In a previous post (1-11-08) I said you must determine what you want your audience to think, feel, or do as a result of your presentation and be able to write that desired outcome on the back of a business card. So once you’ve succinctly defined your desired outcome, you must decide what techniques you’ll use. There are hundreds of techniques, but they all fall under an umbrella of four fundamentals: you speak to 1) inform, 2) persuade, 3) inspire, or 4) entertain. It can be any one, or a combination of two, three, or all four of these, but it must be at least one. Therefore, your business card statement of purpose will read: “I will persuade the audience to (complete the sentence),” or “I will entertain the audience by (complete the sentence),” or “I will inform the audience of (complete the sentence),” or “I will inspire the audience by (complete the sentence).

Want to learn more? Consider Connect With Any Audience and my speaking skills seminars Elements of Eloquence and Eight Essentials of Effective Speaking.

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Posted Monday, March 31, 2008 | Link to entry

Before you speak or write a single word, you must determine what you want your audience to think, feel, or do as a result of your presentation. You may think this is common sense. It is, but it is not common practice. Most speakers skip this critical step, assuming “I know my material. I’ll say it and the audience will hear it; if they hear it, they’ll figure out the message.” Wrong. Your purpose will never be clearer to a listener than it is to you. That’s why I recommend you apply the “business card test.” As noted in a posting below (1-11-2008) you should write on the back of your business card exactly what you want the audience to think, feel, or do as a result of your presentation. Why use the back of a business card? See “The Business Card Test” entry below.

Want to learn more? Consider Connect With Any Audience and my speaking skills seminars Elements of Eloquence and Eight Essentials of Effective Speaking.

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Posted Saturday, March 15, 2008 | Link to entry

As a speechwriter, I am often asked “How long does it take to write a speech?” On average, I allow an hour of writing time for every minute of the finished speech. Therefore, a 45-minute keynote can take a full work week of writing time. Of course, most speakers rarely need to start from scratch, as most have standard stories that they insert into every speech. But if you have no stories, examples, or illustrations already in hand, if you are hiring a speechwriter, remember one minute of speech = one hour of writing.

This point is covered at greater length in my speaking skills seminar Elements of Eloquence.

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Posted Saturday, March 08, 2008 | Link to entry

In his book You Are the Message, Roger Ailes says “Research shows that we start to make up our minds about other people within seven seconds of first meeting them. In the first seven seconds, we also trigger in each other a chain of emotional reactions, ranging from reassurance to fear.” Ailes says all this takes place in seven seconds; others say it occurs within the first minute or two. So whether it’s seven seconds or even seventy, you must start strong, because the audience is judging you…just that fast.

Want to learn more? Consider Connect With Any Audience and my speaking skills seminars Elements of Eloquence and Eight Essentials of Effective Speaking.

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Posted Thursday, March 06, 2008 | Link to entry

A former Toastmasters’ World Champion once said “How do you know when your speech is ready? Not until you’re sick of it.” He was referring to the amount of time you should practice a speech. And although a large amount of preparation is often necessary, if you practice a speech until you’re sick of it, your audience won’t want to hear it.  Fundamentally, I believe it’s the opposite: “You’re not ready to give your speech until you’re in love with it.” Have you ever selected the perfect gift for a family member or friend? Remember how you just couldn’t wait to see their reaction when you presented it?  Think of your speech in the same way: as a gift you are about to present to your friends. The moment you say, “I can’t wait to give this gift to this audience” is the moment you know you’re ready.

Want to learn more? Consider Connect With Any Audience and my speaking skills seminars Elements of Eloquence and Eight Essentials of Effective Speaking.

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Posted Thursday, March 06, 2008 | Link to entry