complete transcription of all 6 disks - david brooks, world champion of public...

Complete Transcription of All 6 Disks

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Dave’s Top Ten Techniques Every Speaker Should KnowDavid Brooks

1990 World Champion of Public SpeakingPage 4

Power Presentations: From Penpoint to PlatformMark Brown


Simple Steps for Speaking SuccessCraig Valentine


You, Too, Can Be a World ChampionEd Tate


Got Humor? Comedy Secrets for Professional PresentationsDarren LaCroix


Speak Better, QuickerJim Key


Table of Contents

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David Brooks 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking

Dave’s Top Ten Techniques Every Speaker Should Know

I’m David Brooks, the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking. Welcome to this program I call Dave’s Top Ten Techniques Every Speaker Should Know. Unlike David Letterman’s Top Ten List, my list is not punctuated with drum rolls and laughter. That’s because the ten points I’ll make are serious. At least they can have a serious effect on your career. The fact is there is no single skill more important to your professional and personal advancement than the ability to communicate.

The lessons contained on this disk are nearly universal. I’ve taught them to communicators around the world—from Sweden to Singapore, from Ireland to Thailand and all points in-be-tween—and these techniques will work for you. So I invite you to read on and enjoy discover-ing Ten Techniques Every Speaker Should Know.

Technique One

I’m about to share with you what I’ve learned from more than a decade of intense self-study. Notice I said self-study. I was not a speech major in college. In fact, in four years of study at the University of Texas I didn’t take a single speech course. That’s because I thought I knew how to speak. The truth is, I knew how to talk.

So what’s the difference between talking and speaking? Talking is a necessity; speaking is an art. You may wonder, how can you learn an art through self-study? The way I recommend is by listening and by doing.

By listening to speakers whose skills you admire you can develop a list of skills you would like © 2004 David Brooks

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to have. So listen. Listen to everyone. Even to people you may not like. Remember, you don’t have to agree with a speaker’s message to appreciate the speaker’s skill. From now on, when-ever you hear a speaker who brings you in and holds you, whenever you hear a speaker who inspires you, persuades you, educates you, or entertains you, ask yourself, why? What is it that made that speaker connect with you? From now on I want you to listen and analyze. Of course, to analyze you must be an active lis-tener. And this is something most people are not very good at. Most people are passive listeners. In fact, George Carlin says, “Some people listen. But most people are just waiting for their turn to talk.”

Passive listening is common, it’s easy, but it is not the way to learn. To learn you must analyze. Based on what you hear and based on what you like, compile your personal wish list of skills. As soon as you have your list underway, you are on your way to being a better speaker. And that’s how you can start to learn the art.

Becoming a better listener is a good start. But remember, in addition to listening, you must learn by doing. Speaking is a skill that must be applied. It’s like riding a bicycle. You can read all the books in the world on the subject, but it won’t make sense until you get on the bike and ride. Remember the first few attempts you made at riding a bike? You probably started off a little wobbly, didn’t you? It’s the same with speaking. You can read books, listen to CDs, you can study all the great speakers, but it’s really not going to click until you are in front of an audience and it is your turn to speak. To speak well you must learn by listening and by doing. Allow me to take just a minute to put a plug in for an organization that is, without question, the single best place in the world to learn to speak: Toastmaster’s International. Simply stated, if you want to be a better speaker there is no better place to learn than Toastmasters. You can come to Toastmasters with any level of skill, or even with no speaking skills at all. and embark on your own program of self-study. If you take advantage of the opportunities Toastmasters offers, I promise you will become a better speaker. For information about Toastmasters, visit this web site www.toastmasters.org. Those are the fundamentals. Now let’s proceed to my ten specific techniques every speaker should know. First, what’s a technique? It can be a way of doing or of thinking. The first three of my techniques reflect a way of thinking. My first three techniques will help you to be a better speaker before you speak or write a single word.

Technique number one: Determine what your audience wants, needs, and expects. Right up front let me explode a common myth: “Public speaking is our number one fear.” We’ve all heard that. Many of us have even quoted it. The fact is it’s simply not true. To say we fear pub-lic speaking more than real crises, such as danger, disease, and death, is insensitive to those who

© 2004 David Brooks

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face serious trauma and life-threatening situations. Compared to real crises that provoke genu-ine, well-founded fear, public speaking is a walk in the park. So why do so many people think public speaking is a terrifying act? Why are so many people afraid to speak?

There are two main reasons:

• People fear they are going to mess up. Make no mistake about it, you will mess up. Ev-erybody does. Even the best professional speakers mess up. Please remember this:

(Speech)

The first several years in Toastmasters I thought I had to get up and give the perfect speech. It has to be flawless. No trips, no fumbles, no stumbles. Guess what? It hasn’t happened yet. (Audience laughter) Excellence is your standard; perfection is impossible. You want to be as good as you can be, but don’t get hung up on being perfect.

(End of speech)

That’s the first reason people fear speaking. They aspire to an impossible standard. Please ac-cept this. You won’t be perfect. Just aim for excellence instead.

• The second reason people fear speaking is they don’t understand what the audience ex-pects.

I hope you’ll be relieved to learn audiences don’t expect perfection either. The audience is not the enemy.

(Speech)

When people say I fear speaking, I ask, “Well, do you fear the audience?” And they say, “Yes, because they’re waiting for me to fail.”

Well they’re not. The audience is waiting for you to succeed. Did any of you come in here today thinking, ‘I hope this speaker is lousy?’ (Audience laughter) You came in with high ex-pectations, so you came in with positive enthusiasm, with high hopes. It’s just my job to fulfill those hopes. But the audience doesn’t want the speaker to fail. The audience wants a good show.

(End of speech)

More often than not the audience is on your side. That is, the people sitting in front of you want


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a good performance, not a bad one. Why? Because it’s painful to listen to a bad speaker. So take the audience’s positive expectations and draw comfort from them, secure in the knowledge that the audience usually is not your enemy. They may be opposed to your message, but they usually are not opposed to you personally—unless you’re a politician.

That’s technique number one: Determine what your audience wants, needs, and expects. Re-member, perfection is not possible. And remember the audience usually is on your side. Take their expectations, their high hopes, their kind and supportive nature and use them to your advantage. One you get past the mistaken belief that it’s you against them you will have con-quered a barrier that holds most people back.

Technique Two

Technique number two: Take control of your body. Once you’ve accepted technique number one and you’re comfortable with the notion that the audience can be your friend, you’ve gone a long way to reducing your level of stress before you even get to your speaking engagement. Mentally you’re calm, but physically you’re still a wreck. The closer you get to your speech, if you’re typical, you may experience the classic symptoms of stage fright. I know what that’s like. I’ve been there.

(Speech)

I was a few minutes away from being introduced for my very first speech in front of a group of my peers for the first time. I was experiencing the aerobic benefits of stage fright (Audi-ence laughter) I had the full body sweat. I had a pulse rate of over 300. And I had rapid, shal-low breathing.

And I noticed out of the corner of my eye across the table came the hand of an experienced Toastmaster. And he reached across and gently placed his hand on top of mine.... I looked up and he said, “Dave, can I give you some advice?”I said, “Please...(timidly)” (Audience laughter)He smiled and he said, “Lighten up!” (Yelling) (Audience laughter) He said, “It’s supposed to be fun, Dave.”

And I admit that was a concept that was lost on me at the time. (Audience laughter)Well he looked like a person that I could trust. And he said, “Do you realize you can get your nervousness under control if you’ll just take several deep breaths.”So I took his advice. (Deep inhale, deep exhales) (Audience laughter) And within just two minutes I had, in fact, hyperventilated. (Audience laughter)After I was brought to, I was introduced. I approached the lectern. I took one last deep


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breath. I got up, I gave my six-minute speech, and then I let that breath out. (Audience laughter)

(End of speech)

Why would your body do that to you? Because you’re afraid. You’re afraid of all the “What ifs.” What if I lose my place? What if I drop my notes? What if the audience doesn’t laugh where they should? What if they do laugh where they shouldn’t? What if...? What if...? What if...? Guess what? There’s a pretty good chance all of these things will happen. But, hopefully, not all in the same speech.

Every one of those What ifs and many more have happened to me. They happen to every speak-er. But to quote country singer Leann Rimes, “Big deal. So what? Who cares?” All it means is you are not perfect. So you can get over the big self-imposed hurdle of fear if you simply accept, “I won’t be perfect, and that’s okay.” The audience won’t care. In fact, an occasional stumble may even endear you to the audience. It simply shows you’re human, and therefore, approachable. Notice, though, I said an occasional stumble. I’m not recommending that you be careless or sloppy. To an audience one or two bobbles can be endearing. Ten or twelve can be infuriating. The audience won’t forgive imperfection if they can tell it’s from a lack of preparation. Your personal anxiety can be controlled, but it shouldn’t be completely eliminated. If you’re waiting to be introduced, and you are as calm and relaxed as if you’re having a massage, that’s a warning. It could be a sign of indifference.

Helen Hayes, one of the greatest actresses in American Theater history said, “Fear is a familiar friend. A constant companion, always nagging me to do my best.” Ah, even the most polished performers take comfort and inspiration in a little nervous energy.

I admit that technique number two, take control of your body, is easier said than done. It takes a lot of practice to gain an acceptable comfort level in front of an audience. Again, this is where Toastmasters can be any speaker’s best friend. Darren LaCroix, the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, has a profound, six-word man-tra: stage time, stage time, stage time. There is no substitute for the time you spend in front of an audience. The more you do it, the more comfortable you become. The more you practice in front of a real, live audience, the better you’ll be.

To close this section on control of your body I remind you of these five points:

• You rarely look as nervous as you feel.


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• Don’t sweat the “what ifs...” Sometimes you will lose your place. Sometimes you will drop your notes. Sometimes the audience will laugh in the wrong place. Accept it. Sometimes it happens even to the most seasoned speakers.

• The audience does not expect perfection, nor should you.

• There is no substitute for practice in front of a live audience. And, Toastmasters is the best place in the world to get that practice.

• Remember, as Helen Hayes said, fear is a familiar friend. A constant reminder to do my best.

Technique Three

Technique Number Three: Stop giving speeches, start having conversations. A century ago in the days of William Jennings Bryan, it was not uncommon for speakers to deliver powerful and lengthy orations. Speakers of the day were admired for their ability to mesmerize an audience with long, drawn out, passionate speeches. That was the communication style of the day. But would that style play as well today? No, not at all. It’s a cliché to say, ‘We are the MTV Generation.’ And say as a result of MTV that we have shorter attention spans. The fact is, MTV did not cause shorter attention spans. It merely reflects that trend in our society. If you watch an MTV or similar video you’ll see how quick the cuts are. It’s rare to see a single image on the screen for more than just a few seconds. This quick-cut style is an example of how the pace of communication has quickened.

No, I’m not saying you watch an MTV video for information or knowledge. Far from it. But compare the MTV style to any network news show. You’ll see a similar quick-cut style. Today, we receive news and information in thousands of short bursts, everyday, twenty-four hours a day. So how does this relate to speaking?

You should adjust your style to the way today’s audiences listen. Today’s audiences won’t toler-ate the grand, oratorical style of a century ago. Instead, today’s audiences expect a speaker to compare to what they see on television twenty-four hours a day. On television, the messages are short and the language is simple.

Watch one of the major news shows and count the number of times Tom Brokaw or Peter Jen-nings [author’s note: the previous example was cited before Mr. Jenning’s death in 2005] use a word that would send you to the dictionary. It won’t happen very often. Why? Because the pace of the news doesn’t allow for the possibility of confusion or misunderstanding.


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Speakers need to adopt this philosophy as well. Today’s most effective speakers deliver short, punchy presentations. Today’s style is conversational. James C. Humes, author of a book called The Sir Winston Method says, “A good speech is good conversation, whether seated or stand-ing.” Of course, as a speaker, you may not want to engage the audience in a conversation. But as a listener, you want to feel as if you could. Today’s best speakers are the ones who make the listener say, “I felt as if he were speaking just to me.” How do you do that?

• Involve them.

• Ask questions.

• Ask them to do something.

• Keep the listener an active participant, instead of a passive observer.

(Speech)

Let me just ask for a show of hands...I like to give speeches. How many of you feel the same way? If someone said, ‘I want you to come up here right now and give a speech’ how many of you would say, ‘Pick me! Pick me!’ (Audience laughter)

Good! I see about seven or eight hands, and this is good. What it means is that in addition to me, we have identified eight people in the room who have serious personality problems. (Au-dience laughter) The rest of us would say, ‘I’ll do it, but I’m not going to really enjoy it.’ Right? Most of us are in that category. And how many of you, just to make sure I have the other end of the spec-trum covered, how many of you would say, ‘I would have trouble leading a group in silent prayer.’ (Audience laughter) A few of you there.

