Big speeches of 2016 reviewed

Here’s a concise review of the major speeches of 2016 on both sides of the Atlantic by FT columnist Sam Leith

Guest Posting: What’s Your Rate of Speech? by Kate Peters

Kate Peters is the Founder and President of Vocal Impact, Inc. a network of communication impact professionals dedicated to guiding and inspiring leaders to be real and relevant heroes in their own stories and the stories of their organizations or causes; heroes who transform hearts and minds, and create solutions for a vibrant and peaceful world, every day. Read her full bio here.

Kate PetersLanguages spoken in Southern India are among the world’s fastest languages. In fact the native speakers of one of those languages,Tamil, speak faster with each other than the native speakers of any other language. They also tend to speak English faster than native English speakers. The world record for the fastest talking woman is held by Fran Cohen, a New Yorker, who can talk at about 600 words per minute. Go ahead and listen to her telling the story of The Three Little Pigs, and you may get a feeling for what Tamil native speakers speaking English sound like to other English speakers.

In the US, researchers have found that the rate of speech varies from state to state, with the fastest talkers in the state of Oregon, while the slowest are in Mississippi. The rate of speech in the US is picking up, but it is unlikely ever to be as fast as Tamil.

How fast is fast? Native speakers of English tend to speak from 140-165 words per minute. Auctioneers speak 250 words per minute. As you may have noticed if you have ever been to an auction, native English speakers have a hard time hearing what’s said by an auctioneer, and by anyone when the rate is faster than 180 wpm. However, most 8th graders in the US are now expected to read 150 wpm by the winter of their school year.

If you think you might be vying for Fran’s position or if you are from South India and your communication impact is suffering because you speak fast (and you don’t want to set a record) you can find out how to pace your voice just right by reading my post, Are you talking too fast?

Toastmasters Announces Speakers for 2016 Convention in Washington, D.C.

Toastmasters 2016 ConferenceToastmasters announced an impressive lineup of speakers for its 2016 International Convention, to be held at the Marriott Marquis Washington, D.C., Aug. 17-20. Ten dynamic speakers will share their insights and expertise on a variety of topics. Attendance at this annual event is expected to exceed 2,200 members from around the world.

“We’re pleased to present speakers who will offer their unique perspectives into the importance of leadership and communication and how this relates to achieving personal and professional success,” says Jim Kokocki, Toastmasters 2015-16 International President. “These world class speakers will create an engaging and inspiring experience for our audience.”

Ed TateEd Tate will deliver the keynote presentation during the Opening Ceremonies on Wednesday, Aug. 17. Tate is a successful trainer, author and executive known as “the speaker who energizes, educates and entertains.” His Fortune 500 clients include Hallmark Cards, Johnson & Johnson and the Project Management Institute. He understands and has experienced firsthand that strong leadership is critical during times of change and chaos.

Tony BuzanMind Mapping creator and memory expert Tony Buzan is the recipient of Toastmasters’ 2016 Golden Gavel award. The prestigious award is presented annually to an individual distinguished in the fields of communication and leadership. Buzan joins an illustrious list of past Golden Gavel honorees that includes Muhammad Yunus, Walter Cronkite, Anthony Robbins, Zig Ziglar and Robin Sharma.

Other expert presenters:

Anne BarabAnne Barab is a Toastmasters Accredited Speaker and personal excellence expert who helps people learn how positive or negative beliefs affect their personal and professional success. Barab will present I Had a Life Plan but the Magnet Fell off the Fridge, where she will teach attendees three easy steps to retrain their brains to think positively.

Michael NotaroMichael Notaro is a Toastmasters Past International President, as well as an attorney, entrepreneur and educator. He will lead The Benefits of Service Leadership, an interactive panel of Toastmasters Past International Presidents and International Directors who will discuss how international leadership has changed their lives.

