are not the president someone maybe recording your talk so don’t let something you pledge come back to bite you later.

Honored to be Voted a “Top 5 Speaker” on Communication

  After over 13,000 people who hire speakers voted on their favorites it is a thorough delight to be voted one of the Top Five speakers on Communication when others include my friends, the stellar presenters Dianna Booher and Connie Dieken.   I look forward to getting to know the other two.    

The Palpable Power of a Speaker’s Repeated Phrase is Like a Heart Beat for Us, the Audience

A potent way to connect with an audience is to get them in sync with you. Quickly. Then they’ll root for you, want to literally be moved by you. Rhythmic speaking, punctuated with a repeated phrase can be that emotional gateway between your heart, as a speaker and theirs, as Michael Reed James demonstrates so powerfully.

Whether you are a leader, trainer or business owner, you can reinforce your core concept by repeating a relevant phrase.  Then they are more apt to recall it.

Remember how Obama’s campaign phrase, "Yes, we can” so captivated some actors that they co-created a video using it?

If you are a public speaker, look at the “thread” or central theme of the most popular story you tell from the stage. Distill it to a word or phrase.  When you repeat those words at key points in your talk and bookend your talk by setting up your story and ending it… with a pause to say those words, your audience may join in saying them with you. 

Notice how Michael sets up his story with his first Knock Knock, then pulls in his activated audience at the end. 

I want to know this young man, to follow the arc of his, to share his performance with you because his message and his talent moved me.  In his spoken word poetry, he is emotional and strong. He calls us to join him in choosing to demonstrate good character, to love, to live a productive, full life yet he is not didactic.  He uses his own story to bring out the best in us.

As a speaker what more could you ask of yourself?  

Self-deprecation, Twitter Vengeance and More on Speaking

Here are three quick lessons for speakers and audiences from this week in our ever more Connected World.

 1. Self-deprecation can evoke humor and create a bond with the audience when done right. “It is a privilege to be here tonight to open for Lady Gaga,” said President Obama, in opening his speech at the Human Rights Campaign dinner.  

Consider, as well, how Hugh Grant bolstered his likeability in many of his movies, including Four Weddings and a Funeral, by evoking self-deprecation. 

Albert Einstein was once introduced to the eighteen-month-old son of a young friend. The infant looked into the physicist's face and began to bawl. Responded Einstein, "You're the first person for years who has told me what you really think of me."  Kien Dag notes, “The smartest people I know are also the most humble, making others comfortable by downplaying their abilities.”

2. In this Twitter-powered world:

• Speakers may get live audience feedback whether they want it or not.

• Audiences can engage in their own conversation about the speaker.

• A speaker may be unaware of what’s happening in the audience. Ah mortification.

• A mob psychology can erupt, causing ever more vicious (or positive) waves of Twitter commentary to roll out.

This incident brings a whole new meaning to “higher education.”  

3. Attendees should be able to absorb the meaning of a slide in three seconds or less.  So suggests Nancy Duarte who offers a Glance Test in her book.  

Team Writing a Landmark Speech

Anyone who is preparing a speech can glean some takeaways from this fascinating backstory on crafting a speech for Cairo, when Obama chose to “not be cautious.”

1. Have a single and singular goal for your talk.

Obama saw the speech as an effort to "speak the truth" about U.S. relations with the Muslim world.

2.  Determining tone is as important as choosing the content.

Together they create the metamessage that the audience will grok. Considering your audience, what is the main tone you want to embody with your audience? Obama, for example, giving his first speech from a "major Islamic forum" chose a respectful tone to maximize the chance to be credible with his bold – some say blunt  - content.

The secondary and reinforcing tones were steadiness and strength.  They were vital when Obama took (content) stands that alternatively discomforted different audiences he wished to reach.

For example, bringing up women’s rights upset some Arab audiences.  And “Some Israelis and American Jews recoiled at the way Obama juxtaposed the suffering of the Holocaust and centuries of anti-Semitic persecution with the experience of Palestinians under Israeli occupation.”

I agree with Nick Morgan that Obama still has room for improvement (as do I) to make his body language get in sync with his message.

3. Ask for insights from people who have first-hand knowledge of the audience. You may not have a speech-writing team like Obama yet you can get some first-hand insights rather easily.