And, just to make sure I’ve got everyone, how may of you don’t raise your hand in public for any reason at all? (Audience laughter) We’ve got everybody covered, then. Now I know most people in the room would not feel comfortable in front of an audience. And that’s normal. That’s why you’re here.

(End of speech)

Of course, that was in a workshop, not a formal speech. But it was an example of a playful style that will work with some audiences and some messages, but not all. Remember: speaking is not a ‘one size fits all’ activity. Yet, it was an example of how you can engage the audience through


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conversation.

A conversational style is what the great speakers of the 20th century used so effectively. Win-ston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan used their own unique conversational styles masterfully. They spoke directly to individuals in the audience. And this is the standard by which effective speakers are measured today.

Technique Four

The first three techniques dealt with ways of thinking. To remind you they were:

• Know what your audience wants.

• Control your fear by taking control of your body.

• Stop giving speeches, and start having conversations.

The next four techniques deal with the actual preparation of a speech. How to put words on paper. The first of the four is Technique Number Four: Be sure you know what you are trying to ac-complish. This is also known as determining your objective. You may think this is obvious, but many speakers don’t do it.

Have you ever heard a speaker ramble? Have you ever heard a speech all the way to the end and then ask, ‘What did he say?’ or ‘What was the point?’ If so, it’s because the speaker didn’t have a clearly defined objective. Or if he did, he didn’t let you know what it was.

(Speech)

You would think this is common, yet most people don’t do it. Most people get up and say, ‘I’ll just...

(Audience) ...wing it.

(Brooks) Wing it. Have you ever heard someone wing it? Have you ever heard someone wing it well?

(Audience) No.


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(Brooks) Most people cannot. It’s a rare skill to be able to speak off the cuff.

(End of speech)

You can speak to inform, persuade, inspire, or entertain. Your objective can be one, two, three, or all four of these. But it must be at least one. Most business speakers try to inform and per-suade. Motivational speakers usually try to persuade and inspire. After-dinner speakers usually try to entertain. Great speakers do all four, often in the same speech.

As soon as you determine what your objective is, that is, what you want the audience to do, think, or feel as a result of your speech, put your objective to this test. I call it the business card rule. This simply means write your objective on the back of a business card. A business card will hold about one, hand-written sentence. That’s how succinct your objective should be. If you can’t state your objective in one simple sentence you aren’t ready to write.

Technique Five

Technique Number Five: Say all that’s necessary, and not a word more. As I mentioned in tech-nique number four the most common way speakers fail is by not determining what they want the audience to think, feel, or do.

The next most common way speakers fail is by trying to cover too much ground. Poor speakers think they can mask poor quality with great quantity. Poor speakers reason: I’m going to throw every bit of information I have at them and let the listeners decide what they need. This, of course, is a bad idea. As listeners we don’t want to have to evaluate, interpret, or edit the speak-er’s poorly formed thoughts. That’s the speaker’s job.

Have you ever heard a speaker who missed at least three great opportunities to conclude? I think we all have. Any time I hear a speaker go on far too long, I recall a story from Mark Twain.

He’s telling of being present in a church one sweltering Sunday evening to hear a missionary who was raising money for the homeless. He wrote, “Well, Mr. Hawley worked me up into a great pitch. I could hardly wait for him to get through. I had four hundred dollars in my pocket, and I wanted to give him that and borrow more to give. You could see the greenbacks in every eye. But instead of passing the plate then, he kept on talking and talking...and as he talked, it grew hotter and hotter. And we kept growing sleepier and sleepier. My enthusiasm went down, down, down, at a hundred dollars a clip, until finally, when the plate did come around, I stole ten cents from it out of pure spite.”


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What a great lesson! On another occasion Twain wrote, “Few sinners are saved after the first twenty minutes of a sermon.” The lesson is clear. As Shakespeare wrote, “Tis better to be brief, than tedious.”

Technique Six

Technique number four dealt with determining your objective. Number five was “say all that’s necessary, and not a word more.” Next is an organizational technique. Number six is: Construct your speech like a symphony.

There’s a big difference between listening to a speech and reading an article. The information may be the same, but the receiver processes that information differently. When you’re reading, if a point is unclear, you can always go back and re-read. But unless you’re listening to a speak-er on tape or CD you can’t go back and re-hear.

(Speech)

This is the way that our brain works. I told you that if I tell you, you will forget. Even if you are taking notes.

Twenty-four hours from now you will forget 50 percent of everything that we covered. You’ll forget half in one day. In twenty-four more hours, a total of 48 hours from now, (Audience laughter) you will forget another 50 percent. (Audience laughter) This does not mean that you will forget everything. You math whizzes understand that means half of what you had left. So you will have, this time Monday, only a 25 percent retention. And do you realize, 72 hours from now, some of you will swear you weren’t even here today? (Audience laughter)

Now that last one is a joke. There is no truth to that. But the first two are true. You’re going to forget three-quarters of this, no matter how good your notes are, in 48 hours. That’s just the way our brains work. And so, I encourage you to remember the three Rs. The three Rs of speaking are these: Repetition plus Restatement will help your message be Remembered.

(End of speech)

This is why a speaker should take extra care to construct a speech in an easy-to-follow manner. Do you remember in school how your English teacher told you before you write your paper you should write your outline? Sure, we all heard that. But how many of us actually did it? If you’re like me, you wrote your paper, then went back and wrote the outline to fit it.

Please don’t do that when you’re writing a speech. A clear, easy-to-follow speech depends on


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advance planning and good organization. A good speech needs a good outline. Fortunately, a speech outline doesn’t have to be structured as the old outlines you were supposed to write in school. Your English teacher insisted that if you have an A you must have a B. If you have a 1 you must have a 2. This was good for learning parallel construction for writing. But in speeches, such symmetry is not necessary.

There are dozens of structures you could follow in a speech. There’s the ‘If/Then’ outline. That is, that if this happens, then this will be the result.

Similarly, there’s the ‘Cause/Effect’ outline. Because we didn’t do this, the effect will be this. There’s the ‘Pro/Con’ structure. That is, these are the plusses, now here are the minuses. Here’s the good news; here’s the bad.

And there’s the chronological structure, That is, “To determine how we got in this predicament today, let’s look at where we started.”

None of these follow the classic outline rules. However, I do believe one principle your English teacher preached is great for speakers. That is, start with a thesis sentence. Or in speech terms, a theme. And then support it with as many examples as necessary. The key point is one theme.

Churchill wrote, “A speech is like a symphony. It can have many movements, but it must have one dominant theme.” If you have three or four or five points to make, find the common thread. What is the one theme that unites these points? What is the one umbrella all of these points fit under? When you determine your common thread and develop your theme your outline is prac-tically done. Perhaps the best example of a speech being like a symphony is one of the most famous speeches in American history. It’s Dr. Martin Luther King’s brilliant, “I Have a Dream” speech which he delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. August 28, 1963. Copyright law will not allow me to include any audio clips from this incredible speech. But if you want to read it, and I hope you will, you will find it at this web site [author’s note: the link cited is now longer valid. Instead, you may find the speech text here:] http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/Ihaveadream.htm

Dr. King’s speech is a classic example of technique number six. Construct your speech like a symphony.

Technique Seven

Technique Number Seven: Write your speech—word for word. ‘Ah,’ you say, ‘that’s contrary


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to what I’ve been told.’ It’s true, there are two schools of thought on this point. Some say write your speech, some say don’t. I say, write it—word for word.

(Speech)

Oh...some of you are saying, ‘What? Write your speech? Word for word? Write it out?’

Why? (Audience) You can count the words.

(Brooks) Yes, because you can count the words. Have you ever written a speech that was way, way, way too long for the time that was allotted? You won’t do that if you write the speech, do a quick little word count, and if it’s 1500 words, and you know you speak at 150 words per minute, then you know you have written...

(Audience) Ten minutes.

(Brooks) Ten minutes of material. It’s very simple. Then you go back and you put all the text into notes, and you speak from notes. You don’t read the speech. You don’t ever, ever, ever read the speech. But do write it because it will force discipline and economy. And you will be on time, plus or minus thirty seconds, every time you do that. So yes, write your speeches, do your word count, then you will know how much to add or cut. And don’t ever go over time. As Toastmasters we know this, right?(Audience) Uh huh.

(Brooks) In fact, I’ve already written my tombstone. It’s gonna say, “The red light just came on.” (Audience laughter)

I once spoke at a district conference. They invited me to do the keynote address for the Satur-day morning kick-off. They said from 8:00 to 8:45. I prepared forty-five minutes. I got there Friday night. I saw the conference planner. I said.” I want to make sure I start at 8:00.”She said, “Well, the opening ceremony starts at 8:00.” I said, “Well what will that include?”She said, “A proclamation from the mayor, the parade of banners, the pledge, the invocation, and we have a color guard.”I said, “So okay, when will I start?”She said, “About 8:35.” (Audience laughter)So I’m adding up 45 minutes from that and I said, “So I need to stop at about 9:20?”And she said, “Oh, no, no no. You need to be finished at 8:45.” (Audience laughter) I said, “You want me to give you a ten-minute keynote address?”And she said, “Could you?” (Audience laughter)


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I said, “Well, I’ve prepared 45 minutes.”She said, “Could you cut some?” (Audience laughter)That’s when I realized I wasn’t dealing with the sharpest knife in the drawer. (Audience laughter) I said, “Well yeah, I could go back to my room and take out the verbs.” (Audience laughter)And she said, “If that works for you.” (Audience laughter)Don’t ever go over time. And always ask before you start when you’re supposed to stop.

(End of speech)

This can be helpful for speakers of any skill level. But it’s most important for speakers who are inexperienced or insecure. Any time you hear a speaker start to ramble, if he had a script, he strayed from it. Or more likely, he didn’t have a script to follow in the first place. This is how you get unfocused, rambling speeches. But if you write your speech, you almost always can say more and more directly than if you just get up and wing it.

However, and this is a big however remember, good speakers write their speeches. Bad speakers read them. Don’t ever, ever stand before an audience and read a speech. If that’s what you had in mind, turn your script into an article and save everybody some time. Instead, take your writ-ten script, edit it, practice it, and polish it. Then when you’re confident you have the right words in the right order, and you’re saying no more than necessary, type your written text onto key-word notecards, and speak from those. If you’ve practiced your edited text enough and you’re comfortable with the stories and examples you’re using, all you’ll need are keywords to keep you on track. Good speakers translate a written script into conversational notes.

Writing a speech word for word gives you one other significant advantage. It allows you to hit your target time, plus or minus thirty seconds, every time. All you have to know is how fast you speak.

In the U.S., on the average, men speak at the rate of 125 words per minute. Women speak at the rate of 150 words per minute. Remember these are averages. Your actual words per minute may vary. If you’re from the Deep South, for example, you may speak slower. If you’re from New York you may speak a little faster. So how do you find out your rate of speech? Get a stopwatch and a book. Start timing when you start reading. And read aloud, that’s important. It must be read aloud since we speak slower than we read. When the stopwatch hits one minute stop and count the words you spoke. There’s your rate of speech. Do it three or four times with different texts and average them to be sure.

Allow me to demonstrate. The following passage is from Mark Twain’s New England Weather. I’m going to read you one minute of text. Listen to my rate of speech and see if you can deter-


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mine how fast I’m speaking.

(Reading)

If we hadn’t our bewitching autumn foliage we would still have to credit the weather with one feature which compensates for all its bullying vagaries—the ice storm—when a leafless tree is clothed with ice from bottom to top—ice that is as bright and clear as crystal; when every bough and twig is strung with ice beads, frozen dew drops, and the whole tree sparkles, cold and white, like the Shah of Persia’s diamond plume. Then the winds waves the branches, and the sun comes out and turns all those myriad of beads and drops to prisms, that glow and burn and flash with all manner of colored fires, which change and change again, with inconceivable rapidity, from blue to red, from red to green, and from green to gold; the tree becomes a spraying fountain, a very explosion of daz-zling jewels; and it stands there the acme, the climax, the supremest possibility in art or na-ture, of bewildering, intoxicating, intolerable magnificence! (End of reading)

So that was one minute of text. How many words do you think I covered in that one minute? Remember, the average is 125 to 150 words per minute. It may surprise you; I just covered 164 words. As a result, I can compute my average rate of speech is 150 to 165. So how will this knowledge help me when I’m writing a speech?

Let’s say I’m invited to speak for 20 minutes. I’ll take the 20 minutes, multiply it by 165, and I’ll know the maximum number of words I can say. That would be 3300 words. And if I write my speech word for word, all I have to do is a quick word count. And this is just a couple of keystrokes in most word processing programs. And I’ll then know how many words I have to add or cut.

