HOW TO WRITE AND DELIVER A FREAKING AMAZING SPEECH IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS

CHAPTER 8.

POSITIONING

Where you stand during your speech is a non-verbal communication between you and the audience that can make or break you as a speaker. We have all seen a speaker planted behind the lectern holding on for dear life.  Sometimes standing behind the lectern is appropriate, especially if there is a fixed microphone, but I like to move. I have seen powerful speeches given by speakers standing behind a lectern, but if you are going to do that then you must engage with other forms of nonverbal communication. Eye contact, acknowledgement of individuals or small groups, emotion, pauses, etc will enhance your presence and your connection with the audience.  If you have some flexibility as to where you stand, you must avoid certain mistakes such as pacing. Pacing is a natural nervous motion unconsciously employed by many amateur speakers. The best way to counter pacing is by planting and moving with purpose. When you begin your speech, do so from a power position, planted in front of the room. Don’t move unessesarily. The best time to move is when you finish a thought. Walk to another point in the room or on the stage and plant your feet. This is called moving with purpose. When you have no clear intent regarding your movement, the audience becomes distracted and uncomfortable.

TALKING TIP: PRACTICE MOVING WITH PURPOSE IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU PRACTICE YOUR VERBAL DELIVERY.

DO THIS:

·         WRITE WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO YOUR SCRIPT. EVEN IF YOU DON’T STICK TO IT, IT’S A BLUEPRINT THAT WILL HELP.

HOW TO WRITE AND DELIVER A FREAKING AMAZING SPEECH IN 30 MINUTES SERIES

CHAPTER 7.

EYE CONTACT

A speech is a conversation between you and the audience. It may last 5 minutes or 50 minutes, so you don’t want to lose them. Many of the same elements of a one on one conversation also apply to giving a speech. Eye contact is crucial. You may have heard to focus on a dot on the back wall if you are nervous…HA! What a load of crap. You fool no one by doing that and inevitably, someone in the audience will turn around to see at what you are looking. “Picture your audience naked”. Ever heard that one? I think it is a great idea to picture your audience naked,  but it won’t help you give a better speech. I have found that the best way to engage an audience is by making one on one eye contact with individuals or small groups within the room.  When you speak to individuals, you are forcing them to focus and respond to what you are saying even if that response is a nod or smile.

I was watching the Country Music Awards show years ago and Garth Brooks was receiving the award for entertainer of the year. Garth steps up to the microphone hat in hand and begins to say a few words. From the balcony a fan yells “I love you Garth”. Garth Brooks looked up to the balcony and said “I love you too”. The whole balcony erupted in cheers. Why? Because when he focused on that section of the room in a meaningful way, he made the entire balcony feel included.  That was an aha moment for me that has been reinforced over the years as a speaker. There are two entities in the room, you and the audience. When you engage individuals or small sections of the room with a meaningful interaction, you are creating a intimate connection with the audience that will pull them on your side. It is much easier to speak in front of friends. 

HOW TO WRITE AND DELIVER A FREAKING AMAZING SPEECH IN 30 MINUTES SERIES

SECTION 2. DELIVERY

 THE OPENING

I mentioned in a previous post the importance of the opening line. How it is delivered is equally important. You make an impression on the audience from the moment you are introduced until your first words. You have thirty seconds to make it a good one. The most dreaded sound to amateur speakers is silence and many miss the opportunity to connect with the audience because they quickly fill it to the detriment of the speech.  Masterful speakers will use silence to create a connection with the audience. No other time in the speech is this connection more important than at the beginning. Nothing feels more awkward than standing before an audience saying nothing, but you are communicating with them none-the-less. You are saying “listen to me, I am in charge, what I have to say is important”. When you hit the stage, plant your feet, make eye contact, (smile) and PAUSE.  When you fill the room with silence, you are creating palatable anticipation of your first words which is why they have to kick butt!

TALKING TIP: PAUSE RIGHT UP UNTIL THE MOMENT IT FEELS UNCOMFORTABLE THEN BEGIN WITH A CLEARLY SPOKEN OPENING LINE.

SPEECH SERIES PART 4

HOW TO WRITE AND DELIVER A FREAKING 

AMAZING SPEECH IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS

CHAPTER 4.

