Successful Speeches Blog

Do you find it difficult to come up with effective openings for your speeches? If you do, you’re not alone.

The opening of your speech is often the most difficult to develop and deliver. It’s the most difficult to develop because there are a number of potential objectives the opening has to achieve. It’s the most difficult to deliver because the opening of a speech is when we are most nervous.

Not only is your opening the most difficult to develop and deliver, it’s arguably the most important part of your speech. You see, if you don’t have your audience’s undivided attention when you open your speech, it’s unlikely you’ll have their attention at all.

In this 60 minute teleclass, “How to Successfully Start Your Speech”, I’ll show you a number of strategies which will help capture audience attention, pique their curiosity and build interest in your topic during the crucial first moments of your speech.

The Teleclass takes place on Wednesday, November 21, 2008 at 1:30 p.m. EST

For all the details, visit http://www.wellwrittenwellsaid.com/teleclass.html

Even if you can’t attend the live call, you’ll be able to receive a full transcript and recording when you register.

I hope you’ll be able to make it.

Is it too late to say “I don’t want to do this anymore”?

After reading Paul Lima’s book “How To Write A Non-Fiction Book In 60 Days”, I felt motivated, energized and up to the task. Eight days later, I’m wondering what the heck I’ve gotten myself into. Actually, I think I started feeling that way three days into the process.

So far, I’ve written the introductory chapter and created eight chapter outlines. There’s a possibility I’ll be adding two to four more chapters.

As I mentioned in my first post, I’m a little hesitant to do some of the writing exercises Paul has suggested in his book, but I’ve been finding it difficult to get my creative juices flowing recently. If this keeps up, I may just break down and do the exercises in hopes the Muse will want to come out and play.

So far, I’ve found my greatest moments of creativity happen when I’m riding the subway. That’s right … I ride the subway from one end of the line to the other and then back again. I find it much easier to write while riding the subway than when I’m sitting at my desk. While some people would find the subway to be too distracting (the Toronto subway system is always busy), I find it easy to get into a groove. With the exception of being kissed by a crazy lady (not that you have to be crazy to kiss me), my rides have been distraction free and very productive.

Now that I think about it, I should probably go for a ride …

So there you have it. My quest to finish my book in 60 days is off to a good start. Chapter 1 is finished. To be honest, it’s been finished for quite some time, but I did a few edits to it this morning and feel like sharing it with you.

The chapter is an introduction to the topic of “How to Make Your Speech Sound Like Music to Their Ears“. Once you’ve read it, I would love to hear your comments and questions … especially your questions. I would like to add an FAQ section to the first chapter, so I welcome any questions you have about the subject and how you can use the method when you prepare speeches.

Enjoy.

If you want your speeches to persuade your audiences …

If you want your speeches to inspire your audiences …

If you want your speeches to move your audiences to take action … make your speeches sound like music to their ears — literally!

Why music? Because music and successful speeches have two things in common: the effect they have on people, and the elements they contain.

THE EFFECTS

Music and successful speeches are easy to remember. I’m not going to be rude and ask your age, but I’m willing to bet you can remember songs, word for word, that you haven’t heard in 10, 20 … maybe even 50 years. I’m also willing to bet you can remember some signature stories, analogies and phrases you heard in speeches several decades ago. This doesn’t happen by mistake. Both music and successful speeches are structured so that it’s easy for the listener to remember them.

Music and successful speeches are also repeated by those who hear them. Have you ever heard a song you liked so much, you couldn’t help but tell a friend about it? Have you ever heard a song on the radio and then caught yourself singing the song? Have you ever found yourself singing a song you couldn’t stand? My answer to all of the above is a resounding “YES”! The same is true of successful speeches. Have you ever repeated the phrases “I have a dream”, “ask not what your country can do for you”, “the only thing to fear is fear itself” or, more recently, “yes we can”? It’s not a coincidence, because both music and successful speeches are structured in such a way that others will repeat their words.