And as long as I don’t stray from my script this formula will allow me to hit my target time, plus or minus thirty seconds, and it will work the same for you. In addition to delighting the meeting planner who hired you, you’ll be able to get the maximum use of the time you’re al-lowed.

Technique Eight

Technique Number Eight: The greatest speaker’s greatest tool.

The most valuable tool in any speaker’s arsenal is a story. If you take nothing else with you


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from this program tonight please take this. Put in the margin, right now—start a story file....Start a story file.

Every time something inspires you, entertains you, persuades you, or informs you, write that story down. You don’t have to write it out entirely, just write something that will make you re-member the story. And when you start to do a speech, and you have a point, you want to anchor it with a story.

I heard this from a great speaker named Bill Gove at the Toastmasters’ Convention in 1992. A decade ago I heard him say, “Public speaking is simply this: make a point, tell a story. Make another point, tell another story. Make another point, tell another story.”

He said years after he will have spoken somewhere someone will see him at an airport and they’ll come up to him and say, “Bill, I still remember the story you told about...” and they’ll tell him the story.

He said he’ll always be flattered and smile and say, “That’s great! But any chance do you re-member the point?” (Audience laughter)

And they’ll say, “No, but I remember the story!” (Audience laughter)And he said he’ll laugh with them and then he’ll say, “But if you got the story, you got the point.”

I heard him say that in ’92. And I immediately thought, ‘Great advice, Bill, if you’ve climbed Everest. If you’ve conquered cancer and then gone on to win the Tour de France...three or four or five or six times.’ Those are stories, and I had nothing to compare.

Then four years later, one morning I was reading in the Austin American Statesman L.M. Boyd’s trivia column and one little item screamed off the page at me. It said we all share these six emotions. Write them down, please. We all share the same six emotions.

• Happiness

• Sadness

• Anger

• Surprise

• Disgust


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• Fear

And for some reason, the moment that I read that, I thought back to what Bill Gove said, “Make a point, tell a story.” And I brought the two together. And I said, ‘Oh, if I have a little story, a little daily everyday story that inspires one of those six emotions, then it will connect with any-one else.’

It’s when I made that connection that it changed the way I spoke. I stopped giving speeches and started having conversations by telling stories. It made all the difference for me and it will for you too.

You think, “I don’t have any stories.” Of course you do. They don’t have to be big. They don’t have to be life changing. They don’t have to be awe-inspiring. They can just be simple little slice-of-life moments. I’ll give you three quick examples.

I have an eight-year-old son now. His name is Matthew. When he was four he learned how to spell his name as a result of computer games. You know that they always require him to log in. And for the longest time he asked for me to do it for him. And at a certain time I said, “No. If you want to play the game you have to spell your name.”

So he had learned how to spell Matthew by hunting and pecking on the keyboard. He was away from the keyboard one day and I asked him to spell his name. He said, “M-A-T-T-H-E-W Enter.”

How many of you have had something just as good as that happen to you? Are you using it? If not, it’s wasted. I heard it, I laughed, I wrote down ‘Matthew’ on an index card. That’s all I needed because I remember that story.

Just to give you an idea of its power. I was fortunate to speak in Sweden to Volvo for three consecutive years. The second year I was there I had that story and I said I’ll try it. I tried it and they laughed. They loved it. The third year I went back, a man came up to me, stuck out his hand and said, “Enter.”

And that’s proof to me: if a little snippet like this is remembered halfway around the world, in a different country, in a different culture, it has power. It’s not a powerful story, but the example is powerful because I can use it and people will remember it.

Give you one more quick Matthew story. He was in kindergarten a couple of years ago with a boy from Japan. And the boy’s name was Kiuhe. And the boy spoke very little English. And


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Matthew said one day, “Sometimes I have trouble understanding Kiuhe. He speaks Japanese. But he laughs in English.”

My last little story was simply overheard in Lake Tahoe, Caesar’s Palace. Big casino hotel, I was having breakfast. People at the table next to me were having breakfast. One woman was finished early. She said, “I going to go ahead and leave. I’m going to go to the slot area. Come find me there.”

One of the other people at the table said, “Well the slot area’s huge. How are we going to find you?”

She said, “Well why don’t you just come to the machine’s that’s going ding, ding, ding, ding.”And I thought, “Yes!”And then she said, “I’ll be on the machine next to it.”

And I overheard it, and it’s a great little story. You all have stories as good or better than those. Those were for laughs. But you can make other points with them. That’s the beauty of these little stories. One story doesn’t necessarily make only one point. You can use them in different places. Even if you just want to lighten up the mood. So start that story file. Any time anything inspires you, or angers you, makes you happy, makes you sad, surprises you, or disgusts you, write it down.

Please don’t forget technique number eight. The greatest bit of speaking advice I ever received. Make a point, tell a story. Because the story is the greatest speaker’s greatest tool.

Technique Nine

Technique Number Nine: Everybody needs to laugh. Like the first three of my ten techniques, number nine is also a way of thinking.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m no comedian. Darren LaCroix, the 2001 World Champion, he is a comedian. He’s done stand-up comedy for years. He can write funny material, but that’s not a strength of mine. However, just because I’m not proficient at writing funny material it doesn’t mean that I can’t use humor in my presentations.

First, let’s explore why humor in a speech is important. When we laugh, we relax. When we relax, we learn. We learn during moments of pleasure. That’s why it’s important to trainers. So why is it important to platform presenters, keynote, and after dinner speakers for example? Simply put, there’s an axiom in the speaking business that goes: Question: Do I have to use hu-mor in my speeches? Answer: Only if you want to be paid.


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Humor is an indispensable tool that every speaker could, and probably should, use. But how do you use humor? How do you get a laugh if you are not a naturally funny person? The follow-ing clip will show you how. It’s taken from another of my audio-learning disks called Say It In Seven. If you’ve heard that program, well, I’ll bet you’ll still enjoy hearing the humor all over again. Laughter’s like that. It rarely wears out its welcome.

(Speech)

I recommend that you stay away from jokes because most people cannot tell them. Most jokes are not appropriate for mass consumption. And the funniest jokes you ever hear you go, “Oh, I can’t tell that in public.” (Audience laughter) Let’s face it. There are some good ones that you simply can’t share with everybody. But you can always use humor like we’ve done here today. I’m going to share with you several other examples. Do any of you watch Jay Leno on Mon-day nights when he does his headlines segment? I have been collecting things like that for many, many years.

This, for example, is a sign I saw on a restroom door of a community center. This is a little presentation technique. You’ll notice I’ve masked off the bottom of the slide. The reason for that? If I put up the whole slide up at one time, people read at different rates, and as a result you get rolling laughter, as people go Oh.oh.oh.oh...all the way across. (Audience laughter) It happens that way. And in some places the laugh comes about a minute late. (Audience laugh-ter) So I am going to show you the punch line here all in one shot. The sign on the restroom door said, ‘Restroom closed. Except for Special Events’ (Audience laughter) Well, wouldn’t that be special. (Audience laughter)

Do you realize that you can drive north on Interstate 35 right now and just outside of Pfluger-ville you will see a ‘Amor Ron Park.’ (Audience laughter) Some of you are just now picking up... (Audience laughter) Some of you are laughing and you’re not sure why... (Audience laughter)This one is a sign outside a restaurant. It says, ‘Dinner Specials Turkey $4.35, Chicken or Beef $4.25, Children $3.00’ (Audience laughter)

The next one I’m still kind of puzzled about. ‘Small babies have lower incomes.’ (Audience laughter)And the next one a friend of mine sent me. Again he’d seen these and he sent me this one as one of the best examples of the misuse of a word, ‘Holiday Death Toll Falls Short of Goal’ (Audience laughter) Apparently, some of you weren’t trying hard enough... (Audience laugh-


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ter)Believe it or not. Classified ad: Teach your child to read in 1200 easy lessons. (Audience laughter) Or if that’s too complicated you can buy ‘Hooker on Phonics.’ (Audience laughter) And rather reasonably priced, I might add. (Audience laughter)

This is from a little item. It’s Ways to Show Kids You Care. And you see this came from the Austin-Travis County Human Sevices Department. Ways to Show Kids You Care, and the first one says, ‘Learn their names.’ (Audience laughter) I can’t write anything like this, folks. (Audience laughter)

This is from a menu at the Austin Club, downtown Austin. There were two items that were tempting here on the menu. One is a breast of chicken, as you see was ‘baked in butter and lemon juice until it’s delicately tender.’ Then you see it’s ‘seasoned most tactfully’ (Audience laughter) How do you season a chicken tactfully? What do you apologize to it? (Audience laughter) ‘I’m terribly sorry...I must rub you with little salt and pepper--do trust you won’t mind...’ (Audience laughter)

That was tempting. But the very next item was even better, the quiche. ‘A superb quiche pre-pared daily according to the imaginary skills of the chef.’ (Audience laughter)And one of my favorites was the back of Parade magazine. And this is where they sold plants. And underneath each one of the plants they would put a description about something to try to entice you to buy it. Well, you can tell that the person who wrote the copy really didn’t like the hybrid poplar, as you will see. The copy says, ‘Hybrid poplars grow up to eight feet a year, perfect as a wind break, shade tree, or for firewood.’ (Audience laughter)

(End of speech)

More than a dozen laughs in five minutes. And not a single, traditional joke in the bunch. Every laugh came as a result of observation and attitude. My philosophy for using humor is simply this: Find what makes you laugh, and find a way to share it. It’s simply amazing to me what kind of response some of these simple observations consistently bring.

Five of the examples you heard are repeated in the example just ahead. That is, they’re the same stories, but different audiences. I do this to show just how consistently they work. Sometimes better than others. Two of these examples get 15-second laughs. And that’s a phenomenal re-sponse.

(Speech)

The first one is a headline that is in the “well duh!” category. It says, ‘Three inmates who hid


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inside a prison here for nearly 60 hours this week have been located. But the headline in-trigued me. It was ‘Inmates Found in Prison.’ (Audience laughter)

* * * *

It says, ‘Holiday Death Toll Falls Short of Goal’ (Audience laughter) Goal! Let me read it to you. It says, “The Texas Department of Public Safety expected 31 people to die during the Labor Day weekend. That goal was not met.” (Audience laughter) It seems some of you are not trying hard enough. (Audience laughter)

* * * *

A friend sent me this one. A sign on a restroom door at a community center. ‘Restroom closed. Except for Special Events’ (Audience laughter) Say, that would be special, wouldn’t it? (Audience laughter)

* * * *

Here’s how to tell if you are on a really, really bad road. It says, ‘Danger Ahead. Fasten Safety Belts and Remove Dentures.’ (Audience laughter)

* * * *

It says, ‘May cause drowsiness. May cause insomnia.’ (Audience laughter) I called the phar-macist back and said, “You want to explain that one to me?” He paused a minute and he said, “Well, why don’t you just take it in bed?” (Audience laughter)

* * * *

In Austin, Texas you can get in your car and drive just north of the city and find a Tramell-Crowe developed office park, a very nice attractive business park. It has a rather unusual name. I have a copy of the sign here. It’s Amor Ron Park. A-Mor-ron-park. (Audience laugh-ter) Now, when I saw that first I was driving 70 miles an hour and I had to stop and back up 5 miles on the access road to make sure I had just passed a moron park. (Audience laughter) And when I saw it I was disturbed. But I was even more disturbed when I saw that the office park is full. (Audience laughter)

** * *

There’s a picture of three trees. There’s the magnolia tree, a red maple, the hybrid poplar,


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and there’s a nice description under each one of them. Well, you can tell that the copywriter wasn’t a big fan of the hybrid poplar because underneath it says, ‘Grows up to eight feet a year. Perfect as a wind break, shade tree, or for firewood.’ (Audience laughter)

* * * *

I’ll show you this headline in two stages. The first slide is the first two lines. It says, ‘Eleven patients escape from mental hospital’ it was completed with ‘Police recapture thirteen.’ (Au-dience laughter)

(End of speech)

All that, and not a single joke. I’ve just illustrated the how and why of using humor. How? Find what makes you laugh and find a way to share it. Why? Because when we laugh, we relax. And when we relax, we learn. Technique Ten

Technique Number Ten: Don’t use PowerPoint if you can’t use it well.

Up till now I’ve dealt exclusively with speaking without auxiliary equipment. However, a recent trend is inescapable. PowerPoint has gained such prominence in so many presentations I feel compelled to give a little guidance on how not to use it. My list includes Eight Don’ts.

• Don’t substitute technology for skill. Many bad speakers are trying to hide behindfancy PowerPoint shows. And it always shows. Bells and whistles, skewed rotating type, and gaudy backgrounds will not improve a bad speaker. PowerPoint is not a substitute for preparation. A bad presenter with PowerPoint is still a bad presenter.

