When I first started writing speeches, I struggled to know how many words to write for a speech of a given length.  The only way I would know was to rehearse the speech and time how long it lasted.

Now I have learned that I typically speak at an average of  80-100 words per minute when presenting in public and so I can quickly calculate how many words I need to write  i.e. 400-500 words for a five minute speech and so on.

Now not everybody speaks at the same pace.   Some books quote the normal speaking rate as around 125 words per minute but remember that there is a big difference between normal conversation and public speaking.   The best public speakers tend, on average to speak a bit slower so i would recommend that you start of with around 100 wpm and see how you get on.

Most word processors have a word count function built into them so it’s easy to check how much you have written.

Of course it goes without saying that when writing a speech of any length don’t  forget the basics.  You need an interesting opening, a powerful conclusion and relevant body content. and remember to rehearse it out loud.  Give as much time to planning the delivery as you do the planning the content.

Good luck

Gavin

Last night I attended a meeting of a new public speaking club called Hamwic Speakers- Southampton.  Hamwic have only been going since March but are doing extremely well.   At last nights meeting I was entranced by a wonderful speech by a young man called Rich Watts, who talked about “A trip to grandma’s“.

On the face of it, not the most exciting of topics but Rich delivered a most entertaining and excellent speech in which, by describing in vivid detail, what it was like to visit his grandmothers, from the perspective of his five year old self, he evoked powerful memories and emotions in all of us.

I was particularly impressed with the way Rich matched his energy and pace of delivery to the story he was telling.  At the start his pace was slow and measured as he described the rather boring car journey where he was too small to see much out of the car window but clouds.  Then, when he arrived at his gran’s the pace picked up dramatically as he described zooming into her house (an Aladdin’s cave for a five year old boy!) with his arms outstretched behind him pretending to be a plane.

The pace stayed high as he described how he explored and played and then slowed a little as he started to describe the other family members present.   The pace slowed further as he brought us up to the present day and how things had changed.  How his granny wasn’t as energetic as she had been, how the food wasn’t as home cooked as it had been and so on.   This “gear change”change of pace brought a poignancy and a sense of reflection to this speech that worked beautifully and lead us up nicely to Rich’s take away message.

Rich finished with two key messages, about remembering the importance of Granny and perhaps even more important, remembering (& not losing) the sense of wonder and playfulness we had when we were younger.

I hope this short article has captured the importance of being able to change gear in any speech or presentation in order to be a more effectie story teller and influencer.

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

The other day I attended a talk on procurement by a university lecturer who had vast experience in the corporate world.  The talk could have been really interesting but wasn’t.  Why? Because he assumed that his audience were all larger companies with full time purchasing and procurement departments.   In fact we were the opposite and had he done his homework he could have turned the talk around 180 degrees and looked at ways that smaller organisations can negotiate effectively with the buyers in larger companies.

He had all the knowledge and experience needed for an immensely useful talk but his chosen approach was not relevant to the audience.  What’s even worse is that he found out this mismatch early on in the presentation and did nothing about it.  he just stuck to his plan and thus continued to alienate his audience.

So what can we learn from this situation:

1) Do your research – understand your audience before you speak – don’t assume!

2) Tailor your message yo suit the needs of your audience – make it relevant.

It’s not rocket silence but yet still thousands of presenters fall into this trap every day!   I hope you won’t after reading this post.

Let me know your thoughts by posting a comment now!

I recently heard Sir Digby Jones being interviewed on BBC Radio 4.  When he admitted that he still got nervouse every time he spoke he took a bit of a ribbing from interviewer John Humphries.   Somehow people think that experienced speakers don’t get nervous.   What a load of rubbish.  Even the best speakers get nervous.  The difference is that they know how to manage those nerves.  One simple tip is to reframe or change the way you think about them.

1. See your nerves as something positive – Remember that the symptoms of nerves are caused by adrenalin and that is a source of energy which can be utilised to enhance your delivery.
2. Having nerves means that you care. If you don’t feel any nerves your speech will almost certainly be dull, boring and banal.

So next time you contemplate public speaking let go of your fear and welcome in those nerves.  Imagine the energy coursing through your body and channel it into your voice, gaze and gestures and  see it as a way of enhancing your connection with your audience.

I have been enjoying watching the first two episodes of “The Speaker”, the BBC’s new public speaking competition for teenagers. Already there have been some outstanding performances and it’s been interesting to see who and why the judges have chosen to go through to the top 20.

I have also been feeling for the people who dried up in mid speech. Why does this happen and what can be done about it?

Of course there isn’t a simple answer. In my book practice practice and more practice is critical when you have to deliver a strong message in a short time. Once you have developed a draft of the content, rehearse it and amend it a number of times until the language flows easily and “feels right”. If there are any stumbling blocks that you continually trip over then change them! Try alternative phrases until you get it right.

Finally, let go of the script and trust your ability in the moment. If you try to be word perfect and you make a mistake the whole flow is lost and self doubt comes crashing in on you. This was all to evident for some contestants in “The Speaker”.

Yes you need a structure and a logical flow but if you hold on too closely it can become a straitjacket.