Rochelle RiceRochelle Rice is a Toastmasters Accredited Speaker and nationally recognized speaker, author and educator with a passion for empowering lives through movement. A former professional jazz dancer, Rice is the author of Real Fitness for Real Women and Size Sensitivity Training, Programs and Environments. Rice will lead How to Become an Accredited Speaker with co-presenter Sheryl Roush.

Sheryl RoushSheryl Roush is a Toastmasters Accredited Speaker and the CEO of Sparkle Presentations, Inc. She has presented more than 3,500 keynotes and seminars globally. Her book Heart of a Toastmaster, was named Best Anthology by the International Book Awards upon release in 2014. Roush will lead How to Become an Accredited Speaker with co-presenter Rochelle Rice.

kelly swansonKelly Swanson is an award-winning storyteller, motivational speaker, comedian and author. She will present You. Your Story. Make an Impact. Master the Art of Connection and Engagement through the Power of Story, where she will share her journey and explain how the power of story can help speakers engage with their audience on a deeper level.

Manoj VasudevanManoj Vasudevan is a leadership coach and management consultant with more than two decades of experience working with major multinational companies in Asia, Australia, North America and Europe. He will present Are you ready to lead? Leadership Lessons from the Mousetrap, an education session dedicated to helping attendees develop and enhance their leadership skills.

John ZimmerJohn Zimmer is an international speaker, trainer and lawyer. He has worked at a major Canadian law firm, the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and is now a full-time professional speaker. Zimmer will present Improv(e) your life!, where he will teach attendees about the principles of improv and how to apply them to their daily life.

To learn more about Toastmasters’ 2016 International Convention, Aug. 17-20, and obtain a complete schedule of events, including the Opening Ceremonies, Education Sessions and the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking, visit the event page. The public is welcome to attend.

Improving Communication is Key to Closing Millennials’ Workplace Skills Gap

ToastmastersIt’s universally acknowledged that employers seek applicants with strong speaking and writing abilities. Despite being highly educated and armed with technical skills, many millennials lack the soft skills to compete in the workplace. A survey by the Hay Group revealed that 80 percent of employers are struggling to find graduates with the soft skills they need. Communication is the most in-demand soft skill in most industries, including engineering, finance, healthcare, information technology and sales.

Soft skills are defined by Oxford Dictionaries as personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people. In addition to communication, organization, writing, leadership, problem solving and customer service are among the most desired soft skills in nearly every occupation.

“Job seekers with a good mix of both technical and soft skills will have the best prospects right out of college,” says Rosemary Haefner, Chief Human Resources Officer of CareerBuilder.

To help develop soft skills, millennials and all prospective employees are encouraged to focus on ways they can build the skills they lack. An effective method of developing communication and leadership skills is to join Toastmasters International. Toastmasters offers a supportive setting where people can improve these skills through practice and become more confident communicators and stronger leaders.

Corporate Clubs

Nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies offer in-house Toastmasters clubs, including Apple, Bank of America, The Coca-Cola Company, Google and Microsoft. These employers have found the Toastmasters program to be an effective staff development tool that benefits their organization.

Many of these corporate venues welcome visitors from outside the organization, who are not employed there. I was a member of the HP Hilltop Club that used to meet just down the hall from Carly Fiorina’s office in the Hewlett Packard Headquarters building. It was open to anyone who wished to attend. I hasten to add that Carly herself was not a member.

Job Seekers

Millennials looking to advance their career should be aware that visiting a corporate club gives a unique opportunity to network with employees.

“Prospective employees, including millennials, should focus on building the skills that will give them an advantage over other candidates,” says Jim Kokocki Toastmasters 2015-16 International President. “Employers want to hire people who can communicate effectively and work well with others. Toastmasters offers a place to develop and strengthen these skills.”

If your company does not yet have a club, consider starting one. “Forming a corporate Toastmasters club is an effective and inexpensive way to develop, enhance and retain employees,” says Toastmasters Chief Executive Officer Daniel Rex. “We are experiencing record growth as an organization in part because of the large increase in the number of corporate clubs. We expect that trend to continue as the skills we teach are always in demand in the marketplace.”