Music and successful speeches are responded to by their listeners. If you’re the type who enjoys people watching, you’ve probably seen what I refer to as “Karaoke Shopping Stars”. These are your run-of-the-mill adults who saunter down the dairy aisle and break into song and dance when one of their favourite oldies starts to play over the P.A. system. Without giving it a second thought, they end up responding to the music. I highly doubt a speech will ever cause someone to dance in the dairy aisle, but people respond to successful speeches. They respond by donating to charities. They respond by casting their votes. They respond by increasing their productivity at work. Once again, this isn’t a coincidence, because music and successful speeches are developed so people will respond to them.

If your audience remembers, repeats and responds to your speech, then you know you have a successful speech.

THE ELEMENTS

There are eight essential elements in music that also exist in successful speeches — eight essential elements that make your speeches sound like music to the ears of your audience.

The Chorus

In music, the chorus is the central theme of the song. The chorus is the reason the song was written. In your speech, the chorus is the theme or main point of your speech. The chorus is your reason for delivering the speech.

The Hook

In music, the hook is the catchy part of a song (it may exist in the chorus) that you can’t get out of your head. It’s the part that people sing to themselves over and over. In your speech, the hook is the word, phrase or sentence that people remember and repeat long after your speech has been given.

Verses

In music, the verses of a song help you to better understand the chorus. They tell the whole story. In a speech, your verses will have the same role: to bring clarity to the chorus and tell your story.

Musical Interludes

In music, musical interludes indicate you are making a transition from one part of your song to the next. In speeches, your musical interludes serve as points of transition from one thought to another or one section to another.

Mood

In music, every song creates a certain mood. People will often listen to music to get into a mood or get out of a mood. In speeches, you also have to set a mood that is appropriate for the audience and the occasion.

Rhythm

In music, rhythm is the variation of the duration of sounds (notes) within a certain time frame. In speech, rhythm is the variation of word length and sentence structure.

Expression

In music, expression marks are used to describe how notes are to be played: soft, loud, with feeling, etc …
In a speech, expression describes how much or how little emphasis you give to particular words and phrases.

The Bridge

In music, a bridge serves as a point of transition that signals the end of the song is near. The transition usually takes the song to a higher level of emotion before “connecting” back to the chorus. In a speech, the bridge is used to reflect on the speech and then segue into the final chorus.

That’s it! Well, kind of. Because just knowing what the eight essential elements are isn’t going to make your speech sound like music to their ears. You’ll need to understand how to incorporate those elements into your speeches.

That’s what I’ll be sharing with you throughout this book. And whether you’re a politician, professional speaker, CEO, consultant, team leader, communications specialist, world-class athlete, student, preacher, teacher or entrepreneur, this book will show you how to develop and deliver speeches that will improve your powers of persuasion, build your reputation and move your audiences to take action.

Whether you write speeches or deliver them … whether you are new to giving speeches or experienced … once you incorporate the eight essential elements into your speeches, audiences will say your speech sounded like music to their ears — literally.

So … are you ready to make beautiful music together? Good. Music, Maestro!

I’ve been sitting on a partly-finished book for about a year now.  The book is based on my signature keynote, “How to Make Your Speech Sound Like Music to Their Ears“.  Although I’ve had moments of inspiration and intense focus, the all-important task of writing the book has often given way to the urgent (and sometimes trivial) day-to-day tasks.

In an effort to create some inertia, I read Paul Lima’s recently-published book, “How To Write A Non-Fiction Book In 60 Days“.  Paul has written a number of books, so I know he knows what he’s talking about.  As with his other books, he breaks down the process into step-by-step procedures that are manageable and easily tracked.

Since I’m already part way through writing my own book (and have written one in the past), the first few chapters were a review for me, but they’ll be worthwhile to anyone who’s going to write a non-fiction book for the first time. I’m also a little resistant to doing some of the exercises he’s suggested, but I can see the value in them if you have the patience to work through them (patience is not one of my strong suits).

What I found most valuable about this book was the outlining process. One of the reasons I’ve gotten stuck is because my outline needs a little more work and focus. I’m pretty sure that following the process Paul has laid out in the book will give me that little extra “something” I’ve been needing to get inertia working in my favour.

Even though I’ve already started, I’m still going to give myself 60 Days from today to complete the first draft of my book.  If you’re thinking about writing a non-fiction book, or if you’re stuck and need to get back on track, I recommend picking up a copy of Paul Lima’s book.