The Call To Action

A call to action is a polite way to tell the audience to get off of their butt and DO SOMETHING! It is also a wonderful way to create relevance and a final connection with those in the room. In my speech, I tell the story about when my father died. It is a sad story with a lot of emotion. I tell the story of how my father told his children how much he loved them every day. People connect with that story because they see their relationship with their own parents in the imagery. At the end of the story, I tell them to not let another day pass without telling their kids how much they love them or avoid missing an opportunity to tell their friends, family and coworkers how much they are appreciated and valued. The whole point of the story is for the audience to take the lesson that I learned through a difficult experience and use it to create a positive experience in their lives. A call to action is important if you want your audience to do something. “Please vote for me next Tuesday”, “Take what I showed you today and write down a plan of action”, “put all of your money into the offering plate”.  Circumstances will dictate how focused your call to action is.

DO THIS:

·      DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THIS SPEECH REQUIRES AN ACTIONABLE RESPONSE ON THE AUDIENCES PART.

·      WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WANT THE AUDIENCE TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOUR SPEECH.

·      WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WANT THE AUDIENCE TO DO TWO WEEKS AFTERWARDS.

SPEECH SERIES PART 3

HOW TO WRITE AND DELIVER A 

FREAKING AMAZING SPEECH 

IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS

CHAPTER 3.

The Opening Line

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, “Call me Ishmael”, “It was a dark and stormy night”-these are all opening lines from great novels. The importance of the first line of a novel is paramount in setting the tone for the book. A great opening line will instantly engage and grip the imagination of the reader and the same is true for a great speech although most speakers screw it up and miss the opportunity.  There are a number of different ways to begin your speech, but first let’s discuss what NOT to do.  DON’T start with a famous quote. “As John F. Kennedy once said,  ask not what your country…or Webster’s dictionary defines love as….”  Every junior high school student who has to give a speech in class does this. Is it wrong? NO. Is it common? YES. Be original. DON’T tell the audience how happy you are to be there. Some will disagree with me on this, but I am right.  Who cares if you are happy to be there? It is a fluff line so don’t start that way. If you must tell them how honored you are, save it for the end. DON’T start off with a joke. Notice that I didn’t say don’t be funny. Funny is good, funny is smart, funny is actually expected in many cases. Many speakers will start off with a joke and destroy the opportunity of making a positive impact on the audience.  They will either tell a joke that they got off of the internet that has been heard before, they will tell a joke that is offensive to some or all of the audience, or they just stink at telling jokes. If you are naturally funny then tell me a funny story or experience especially if it is relevant to the event.  It is much safer and it is authentically you. DON’T tap the mic and ask if it is on. That is a nervous action that screams amateur. Of course the mic is on. If for some reason it’s not then you will find out soon enough. The best way, in my opinion, to begin your speech is to just start. I prefer to start as if I am in the middle of a conversation. “If you had been standing next to me on July the 26^th 2008, you would have been surrounded by five hundred triathletes preparing to compete in the mission man triathlon…”  Another cool way to start your speech is by asking a question. “Have you ever had a near death experience?” When you ask a question you instantly engage the listener by requiring them to process and answer even if they are answering in their mind. A striking statistic is also a great way to capture attention. “2 out of 5 American children go to bed hungry”. Now that’s a powerful statement.

TALKING TIP: IF YOU BEGIN WITH A QUESTION, GIVE THEM TIME TO ANSWER EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE NOT LOOKING FOR AN AUDIBLE RESPONSE. COUNT TO FIVE IN YOUR HEAD.

DO THIS:

·      WRITE DOWN THREE DIFFERENT OPENING LINES AND PRACTICE THEM UNTIL ONE JUMPS OUT AS THE RIGHT ONE.

SPEECH SERIES PART 2

CHAPTER 2.

The Message

Renowned speaker and author, Scott Mckain, once told me “People don’t care about what you have done. They care about how what you’ve done applies to them”. If you’ve climbed Mount Everest, in my opinion, you are a rock star, but what really matters to me are what observations, lessons, and skills, you learned along the way that I can use to help me climb my mountain.

A good story is terrific, but in a speech, a story is the simply the means by which you communicate your point. What are you trying to say? In my program, I tell a story about the first time I ordered coffee at Starbucks…it was a disaster. Now, if you are saying “who can’t order a Starbucks coffee?” then you are probably under 30. In the beginning of the story I have no idea how to order. I was embarrassed and frustrated so I just ordered a plain coffee. By the end of the story I am ordering a “double skinny, double decaf latte, no fat, no whip, no foam, no soy, tall cup, short straw, extra hot with a little cardboard cup holder so I don’t burn my fingers.” It gets a huge laugh, and after my story I give the audience the five keys to creating an extraordinary customer experience. You may not have time for five points, but you do have time to connect your story to the audience. If you have received an award in sports, or business. There are generic success principles that enabled you to reach that level of excellence. Your goal is to show the audience how they can incorporate those principles and achieve their own success. If you are honoring someone then the point of your story or anecdote is to show the endearing qualities of the person or organization.