• Don’t read your slides to the audience. If everything you say is on the screen, why are you there? Use your slides as notes; something to summarize or to reinforce your words not duplicate them. And when you do have to look at the screen, look at your computer screen, not the screen behind you. Why? You don’t want to turn your back to the audience.

• Don’t give the audience an eye examination. As a general rule you should not use typesmaller than 36pt. I try to keep it 48pt. or larger. Yes, bigger type may mean more slides, but it’s better to have two readable slides than one unreadable one.

• Don’t play with type just because the computer lets you. If you know about the buttoncalled WordArt, please do me a favor and forget you ever heard about it. And if you don’t know


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what I’m talking about, good—I’m not going to tell you where it is. WordArt is a horrible little feature that allows you to condense, compress, skew, stretch, twist, and twirl type. And this is not a good thing. Typography is an art, just like speaking is. Just as you want your skill to be respected, please respect the typographer’s skill. Please don’t create a typographical train-wreck just because the computer lets you.

• Don’t turn off all the lights when you fire-up PowerPoint. Remember watching safetyfilms in school? Remember what happened when the lights went out? It still does. Enough said.

• Don’t violate copyright laws. Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert cartoons, said he’salways amazed how many people proudly come up to him and announce they’re ripping him off. He said hundreds of people have told him, ‘Oh, Mr. Adams, I use your Dilbert cartoons in my PowerPoint shows all the time.’ As if they think he’ll be happy for them. He said he asks for their business cards, which they always gladly supply, then he turns the cards over to his attor-ney who promptly contacts the copyright offenders with a tersely worded demand. Copyright law is complex. Don’t get tangled up in its web by professing ignorance.

• Don’t blame others for equipment failures. As the presenter, you are in charge. Ifsomething goes wrong, you are still in charge. If you try to blame someone else, it will merely diminish your stature in the eyes of the audience. If something breaks, admit it, accept it, and proceed to your back-up plan.

• Don’t forget: You are the message. It doesn’t matter how many slides you have, or howmany bullet points you’ve squeezed on them. No one ever left a PowerPoint presentation say-ing, ‘Wow! What great bullet points!’ The audience should remember only you. And, as in any presentation, that’s just as it should be.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this program and are able to use the techniques I’ve described. If you have any unanswered questions, or if you would like to just tell me how some of these tech-niques have helped you, I’d love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at [email protected]. Until then, here’s hoping that something I said will enable you to be a better speaker.

If you’d like to know about my other audio training programs for speakers, please visit my web site www.DavidBrooksTexas.com. There you’ll be able to see what other programs I have avail-able and listen to a short audio-clip of each. Drop in often. New resources are being added all the time. And if you have suggestions for other programs you’d like to see, I’d like to hear from you.


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Mark Brown 1995 World Champion of Public Speaking

Power Presentations:From Penpoint to Platform

I’m Mark Brown, the 1995 World Champion of Public Speaking. Since you’re listening to this audio program, it’s very likely that you’ve either had to give a speech or make a presentation. If neither is true, don’t worry, you will soon enough!

Section One

Today I want to share some principles that have helped me tremendously in my professional speaking career. Whenever I speak, my heart’s desire is to touch people’s heads, to make them think; to touch their hearts, to make them feel; and to touch their hands, to make them act. I’ll discuss what I call two basic processes that are necessary in creating a power presentation. Techniques that have helped me to touch others. First, I’ll talk about the preparation, or using the pen point. And then I’ll talk about the presentation, which is using the platform.

So, let’s get started as we examine how to create power presentations, from pen point to plat-form.

Section Two

So, you’ve been asked to give a presentation. Perhaps it’s at your office, at the local Lions, Kiwanis, or Rotary Club. Or maybe you have to speak at your Chamber of Commerce or local Toastmasters club. Where do you begin?

Preparation. Before you take on the platform you have to take up your pen. The pen is the start-

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ing point of your power presentation. Most likely, if you were asked to speak it’s because you have expertise in a certain subject area. You may even be an authority on that subject. That does not negate the importance of good preparation.

It’s a good idea to do some research. Information is readily available on the Internet, newspa-pers and newsmagazines, on television, and in the minds of others who share a passion for your subject. If possible, it might be useful to interview someone else who is an authority on that subject. It may give you a different perspective on the issue, one that you can share with your eager audience.

Maybe you’re giving a new speech at your local community center or Toastmasters club, and you have to now select the topic. Well, choose one that’s important to you. That’s right. It should have the element of personal passion, because when something is personal, it becomes important.

But let me offer you a word of caution. You may be passionate about a particular subject, but it may not have universal appeal. You do well to ask yourself: Will my audience be able to relate to this? And is it relevant today? If the answer is yes, then I think you are ready to use your pen. Remember, the expert needs to research the topic, and so do you.

Section Three

Your next task is to assemble the ideas that you want to present in a clear and cohesive man-ner. Decide on a central theme for your talk. When you have an abundance of information and passion for your topic, you can so easily be tempted to cram every bit of information into your speech. As you write or type your speech, think about it and then read your thoughts carefully. Following the train of thought, there should be a common thread running throughout. Have you ever heard a speaker who seemed to be covering everything and nothing? Who failed to make a single point? Whenever I hear one I think, “Hmm! They must be in politics.” I’m just kidding! But seriously, look at your notes and make sure they follow a logical sequence.

Section Four

Once you have your topic and essential theme and a mass of information, what’s next? The structure of the speech. A power presentation has three basic elements:

• the opening,

• the body, and

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• the conclusion.

Let’s look at each of those in detail.

First, the opening. Have an unforgettable opening. The first ninety seconds can make or break your presentation. And this is especially true when you speak at a breakfast, luncheon, or din-ner event. Most often the audience sits at circular tables during meal events. And this is a hazard to even the most experienced speaker, because circular tables are conducive to conversation. People are going to talk to each other. And if you don’t get your audiences attention and keep it within ninety seconds the task of winning them over can be monumental.

One way to solve this is to involve your audience early. And here are a few opening techniques that can accomplish this.

1. Ask a question. When you ask a question you evoke a response from the audience, you get them involved. Write down possible questions that you can ask in your opening. And be sure they are likely to spark interest and involve the audience.

2. Give an instruction that requires a verbal or physical response. I’ll discuss this in further detail later on in the program.

3. Use a quote. Quoting someone notable will most likely arouse the audience’s curiosity about your perspective on someone else’s words.

4. Tell a short story. A short one...and make sure it leads to the main point of your message.

5. Tell a joke. A good one! But again, make sure it leads to the main point of your message.

6. Make a provocative statement. This should really get their attention. However, be careful not to be offensive. For example, you could say, “Immigration has caused nothing but problems in America for the last fifty years...At least, that’s what some people think.”

7. Sing a portion of a song. This usually works well for the speaker with an average or bet-ter singing voice. It could also work for the speaker with a poor singing voice if he or she will use it for dramatic effect.

8. Give a brief, dramatic demonstration. The reenactment of an event can be a very strong attention-getter particularly if the audience is familiar with the event. Whichever of these eight techniques you should choose, write it in such a way that your audi-ence will remember you.

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Section Five

Now that you have your unforgettable opening, you need to pen the body of your speech. My favorite technique for doing this, for making the middle memorable, is what I call the irie tech-nique.

Now I’m Jamaican. And irie is a Jamaican word that means fantastic. When everything is irie, man, everything is going really well. Sweet.

Now there are four elements necessary to make the middle of your speech irie and I will use the four letters, I-R-I-E, to represent each of them.

The first I stands for Information. These are the stats, the facts and figures that speakers often use when making a point. It’s important to give your audience valuable information, the stuff that’s useful to them. And this is especially true for technical presentations.

For example, if you are giving a speech about the relationship between seatbelt use and traffic fatalities you might say something like this: The numbers reveal that over the past ten years, twenty-three percent of people who died in traffic accidents were not wearing their seatbelts. Now that would be valid information. However, while raw data are always valuable, numbers and stats can be mundane and downright boring when presented alone. And that’s where the R in irie comes in.

R represents real life or reality. An old saying goes like this: Facts tell; stories sell. There is wisdom in those words. If you want your facts to come alive, then tell stories to support them. Simple. If you make a point, then tell a story to back it up. You make more points, tell more stories. Stories put a human face on an abstract concept.

Let’s use the seatbelt example. You could reinforce your point by giving a story after you give statistics. It might go something like this: The numbers show that over the past ten years twen-ty-three percent of people who died in traffic accidents were not wearing their seatbelts. Brad was one of those twenty-three percent.

He was eighteen years old and bound for college on a baseball scholarship. He got good grades in school and he was really great in baseball. He was a powerful left-hand pitcher and had bro-ken two high school pitching records.

One night in February, he and his friends Josh and Allen were on their way home from a friend’s house. Now these were good kids. They weren’t smoking, drinking, doing any drugs, or

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getting into trouble. They were just trying to get home.

Josh was driving that night. Two miles from Brad’s home Josh hit a patch of ice and lost con-trol of the car. He hit a tree and skidded into an embankment. Josh had a few broken bones and Allen broke his wrist. Brad was not so fortunate. He was thrown from the car and he broke his neck. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

Investigators discovered that, had Brad worn his belt, most likely he would have survived. A promising future was cut short and a family now grieves because Brad didn’t buckle up. Do you see the difference? A story makes a statistic real and it involves the emotions of the audience.

Now where do you find stories? I say from your own life and your own experiences. So many speakers these days use stories from the Chicken Soup series or tell a story of some famous person who triumphed over seemingly insurmountable odds. Think about it. How many times have you heard about Abe Lincoln’s many failures and final success? Or the failures of Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC?

Now please, don’t get me wrong, okay? These stories are wonderful, touching, and moving. But, they are also overused. The best stories to tell are your own. I’ll repeat it again. The best stories to tell are your own.

Now you may think that you don’t have enough personal stories to tell. Let’s face it, not ev-eryone has had a dramatic, near-death experience or overcome some great obstacle. But your stories don’t have to be the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters to be effective. They just have to be real. The more your audience can relate to your stories the greater the impact will be. Tell stories about things that happened at work or at school. Tell how a news story or television pro-gram affected you. Talk about the experience you had on a vacation, a business trip, or a visit to some unique place.

And think about this: When you read a good book or see a good movie what do you do? You tell your friends about it. Why? Because something in the story had an impact on you. Talk about those things in your speech. Now there’s no need to tell the whole story, but you can use scenes and scenarios to make your point.

And possibly your greatest source for stories, both serious and humorous, is your family. It certainly is one of my favorites and works very well for me, whether I speak to adults or young people. Remember this: Nobody but you can tell your story. And nobody but you can tell your story in the way that you can. By telling your story you establish a relationship with the audi-ence. Yes, they want to hear you. But more importantly, they want to know you.

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Telling your story can also lead to the second I in irie, Inspiration. As far as is possible, say something to inspire your audience. In the seatbelt example I gave before I told you stats and a real-life story to support it. My next task would be to inspire the audience to act responsibly and wear seatbelts.

At some point in your speech, find a way to uplift the audience. Say something that will make them feel that it was worthwhile spending time and money listening to what you have to say. Inspiration often comes from the E in irie: Entertainment. Now entertainment comes in many forms. Drama, music, poetry, and humor are a few examples. As you write your speech, think about ways to incorporate them.

You may find that one of the points you want to make can be enhanced if you play a particular piece of background music. Perhaps you’ll find that singing a portion of a song will significant-ly reinforce one of your points. And by the way, I use this technique frequently. It really works for me.

No doubt you’ve heard speakers recite poetry in their presentations. It’s a common practice. If you find that poetry can complement your message, then use it. That’s okay.

Humor is also important. Almost every speaker uses humor, even if his or her subject matter is serious. Please don’t assume that humor is restricted to a set of one-liners or jokes. Sure, that works well if you are doing a stand-up comedy routine. But while jokes are inherently humor-ous, or at least they’re supposed to be, they are not the only source of humor. There is humor in everyday situations. That’s why we enjoy sitcoms on television so much.

Now me, I’m no joke writer so I prefer to tell humorous stories. Now this may seem strange to you, but do you realize that some people go so far as keeping a file or catalog of their jokes and humorous stories? That’s right. If that works for you, then go for it! Drama, music, poetry, and humor–all of these will add to the entertainment value of your speech.

You can also use the language to your advantage. Word selection can play a major role in in-troducing a rhythm to your words and painting word pictures. Let’s say you’re talking about a vacation by the beach. You might say something like this. “We really enjoyed the beach in Jamaica. It was a great opportunity to kickback, relax and forget about work for a few days.” That’s clear, and certainly effective. But, by painting a word picture, this is what it could be-come.

“Jamaica....Oh! It was paradise! We strolled along the beautiful white sand beach, with the sand and surf flowing between our toes as we held hands. As far as our eyes could see there was

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clear, blue water. And the warm breeze gently kissed our faces. And for seven glorious days, there were no cell phones, no fax machines, no beepers, no distractions. It was totally relaxing and truly refreshing. It was heavenly.”