And please feel free to check up on me to find out how my project is coming along.

It’s been said that practice makes perfect. And while that may be true for many things, it’s not true in public speaking. In public speaking, practice does not make perfect … it simply makes permanent.

Don’t get me wrong. To stand in front of a group without practicing is to invite failure. I would never advise any speaker to get up and give a speech or presentation without having practiced. But if you have bad habits which you’re unaware of, you’ll end up practicing and reinforcing those bad habits. In effect, practicing those bad habits will make them permanent, not perfect.

If you want to avoid reinforcing bad habits when you present, I suggest recording yourself on video.

Do you remember the fable, “The Emperor’s New Clothes“? You’ll often find colleagues may not want to tell you about your bad habits, but the video camera won’t lie. Like the innocent child who pointed out the obvious to the emperor, the video camera will reveal EVERYTHING you do.

You may be surprised to see yourself jingling change in your pockets, rocking from side to side like a pendulum, assuming the “fig leaf” position, scratching your back against the wall or hugging yourself for dear life. Good, bad or ugly, it will show up on your recording. Consider this a good thing.

Once you’ve identified your bad habits, you can work on modifying them or eliminating them altogether. In some cases, you’ll be able to fix your bad habits on your own. In other cases, you’ll need the advice of someone who has experience as a presenter or a coach. Depending on your budget and goals, you have a few options.

Option 1: Get advice from an experienced presenter in your organization. If there is an individual in your organization who is recognized for his or her presentation skills, you may want to ask that person to critique you and give you some suggestions and/or feedback.

Option 2: Join Toastmasters. If you want to get frequent opportunities to practice speaking in public, Toastmasters is the place to be. You can find Toastmasters groups who meet regularly all over the world. Check out their website to find a Toastmasters group in your area.

Option 3: Hire a speaking coach. If you want to eliminate bad habits and move your presentation skills to a higher level, you should give serious consideration to hiring a speaking coach. As with any discipline, not all speaking coaches are created equal. This means it’s important for you to work with a coach who is capable of bringing out the best in you without trying to change who you are as a presenter.

In any case, it’s always a good idea to practice your speech before you deliver it … just make sure the video camera is rolling.

If you have any other tips for identifying and eliminating bad habits, feel free to comment.

On April 4, 2008, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot down on the second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39, but he had spoken more meaningful, powerful words than most people ever speak in a full lifetime. And although he is most widely know for the “I have a dream” speech, the words that resonate in my soul the most are the prophetic words he spoke the night before his death. The speech is approximately 43 minutes long. I haven’t found a full video recording of it, but the full audio version is available on the American Rhetoric website.

The video clip I’ve included with this post is of the last few moments of King’s speech where he drew parallels between his role in the civil rights movement and the role of Moses in leading the children of Israel out of the wilderness and into the promised land. If you’re not familiar with the story of Moses being allowed to see the promised land but not enter into it, I suggest reading Deuteronomy 34. It won’t explain the whole story, but you’ll appreciate King’s comments much more. It’s hard to believe that King was actually ill before he gave this speech and nearly didn’t attend the event. Here are King’s “famous last words”.

Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop.

And I don’t mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!

And so I’m happy, tonight.

I’m not worried about anything.

I’m not fearing any man!

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!!

 

 Martin Luther King Jr. Mountaintop Speech: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Many people make the mistake of thinking repetition is simply another term for the “rule of three” or “triads”. As I pointed out in my original post on anaphora and epiphora, using repetition in your speeches is not the same as using the rule of three.

What’s the difference?

When using a triad in your speech, repetition is not needed. Here are some examples of triads:

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

“Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” (this one is a trinity)

“Now abide, faith, hope and love …”

“Tried, tested and true.”

“Dull, dry and boring.”

See … you don’t need repetition at all when using triads.

But why use triads at all?

I can’t say I have any scientific evidence or studies to back up this claim (please let me know if you do), but we remember words and phrases more readily when they are packaged in threes. Triads also sound better to the ear than a list of two or four. For example, most people will quote Winston Churchill this way:

“I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat and tears.”