Finding the Right Club

While they all follow the same structure for meetings, no two Toastmasters Clubs are the same. The members make the club. When looking for a suitable group, it’s a great idea to take the time to visit a number of different clubs. Since there are approximately 30,000 Toastmasters members in the U.S. between the age of 18 and 34 it should be possible to find a club with people of similar interests. The last thing you want is to make your Icebreaker speech on current topics to a room full of retirees.

To find a Toastmasters club near you, visit toastmasters.org/findaclub.

Book Review: Keynote Mastery, by Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Keynote MasteryMy recent review on Amazon of the new book, Keynote Mastery: The Personal Journey of a Professional Speaker was incomplete. I need to explain in more detail the many positive elements of Patrick’s story as well as clarify why I referred to it on Amazon ‘flawed’ and show where other emerging speakers can learn from his mistakes. But make no mistake about it: this is a book every Toastmaster, self-employed professional, freelancer and gig-economy survivor should read. It contains first-hand information you’ll find nowhere else. Go buy it, now!

What I liked about Keynote Mastery

I’ve long been a fan of Patrick’s. We met during the time in 2008/09 that he was speaking for free, and I’ve attended his Meetup groups which are great networking occasions. I’ve also been to Jeff & Kane’s meetings, Stephanie Chandler’s Sacramento Speakers Network and Edith Yeung’s BizTech Day. Heck, I even knew an NSA member who spoke at the same event in Aruba as Patrick. His 2011 guest posting on my blog How to become a Keynote Speaker was an early iteration of the ideas in this book. Back in 2009 I blogged about his Webify Yourself presentation.

So, we swim in the same waters. The major difference between us is that Patrick makes his living as a professional speaker, while I’m at the coal-face in the corporate world. I have the utmost respect Patrick and his achievements.

This book is a treasure-trove of practical tips and tricks that will help anyone who wants to become a professional speaker, or simply a more successful freelancer in any field.

I especially like his worksheets that are referenced in the book and available for free download. For example, here’s eight tips for reducing nervousness found on one worksheet:

  1. Take five deep breaths (by exhaling more than usual).
  2. Give yourself permission to be nervous. Don’t fight it.
  3. Be a compassionate observer of your own emotions.
  4. Start a meditation practice. It will help you remain calm.
  5. Focus on the objective: your message and helping people.
  6. Look good. Wear an outfit that you feel confident in.
  7. Think positive. You’re a rock star. You deserve to be here.
  8. Survey the audience ahead of time. Look at their faces. They’re just people, and they want you to succeed.

This is not just a list he’s plucked out of thin air. Read the book and you’ll see when and where Patrick has employed these practices when suffering from anxiety and panic attacks before speaking (it happens to everyone sooner or later, knowing how a pro like Patrick overcame the issue is a tremendous help).

As I said in the Amazon review, this is an uncompromisingly personal book. Some might not care for the personal information he shares. I think it’s important to read about the challenges he had to overcome in his personal life to succeed. Thanks for being so honest, Patrick.

Other gems in the book include Chapter 55 on Speaking Fees. The reason no-one in the National Speakers Association (NSA) can share this level of detail is that the Association is legally bound not to discuss fees so there isn’t a perception of marketplace collusion. Patrick is not an NSA member–you’ll find details here you’ll find nowhere else.

I also liked his tips on how to structure a speech (Ch 40). His stories about the importance of cross-cultural sensitivity when speaking outside the USA are priceless. He’s also a master of Social Media who made a transition to speaking on other topics. Reading how he stayed ahead of the curve in developing a new niche is one of the best parts of the book.

