Dang, it’s been a Long Time

Well, it has been a while, and more than  few things have kept me occupied…

In January, the tragic death of a long time co-worker…

In April, knee surgery…

In May, a valiant effort at the TIWCPS fell short at the District 27 finals…

Then came summertime…

In July, Aunt Geraldine passed away

In mid-September, my father did the same…

As you can see, my hands have been full.

But now I am back, and will use this forum to not only look at communication issues in general and public speaking in particular, but also to track and report on my attempt to win the 2009 Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking

Before You Begin Drafting…

Sometimes we are faced with the need to write a speech and not wing it…and thus we dive into the trenches of actually writing a speech. While the most important step of speechwriting is to get that first draft on paper, there are a few things you want to consider before you start writing. Some happen immediately before you write, some are ongoing.

Research and collection of data: One matter that is ongoing is research and the collection of intellectual capital. When I was in high school and complained about some onerous school assignment, my father would say, “Learning is a constant joy for those who seek the truth”. He would conclude by saying, “By the way, you need to learn to clean your room, because it truly is a mess.”

Research is also an ongoing proposition. We must constantly watch for interesting ideas, stories, quotations, and facts to use in presentations. Store it as you will, but good research never ends, and is a constant joy for those who want to craft good presentations. While I never tire of the feel of an open book, the internet and the mass of data that is on CD-Rom makes research that much easy, that much more convenient, and that much more fun.

Remember this is an ongoing collection of raw data. As you draft you need to cull and sort your data for the items that offer the most compelling support for your point of view.

Type of Speech: You also need to determine what kind of speech you need to give, as that will impact what you write when you crank out the first draft. There are many ways of doing this, and I would offer a few ideas.

I think that there are a limited set of purposes a speech might have, and they are:
 To inform
 To persuade
 To inspire
 To entertain, or a
 Combination therein

Others take a more sophisticated view. Speechwriter Alan Perlman says a speech must be based in an analysis of audience conduct you want to impact. He believes that Mr. Perlman suggests that in any speech you want to confirm/challenge/change the audience’s Emotions/Belief’s/Behavior, and offers a chart to help you create a visual picture of where you are going:

SPEAKER ACTION	AUDIENCE…
	Emotions	Beliefs	Behavior
Confirm
Challenge
Change

( from Writing Great Speeches: Professional Techniques You Can Use  by Alan Perlman)

Whatever your goal, you need to know where you want to be at the conclusion of the speech before you can effectively begin to write the speech.

Recognize the Likely Event Dynamic: As you contemplate the type of speech you will give and what your goal should be is to consider the setting and the event dynamic. Every setting has an inherent emotion, or lack thereof. That emotion has to be considered as you prepare to write. You may have some killer jokes to tell, but perhaps that Church annual fund drive is not the place to use them. More important, you can use that emotion to your advantage. By the same token, perhaps there is a limitation that will impact the speech. For instance, if you are the first speaker at a conference, you get the group perhaps not fully awake, but rested. If you are the last speaker, the group is tired and ready for supper, or a break, or bed! Now, assume you have the same goal in mind regardless of which slot you speak in. The time of the day imposes certain conditions or limitations that you have to consider as you choose your goal.

Time Limit: You will need to be aware of your time as you plan your speech. Returning to the example above, imagine you are making a presentation this conference about a new product you are selling. The morning session is twenty minutes long, and the afternoon session is fifty minutes long. You not only have to have a goal, you have to be able to use your time to best advantage. Be aware of your time limits, especially if you are speaking immediately prior to meals or a highly anticipated speaker or event. You will be thought poorly of if you run long, and the more you overrun the worse opinion you will create.

So, that is our start. Before you put pen to paper, you must:

1. Regularly conduct and collect research and increase your intellectual capital;
2. Know what type of speech you want to give, or what reaction you want to create;
3. Recognize the Likely Event Dynamic;
4. Be aware of your time limit

Is it easier this way-

Shaping Your Speech-Hand Gestures

When most people prepare a speech they concentrate on matters of speech writing, structure, content familiarity, getting over butterflies, etc. Overlooked are the little things that will enhance our presentation and add impact to the spoken word. A perfect example is the use of gestures.

Effective communication is more than being well spoken. The few, historically eloquent are able to communicate solely on the power of their oratory and ideas. The rest of us mortals have to consider all available tools to enhance our presentations. Gestures are one of the easiest and closest to home to work on.

First, we must use our hands. Do not stuff them in your pockets, do not stand at parade rest, and do not assume the “fig-leaf” position with your hands clasped in front of you. Your hands are tools to be used to help shape your message. Use them!

Next, consider the text you have prepared. Tailor your gestures to match your remarks. If you mention digging, then pretend to dig. If you mention someone running, you might pump your arms to illustrate the point. Mention carrying-well, you get the idea. Use your imagination to create a useful gesture or act to enhance your comments. Be sure the gesture not only matches what you are saying, but the circumstances. Tone and movement appropriate to a pep rally might not go over well in a sales presentation.