That’s why, as a public speaker I ask the meeting planner who hires me for the names of three disparate leaders in the group. I interview them in advance, beginning with open-ended questions. A helpful starter question is “What are the top-of-mind issues for opportunities for them?”

How to Accept an Award, Oscar-Style, Done Right

Spending a fortune on sexy clothes and hair styling yet not spending time to craft the acceptance speech that people refer to in admiration. Why don’t more Oscar nominees nail it? They certainly know writers who can help them and are adept at acting. Methinks the two most becoming ways to accept an award or honor are to authentically, vividly and briefly honor others  - and to refer to something bigger than yourself. (Of course you want to show people how much you are delighted by the honor.)

These acceptance speeches display those qualities.  I loved seeing them again and hope you do too.

 • Jack Nicholson for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

For being interesting to watch even as he walks up the steps to the stage.  For starting with a humorous line then delivering two more, interspersed with “first name only” thank yous that made them seem especially personal - all while facing a wildly fond audience.

• Forrest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland

For tying his motivation to act to a greater value: “When I started acting it was because of my desire to connect with others…that through our combined belief we can create a new reality.”

• Helen Mirren for The Queen

For her ladylike graciousness, brevity and referring to Queen Elizabeth with respect and humor,  “Now you know for 50 years….”

• Ben Afflect and Matt Damon for Good Will Hunting

 For mixing preparation and spontaneity, in sync with each other.

• Halle Berry for Dorothy Dandridge

For letting her emotion flow, then (somewhat) recovering to make her praise specific. “This moment is so much bigger than me. It for Dorothy Dandridge… and for all the nameless women of color… for tonight the door has been opened….”

• Denzel Washington for Training Day

For mixing humor with honoring a hero: “For forty years I’ve been chasing Sidney, and what do they do?...”

How a Captivating Speech is Like a Story

By now many speakers, politicos and professional speechwriters have commented on Obama’s keynote at the convention. For the rest of us to become more captivating and credible, the most concrete insights I've found come from Garr Reynolds' thorough analysis.

Here’s some quick takeaways:

1. He cites David Gergen who told CNN "As a speech, I was deeply impressed. In many ways it was less a speech than a symphony.” Tempo. Ebb and flow. Variation. Pauses. Details then a big picture. Intensity followed by calm.

2. Citing Bruce Block, author of The Visual Story, Garr noted that it had the three basics of story — exposition, climax and a resolution.

3. Using words and thoughts that are natural and authentic to you, the speaker. (It helps to write your own speeches, as Obama does).

Yet so much of how we view a speech and the speaker is how we already feel about that person, as demonstrated, for example, by some comments in response to Garr’s post.

Also, my friend Bert Decker offered three other lessons we can learn from Obama’s acceptance speech.

Become the Unforgettable "Face" of Your Organization

If you happen to be in the San Francisco Bay Area July 12th, you may want to hear three savvy experts on how to build your personal brand, and that of your company. I'm honored and somewhat daunted to be speaking just before them. Here's SVAMA's evening agenda:

Embodying Your Company's Brand:
Inspire Employees to Emulate Your Firm’s Brand Experience

When you or your co-workers’ behavior clashes with your company brand, the effect is more intensely felt than when they act to reinforce that brand experience. Gain specific insights into how to behave, speak, create experiences and partner to burnish your brand message.

PART ONE
A presentation on the latest analysis of Tech Marketing Trends from Kare Anderson, an Emmy-winning former NBC and Wall Street Journal reporter who’s spent a decade translating behavioral research into triggers to inspire others to brag about “our” brand you’ll exactly discover how to:
• Act and speak authentically to reinforce your brand message
• Tell the detail others love to retell to boost your brand’s visibility
• Create the context that positions your product or firm as the best choice

Hear how companies as diverse as Nomura Securities, Bellagio and Trader Joes guide and support their employees in reinforcing an explicit brand experience.

Kare Anderson is publisher of the Say it Better newsletter and author of SmartPartnering and other books.

PART TWO
Brand Executives Panel discusses ways to embody your company’s brand and marketers motivate others to reinforce your brand experience.

Moderator
Kare Anderson, Author and Publisher

Panelists
David Perls, Director of Branding Strategy, Charles Schwab & Co..
Rick Barsotti, Partner/Account Executive, Groove 11.
John McWeeny, Senior Vice President, Business Development, TurnHere.