TALKING TIP: DON’T TRY TO TEACH TOO MANY POINTS. THEY WON’T REMEMBER THEM ALL AND YOU RISK BE BORING.

DO THIS:

·      WRITE DOWN WHAT POINT(s) YOU WOULD LIKE THE AUDIENCE TO WALK AWAY WITH THEN WORK BACKWARDS TO CREATE THE STORY OR ANECDOTE.

MORE TO FOLLOW. IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE NEXT PART OF THE SERIES, EMAIL ME AT PATRICK@PATRICKHENRYSPEAKER.COM WITH THE WORD "SPEECH" IN THE SUBJECT LINE

SPEECH SERIES PART 1

HOW TO WRITE AND DELIVER A FREAKING AMAZING SPEECH IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS

WARNING: THIS INFORMATION CAN BE OFFENSIVE TO COMMUNICATION PROFESSORS

           WHY THIS ?

So, you have to give a speech. If you are like most non-professional speakers you are either receiving an award, running for office, giving a wedding toast, or addressing a small group for any variety of reasons. Initially you may have thought “no big deal…it’s only 10 minutes”, but now as the time draws near you are starting to sweat. We have all heard that the number one fear of most Americans is the fear of public speaking. Not true! The number one fear of most Americans is SUCKING in front of a crowd. The thought of being laughed at, ridiculed, pitied, or disdained is what starts our stomach turning backflips and keeps us awake at night staring at the little red light on the dvd player. I am a professional speaker and have delivered over 1000 speeches to student groups, trade associations, and corporations. Some of what I tell you will blur the rules that your college communications teachers will have taught you, so if you are a college student and are using this book to prepare for class…be careful. The information you will read in this post works. It is not the only way to write a speech, but it is how I prepare for my speeches.  It is the formula that I have used to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking revenue. The tips and strategies found in this book are the combination of my ideas as well as a number of professional speakers and speech coaches that I have learned from over the years. If your goal is to make an A in your speech 101 class, log off. If your goal is to influence, entertain, or motivate your audience to action…read on.

INTRODUCTION

In freshman speech classes, you will learn that there are three types of speeches; Informative, Persuasive, and Narrative. You have also learned that a speech should have an introduction, body, summary and conclusion. I am not saying that that information is wrong, but I would encourage you not to be confined by rules. ALL speeches should contain information, persuasion, narrative, entertainment, and motivation. The most influential and profound speakers are not always the most eloquent or the most diverse in vocabulary. The best speakers are the ones who create an intimate connection with the audiece. That connection can be created with humor, emotion, story telling, relevance, or good old fashioned likeability. The following pages will detail how to create content as well as some tips on creating a connection with your delivery.

SECTION 1. CONTENT DEVELOPMENT

PART ONE.

The Story

“Daddy tell me some bedtime statistics.”  Have you ever said that? Of course not. Why? Because everybody wants a story. I started my career speaking in high schools and have spoken to tens of thousands of students across the country. I have discovered that if you can speak to a group of high school students, you can speak to anyone. They are the only audience, besides in comedy clubs, who want you to fail for entertainment value.  I have been laughed at, cursed, ignored, and mocked. I have broken up fights and actually had a disturbed student try to fight me ( I would have whooped him like he stole something). As bad as those speeches were, I have also had mountain top experiences that I am certain had a profound positive effect on the lives of the students in the room. As a musician and songwriter, I differentiated myself from other speakers by playing music to get the students all fired up. They loved the music, but it never failed to amaze me how a good story would capture the attention of the entire room. I have seen the rowdiest students stop in mid-sentence to listen to a story I was telling, therefore, I cannot stress the importance of connecting with your audience through a story.

So where do the stories come from? The best ones come from real experiences . Let’s say you are going to deliver a toast for your best friend Brian at his wedding. Brian happens to be a kind and giving person and you want to talk about his character in your toast. Instead of saying “Brian is kind and giving”, you may tell the story of how, in college, you and Brian were heading to the mall to buy a batting glove for intramural softball. You noticed an elderly woman in the parking lot who was wandering around looking for her car. Once Brian realized she had forgotten where she parked, he refused to leave her and walked around with her for half an hour until they found her vehicle. This is a much better way to illustrate Brian’s character. Another example may be an acceptance speech. Maybe you just won a citzenship award for community service and will give a short acceptance speech. From whom did you learn the value of giving back to your community? Maybe your grandmother would let you accompany her to the homeless shelter every Saturday to serve food to the homeless and as a result you saw first hand how one individual could impact many lives. Give an example of an experience that happened that inspired you to serve others.  Do the stories have to be your own? Not necessarily, but in my opinion they are more impactful if they are original. Great speakers are conversational in their tone and delivery. Write your story as if you are telling it to a friend.