Did you feel that? Come on, be honest! Weren’t you on the beach just now? Even for a mo-ment? Of course you were! Now, as you write, remember that word pictures will make your presentation more real.

As you put pen to paper, or finger to keyboard, use techniques like alliteration, repetition, and rhyme. As I penned the speech that I used to win Toastmaster’s World Championship of Public Speaking I used all three of them.

I used alliteration as I talked about the dangers of intolerance, indifference, and ignorance. I used repetition as I described a reporter’s foray into the world of the homeless. This is what I wrote: To appreciate their circumstance, she dressed as they dressed, she walked as they walked, she lived as they lived.

Later, I used repetition and rhyme to describe how the reporter was treated by passersby. Lis-ten. “Some looked right at her, and yet right passed her. Others looked right through her as they thought, ‘Huh...homeless, useless, worthless.”

I tell you, it was very effective. And these techniques will help to make your presentation more entertaining. As you write, look for ways to incorporate these techniques. As far as is possible, say something that will appeal to your specific audience. Personalize your presentation.

I can still recall the first time I got paid to speak. I had agreed to make a pro bono presentation to the African-American Postal League United for Success. I know it’s a long name, and quite frankly, so do they, so they call themselves “A-Plus” for short.

As I wrote my conclusion, I tried to find a way to appeal to them specifically. And this is what I came up with. I think you’ll like it. “For your dedication to your mission, for your desire to make a difference, and for your determination to serve your community, all of you deserve an A+.”

I’ve got to tell you, they were very appreciative of my presentation. And as I was leaving, the organizer gave me a hand-written greeting card with a hundred-dollar bill folded inside. I got paid a hundred bucks! She said that my speech was more than she had expected, and that she was particularly impressed with the way I had used the A-Plus name in my conclusion. I had personalized my speech. And by personalized your speech you establish a bond with the audi-

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ence. You may have several points that you wish to make. It is important to build smooth transitions between each point. A smooth flow makes your talk easier to follow.

Let’s say that you are giving a talk about relationships at your local community center. You know you want to speak about dating, marriage, and parenting. It’s important to build bridges between each point. And a bridge can simply be a single phrase or sentence.

Let’s say you want to flow between marriage and parenting, and your last point was that marriage has challenges. A short phrase like, “On the other hand” can be the bridge to your point on parenting. Your text can be something like this. “After being married for so many years I can tell you: maintaining a happy marriage is not always easy. On the other hand, parenting can be even more challenging at times.”

See that? A simple phrase, “On the other hand,” was a bridge from marriage to parenting. Use bridge phrases and sentences to segue smoothly from one point to another.

Section Six

Once you’ve written out your main points it’s time for your conclusion. Your conclusion should be clear and concise. Your audience should know you are coming to the end of your speech. Have you ever heard a speaker who ended four or five times? Not pretty. Don’t keep your au-dience guessing. “Is he going to end now? Is he going to end now? Is she done? I’m not sure. No.”

One way to avoid this is to write a strong call to action. A call to action is the portion of your speech that should encourage the audience to do something or to stop doing something. Use that call to action to go full circle. And by that I mean tie your ending to your beginning.

If you open with a quote, use a quote at the end. If you open with a story, refer to the story at the end. If you asked an unanswered question at the beginning, answer it at the end. Go full circle.You may or may not choose ever-popular phrases, “And in conclusion.” or “And finally,” or “In closing,” just be sure to write a clear, concise conclusion.

Let’s review how we can use the pen to create a power presentation.

• Select a relevant topic.

• Do the research.

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• Decide on your main points.

• Write an unforgettable opening.

• Make the middle memorable.

• Personalize as often as possible.

• And go full circle with a clear, concise conclusion.

Section Seven

Okay, you’ve completed the preparation process and now it’s time for the presentation or the platform. The platform is the place where one-dimensional text becomes a three-dimensional experience. But, before you get to the platform, you have to rehearse. Another old adage says, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”

And this is so true. Rehearsal prepares you to be powerful on the platform. Some speakers like to rehearse in front of a mirror. Personally, I don’t do that. But if it works for you, by all means do it. It’s a good idea to try your speech out on a friendly audience. Family members and friends can be helpful here.

I recall forcing my family to listen to my rehearsals several years ago. My daughter, Andrinne, who was, oh, I don’t know, ten or eleven years old at the time, would say things like, “No hu-mor, Dad. Not enough humor.” They really were helpful to me.

Now, if you are not preparing for a Toastmaster’s speech, your local Toastmaster’s Club is a wonderful laboratory for experimentation and rehearsal. It’s a great place to get instructive and encouraging evaluations. By seeing yourself in action, you’ll get a clear picture of the things that you might need to change.

Earlier, I said that the first ninety seconds can make or break your speech. Therefore, I recom-mend that you memorize your opening. That way you can open with confidence. Now, should you memorize the entire speech? That depends on your preference. But I don’t recommend it.First of all, speeches vary in length, from five minutes to thirty minutes or more. Professional speakers give forty-five to sixty-minute keynote speeches. And trainers give full, one-, two-, and three-day workshops. It would be preposterous for me to expect anyone to memorize a forty-five minute speech, or a full day’s worth of material.

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The use of notes is the accepted practice. Some speakers write keywords and phrases on 3-by-5 cards to guide them through their speech. Others use a mind map with drawings of familiar items that lead them down the path of their speech. And surely there are even more techniques being used.

Me, I tend to favor the 3-by-5 cards. In fact, I’ve even written notes on the back of a business card. I say this: use whatever technique makes you most comfortable.

I also spoke about eight ways to open your speech. Do you remember the first one? It was: Ask a question. You could have the audience raise their hands in response to your questions. For example, you could say this. “By a show of hands, how many of you read the front page of USA Today today?” A question like that would most likely elicit not just a show of hands but a bit of a chuckle as well. Chances are your audience will remember that.

The second opener was: Give an instruction that requires a verbal or physical response. I have found that this works really well with youth audiences. And there are a couple of ways to do this.

Depending on audience size, I ask that everyone shout their name when I count to three. It’s great! One variation that also works well is to ask the audience to respond with a certain word or sound. For example, you could say something like this. “If you’re glad to be in this air-condi-tioned room on this hot, humid day, say ‘Yeah!’” Try it, and see what happens!

Another way is to have audience members stand, if the room conditions allow this. For ex-ample, you could ask that anyone married for twenty years or more please stand. You also could vary it by asking that everybody stand. And then you could use the process of elimination to focus on a specific group of people.

Let’s say you want to talk about long-lasting marriages. With everyone standing you could say, “If you’re not married, please sit. Great! If you’re married five years or less, please sit.” Using this method you could work your way up to the people who have been married, say, forty-five years or more. You could then recognize them in a special way. And what does that accomplish? Well, it gets the audience moving while allowing them to learn a little bit about each other at the same time. And don’t we all like to be recognized for any accomplishment? I know I do.

By just being creative you can apply numerous variations of this technique. It’s a simple, yet ef-fective way to win the audience over quickly.

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Be creative as you use the six other openers I mentioned: A quote, a story, a joke, a provocative statement, a song, and a dramatic reenactment. And remember, they can be used at other times in your speech. You do not have to restrict their use to the opening. When you are on the platform, you have several tools at your disposal. The most important is your voice. Your voice really is your instrument. And just as a musician plays his or her instru-ment skillfully, so must you use your voice skillfully.

Perhaps you’ve heard people who spoke in a monotone. Let’s be honest, their material might be interesting, but their delivery is boring. You can avoid being boring by varying your pitch, your rate, and your volume. Let’s take a brief look at each of them.

Changes in pitch are very effective when telling stories. And when you think about it, we do it in normal, everyday conversation. For example, we’re talking about being upset because some-one took the last cookie. And we’ll say, “That guy took the last cookie. And he does that all the time!”

Notice the change in pitch for effect. It’s a natural thing. Don’t be afraid to do it. There is power in the pitch.

Frequent changes in your speaking rate help to keep the presentation interesting. Slowing down or speeding up will add realism to your talk and it can touch the emotions of your audience. You can use a rapid-fire delivery to describe something dramatic or exciting, like a chase. For ex-ample: “Terrified, she took off like a scared rabbit. Over the fence, across the street, through the alley. and down the stairs as she was in hot pursuit by the man she feared so much.”

Use a more slow delivery when speaking about something serene or more serious, like a hospi-tal vigil. “As the hours dragged on, we watched, waited, and worried. Hoping that, in the end, the surgeon would bring us some good news.”

Can you feel the difference? Your speaking rate will assist the flow of your speech, keep the audience interested, and make your message come alive.

Modify your volume as you speak, and avoid speaking in monotone. If you talk about someone shouting or whispering, the SHOUT! or whisper. And don’t be afraid to show your emotions with your voice.

One more great way to use your voice is to do vocal impressions. If you tell a story involv-ing a young child, then use a child’s voice for dramatic effect. Here’s an example that you will remember. Do you recall the popular fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears? Perhaps your

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mom or dad read it to you when you were a child, or maybe even today you read that story to your child.

Papa Bear always had the deep voice. “Someone’s been eating my porridge!”

Mama Bear was had the medium voice. “Someone’s been sitting in my chair!”

And Baby Bear, well, he always had the high voice. “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed! And there she is!”

Do you remember how real that story seemed? Well, that was the power of the pitch. Sometimes saying nothing for a moment is a most effective technique. There’s power in the pause. There are two immediate benefits of pausing. First, it has dramatic effect. And second, it allows your audience to think about what you have just said. It lets the point sink in.

Yes, your voice gives life to the words on the page. The most important thing you can do with your voice is to be conversational. Some speakers try so hard to sound like speakers, greeters, and radio announcers. I strongly recommend that you use a conversational tone. Speak to your audience as if you were sitting home having a cup of coffee with them. You’ll relax them and endear them to you.

Section Eight

While your voice is your most important tool, it is not your only tool. Your body is a living resource. Now let me very carefully say that the recommendations I’m going to make regarding gestures and body language are for those individuals who are blessed to have full use of their bodies. Quite honestly, not everyone is able to use his or her body as a tool. There are many excellent speakers who are mobility restricted. However, please do not infer that they are less effective, because that is simply not true. While their mobility may be restricted, their message is not.

Using gestures and body language are things that people with full use of their bodies can and should do. Gestures are not to be confused with body language. Gestures are generally made with the hands and should be extensions of what you are saying. They shouldn’t be mechanical or forced. Each gesture should reinforce your point, and should not seem rehearsed, even if it is. Some speakers try so hard to find the right gestures that they end up flailing about continuously. Not a pretty sight. And that can be very distracting. Your gestures should support your message, not dominate it.

And here’s a word of caution about one specific gesture. Oftentimes speakers address the audi-

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ence with the word ‘you,’ and they point in someone’s direction, much like the famous poster of Uncle Sam. A pointed finger is considered threatening by some. So I recommend that you use the open hand in a gentle, sweeping motion.

There are two reasons for this. First, it’s a more inviting gesture and, therefore, less threatening. And second, it removes the focus from one individual while including the entire audience. Gestures can be broad or narrow, large or small. When used effectively, a gesture can fill the imagination of the audience and allow them to see what’s not physically there.

Body language works in much the same way. When used appropriately, it really creates the three-dimensional effect and visually enhances your presentation. Body language provides the pictures that support your words. If you talk about a baseball player trying to steal second base, use body language. Act it out. If you talk about an archer firing an arrow, then show it. One of the highest compliments I ever received for using body language came from a woman whom I never met, and whose name I do not know. Several years ago I gave a speech in which I talked about an intercepted pass in an important national football league game. Now I have this on videotape, and it is really classic.

As I described a play attempted by former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, I said this: “Simms, got the ball. Stepped back, cut to his left, and fired! Aw! Intercepted!” As I spoke those words, I demonstrated the action, throwing an imaginary football across the room, over the heads of the audience, while following its invisible trajectory. And my trusty videotape shows this dear woman, looking over her head and turning around, trying to see the football. I’m still amazed whenever I think about it. And that videotape proves the power of body lan-guage. It demonstrates how real our words can become when we show what we say. Section Nine

When you are on the platform, it is important to maintain eye contact with your audience. When I’m in the audience, and the speaker uses eye contact effectively, I feel as if he or she is talking just to me. If your eyes wander to the ceiling or the floor, or if you focus your attention on only one section of the room, you may lose members of your audience. Your communication be-comes more personal when you establish and maintain eye contact.

