Tag Archives: public speaking training

You’ve Got It Backwards – Speaking Should Come First, Not Last

One of my biggest frustrations with prospective clients is their almost universal stubborn belief that before they put time and resources into becoming masterful speakers and presenters, they have to perfect everything else. Lately, I’ve begun to tell them that’s a mistake, that they’ve got it completely backwards, that speaking and presentation should come first. Here’s why…

  • The ability to present oneself with confidence and charisma is incredibly client-attractive. Think about it: When you see someone who is engaging on the platform, chances are you think they are more competent than a competitor who exhibits discomfort and uncertainty, thus are more likely to give that person a chance vs. their competitor. You want to connect with that person, learn more about them, exchange contact info, link in with them, schedule a meeting with them, invite them to speak at your event, refer them to others. Guess what this does for their business and reputation? It would do the same for yours.
  • It is an accelerator. You will book more business, whether your business infrastructure is ready or not. The income generated through your speaking will facilitate your investment in the other aspects of your business. And isn’t increasing revenues the goal in any business?
  • It’s not subjective. Contrary to popular belief, it is not in the “eye of the beholder.” In fact, there are sound, objective measures experts like me agree on that professionals with a high degree of appeal have in common. We humans are social animals. As such we organize ourselves into groups with leaders, whom we subsequently entrust with our safety and survival. How does that trust get built? Largely via the way leaders communicate.
  • It’s a beauty trick. (I love this one.) We are more drawn to people we perceive as attractive and the more charismatic and engaging a speaker is, the more attractive we deem that person to be.
  • It is not superficial or fluff. These are not soft skills. They are the skills we must deploy to deliver our message, our authority, our knowledge, our subject matter expertise… to hit our target. They are the skills that make it easier for prospects to make a decision. And isn’t that what serving clients is all about… making everything easier for them?

So the next time you are thinking of polishing up your speaking – or the next time a less-qualified competitor eats your lunch – think about how speaking and presentation should come first. It’s the glue that binds all the others together. And it will make your life easier, too.

The President’s Speech: SOTU 2018

President Trumps 2018 State of the Union speech was one of the worst-delivered speeches I’ve ever seen. Note I said, “delivered,” not “written.” I have yet to read the transcript from beginning to end.

The next day, I was on the radio to discuss it, made my case, and the host pushed back, telling me a CBS poll had said 75% of respondents approved of the speech. I wasn’t moved. I know what I know.

Let me explain why the speech was a failure from the delivery standpoint. The core reason is that so-called speaking from the heart requires the speaker to be in touch with one. That’s the intangible reason. But there are tangible reasons, as well, that every speaker should learn. Here they are…

  • He clearly didn’t practice: This is a badge of honor for him, which is ridiculous and a disservice to his audiences. It is something the best speakers get right, which is why there are so few of them.
  • He didn’t sound like he’d read it through from beginning to end. Some words seemed to surprise him, like Scourge, which he pronounced Skorge. (See #1.)
  • The body language was all wrong, particularly facial expression. He seemed angry and scowled throughout. Also, his applauding of his own words was particularly off-putting and his incitement of the GOP members to chant, “USA, USA” was completely inappropriate. This was not a campaign rally.
  • His rate and pacing were plodding. These speeches are always on the long side and this one was much too long. It didn’t have to be. A moderate pace is about 140 words per minute. Including the frequent prolonged applause interruptions (common), this one was 65 wpm. If we are generous and subtract the applause, that brings us to about 100 wpm. This is much too slow and another result of #1.
  • His voice is very low quality. It’s thin, breathy, and although very familiar, it’s unpleasant to listen to at length. It’s also somewhat monotone in these types of formal, stick-to-the-teleprompter-delivered speeches. A good speaker doesn’t need a voice like James Earl Jones (see Bill Clinton or George W. Bush), but there are ways to strengthen the speaking voice and the POTUS should do so to meet the requirements of his job.
  • He has a habit of biting off choice words, lingering on it, spreading his mouth, jutting out his chin, and baring his teeth, but not in a smile. This seems to happen when he feels he hasn’t received credit for something he thinks he deserves or wants to cast blame. It’s utterly graceless, just plain weird, and out of place in such a decorous setting.
  • The structure of the speech lacked enough rhetorical flourishes. Not that the president would’ve known what do do with them if they were there. There were a couple, but he was unable to land them (see #1) which did not allow this speech to rise to the soaring, uplifting speaking we as a nation crave and deserve.
  • Audible inhales were prevalent. What is with this? It’s an unfortunate and distracting habit he should work on.

As I alluded, the written speech may be much better than his delivery showed. (I still haven’t had a minute to read it all the way through.) Yet, for all the claims from him and the White House that this speech would be unifying and “from the heart,” it seemed clear to me the only unity he was interested in was with his existing fans and as for his heart, I don’t think he actually knows where it is.