Where Patrick’s book falls short

It might sound like nit-picking, but someone should have spent a little more time proofreading this book. (Of course, who am I to talk!). In Chapter 55 he references the National Speaker Association. In Ch 56 (at least in the Kindle Edition) there’s two whole paragraphs which are duplicated, first in italics, then in plain text.

National Speakers Association LogoMore importantly, in terms of substantive advice, Ch 59 on the National Speakers Association, needs correcting. He writes that NSA events take place on Saturday mornings and he hates weekend early mornings. Fair enough. But readers should be aware that this true of the Northern California Chapter and many regions meet at other times. The NSA is comprised of a wide range of keynote speakers, platform speakers, workshop and webinar hosts and even a speechwriter or two!

As a long-time NSA member I found myself, time and again, seeing ways in which Patrick could have cut years from his learning curve if he’d have only got out bed early some weekends and attended meetings, or, better yet, enrolled in the annual Speakers Academy (aka Pro-Track). I’ve blogged extensively about mine and others experiences in this year-long speaker training program.

To take a couple of examples of the benefits of the NSA that address challenges Patrick faced. In Ch 22 (Make It Funny!) he writes that he believes he could double or triple his business if he was funnier. Our local NSA chapter has held many workshops on humor. There’s even a group within NSA who focus exclusively on humor.

GSF logoPatrick loves to speak internationally. The Global Speakers Federation (which every NSA member is automatically a member of) shares leads and information with speaking organizations in Canada, South Africa, France, Singapore, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Belgium, Holland, the UK & Ireland. I’ve spoken (for free, like Patrick!) at a PSA event in the UK.

Finally, there are many speakers who make a good living from selling informational products to their audiences. While Patrick has had some success in this area, I can’t help but think that he’s left a lot of money on the table over the years, and could have learned from NSA members who know how to make big bucks while they are sleeping.

In Summary

Unlike Patrick, I’m not a single guy whose been able to live off credit cards and eat chicken thighs and broccoli for dinner night after night while I built my career. I’ve a family to support. Indeed, I’m one of the ‘distraction-free’ people he writes about in Ch 58 who work in tall office buildings in San Francisco. But I’ve been laid off from corporate jobs more than once and survived as a freelancer. In an era when there’s no real job security, the lessons Patrick shares about his decade-long struggle to make a living as a self-employed professional speaker are invaluable.

Meeting Report: Systems for Professional Speakers

Ruby Newell-Legner Colorado-based customer satisfaction expert Ruby Newell-Legner, CSP — the current President of the National Speakers Association — was the featured presenter at Saturday’s NSA Northern California Chapter meeting.

Ruby shared many of the tips and tricks she has learned while building her speaking business in the sports, leisure and entertainment industries.

As an award-winning, customer satisfaction expert who speaks professionally, Ruby is well known for being a “Fan Experience Evangelist.” Whether focusing on internal or external customer service, she works with organizations to build better relationships: from front-line employees to customers, between co-workers and their peers, and from managers to the employees they supervise. Her blue-ribbon client list include 28 professional sports teams. She trained the staff for Super Bowl 41, the 2008 US Open and the 2010 Olympics.

Niche Marketing

Ruby became a celebrity in her niche market and built a thriving business through referrals. The importance of owning a niche is well-known in the speaking business. Ruby highlighted how presenting at industry association meetings enabled her to get in front of the people who could hire her. She expressly believes in ‘paying it forward’ and making sure the meeting planner looks good, no matter what it takes.

In her market, the football teams and stadiums that like her work are happy to refer her to baseball and hockey organizations who in no way compete with them. She adds value to each group by sharing best practices between industries.

Efficient Systems

Ruby has developed systems to improve her efficiency. Working with her virtual assistant she uses a 37-step checklist to coordinate each and every booking. This ranges from checking all the logistics are handled to customizing presentation material and printing two copies of the specific introduction she wants the person introducing her onstage to read: in large font with key points in red.