Section Ten

We can also show what we say by using facial expression. Facial expression is the perfect tool for demonstrating emotion. A smile, a scowl, a grin, a frown, a yawn, you name it. You can show every emotion possible––from happiness to disgust––and everything in between. Many speakers use their voices and bodies as their only tools. Others use visual aids like chalk-

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boards, whiteboards, flip charts, overhead projectors, slides, videotapes, DVDs, and Power-Point. Visual aids are meant to be just that––aids. Their purpose is to support the message, not overtake it.

There are a few things to consider when working with visual aids. Chalkboards, whiteboards, flip charts work best with small audiences. If you don’t write very neatly, I wouldn’t recom-mend that you use any of them. Chalkboards can get messy, and the dust can easily get all over your clothes. Whiteboards and flip charts require good markers, which left uncapped, can dry out.

Now, if you must have a flipchart, it is wise to have the information already on the flipchart before you begin your presentation. This requires an investment of time, I realize that, but it is worth it. It’s best to be prepared beforehand.

When using slides and overhead projectors it is important to keep them properly focused. I remember one speaker who used both slides and taped music in his presentation at a luncheon event. He arrived early to set up his portable screen and slide projector in a room that had lim-ited space. Everything seemed to work well.

However, as the room filled with people his equipment got moved a bit because of the limited space. When he began his presentation, he realized that his music was too loud and the slides were all out of focus. He was faced with an uphill battle. And unfortunately, he was never able to fully regain the confidence of the audience.

Make doubly certain that everything is in good working order. And be sure to have spare bulb handy if you use an overhead projector.

It’s also a good idea to adhere to the “five by five rule.” Limit your visuals to five words per line, and five lines per page. It’s also a good rule to use when working with computer-based pro-grams like PowerPoint, which is widely used because of its flexibility and exceptional graphics. Possible drawbacks when using computer-based programs include computer crashes and equip-ment incompatibility. Let me explain.

I attended an event in Dallas, Texas a few years ago in which one of the speakers had prepared a video-CD to use during his talk. After a few unsuccessful attempts to get his computer program to work he forged ahead bravely without his visual aids. It turns out that there was insufficient memory in the laptop computer that the hotel had provided.

I was able to avoid that when I spoke in Hong Kong some time ago. I made copies of my Pow-erPoint presentation on CD and sent one to Hong Kong well in advance of my arrival. I brought

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a copy with me as a back up. The meeting planner tested the equipment successfully before I even arrived in Hong Kong. And I tested it when I got there. I gave my speech. Everything worked properly and the program went very well.

Videotapes and DVDs are also popular visual aids. I suggest that you not use these for more than a few minutes at a time, even if you use them in a long presentation like a half-day or full-day seminar. If you do, you run the risk of losing your audience, especially right after lunch! Their minds tend to wander and it can be really difficult to win them back. However, when used properly, visual aids can really add power to your presentation. Section Eleven

Props are also useful tools. Props can be large or small, many or few. You have to decide what’s best for you in your specific speaking situation. I’ve seen speakers use both small and large props effectively.

At a corporate meeting I attended some time ago, the CEO of the company arrived at the hotel very late one night after several hours of travel. He spoke the following morning, and in his re-marks he pointed out that the hotel restaurant had closed before he got there, so her was unable to get a meal. He then showed the audience the only thing that he got to eat the previous night. He held up that small piece of chocolate that had been left on his pillow by the housekeeping staff.

It was a simple, but effective, prop. Because we all imagined how he must have felt: exhausted, hungry, and here he had a small piece of chocolate. He quickly earned the audience’s sympathy, and certainly got our attention.

Some props can be large. My friend, Morgan MacArthur, a professional speaker in New Zea-land, used a collapsible version of a large, life-size horse onstage some years ago. Now that was unforgettable!

Now, do you have to use props? No you don’t. Just decide if props will work for you, then use your creativity to determine what to use, when to use it, and how to use it. Remember, the props you choose will depend on the conditions under which you will speak. If you plan to speak at a meal event, a large prop may not be practical. Your props shouldn’t dominate your speech, or your stage. You message should come from your words, with the props acting as support mate-rial.

When Morgan used his life-size cardboard horse, he was careful to bring it onstage near the end of his speech so its presence would not detract from his message. It made his conclusion stron-

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ger, and more dramatic.

Section Twelve

A strong conclusion is critical to the success of your presentation. Like an opening, I rec-ommend that you memorize your conclusion because the audience will remember the last thing that you say.

Sometimes your presentation requires a question and answer section. There are nine no-table procedures you can follow to have a successful Q & A.

1. Conduct your Q&A after your main speech. It is not wise to do it in the middle or close to the front.

2. Allocate a specific amount of time for the Q & A.

3. Tell your audience that you will take a specific number of questions, like five or six.

4. Repeat each question for the benefit of those who may not have heard the question as voiced.

5. Answer each question concisely. Do not ramble on.

6. If you are asked a question that you cannot answer, admit it. Be honest. And offer to get the answer and contact the questioner at a later time.

7. If someone is antagonistic and deliberately tries to embarrass or challenge you, offer to speak with him or her at greater length at the end of the session. Then move on to the next ques-tion.

8. Tell your audience when you are going to accept only one more question. Say something like this: “We have time for only one more question. I’ll be in the hall afterwards to answer any more questions that you may have. Yes, Michael...”

9. Deliver closing remarks at the end of the Q & A, thereby maintaining control of how the program ends. The last point the audience should hear is one that you want to make.

Darren LaCroix: Here’s an example of Mark Brown doing a live Q & A session at a recent meeting.

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Mark: And before I go I’ll take three or four questions. Do we have time for three or four ques-tions, Ruth? I know Rich has had his hand up, and I’ll have his question first. Yes, Rich, what’s the question?

Rich: Mark, as you know, I’ve been doing this for quite awhile. My big bugaboo still is finding out how to keep giving great openings and closings.

Mark: How do I keep finding great openings and great closings? Again, I say go to your life ex-perience. You may have heard a great quotation on the radio or a good joke you can use in your speech. You may have heard a story that relates. But there’s always things around you. Keep your ears alert around you everyday, you’ll find material there. Anyone else? Yes!

Questioner: Mark, did you have notes on the lectern there?

Mark: Did I have notes on the lectern? Yes.

Questioner: How did you smoothly go back? You did it so brief I didn’t notice it.

Mark: That’s practicing.

Questioner: How do you go back so you don’t look like you’re backing up?

Mark: Well, it’s how I walk. I chose not to turn my back on the audience. But as part of my style, I move around a lot. I was up here...I was in here...I was doing this...I looked over here. And as I move, as part of my natural movement, while I speak I simply do this...I never lose eye contact...I glance down...I keep going...I pick up my pen...I check my watch...and I check my notes. Don’t turn your back on your audience. Make it appear to be your natural movements. And you can rehearse this stuff yourself. Two more questions...Yes?

Questioner: How do you handle Q & A? Sometimes people can be very aggressive. Almost at-tack you.

Mark: The question is: How do you handle Q & A and aggressive questioners? First of all, I begin by saying, “We have time for four questions.” If I get a harsh question, or an attacking question, I say, “You know what? I think your answer will require a long response. I’ll talk with you outside after the meeting, and we’ll go one-on-one, okay? Thanks a lot! Next question?” (laughter) Okay? Works every time! Trust me. Works every time. Because you’re being courteous, you’re being respectful, and you are promising them some

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one-on-one time. Do not let them embarrass you. You’re in control. You are the platform. You control that. “I’ll talk to you outside...we’ll do the e-mail thing...meet me afterwards. Next ques-tion.” And you move on.

When your time is up, you told them, I have time for four questions. Last question coming up. Yes. And always repeat the question in a large room. “The question is...” And then give the an-swer.

We have time for one more question and then we’re going to wrap it up. Anybody? (Silence) Not all at once, please! Yes, sir?

Questioner: What do you do when you don’t know the answer to the question?

Mark: What do you do when you don’t know the answer to the question? Okay, this applies in a meeting like this and it also applies in a business environment, conference, or departmental meeting: be honest.

What’s your name?

Questioner: Jason.

Mark: Jason. You’re the boss. You ask me a question and I don’t know the answer. I say, “Jason, good question. I don’t have the answer right now and perhaps I should. I’ll tell you what. Can I get together with you at three this afternoon and discuss the whole thing? I’ll find out by then and get it to you. If not, I’ll tell you who has the answer. Three this afternoon in your office? Thank, Jason.” (Laughter)

I told him: I don’t know and maybe I should, but I’ll have it for you in two hours. And I’ll come to you and I will give you the answer in two hours. If I’m in a meeting like this, and you are all going to leave, I’ll say, “I don’t know the answer. Tell you what. Give me your e-mail address. I will find out for you. I will e-mail you. We can establish a relationship that way. Is that cool with you?” That also works every time. But you don’t leave them dissatisfied. They may not be immedi-ately gratified, but at least the promise is there to build a relationship and meet their need.It has been my pleasure being here with my old friends, my new friends, my family. And I want to ask you all, every chance you get, to speak and keep speaking. Because you never know, the day will come, when you will give a powerful platform presentation. God bless you all, and you made this an outstanding day.

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Final thoughts: The Q &A does not have to be a scary undertaking. As you gain experience through practice, you’ll become a master of the Q & A.

Section Thirteen

• Let’s review how we can use the platform to create a power presentation.

• Rehearse and record your rehearsals.

• Memorize your opening and your conclusion.

• Involve the audience early.

• Use your voice, your body, visual aids, and props to add impact to your message.

• Be conversational.

• Close concisely and confidently.

• Above all, share your story. Because as much as the audience wants to hear you, they re-ally want to know you.

Section Fourteen

There is one more thing. After you’ve penned, planned, and prepared, you ‘re just about ready to present. Here are some brief ideas on what to do at the speech location before you get to the platform.

It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the setting in which you will speak. Before you get to the platform, familiarize yourself with the room. Get there early. Stand on the platform or at the lectern. If you are going to use a microphone, test it. If you are going to use any of the elec-tronic multi-media I talked about earlier, make sure that everything works perfectly. Find out where the lights, exits, air-conditioning, and heating controls are, and be certain that the envi-ronment is conducive to the things you wish to do, because sometimes it isn’t.

I remember when my good friend and associate, Darren LaCroix, and I conducted a public seminar in Connecticut. When we arrived, and we got there early, we realized that the way the room was set up was not conducive to doing some of the things we wanted to do. So we rear-ranged the room. Now that’s not always possible. But when it is possible, and necessary, don’t

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be afraid to do it.

If you speak to many youth groups in schools, as I do, you may have to speak to a large group in a gymnasium or multi-purpose room. Very often, I will arrange with the principal to have the students sit in a certain formation to make it easier for me to connect with them.

Your taking control of the setting can be the difference between making a poor presentation and a power presentation. When you have control of the setting, or at least you are fully aware of it, you’ll be ready to take the platform.

Well, there you have it. As you use the tips that I have shared I hope that you, too, will touch hearts, touch heads, and touch hands as you tell your story.

Thanks for joining me. Please share my message with anyone who you think needs to hear it. Please use the techniques that I have discussed as you take your power presentations from pen point to platform.

A Word from Darren LaCroix

Mark Brown is a professional speaker who is in high demand. For more information about hav-ing Mark inspire people at your conference, school, or corporate event, and to learn about his other programs and learning tools, please visit his web site at www.worldchampionspeakers.com

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Craig Valentine 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking

Simple Stepsfor Speaking Success

This is Craig Valentine, the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking for Toastmasters Inter-national. As my basketball coach use to tell me, you might be on the right track, but if you just stand there, you will be run over.

But ladies and gentlemen, after winning the World Champion of Public Speaking in 1999 in Chicago, Illinois, I came back to Baltimore/ Washington International Airport and the first thing I did when I got home was to go to the bookstore and get another book on the art of public speaking. Why? Because if I just stand here, I’ll be run over.

See public speaking is a process. And it takes a process of continuing education to be more and more effective and to help people enhance their lives as they experience your presentations. So the formula I’ve come up with is to make my audiences TALL. That stands for

• Think

• Act

• Laugh

• Learn

And if I can do that for my audience, then not only will my speeches be memorable, and I’ll be unforgettable, but most importantly, the audience will leave there with information that can

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change their lives for the better.

So what you’ll find in this program are a number of my live performances to illustrate the points that I’m giving you now. I’m going to give you points on content and delivery, so that you can make your audiences Think, Act, Laugh, and Learn.

Section One

Use Get to Know You Time. What do you do during this time? Well the one thing that you don’t do is use it to make any specific, important points. Instead, you have one goal in this Get to Know You Time. And that is to connect with your audience.

Ask questions to your audience. When you ask questions you take them from automatic and on to think. And when your audience is thinking, you are connecting.

In the speech in Baltimore, Maryland, I just gave some general remarks. Something I can do to connect with that audience without making any specific points.

(Speech)

(Announcer) 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig Valentine.

(Valentine) Well, you all look good! You look good! All right, are you ready?