TALKING TIP: NEVER PASS OFF SOMEONE ELSES STORY AS YOUR OWN.

How to get started:

Write down the names of the three most influential people in your life. Write down one lesson that each of them taught you. Now give the circumstances in which the lesson was learned. Be as descriptive as if you were telling the story over a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  The following story is one that I tell in almost all of my speeches. It is a true story of an event that happened between me and my father. The story illustrates the importance of paying attention to the details.

By the way, DO NOT USE THIS STORY IN YOUR SPEECH! It is mine, it is copywritten, and more importantly it is not authentically yours. The best story will come from you. You have wonderful stories in your past that just need to be pulled out, dusted off and polished.

Had you been standing next to me on any particular Saturday in the early to mid nineteen eightees, you would have probably seen me pushing a 21 inch,

self-propelled, Craftsman lawnmower. When I was twelve years old I mowed almost every yard in my neighborhood. I charged ten dollars for a small yard, fifteen for a big one, and Judge Nix had the biggest yard in our neighborhood. Had I known that it would take almost seven hours to mow, I probably would have charged more than fifteen dollars but that is the arrangement that we came to. Every other Saturday, spring through fall, I mowed the judge’s yard. One Saturday afternoon, I had been mowing all day long in the ninety five degree Alabama heat and humidity. I was dirty, tired, and ready to go home. When I had finished the last row, I turned off my self propelled lawn mower (meaning I propelled it myself) and began to push it across the yard to the curb where my dad was going to pick me up. As I walked across the yard, I looked back over my shoulder and noticed a row of shrubs in between the judge’s house and the neighbor’s. I had forgotten that behind those shrubs was a patch of grass about fifteen feet long and four feet wide and I had forgotten to mow that grass. I debated whether or not to go back and cut it and in my exhausted twelve year old mind decided that nobody would notice if I didn’t. Besides, half of it belonged to the neighbor anyway and he sure wasn’t paying me. As I reached the curb, I looked back at those shrubs. “Should I go back and cut that grass? Naaa… nobody will notice if I let it go, I’ve already finished the hard part anyway”. After a few minutes of silent debate, Judge Nix came out and handed me a check for fifteen dollars. When my dad arrived I helped him get the mower in the back of the truck. He then began to walk around the yard inspecting my work, as he was known to do, and I saw him begin to walk towards those shrubs. “Uh Oh….somebody is going to notice.” He gave me the come here gesture with his forefinger and I walked over. “Son, I believe you’ve missed a spot”.” Daddy, I’m tired”. “That’s not what I said…you’re not finished” “Daddy, no one will notice”…”Son, remember what I always tell you, don’t ever do a job unless you’re willing to sign your name to it. Are you willing to sign your name to this job?”……”yes sir”. My father and I walked back across the yard in silence. When we got to the truck, my dad pulled out the mower. He pushed it across the yard, started it up and he cut the grass behind the shrubs. It took him all of forty seconds.  When he got back over to me he asked if the judge had paid me. “Yes sir, fifteen dollars”. My dad then looked me in the eye and said…..”Give it back”. I said “say what?!!???” “GIVE IT BACK” he repeated. I was stunned. I said “are you kidding” He said “son, you don’t want to get paid for incomplete work”….I said …”yes I do”. He said “then you shouldn’t want to get paid for incomplete work. Now go give the check back and while you’re at it finish mowing the part that is in the neighbor’s yard too” I had been mowing that yard for almost seven hours in the Alabama heat and humidity and not only do I have to give back the check. My dad made me do work in the neighbor’s yard that I wasn’t even being paid for. I wouldn’t speak to him for a week. Fast forward twenty five years. My wife and I had recently purchased a new house. It was new meaning it was new to us so we had some remodeling to do. We knocked out a wall to open up space, ripped up the carpet, put down hardwood floors and painted the whole house. Painting is the one thing that my wife would let me do and I quickly discovered why they call it faux finish. When you are married to a perfectionist like I am, you will paint it “FAUX ” times “FAUX” you finished. One Saturday afternoon I had been painting all day long. I was hot, tired and ready to quit. I had just finished the half bath downstairs, had put my paints away and come back in to inspect my work….and pat myself on the back. After a day of stripping wall paper, sanding, priming and painting, I was ready for some relaxation. As I looked around the small bathroom, I noticed a spot behind the toilet that I had missed. It was only noticeable if you bent over, craned your neck and looked at the five inch by five inch spot on the wall. I thought to myself “nobody is going to notice” I then remembered the lesson my father taught me almost 25 years earlier. It just cost me 15 dollars. We have all heard the phrase “GO THE EXTRA …MILE”. The extra mile is easy to identify. It is not always easy to do, but it is easy to see. My dad was teaching me that true success is not measured in miles but rather in inches. It is the little bit extra that we give, the little extra we do, even when we think no-one is looking that creates authenticity and distinction in the market place. It’s the small ways that we exceed expectations that is the difference between good and great, between a commodity and a brand, between nice looking and SMOKING HOT!