She has systematized referral gathering by the creative use of evaluation forms. These evaluations go far beyond the standard ‘smile sheets’. The feedback she collects from the audience includes a list of what each person learned from her presentation. She asks audience members to check-mark programs they would like her to present in the future. She asks for testimonial quotes. She adds value by sharing this data from the audience with the meeting planner — showing what parts of the program resonated and what the audience wants her to do at their next meeting. Assumptive marketing at its best! The audience members who check the box to learn more get a follow-up call.

By being herself, developing niche market expertise and delivering value to her clients Ruby has built a great speaking business.

Avoiding Misquotations

Quote YouNothing spices up a speech better than an apt quotation. Someone else’s words help to reinforce your ideas, boost your credibility and demonstrate your learning. However, delivering a misquotation quickly undermines your credibility and can make you appear foolish. We live in a time when the audiences can instantly fact-check a speech on their always-on, internet-enabled mobile devices. So it pays to double-check each quotation. And it’s very easy to misquote famous people. In many cases, well-known quotes were never uttered.

Writing in today’s Financial Times, John Kay lists a series of misquotes that, while common currency, are not accurate. For example:

  • “Play it again, Sam” — was never spoken by Humphrey Bogart’s character, Rick, in Casablanca.
  • “My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne” — were not British economist John Maynard Keynes’ dying words (he said this at a Cambridge University event while in rude health).
  • There is no evidence that Oscar Wilde ever said “Youth is wasted on the young.”
  • Winston Churchill never said “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Nor did he say “Success is going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm.”

There is, however, a valuable resource at Quote Investigator which examines the validity of famous quotes.

Unfortunately it groups quotes by speaker, not by topic. This means it’s not as useful as sites like Brainyquote and Wikiquote for finding a quote on a specific topic. But it’s well worth checking into the origins of any quotation you do plan to use on Quote Investigator, or just browsing for inspiration.

5 Patterns of Popular TED Talks

TED TalksEver wondered why some TED talk recordings on YouTube gather a respectable few hundred thousand views while other go viral and attract many millions? Is there a difference in content, facts and figures or information shared that is more compelling and pertinent to a wider audience? Does one speaker have more name recognition than another? Or perhaps look more attractive, sleeker, sexier, and authoritative?

Now, thanks to research conducted by the good folks at Science of People we have strong evidence why some talks are more popular than others.

After an extensive review of TED talks they found that there are five key patterns that speakers delivering popular talks exhibit. These findings are a great set of suggestions for any speaker who would like to be well-received by an audience:

1. It’s Not What You Say, It’s How You Say It

Many subject matter experts won’t like to hear this, but it’s more about what you do onstage than what you say. The report states:

We rate someone’s charisma, credibility and intelligence based on nonverbal signals. This is surprising–we want people to focus on our words, but this experiment is no different from previous research. Studies have found that 60 to 93% of our communication is nonverbal. Over and over again we find that how we say something is more important than what we say. The question then becomes, how do we say something well? Read on to find out which nonverbal signals were most important.

The proof of this? People liked the speakers just as much with sound as on mute!

2. The More Hand Gestures, the More Successful the Talk

Step DancersThere was a direct correlation between the number of views on a TED talk and the number of hand gestures. Our hands are a nonverbal way to show and build trust. Studies have found that when we see someone’s hands, we have an easier time trusting them. This begs the question whether speakers with an Italian heritage are inherently more trustworthy than, say, Irish step dancers.

3. Vocal Variety Increases Charisma

Donald TrumpEvery Toastmaster who completes their CTM certification learns the importance of vocal variety. The more vocal variety of a TED speaker, the more views their video had. Speakers who told stories, ad libbed and even yelled at the audience captivated the audience’s imagination and attention. Those who obviously memorized their lines and read from scripts lacked memorability. Currently, there seems to be one Republican presidential candidate who is trumping the rest in terms of ad libs, yelling and overall vocal variety.