Chris Brown's done a mgnificent job of pulling this all together for Robert Jacobs, considering this Aussie is relatively new to the U.S. and his work here.

Do people stop listening before you stop speaking?

Going to give a speech, sing, perform or simply spend an active day schmoozing at a conference? Then prepare your throat to sound your best so people love to listen. “Bite your tongue” and nine other tips from professional singer and voice coach, Doug Lawrence proved so popular at Guy Kawasaki’s blog, that he offered ten more. Bet you'll keep them listening longer.

Whether you are a man or a woman, people listen longer when your voice is lower. As Carol Fleming advises, "The great American love affair with the low pitched voice is deeply rooted in our psyches." It's the Law of the Jungle.

Avoid hoarseness. To cure dry mouth, drink water with lemon juice, avoid salty foods, try “Entertainer’s Secret" and, if you've got antihistamines in your medication, ask your doctor for help on alleviating this side effect. Thank my colleague, voice coach, Susan Berkley for these tips.

Then sit back and enjoy watching Les Brown, a pro speaker in action, with insights about the performance from another speaking pro, Bert Decker.

Wry authenticity bonds one with an audience. (Via Decker): In describing his bout with prostate cancer, Les Brown concludes "I'll be glad when they can check out your prostate by looking in your ears."

Hear many inspiring voices to see what captivates you.

Public speaking is like oil drilling

noted vaudeville star George Jessel long ago: "If you haven't struck oil in the first three minutes--stop boring!"

“The devil’s in the details” is an apt truth for getting things done right. For another enduring truth, that is how to lift up an audience and hold them in your hands, "God is in the details." Rock star and long time global campaigner to end world poverty, Bono has demonstrated that axiom at least four times.

The specific detail proves the generalization, not the reverse, as many experts forget. Emotional details move an audience to a general conclusion, yet too often, a “smart” speaker who knows too much “(Curse of Knowledge”) begins with generalities. That three minute window is gone.

People have tuned out.

Gone on a mental vacation.

So speak English like it tastes good – with details, comparisons and "what if" scenarios people can picture themselves in.

See these vivid primers for making you message memorable. Four opportunities to see how Bono pulls people out of their seats and into action. From the moment he started speaking, Bono used the vivid details, momentum-building speech structure – and the passion to involve others in “our” cause.

I still remember his call to action at the 2005 TED conference – and he wasn’t even speaking live.

Again, from his first sentence, this time at a University of Pennsylvania commencement speech, his approach is customized-to-this-audience, affable-but-I-am-serious-about-this: "My name is Bono and I am a rock star. [...] I never went to college, I've slept in some strange places, but the library wasn't one of them. I studied rock and roll and I grew up in Dublin in the '70s, music was an alarm bell for me, it woke me up to the world. I was 17 when I first saw The Clash, and it just sounded like revolution ..." Just like the earlier speech at Harvard.

Then there was his "sermon" at the National Prayer Breakfast last month. He warms them up with self-deprecating yet relevent humor: "If you're wondering what I'm doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well, so am I. I'm certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is leather. It's certainly not because I'm a rock star. Which leaves one possible explanation: I'm here because I've got a messianic complex ..." He makes you curious, which must preceed caring: "Please join me in praying that I don't say something we'll all regret."

This week Mark Howell of Stategy Central called Bono’s acceptance speech at the NAACP Image Awards, “clearly an incandescent moment.”

His key word made “cool:” accountability.

See how Bono’s powerful message might become even more palpable by moving the specific details up to the front, changing this

God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is where the opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God is with the mother who has infected her child with the virus that will take both their lives. God is in the rubble and the cries we hear during wartime. God, my friends, is with the poor, and God is with us if we are with them.

to this

God is with the mother who has infected her child with the virus that will take both their lives. God is in the rubble and the cries we hear during wartime. God has a special place for the poor. The poor are where God lives. God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house. God is where the opportunity is lost and lives are shattered. God, my friends, is with the poor, and God is with us if we are with them.

Thank you Brian Bailey, for these and other excerpts …

"'Love thy neighbor' is not a piece of advice, it's a command. And that means that in the global village, we're going to have to start loving a whole lot more people.

This is not a burden, this is an adventure. Don't let anyone tell you it cannot be done. We can be the generation that ends extreme poverty."

Speak to make your cause or idea matter to others – and perhaps answer some big questions.