This story was written in the exact manner I described. Professional speaker and speech coach Patricia Fripp sat down with me and said “Patrick, who is the most influential person in your life?” I said “my dad”. “Tell me one lession that he taught you when you were a child”. I told her that he always said “don’t ever do a job unless you are willing to sign your name to it”. “Patrick, tell me the story of when he first taught you that lesson.” As I told her the story, Patricia recorded it and later we transcribed it into this story that has become a central part of my speeches. As you create these stories and anecdotes, write them down and save them in a file. When an event or occasion arises where you have to deliver a speech, you an access your file and choose an appropriate story.

TALKING TIP: Save your stories in a file on your computer. You can use them again when the occasion calls for it.

DO THIS:

·      WRITE DOWN THREE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN YOUR LIFE

·      WRITE DOWN ONE LESSON EACH TAUGHT YOU

·      WRITE DOWN HOW EACH LESSON WAS TAUGHT

* More to follow. If you just can't wait, send me an email to Patrick@PatrickHenrySpeaker.com with the  word SPEECH in the subject line and I will send you part two.

IT’S CALLED A SPEECH

I don’t much care for awards shows. Every now and then, however, I will see someone who impresses or even inspires me, like when Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Oscar for his role in Jerry Mcguire or when Roberto Benigni won an Oscar in 1998 for Life is Beautiful.  For the most part I see a room full of people who haven’t had a job in months who are just happy to be dressed up and out of the house.

My wife enjoys awards shows, so when the Screen Actors Guild Awards aired on January 23^rd…we watched it. I was actually quite impressed with Sandra Bullock and especially Betty White who hails back to an era where class and decorum were the order of the day. I was completely underwhelmed by Drew Barrymore. When the award for best actress in a television movie or miniseries was announced, Drew Barrymore’s name was called. She gave the customary “oh my God I can’t believe it’s me” look to her fellow aisle mates then made the triumphant march to the stage to accept her prize. This is where the wheels came off !!!!

I am a professional speaker. I believe that a person’s ability to effectively communicate thoughts, ideas, and gratitude is paramount in fomenting success regardless of profession. Apparently Drew Barrymore doesn’t think so. As she accepted her award, she began to stutter and stumble over her words in a cutesy and contrived display of ums & ands.  When the awkward moment began to turn uncomfortable, she said “usually improv is a good thing….it’s backfiring on me very badly right now”. I have news for you Drew, IT’S NOT IMPROV….IT’S A SPEECH !!!!.  Considering that you have been in the movie business since before ET phoned home, it is a speech that you should have been prepared for!!!!!!

In a matter of seconds she went, in my eyes, from brilliant to buffoon, from star to stammer, from “bless my stars” to “bless her heart”, all because she was painfully unprepared.

There are certain moments where the right words delivered with eloquence, passion and skill can create, what my friend Scott Mckain calls, a mountain top experience. In sales, these moments happen EVERYDAY. Are you prepared? Have you developed the skill and “material” to inspire people to action?

Three ways to prepare for your awards speech:

COLLECT MATERIAL.

Continually be on the lookout for real life experiences, stories, and anecdotes that can be recalled and delivered with dexterity at a moments notice.  Become an expert in your field and your client’s by reading books, articles and web copy about topics that relate to the field.  Keep a file.


LISTEN TO GREAT SPEAKERS

      Never miss an opportunity to listen to great speakers speak. Don’t steal their material, take note of their style and technique then create your own.
    
PRACTICE

      As good as you think you are, YOU’RE NOT!!!.  I don’t care how many successful wedding toasts you’ve given. Until you’ve delivered a thousand speeches or presentations, you still have room for improvement. Even then, you still can find ways to become better. JOIN TOASTMASTERS…NOW!