4. Smiling Makes You Look Smarter

President ObamaContrary to the belief that smiling in a business setting signifies low status behavior, and serious topics require you deliver the speech with a grimace, the researchers found that the longer a TED speaker smiled, the higher their perceived intelligence ratings were. Those who smiled were rated as higher in intelligence than those who smiled less.

5. First Impressions Count

And when they say ‘first impressions’ they mean first!

The researchers found that the audience had already made a decision about the entire talk in the first seven (7) seconds. Typically this happens before any words are exchanged. While the opening lines of a talk are important, a speaker must think about how they take the stage, how they acknowledge the audience and how they deliver their first line. Stumbling onto the stage and mumbling thanks for inviting you won’t cut it.

The research measured favorability (as shown by the number of video views) on a number of other criteria. None were as important as the five listed above, but are interesting:

  • People in casual clothing typically rated lower than people in business or business casual.
  • Women who wore business clothing got higher ratings compared to men in business clothing.
  • Speakers in darker colors got higher ratings than those in lighter colors.

This is a fascinating and important study, check it out!

Going Global: Toastmasters International Reaches Growth Milestones

ToastmastersToastmasters International, the global organization devoted to communication and leadership skills development, has grown its membership by 57 percent over the past 10 years. The organization reports that it has posted an increase in membership every year since 1994 and now has more than 332,000 members, 15,400 clubs and a presence in 135 countries.

“We’re excited that more people than ever before are benefiting from Toastmasters’ proven programs,” says Mohammed Murad, Toastmasters 2014-2015 International President. “As the organization continues to expand domestically and globally, even more people will have the opportunity to join Toastmasters and improve skills that are vital inside and outside of the workplace.”

Highlights of Toastmasters’ annual growth include:

  • 5.9 percent membership growth
  • 4.1 percent new club growth
  • Expanded presence in Egypt, Gabon, Macedonia, Myanmar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Serbia, Turks and Caicos Islands
  • More than 28,000 Competent Communicator awards earned by members
  • International regions posted the highest rate of growth (11.9 percent)

“Our consistent growth can be attributed to people’s desire to become better communicators and leaders,” says Toastmasters Chief Executive Officer Daniel Rex. “With initiatives underway that will further enhance members’ speaking and leadership development, we look forward to continued expansion in the coming years.”

About Toastmasters International

Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization’s membership exceeds 332,000 in more than 15,400 clubs in 135 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.

Guest Posting: How to demolish your fear of public speaking in 4 unconventional steps, by Philip Pape

Philip PapePhilip Pape is an author, software engineer, public speaker, and life-hacker who helps smart people obliterate obstacles to success. He shares specific strategies for helping you succeed through the unconventional art of confidence at HowToAttainSuccess.com. This post originally appeared on Philip’s blog and is posted here with his express permission. Follow Philip on Twitter: @philip_pape.

On the last day of my internship, I called in sick. I had successfully navigated the technical challenge of a software engineering internship in a major corporation, but I couldn’t stomach what I had to do next.

They were asking way too much of me.

Fear. Anxiety. Loss of breath. The symptoms of my affliction were palpable.

What was I so afraid of? An awful performance review? A meeting with the CEO?

Nope. I was afraid of giving a 15 minute presentation. In front of just 10 people.

That’s right. My boss asked me to deliver a culminating speech about my time as an intern. But I just couldn’t do it due to a crippling fear of public speaking. The choice was obvious: I called in sick.

Maybe you’ve been held back in your career by shyness. Or you’ve experienced this visceral, do-anything-to-get-out-of-it fear:

Right before I speak, my heart starts pounding, breath is short, and the fight or flight response is in full swing. The only thing that stops me from running away is I would be even more embarrassed than just doing it.
— User on Hacker News

Being famous doesn’t seem to spare anyone, either. The last thing you want is this awkward Michael Bay exit:

That story about calling in sick? That was 15 years ago. This year, I was a finalist in a Toastmasters humorous speech contest. How did I go from calling in sick because of speaking to looking forward to speaking in front of hundreds of people, all while absolutely enjoying it?