What Churchill actually said was:

“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

Notice how the misquoted phrase actually sounds better than the original? It’s the “rule of three”. Pay attention to trial lawyers, preachers and politicians. You’ll notice they all use triads frequently.

The next time you’re preparing a speech, look for opportunities to use the rule of three. And if you can combine it with anaphora or epiphora, more power to you.

I will be holding a one-day speech writing workshop on April 17, 2008 in downtown Toronto. You can find all the details here. For those of you who feel left out, I will be holding a speech writing teleclass in the near future. Stay tuned for details!

It would be nice if we only had to deliver “nice” speeches that make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside. But in reality, there are times when the news we have to deliver will be bad or the message we intend to bring won’t be popular. To say that Barack Obama’s speech on the role of race in American politics was “difficult” would be an understatement. Given the choice, I’m sure this is the last topic any of the presidential candidates would have tackled. Unfortunately, Obama didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. He needed to do some damage control … and he needed to do it quickly!

Now that the dust has settled, I’d like to examine Obama’s speech and identify some things he did to tackle what I consider “the topic from hell”.

The Opening

How did Obama decide to open his speech? Did he do it with a shocking statistic? Did he grab the attention of the audience immediately? Did he say something profound? Nope. He thanked the person who introduced him. Can you imagine that? Rather than stepping up to the plate and swinging for the fences, Obama took a few practice swings to find his groove. Why? Because it was appropriate.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know I don’t subscribe to a lot of the run-of-the-mill philosophies of many experts. One of those philosophies is that you should start with a bang. My philosophy is that you should always start with an appropriate opening for the event, audience and occasion. In this case, starting with a simple “thank you” broke a lot of the tension that was in the room.

Once he finished saying “thank you”, Obama still didn’t say anything with shock value. He simply quoted the famous words from the constitution:

“We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.”

Regardless of where the audience stood on the issue of race, the opening words of the speech found common ground. When you’re delivering a difficult speech, you would do well to follow Obama’s example. Instead of just jumping in with your point of view and plowing forward, find some common ground that you can establish with your audience BEFORE trying to state your point. To do otherwise would be counterproductive.

In the following passage, Obama continued to lay a foundation of “common ground” for his intended audience (his intended audience was not everyone listening to the speech):

This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign – to continue the
long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free,
more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this
moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our
time unless we solve them together – unless we perfect our union by understanding that
we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the
same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the
same direction – towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.

Even after laying the foundation of common ground, Obama still didn’t dive into the topic. He went on to remind the audience of his background.

This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the
American people. But it also comes from my own American story.

I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised
with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s Army
during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at
Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I’ve gone to some of the best schools in
America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations. I am married to a black
American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners – an inheritance we
pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles
and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as
long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even
possible.

It’s a story that hasn’t made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has
seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts –
that out of many, we are truly one.

Keep in mind that the speech ran approximately 37 minutes. He had some time to play with. You may not have that much time to deliver your difficult speech, but you should still broach your topic carefully. By taking your time to build common ground and establish your credibility to speak on a topic, you also lower the resistance of those listening to you.

The Good Stuff

I’m not going to dissect the body of Obama’s speech. What I will say is that it was straightforward and honest. At the same time, he didn’t use a lot of sensationalism. Obama could have used graphic examples to drive home some of his points, but that would have alienated many of his listeners. At the same time, he didn’t soften his point of view. Sometimes, less is more. And in the case of avoiding graphic examples, Obama made the right choice. This is not to say you shouldn’t use explicit examples when they’re called for. Just make sure the examples you use really are necessary.

The Delivery

If you watch the speech, you’ll notice this is a very different presentation style than we’re used to seeing from Obama. The presentation was very serious and lacking in the high energy normally associated with his speeches. That being said, I believe Obama gave the speech of his life. Poise, minimal gestures and good use of vocal variety were all used well to deliver a serious message at a crucial time. The word “appropriate” comes to mind again. Your presentation style and energy level should be tailored to the size of your group, room, the event and the message.