Consider also the size of audience you will be speaking to. A small group will better receive less expansive gestures. On the other hand, if you will be in front of a large group you should increase the breadth of a gesture. A perfect example is seen in the first filmed political speeches. The stemwinding political speech of yesteryear always included big, wide gestures. See on film today, they sometimes seem ludicrous. But remember these speeches were given pre-television, and were given in front of crowds of hundreds and thousands of people who did not have the luxury of in-house screens to better see the speaker. The speaker had to use “large” gestures so that the people at the far reaches of the audience could tell what he was doing.

Be aware also of the smaller gestures, and be sure they make the impression you intend. A perfect example is President Bill Clinton. Watch him speak. When he wants to emphasize a point, or to make a combative declaration, he points his index finger at the audience. A strong, powerful, forceful gesture making a point without reservation. When he is making a point in a less aggressive manner, he will gesture toward the audience by holding his hand as most do to push their ATM card into the machine. Here he is able to make some emphasis, but without confronting or seeming to order the audience.

The smaller gesture also gives a visual flow to the speech. Work through your text and look for opportunities to add small gestures to help add flow to your presentation. An example: you mention a negotiation, a process of give an take. At the same time, you alternatively gesture to the left with your left hand, and to the right with your right hand to illustrate the back and forth between sides. While not a huge gesture, it illustrates the process you are describing and allows you to keep your hands in motion.

Another factor is whether or not there is a lectern. If there is no lectern, you should always have some type of gesture in play, otherwise your hands are just at your side. The presence of a lectern gives you a place where you can rest a hand on occasion and simply use one hand to make a point.

Gestures should be inclusive. Do not keep your arms crossed. Keep your hands apart to you do not inadvertently create a “barrier” between you and your audience. Again, watch President Clinton. You will see that he has a gesture he frequently uses where his arms are up and bent out in front of him, hands open, but not touching. This gesture strikes me as one of openness and inclusion-which certainly is a message we all want to deliver when speaking to a group.

Hand gestures are not the most important part of a speech. They may not be the second or third most important part of a speech. Gestures comprise a tool that if used correctly will add a sizeable boost to your presentations. Gestures add emphasis, flow, and visual impact to the spoken word. The next time you hear a speaker, watch how the hands are used. If he is sticking his hands in his pockets or crossing his arms, just think about how much better he would be if added some action to his speech and used his hands to illustrate and emphasize his point
[First printed in the Burke Conservator in July 2000]

What Makes a Great Speech?

What makes a great speech?

Is it content? Is it tone? Is it the moment? Is it emotion?

All the above, and more. Never forget the power of simply having a sincere belief in the value of what you are saying.

Politicians, educators, motivational leaders, religious giants, titans of business and others have delivered speeches that were labeled “great”. Listen to the great speeches, and you are struck by how unique the presentation is. It is appropriate to the moment, consistent with the zeitgeist, and directs the audience toward a greater tomorrow. The speech follows a logical path, offers soaring rhetoric, and dazzles all within hearing range. It carries that special quality that makes a difference. It is a quality used by Winston Churchill, the Kennedy’s, Ronad Reagan, Billy Graham, and others to offer stunning speeches, and you too can use it.

This quality is sincere belief. A belief in what you say, in the value of your words to other people, and a desire to share that belief.

Sounds simple, I know. But consider the following speeches and phrases:

• Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, arguably the finest public speech offered in the English Language

• Winston Churchill speaking to Parliament during World War II. So many speeches rallying his people and ultimately the world against fascism. “We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them on the streets, we shall never surrender”, and “If the British Empire lasts to be a thousand years, men shall look back and say ‘this was their finest hour’”.

• Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his first inaugural address where he began to lead our country out of the Great Depression. “All we have to fear is fear itself.”

• John Kennedy’s inaugural address, where he sounded the trumpet of the New Frontier. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”

• Martin Luther King in front of the Washington Monument…”I have a dream”, and in Memphis the night before he was killed, “I have been to the mountaintop, and I have seen the promised land.”

So many speeches, so many different places. Each speech had superb structure and a wondrous message, but each also was delivered in such a way that a chord was struck that resonates through the generations to find a place in our history. Lincoln, Churchill, and Roosevelt spoke in time of national emergency. Kennedy’s speech set a tone of leadership that every politician since has attempted to emulate. Dr. King led the way in fighting for Civil Rights. Famous men speaking on important subjects with words that live on far past the event.

Reaching such heights mighty seem a tall task for us mortals. However, I think we have the opportunity each day. Whenever you stand to speak, try to convey the sincere belief you have in your subject. Use your vocal variety, hand gestures, body movement, and facial expressions to enhance your communication.

Most of all, believe in what you are saying. Never stand in front of a group of people while speaking on any subject and fail to give 110%. You never know when something you say will make a difference in your life or someone else’s, so you must seize each opportunity for what it is-an opportunity to give a great speech by sticking to fundamentals and using your sincere belief to make an impact on your audience.

Sincere belief. It sounds so simple. Some may scoff. But think of the public events you have attended. Consider all the times you found yourself tuning out because the speaker was on autopilot. Then remember all those times you were drawn in by someone who passionately believed in what he was saying. Sincere belief will make the difference for you.

Welcome to Platform Preparation

Welcome to Platform Preparation, a little blog that will offer my ongoing and generally disorganized thoughts on the matter of public speaking and all things related, plus serving as an online storage component for the many columns I have written for the Burke Conservator since June 2000.

I hope you find some value from the posts herein, and they help make make you a more effective platform presenter!