The typical advice by so-called “experts” on conquering this fear is to “talk about your passion” or “know your audience” or–my favorite–“practice, practice, practice!”

The problem with this conventional advice is that it (a) doesn’t address your core anxiety and (b) lacks concrete strategies and tactics. Sure, over the long-term, you absolutely need to practice if you want to hone the craft of speaking. But it doesn’t solve your immediate problem.

You’re looking for SPECIFIC STEPS you can take to utterly demolish your fear of public speaking.

This guide will teach you 4 unconventional steps to do just that–so you can vanquish your nerves, think on your feet, and speak with self-confidence.

Step #1: Tell a story about just one thing

Lots of speakers get hung up on presentation delivery, which leads to anxiety, which leads to the inevitable feeling of wanting to jump off the stage before speaking.

Your brain is exploding with thoughts of “should I do this” and “what if I do that”, which scares the hell out of you. You’re experiencing:

  • Information overload. You get overwhelmed by too much data.
  • Style overload. You focus on delivery instead of the key message.
  • Decision overload. You’re paralyzed by too many decisions–the paradox of choice.
  • Knowledge overload. The Curse of Knowledge cognitive bias that you already know so much about the topic, it’s impossible to imagine not knowing.

The unconventional secret is that you don’t need to be polished, poised, smooth, charismatic, smart, talented, or even speak English well. In fact, you will have an advantage by deliberately not focusing on these.

Check out the results of this Stanford experiment from the book Made to Stick:

Almost no correlation emerges between ‘speaking talent’ and the ability to make ideas stick…The stars of stickiness are the students who made their case by telling stories, or by tapping into emotion, or by stressing a single point rather than ten…A community college student for whom English is a second language could easily outperform unwitting Stanford graduate students.
— From “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath

Stories, emotion, and simplicity are massively more important than presentation at getting your idea across. And those things are much easier and less nerve-wracking to tap into than so-called speaking talent.

So keep it simple! Pick just one thing and talk about it from the heart, like you would over lunch with a friend.

Action Steps:

  • Write a story. Something you’re passionate about. Think about a favorite memory with your family or friends, and write about the people there, what you did, and how you felt. This is real-life, built-in drama.
  • Tell the story: in front of a mirror, by yourself in front of a camera, or in front of your spouse or best friend.
  • The next time you give a presentation, just tell a story about one point and appeal to the listener’s emotions. Forget about style!

Takeaway:
No matter how alluring you are, the typical, bloated, meandering speech will get crushed by one compelling story any day, no matter how the story is delivered.

Step #2: Take an improv class to fake fearless

If you’re standing in front of a crowd, act as if you already have confidence. Walk chest high, chin up, and breathe deeply (more breathing in Step #4). Imagine the audience is there to beg you for your autograph.

Teddy Roosevelt writes in his autobiography:

When a boy, I read a passage [in which] the captain of some small British man-of-war is explaining to the hero how to acquire the quality of fearlessness. He says that at the outset almost every man is frightened when he goes into action, but that he course to follow is for the man to keep such a grip on himself that he can act just as if he were not frightened. After this is kept up long enough, it changes from pretense to reality, and the man does in very fact become fearless by sheer dint of practicing fearlessness when he does not feel it.

Easier said than done, right?

Here’s how: take an improv class. Nothing will get you to act fearless and build tons of confidence 4 more than being put on the spot. Look at this Reddit comment:

I consider myself good at public speaking and I’ve been on TV a few times to talk about engineering. It’s a practiced skill not something you are inherently good at, many people never put in the practice and just assume they are bad.

