A good friend of mine and fellow trainer Stella Collins drew my attention to this unusual new application which creates a “word cloud” from any web page or piece of text.   The frequency with which the words appear  in your text determines how large they appear in the Wordle image.    Apart from creating interesting graphics, it occurs to me that this little tool may give us a new way to analyse the key messages in our speeches and presentations.  Check it out at wordle.net

Here’s one I prepared earlier:

I recently read an excellent post by Andrew Dlugan where he draws some powerful lessons in speech writing from President Obamas inauguration address. We can all learn much from the study and deconstruction of effective speeches and this article is one of the clearest I have read for a while. I recommend that you set aside five minutes to read this post.

Read andrews post here

In my last post I focused on the delivery side of an impromptu speech but what about the content?   How do I stop by brain going blank and running out of things to say?

Well here are two further technique to help you wow your audience ;

Use the PEP model

• Position – Start by stating your position on the topic – do you agree or disagree?
  
• Explain – Now expand on that by explaining why you hold this view.  How can you justify it?  What evidence support it? What alternatives have you considered and why have you dismissed them?
• Position – End by restating your position confidently and authoritatively.  Some people are good at coming up with a powerful and clever closing quote but if inspiration escapes you try a simple “and so I believe ….”

Paint a picture: See, hear & feel.

Stories and case studies come to life when the speaker paints word pictures that hep us re-create the situation in our heads as they speak. To do this you need to use sensory specific language to bring your words to life.   A good tool to practice this skill is to describe  three things you could see, three things you could hear and three things you could feel (and also things you could taste and smell if appropriate).  This sort of detail really helps your audience see, hear and feel what you are talking about it.

For example, if your story is about meeting someone in the queue at the post office you could describe:

• See – What they were wearing, the looks on the faces of the other people in the queue, the curling posters on the notice boards etc.
• Hear – The muttering complaints from people in the queue next door, the laughter of a child playing at his mothers feet…
• Feel – The mounting frustration as all the other lines seemed to move faster than yours, the firmness of their grip as they warmly shook your hand etc.

Have fun experimenting with sensory word pictures and see for yourself how they can make even the dullest subject come alive.

Delivering a prepared speech can be nerve-racking enough, the thought of being put on the spot to give a short speech without any preparation or advance warning can seem to some people like their worst nightmare.

other people cope remarkably well with these situations so what can we learn from them?

Well for a start they know that every speech, even if its a short one or two minute impromptu one, needs a good structure.  A beginning that grabs the audiences attention, an ending which wraps up the speech clearly and a middle which supports the main points.

Another think they know is how important delivery is. not only for winning over the audience, but also for managing their own nerves.  The key is to behave as if you were feeling confident and confidence will come.   So how do you do this.

1) Step up - When asked to speak, smile and step forward confidently

2) Stand – Before you start to speak pause for a second and look out at your audience

3) Smile – It will relax both you and the audience

4) Speak – Begin your speech clearly and confidently.  A good tip is to repeat the question or topic you have been assigned. This buys you a few extra seconds of thinking time and allows you to get your brain in gear.

5) Stay still – Don’t dash off as soon as you have finished speaking. , Stay standing confidently and either enjoy the applause or ask for questions

Ina  later post I’ll give you some sure fire tips for structuring your “on the hoof” speech.

Gavin Meikle
The Presentation Doctor

Some people find it hard to plan and structure their speech effectively.  There are lots of models out there but here is one of my favourites.

It’s called the aeroplane approach and  is particularly useful when you know how you want your speech to finish but are not sure how to get to that end point in an effective and logical manner.

When you are planning a trip you normally start with the destination and then work out which route to take to get you there.

Destination: What is your speech conclusion, call to action or closing message?  remember you want to nail your landing and not overshoot the runway!

Routing: What stories, anecdotes, facts or evidence could you share in order to support this conclusion? What is the most effective and efficient route to get you there?

Take off: How are you going to open your presentation? What are you going to say/do to grab your audiences attention and make them want to take the trip with you?   It has to be interesting, engaging and relevant!

So there you go.  Next time you are writing a speech, try the aeroplane technique and let me know how you get on.

Gavin