The Closing

One of the things I’ve noticed about the speeches Obama writes (he did write this one himself) is that his closings seem a little anti-climactic. Yes, he managed to tie his closing statements into his opening statements, and he told an emotional story to draw people in. It just seemed a little flat when he ended with “thank you”. If you watch, you’ll notice the audience isn’t quite sure if the speech has ended. I don’t think he needed to have an exciting ending, but I would have liked an ending that was a little more definitive.

In Summary

Many are saying this speech was the most significant speech on race in the past 40-45 years. It was a tough topic to tackle, but Obama did it masterfully. You can watch the full speech below.

 

 YouTube: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s great to be back online!! I’m trying to remember what life was like before the internet, but I think I’ve repressed those memories. To say the least, the past few weeks of intermittent access to the net was no fun at all. With all that behind me, I’m going to press forward and resume a full blogging schedule.

In my last post, I discussed some of the advantages of scripting your speech. If you took the time to read the comments, you would have noticed Thrice disagreed with my post and gave his observations about scripting a speech vs. extemporaneous speaking. Because he made a number of relevant points, I thought it would be best to respond to his comments in a post so everyone can read it.

By the way, I appreciate it whenever you leave comments. Whether you agree with me or not doesn’t matter. If you’re commenting, it means I’ve written something that strikes a chord and makes you think. So please keep the comments coming. I’ve responded to Thrice’s comments one at a time.

“I’m afraid I fall on the other side of the debate on scripted speeches. Sacrificing naturalness in search of clarity is too high a price, and I don’t even see the need to pay it.”

I think the most common misconception about a written speech is that it doesn’t sound natural. If the speech is poorly written, it will sound unnatural. And if it’s written the way you would write an essay, it will also sound unnatural. But if you know how to write for the ear, the speech will sound natural. After all, movies scripts are written. So the fault is not with scripting the speech, the fault is with the writing technique. You don’t have to sacrifice naturalness to get clarity or style. You can have them all.

That being said, you don’t want your speeches to sound too natural. After all, it’s natural and acceptable to say “um”, “err”, “ah”, “uh” and “you know” in normal conversation. If you do that too often in a speech, your listeners will be distracted and you’ll take away from your platform presence.

An outlined speech can be delivered in a fluent and natural manner. Working from an outline does not give you the permission to ramble or go off on tangents. Public speaking is, in reality, teaching. The main points must be kept in mind and while there is a certain amount of improvisation going on every time you give the speech, no speaker is justified in extemporizing at the cost of his teaching.

I agree on many of Thirce’s points here. Working from an outline does not give you permission to ramble or go on tangents. And no speaker is justified in improvisation at the cost of making a point. The problem is, when you decide to work from an outline, improvise or speak extemporaneously, rambling and going on tangents is more likely to happen than not. Yes, an outlined speech can be delivered in a fluent and natural manner, but few people do it well.

When you teach, you impart knowledge or a skill. So teaching is a part of public speaking. But there’s more to it. Public speaking is also meant to inspire, persuade, provoke, entertain and uplift. So if you only see giving a speech as a means to transfer information, you miss out on a number of other opportunities.

What this post says could be interpreted as meaning that rambling speech is an inherent characteristic of extemporaneous speaking, and that’s not the case. It is a characteristic of poor public speakers, but the entire technique should not be judged by its worst exponents.

While I won’t say rambling speech in an inherent characteristic of extemporaneous speaking, it’s certainly a more frequent result than clear, concise speaking. And it’s not just rambling speech that’s the problem. It’s missed points, lack of style, wrong word usage and a host of other avoidable mistakes that don’t happen with a well-written speech.

Is it just a characteristic of poor public speakers? I would have to say “no”. I’ve seen experienced, polished, highly paid speakers “lose it” on occasion. I know it’s happened to me. And although it may not have been discernible by the audience, I know the flow of the speech changed and important information was left out.

When you’re speaking in public, there are so many factors that need to be managed. Knowing what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it is only a portion of what you need to be aware of when you’re in front of a group. So if you take away the pressure of having to speak using only an outline, you can focus on connecting with your audience and feeling their energy.

I know it will always be an ongoing debate, so I don’t consider my statements to be the final word. But that’s what makes blogging and being online so great. I’m glad to be back!