(Audience) Yeah!

(Valentine) Come on now, are you ready?

(Audience) Yeah!

(Valentine) Turn to your neighbor and say I’m ready!

Audience) I’m ready!

(Valentine) Chris, thank you very much for that introduction. That’s one of the best introduc-tions I’ve heard in a long time. That was great! That was fantastic! That was just how I wrote it, as a matter of fact! (Audience laughter) But I appreciate it very much, I really do. And it’s good to be here. It’s good to be back in Baltimore. I had been doing a whole lot of traveling all over the world. And now I have a ten-month-old girl and I’m back in Baltimore, and it’s good to be speaking back here. Because even after September 11th, I was still flying


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a lot, and people would always come up to me and they would say things like, “Aren’t you afraid? Aren’t you afraid to fly? Aren’t you afraid of the terrorists?”

I’d say, “No, I’m not afraid of the terrorists. I’m afraid of the turbulence.” (Audience laugh-ter)How many of you have been on a flight with a lot of turbulence before? Raise your hands. I want you to think back to that right now. I want you to feel that right now. How does it feel?

(Audience) Queasy.

(Valentine) Yeah, queasy. It’s not a very good thought. And one flight...I didn’t think we were going to make it. We were going up and down...it seemed like ten thousand feet we would drop. And I didn’t think we were going to make it. So I figure, I’ll just go to sleep and wake up, and the whole thing will be over. But the worst part about it was I was sitting right next to a baby. Five-hour flight right next to a baby. So this whole flight there’s all this whining and crying. And that was just me. And then the baby started...(Audience laughter).But something kind of took my mind off of it. You have to understand that I’m a speaker, just as are many of you. Probably all of you. Let me ask you a question. Be honest. Have you even given a practice speech? You know, just kind of practicing to yourself? And you start speak-ing out loud, and you didn’t know it? Has that ever happened to you?

(Audience) Yeah.

(Valentine) Evidently, I was on the flight doing that, because there was a guy across the aisle, and he looked at me and he said, “Dude, do you know you’re talking to yourself? (Audience laughter)

I said, “Oh no. I’m just giving a speech, and I was practicing.” And he looked at me like I was crazy.

Now be honest. How many of you talk to yourself? Be honest. I had a guy in my last semi-nar say, “I don’t know. Do I or don’t I? I’m not quite sure.” (Audience laughter) And I said, “Evidently, you do.” And I realized, and you probably heard this before, was that you are not crazy when you talk to yourself. It’s a very healthy thing to do. When are you crazy?

(Audience) When you answer back.

(Valentine) You’re not even crazy when you talk to yourself and you answer yourself. In fact, Zig Ziglar said the only time you’re crazy is when you talk to yourself, answer yourself, and


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then go “Huh?” (Audience laughter) That’s when you might want to get checked out. I’m glad to be here today. I want to talk to you about seven steps, seven things we can do to become better speakers...to make a greater impact...to be more powerful. But also to enjoy the process more. How many of you would like to do that? Enjoy the process more and maybe even turn it in to some kind of a business? But I have to make sure that you’re ready. So we’re going to try this one more time. When I point to you I just want everybody in here to say, “Oh Yeah!” Are you ready?

(Audience) Oh yeah!

(Valentine) Are you ready?

(Audience) Oh yeah!

(Valentine) Turn to your neighbor and say, “Let’s get started!”

(Audience) Let’s get started!

(Valentine) All right.... I have not made one point, have I?

(Audience) Nope!

(Valentine) All right. I have not made one point. Now remember through this whole speech, whenever I point I want you to say “Oh Yeah!” as loud as you can.Why haven’t I made any points?

(Audience) They’re expensive.

(Valentine) They’re not expensive yet.

(Audience) You haven’t begun.

(Valentine) I have not begun. The reason I haven’t made any points, and this is point number one, is you have to use Get to Know You Time. Get to Know You Time—before you start try-ing to drive points home. People just aren’t ready for it—unless you’ve warmed up, unless you’ve let them know a little about you, unless you’ve listened to the audience. That’s why I didn’t say anything when I first came out. I just wanted to feel you. I just wanted to see you. I wanted to experience you.


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Can you imagine...Let me have this gentleman. Can you stand up for a second? Now I don’t know this gentleman from Adam. Can you imagine, I’ve never met him before in my life, and I’m just walking down the street and I try to give him advice. Can you imagine that?

It goes something like this. “Excuse me sir, umm, you really need to start setting some goals in you life.” (Audience laughter) Richard, what are you going to be thinking if I came out of the blue and said that to you?

(Richard) Uhh...?? (Audience laughter)

(Valentine) Let’s give Richard a hand real quick. If I know Richard a little bit maybe I can start to offer some advice. But until I know you, I’m not giving you anything because the audience is not ready for it. So use a little bit of Get to Know You Time. Five percent of your speech, perhaps. Use some Get To Know You Time.

(End Speech) Section Two

One of the other strategies you can use is to talk about something specific and unique to that audience. That means, do your research. Find out what that audience is about; find out the who, what, when, where, why of that audience. Why does that organization exist?

You can even talk about something that happened on your way to that audience. Something unique and specific to that group. In the speech to Atlanta, Georgia, I must give you the back-ground. Before I got up to speak, my introducer actually had written an entire poem. And the poem rhymed. So before I got up to make my speech, I made a mental note: Maybe I could start my speech off by finishing her poem? Or at least adding another line onto it? And when you read this speech, keep that in mind. Atlanta, Georgia – Get To Know You Time

(Introducer) ...over ninety times a years. And fills his audiences with inspiration and of course, good cheer. And as he sprang to his feet, he gave God praise, and went on to win the World Championship that cold summer day. But I heard him explain as he flew out of sight, I love you Toastmasters, and to all have a good night. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Craig Valentine. (Ap-plause)

(Valentine) Wow! Thank you! I’ve never had an introduction quite like that. I would like to add on the poem just a little bit at the end, if I can. There’s one thing Linda Shore forgot to tell. The night before the championship I was scared as...Okay! (Audience laughter)


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Okay! Thank you very much, Linda, I really appreciate that. I also want to thank Anita Jefferson for calling me and e-mailing me over months and for coordinating this and having me come out here, let’s, please, give her another round. (Applause)

I would like to thank Lester Young, who’s behind the camera over here, for picking me up at the airport late last night and giving me—how shall I say---a spontaneous tour of Georgia. (Ap-plause and audience laughter)

I want to thank Dwayne Smith for giving me rides around and for taking me back to the airport tonight. And, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you for coming out. To all the Toast-masters, welcomed guests, interns, you’re all beautiful. Thank you very much. (End intro to speech)

So remember: Use Get To Know You Time before you make any important points.

Section Three

Tell a story, and make a point. When people remember your stories, they will remember your point. If you can make yourself a captivating storyteller, and get to understand the elements that go into a good story, you will stay connected to your audience, and you will be able to make your points.

There are too many speakers who get up and make wonderful, outstanding, meaningful effec-tive points.... But then leave us with nothing to hang it on to. No Anchor. Nothing for us to remember those points by. But if you tell a story, you have your anchor.

(Speech)

Now, two weeks after I won the World Championship in 1999 I got a phone call from a gen-tleman named Mark Brown. Does anybody know Mark Brown?

(Audience) Yeah! Yeah!

(Valentine) That’s right! 1995 World Champion of Public Speaking. And I’m talking to Mark, and I say, “How do I change five-to-seven minute speeches into forty-five minute speeches, or an hour?”

And Mark says, “Hold on, Craig, I have somebody who can answer some of your questions. And Mark put on a three-way call David Brooks. Anybody familiar with David Brooks?


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(Audience) Yes!

(Valentine) David is the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking. So here we are, three of the World Champions, running the gamut of the 1990s World Champion of Public Speaking and we all recognized one very important way to make messages memorable. Tell a story, and make a point.

When people remember your stories, what will they remember? People call me years down the line and they say, “I remember you talked about this. I remember you talked about that. And I remember what you said. Can you come say it to us?”

I said, “What is your budget for the event?” (Audience laughter) But when people remember your story, they remember your points. Tell a story, and make a point. Think about it. I was working for a time for an Internet company. And I’m going to pick on you again, Rich-ard. I wanted to go full time into professional speaking, so I told the vice-president of the company. I said, “Look, I’m going to be leaving. It’s always been my dream to be a full-time professional speaker. I will give you as much time, as much transition time, as much notice, as you need. But I’m going to be leaving.”

And he looked at me and he said, “That’s your dream, Craig?”

I said, “Yes it is.”

He said, “Well that’s great! But you can’t leave.”

I said, “Well hold on now. What do you mean I can’t leave?”

He said, “Because we were talking about it, and we’re going to raise your salary to this....”I looked at him and I said, “Oh no. You don’t understand. This is not a financial decision. This is about my dream.” How many of you have a dream? This was about my dream deci-sion.

So I looked at him and he said, “Okay. I understand. I finally understand. How about we raise your salary to this?” (Audience laughter)

I said, “This is not a financial decision, it’s a dream decision.”

“You know we raised it four times?” He said, “We’ll raise your salary to this.”

I said, “This is not a financial decision, it’s a dream decision.”


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He said, “Okay Craig. We’re gonna raise your salary to well above six figures.”I said, “Dreams are over-rated.” (Audience laughter)

Six figures man? I looked at him. “Don’t tell anybody. Maybe this is a financial decision.” I said, “Look, I’ve got to talk to my wife about this.” I went home, I said to my wife, “Honey, what should I do?”

She said, “Take the money, fool!” (Audience laughter) No, she didn’t say that. She didn’t. She might have been thinking it, but she didn’t say it. She actually looked me in my eyes and said something that I’ll never forget. And I never want you to forget it either. She said, “Craig, you’ve wanted this since I’ve known you. Your dream is not for sale.” (Long pause) Deep, right? Deep. I mean, that was deep. And I said to myself, Oh my goodness, you’re right!

See here’s what we fall into, ladies and gentlemen. Most of us believe that the reason most people don’t live their dreams is because some bad obstacle gets in the way. That’s not the reality. I might hurt some feelings here, but I’m going to tell you how it is. The reason why most people don’t live their dreams is because something good gets in the way. And they settle for it. See, sometimes the enemy of the best is the good. And so we have that dream—that best thing for us—and we want to go for it. We’re working towards it. Everything is going well. We’re going, we have momentum and everything, but because success breeds opportunity, something good comes along and we say, “Well, that’s not my dream, but I’ll take it.” It’s pretty good. And we settle.

And all the while our dream is just calling us, still there calling us. Anybody in here feel rest-less? You dream is calling you and it is not for sale.

So I looked at my wife and I said, “See, girl, I like that one. That’s why I married you. I like that.”

And I walked back in there the next day, and I was pumped up. I looked that VP in the eyes, and I was firm. I looked directly in his face, and I was bold. And I said to him, “My wife said my dream is not for sale.” (Audience laughter) I said, “I rent it for awhile, for that much. That’s a lot of money.”

But I left. And that very year I spoke 160 times, in 44 states, and 5 countries, and I’m proud to say I’ve been running my mouth ever since. Your dream is not for sale. Your dream is not for sale. Tell a story. Make a point.


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What was the point of that story?

(Audience) Your dream is not for sale.

(Valentine) See, everybody knows it. And you’ll remember that story. Like I said, people call me two years down the line. Because this story’s about 2-3 years old. They call me two years down the line and they say, “I remember you talked about this. Do it for us.”

And that the same thing I want to happen for you. If I just came out and started talking and said, “You know you have this dream and it’s not for sale...” There’s nothing to hang it on to. There’s no hook; there’s no story; there’s no anchor. Tell and story, and make a point.

(End of speech)

So remember to tell a story, and make a point.

Section Four

One of the other elements in a speech to make it very effective is the use of a conflict. We all remember conflict in elementary school. When they used to say man versus man, man versus nature, man versus the environment. And of course now we say person versus person, person versus his or her environment, person versus society. But it’s just important that a conflict be evident. Any story should have a conflict, otherwise people will not get hooked into it. Conflict really serves as the hook to your story.

(Speech)

All I wanted to do was take a walk in the mall on that fateful day. I was ten years old. But I ran into the father of one of my friends. We’ll call him Mr. H. And Mr. H came up to me and he said, “Hey, little Craigie! How you doing?” That’s what they called me.

I said, “I’m fine, Mr. H.”

He said, “What’s going on in your life?” I told him

He said, “How’s the family?” I told him. But he kept looking at me real strange. And finally he looked at me and he said, “It’s getting worse, isn’t it.”

I said, “What Mr. H?”


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He said, “You know what I’m talking about. It’s getting worse.”“No, Mr. H, I don’t now what you’re talking about?”

He said, “You’re lisp.”

“My what?”