Best advice is to take an improv class, as it gives you lots of on-the-spot practice and also helps teach you how to “fake” emotions and what to do if you have to improv (slide show stops working, slides are in the wrong order, etc.)
— Reddit, TBBT: Joel

Action Steps:

  • Go to Google Maps and search for “improv classes” near you.
  • Sign up for a minimum 4-session class for beginners.
  • Attend the class and learn to fake confidence to become confident.

Takeaway:
Even if you’re scared to death, pretend you’re not by using what you learn in an improv class. You’ll “become fearless” by faking fearless.

Step #3: Use the “Broody Hen” technique

You’ll love this technique. Introverts will eat this one up. This is what I call the Broody Hen technique.

ChickJust like a hen broods (sits on) and hatches her eggs, you sit on your topic and hatch the most amazing ideas from the safety of your comfortable, private space.

Abraham Lincoln wrote his most memorable speeches this way, not once practicing in front of others before it was go time. Lincoln became best friends with his material, but more importantly relied on this introspective, private ritual of brooding and hatching–rather than practice–to deliver his speeches with supreme confidence:

He thought over his talk for days, thought over it while walking back and forth between the White House and the war office…he wrote a rough draft of it on a piece of foolscap paper, and carried it about in the top of his tall silk hat. Ceaselessly he was brooding over it, ceaselessly it was taking shape.
— Dale Carnegie

After one of these brooding periods, Lincoln stayed at a tavern in Illinois. Upon waking up, his first words were, “This government cannot endure permanently, half slave and half free.” Now that’s a line.

Action Steps:

  • Buy a small Moleskine notebook and carry it with you at all times.
  • Schedule time every day just to brood–set your alarm 30 minutes earlier if you’re freshest in the morning.
  • During your “brooding” time, write down notes, fragments, and lists in your notebook that relate to your talk.
  • Keep writing your ideas down whenever they occur, any time of day or night.
  • Let the ideas marinate and “hatch”–the longer the better (at least 1 day if possible).
  • Go through your notes and pick the best ones for your presentation.
  • Arrange, revise, re-write, and edit into a final speech.
  • You now have such an intimate understanding of your topic, confidence won’t be an issue.

Takeaway:
The “Broody Hen” technique is guaranteed to take the edge off those nerves like a fine snifter of well-aged whiskey.

Step #4: Shut up (or, perfect the pause)

Pause. Breathe. Pause some more. Repeat.

Silence is the most powerful content in any speech. A solid, deliberate pause in your delivery:

  • Ramps up audience anticipation
  • Enhances the credibility of the speaker
  • Commands attention and respect to heighten authority
  • Ensures listener attention–a psychological equalizer

Pause before you speak. Pause between sentences. Pause between words. You can’t do it enough. Even if you think you’re pausing too often or for too long, you’re not.

To make it easy to pause, I like to use a speech hack called the Stanza Strategy.

Winston Churchill said that “every speech is a rhymeless, meterless verse.” In poetry, a group of lines (Churchill’s “verse”) is called a stanza. With the Stanza Strategy, you write out your speech like a poem, with very short lines–creating frequent pause points.

Here’s what a stanza looks like:

My heart from the hum of a humming bird
To the steady beat of a drum it spurred
My nerves slowly disappear
Everyone is listening including the rear
— Paige Fitzgerald

Action Steps:

  • Write out your speech in your favorite text editor.
  • Hit the Enter key after every 5 to 8 words, IGNORING punctuation.
  • Add a blank line between every sentence or paragraph. This is a stanza.
  • Practice in front of a mirror. Make sure to PAUSE after each line and LONG PAUSE after each stanza.
  • Deliver your speech this way, and you’ll come across as extra confident.

Takeaway:
Pausing is an awesome way to slow it down, take a breath (literally), and calm those nerves. Which translate to–you guessed it–more confidence.

Final Thoughts

Put these steps to use and you’ll be far ahead of the pack when it comes to speaking confidence. Let the community know what you think in the comments below. What’s holding you back? Have you tried any of these techniques, and did they work for you?