The Eloquence of Oprah

I was blown away by Oprah’s Golden Globes speech. Although it clocked in at just under 10 minutes, it was incredibly rich in meaning and beautifully delivered.

So I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain to my subscribers the specific rhetorical devices and tools Oprah included that made it one of the very best, most eloquent speeches I have heard in a long time. By deconstructing and analyzing it for you, my hope is you will see how it’s done as you work on becoming a more polished and confident speaker and presenter.

Watch Oprah’s speech below:

Oprah

Go to this link to have a transcript of the speech in front of you as you read through my comments.

First Paragraph:

  1. After the opening thank yous, the first line begins a story. “In 1964 I was a little girl…” ALWAYS start your speeches with a story. This one was about Sydney Poitier being the first black person to accept an Oscar. Note how she paints a picture, Ann Bancroft opening the envelope and making the announcement, the color of Poitier’s tie — and the color of his skin.
  2. That line, the white tie juxtaposed against the black skin is a rhetorical device known as opposition.
  3. “As a kid watching from the cheap seats as my mom came through the door bone tired from cleaning other people’s houses…” quickly fills us in on Oprah’s working-class or more likely, lower-class childhood.
  4. She describes how it felt in a way we can also feel and what it meant to her.
  5. She goes on to compare Poitier’s acceptance of the same award she has just received.
  6. She concludes the paragraph with a reference to how other little girls may be feeling watching her accept this award. This ties back to the opening line.
  7. This entire paragraph story is a setup for what comes next.

Second Paragraph:

  1. In the opening sentence, she states it is a privilege to share it with those same little girls, including a group most people would leave out. This shows affection and empathy.
  2. The repetition of the word “who’ve” as she tells us how she came to be on this stage is a device known as anaphora. This is a mesmerizing device and is usually presented in groups of 3, though Oprah’s groups are longer and she uses the device several times.
  3. The list of names of people who’ve helped her is another rhetorical device known as asyndeton, which is also repetitive, but without using the same opening words.
  4. Then, she makes a strong point about the value of the press. The Golden Globes is a press association, so this is not lost on them or anyone else in the room.

Third Paragraph:

  1. The primary point is then made about speaking one’s truth, which she ties to the job of the press and by emphasizing how inspired she has been by women who’ve come forward to report abuse and harassment. Here, too, she expands the group to include the powerless.

Fourth Paragraph:

  1. This first line is extraordinary because she expands the concept of speaking truth by doing just that and lightening the load of women who had “children to feed, bills to pay, and dreams to pursue…” She seems to be saying she does not judge them and they should not feel any guilt for doing what was necessary at the time.
  2. The rest of the paragraph lists a variety of fields and she once again uses anaphora, starting each phrase with the word, they’re.

Fifth Paragraph:

  1. She tells the story of Recy Taylor, a name most haven’t heard, and makes a historical connection to Rosa Parks, a name most of us have heard. She dramatizes Parks’s story by implying the Recy Taylor incident must have played a part in her decision to stay seated on that bus in Montgomery. We don’t know if this is true, but it feels true. This is the overarching story’s culmination.
  2. She fills us in on why she has made the professional choices she has made, all having to do with how we suffer and eventually, overcome. She also once again uses anaphora, this time with the word, how.
  3. “Hope for a brighter morning — even during our darkest nights” is a strong metaphor that also uses opposition, so a combination of rhetorical devices.

Sixth Paragraph:

  1. The climax begins here with an immediate tieback to the little girls of the opening paragraph. This is what we call a bookend, which is a story that ties back to the opening story (or an earlier story).
  2. “New day finally dawns” completes the preceding metaphor.
  3. Oprah concludes with a strong shout-out to the “me too” movement.

This was an overarching narrative about truth, particularly speaking truth to power, beginning in the early days of the civil rights movement, and continuing through the present day. It has an almost poetic level of rhythm. It was a serious speech, delivered with empathy. Note there was nothing funny. It was a classic morality tale, delivered from the heart, intended to take full advantage of the platform.

Of course, Oprah also delivered it beautifully. She made it look easy, but it was so well-rehearsed. She knew where her voice was going to rise and fall, she understood where to pause, where the applause lines might be. Her pacing and timing was perfect. And don’t discount the probability that the adrenaline was flowing, both through her and through her audience.

We must also not forget Oprah is a trained performer, with decades of experience. But make no mistake; this speech took a lot of work.

I must also point out that speaking of this quality is extraordinarily rare. It’s a game-changer. Although Oprah is already quite famous, this performance opens new doors.

And that is how it’s done.