“Your lisp. You drastically slur your words when you speak. You know who you sound like? You sound like that Daffy Duck character.” (Audience laughs)

Ladies and gentlemen, that’s funny now. But when I was ten years old, I was hurt. In one sentence, my esteem, my confidence, everything plummeted. It took about 4 or 5 years before anybody could get more than a couple of words out of me. You see, Les Brown, the popu-lar motivational speaker says: When you open your mouth you tell the world who you are. I didn’t want the world thinking I was a joke. I didn’t want the world thinking I was a chump. When Mr. H said that to me I was disgusted. I was disgraced. I was disappointed. But I was also determined to be one of the best communicators of our time. And I stand before you to-day, eighteen years later, as the 1999 Toastmasters’ World Champion of Public Speaking.

Section Five

Establish conflict early.

(Speech)

I used to talk a lot about storytelling. But the only thing I’m going to tell you about stories right now is establish conflict early. Establish conflict early. Some people don’t realize why their stories don’t fly, why they don’t have any interest. Because they get up and they say, “Life is good. Things are going great. And I look forward to the rest of my life.” And the people will look forward to walking out on your speech because there’s no conflict, no battle. There’s no thing that you overcome. That’s the hook. Establish that conflict early in your story.

Screenwriters say that for every page it’s a minute in the movie. So they establish the conflict within the first thirty minutes if it’s a ninety-minute movie. They try to establish that conflict within the first third. And that’s something we want to make sure we do in our speeches. Es-tablish the conflict early.

In terms of creativity, does anybody in here have any ideas on how to become a more creative person?


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(Audience member) Hang around kids.

(Valentine) Hang around kids. Absolutely!

(Audience member) Watch how the successful do it.

(Valentine) Watch how the successful do it.

(Audience member) Think about something else.

(Valentine) Yes. Thank you! And that goes right along lines with what I’m trying to say. But there’s another answer. How do you become a more creative person? You do something dif-ferent. Let me explain what I’m talking about here.

How many of you go home from work the same way everyday? Raise your hand. Okay. How many of you work? (Audience laughter) They’re kind of confused. Work? What’s that? (Au-dience laughter) Talk to the same people? Eat the same cycle of foods? Watch television shows, same television shows? Listen to the same radio stations?

Our minds get stuck in a rut because we don’t have to think anymore. We’re creatures of habit. A lot of us, we fall into sleepwalking through life because we’re doing the same things out of habit, out of habit, out of habit, and we are not doing anything different to stimulate our minds, so it just shuts down.

Do something different. Try going home another way sometimes from work, if you work. Try talking to some different types of people. Try watching some different television shows. Try not watching television. Try taking some moments of silence. Try smelling the roses. Try do-ing something different. If you’re not a talker try talking a lot. If you talk all the time, shut up! (Audience laughter) Do something different.

I’m taking my own advice. I am. I don’t know if I should tell you this, but I’m listening to country music now. Anybody listen to country music?

(Audience) Yeah.

(Valentine) And I like it! I really do! And it’s not the only thing I’m doing differently. But I’m listening to country music. I’m doing different things. I’m finding myself being more cre-ative. And I like country music! But it’s sad, though. (Audience laughter) There’s some sad songs, you see.


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(Audience) There are plenty of good stories in it.

(Valentine) Yeah, but they’re sad. There’s some sad stories. It’s like a negative motivational speaker. (Audience laughter) I listen to it in the car. I get out, my head is down. Sad music. Lose your dog and your house and your car. I was in Toronto recently. They said, “Play it backwards. You get your dog back, your house back, your car...” (Audience laughter) Not everybody likes country music. But I was listening to a person tell me about these two inmates who were about to be executed and the guard came up to them and said, “Do you all have any last requests?” And the first prisoner said, “Yes. I love Glen Campbell’s Rhinestone Cowboy.” Remember that? “Can you please play that for me one more time before I die?” And the guard said, “Sure.” Then the guard went to the second prisoner and said, “Do you have any last requests?” The second prisoner said, “Yes. Kill me first.” (Audience laughter) All right. So we’ve talked about doing something different. What was the point of that story?

(Audience) Break out of your habits.

(Valentine) Right. Break out of your habits. Do something different. That’s going to let you become more creative. What was the conflict?

(Audience) Had to change something.

(Audience) Competition.

(Valentine) Right. Competition. Person versus person. And that was where the hook came in. So we tell the story. We make the point. We make sure the story has conflict early on and I guarantee you, you’re going to start to spellbind your audience. You’re going to have that hook. Everybody in the audience will be looking at you. Every single person.

(End of speech)

So remember: Establish conflict early on in your story and your audience will come with you on your journey.

Section Six Give them something to do.

(Speech)


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Give them something to do. Has anybody read any Dale Carnegie books or been to a Dale Carnegie class? Raise your hand if your have. What’s one thing that you’ve learned from it? Anybody?

(Audience) Stories are best.

(Valentine) Stories are best. Good. What else?

(Audience) Starting that way.

(Valentine) I don’t remember that one, but good. What else? How about using people’s names in a sentence? Remember that?

(Audience) Yes.

(Valentine) See. Dale Carnegie is long dead and gone. He is, right? (Audience laughter) Okay. That’s going to be my next book, Lazy Man’s Guide to Researching Speeches. (Audi-ence laughter)

I just looked at the copyright date on this book and I figured he can’t still be around. (Audience laughter)

(Audience) His ideas are timeless.

(Valentine) They’re timeless! But you know why they are timeless? Because he took them from the idea and the theory to the practice. He showed you how to practice it. He gave you specific things to do.

My old boss use to overuse it too much. He must have gone to too many courses. Because he would come to me and use my name in a sentence. Every sentence. “Craig, we need to do ...Craig, we’re and going down to New Mexico and Craig...and Craig.”

And I’d say, “Jim. Shut up. I know who I am.” (Audience laughter)Jeez! Use it, don’t abuse it. But he showed you how to practice it. That’s why, even though his speeches are over, they are still within us. Even though he has walked off the platform, we still remember and we’re still practicing. He’s teaching even though he’s gone. So give them something to do.

Anybody been to Fells Point before? In Fells Point, what happens a lot? (silence) That’s a


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loaded question, so let me back off from that a second. A lot of times people will come up to you and ask you for money quite often in Fells Point. About nine years ago when I used to work there, this lady used to come up to me almost everyday and ask me for money.

But one day she came up and she didn’t want any money. And I was really relieved because I didn’t want to give her any. And she just wanted to talk. So I started telling her, after listening to her, that I wanted to be a professional speaker. And I wanted to touch the world. I wanted to go around touching lives and lifting people up. And just do whatever I could do to help the world out.

And she said the corniest thing to me at that point in time. She looked at me and she said, “Well sonny, if you want to change the world through public speaking you must go to the best nation in the world.... Imagination.”

And I looked at her and said, “That the corniest thing you ever said to me. What’s wrong with you?”

But she said, “It’s true. Most people never go here once they grow up. And if they do they don’t go often enough. All the best athletes, the best entertainers, the best businesspersons will visualize it first, and then it will happen.”

I don’t know why she was still homeless. Maybe she wasn’t taking her own advice. I listened to it, and it struck me. And I said I got to do something. So I started imagining myself as a better speaker. I started visualizing myself as a better communicator. I started seeing myself in positions just like this. And I’m going to tell you the truth. Anybody who wants to do this. The only reason why I was able to win the World Championship of Public Speaking was be-cause I saw it over and over again in my mind so many times, that by the time I got onstage in front of 3000 people in Chicago, it was like...déjà vu. It had already happened. Don’t take my word for it. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowl-edge.” Anybody been to Disney World? Disneyland? Walt Disney said after going bankrupt seven times, that the reason he was able to build the whole empire was because he continued to dream.

This is not just me. So I’m going to say this: If you can’t say it, you can’t display it. I want you to repeat after me as loud as you can. If I can see it...

(Audience) If I can see it...

(Valentine) I can be it.


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(Audience) I can be it.

(Valentine) If I can view it...

(Audience) If I can view it...

(Valentine) I can do it.

(Audience) I can do it.

(Valentine) Turn to your neighbor and say, Imagine that.

(Audience) Imagine that.

(Valentine) By the way, I can’t let this go. True story: I’m walking away from the lady and she says, “Hey, hey, hey...Don’t forget about the second best nation in the world.”And I said, “What’s that?’

And she said, “Donation.” (Audience laughter)

I said, “I’m sorry. I thought the advice was for free.” She got me again! I ended up paying her money again.

(Audience) It was all worth it.

(Valentine) It was all worth it. It really was. Because if you think about what I was able to do, I started looking into imagination. I started researching it. And I came up with a process. If you do this process, and most of you won’t, I’m going to tell you that right now. But if you do this process, it will change your life and it will get you going effortlessly towards your goals. Anybody want to hear it?

(Audience) Yes.

(Valentine) Say. “Oh Yeah!” if you want to hear it.

(audience) Oh Yeah!

(Valentine) All right. I’m going to tell you it. And I’m going to challenge each one of you to do it. If two of you out of this room do it, it’s made my day.


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I want you to write down your perfect day. Write down your perfect day. See, the reason why people don’t get what they want in their life is that they do not put it out clearly enough. We don’t know what the subconscious mind can do. It can have us moving toward our goals if we write it out as clearly as possible.

I guarantee you if you write down your perfect day as clearly as possible, one day you will wake up in it. And I hope to be right there with you. (Pause) Okay, that didn’t come out right. (Audience laughter) I don’t mean physically right there with you when you wake up because that would mean I was with you when you went to sleep (Audience laughter) All right let’s keep moving on.

I want to make sure you write it down. What do you do when you get up in the morning? Use all your senses, make it as experiential as possible. What does it smell like in your house? Is it waffles and bacon? What is your perfect job? What is the perfect reaction or response you want from an audience? What are your spouses like? Or spouse...ˆdon’t know how many you have...Of course you might have more than one in your perfect day...(Audience laughter) But write it down.

I did this about eight years ago and almost everything I wrote down has come to pass. I wrote down, I want to be a full-time professional speaker. I’ve been a full-time professional speaker. I wrote I wanted to own my own business. I own my own business. I said I wanted a beautiful wife. I have a BEAUTIFUL wife! I wrote I wanted a white Mercedes-Benz convertible. I have a white Honda Accord—I’m getting there. (Audience laughter)

(End of speech)

So remember: Give them something to do. Go from the theoretical to the practical, from the general to the specific. Give them something to practice now. And as they practice, you continue to touch their lives.

Section Seven

Humor is also very important in a speech. We have an old saying in the professional speaking industry: You don’t have to use humor in a speech, unless you want to get paid.

My first ten speeches in Toastmasters International when I was going for my CTM, Competent Toastmaster, I would like to say they were devoid of humor. I had absolutely no laughter, no humor placed in them anywhere. But you have to remember those were five-to-seven minute speeches. And I really didn’t need much humor to keep people’s attention.


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But as I go on and on, and as you go on and on with speaking, whether professionally or for your job, as you give longer and longer speeches it is very important to have humor to help keep the audience’s attention and to help them enjoy the presentation. One of the things that humor does, especially if you do it the right way, it let’s the audience understand that you do not feel that you are better than them. No better, no worse. And that you are able to take yourself less seriously. By doing that it will help you make a connection with the audience.

One of the things that is important to remember when doing humor in a speech is that it doesn’t always have to do with what you say, rather it has to do with what you do. I can remember giv-ing a very serious speech. And in this speech I had a very funny line. But nobody seemed to want to laugh at that funny line... and I knew it was a hilarious line. I knew people should be cracking up at this point in my speech. But it always looked like people were apprehensive, like they were holding back. They wanted to laugh but for some reason they wouldn’t.

And then I realized something. I had not yet given them permission to laugh at me. They thought that I was taking myself too seriously. So I remember the moment in one speech where I gave a slight smile at the time the funny moment was to come. And you should have heard the explosion and the enthusiastic laughter that took place. And I realized at that point in time that you have to give your audience permission to laugh at you and to laugh with you. And if you do that, again, you’re maintaining that connection and actually building upon it.

(Speech)

Why does humor work so effectively? Anybody?

(Audience) It gets people to relax.

(Valentine) It gets people to relax. Okay, what else?

(Audience) Humor is universal.

(Valentine) Humor is universal.

(Audience) In one form or another.

(Audience) people remember jokes.

(Valentine) People remember jokes and they’ll remember your message. Humor is effective. Humor breaks down the barrier between you and your audience.


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If you ever look back in the Seventies at tapes of Richard Pryor or Steve Martin, even though that may not have been the best of times for America, you will see all different kinds of people in their audiences. Because humor breaks down those barriers. So make sure you use humor.Now, I always say use self-effacing humor because it’s safe. If you can make fun of yourself, it’s safe. Because one of my favorite sayings is look, if you can’t make fun of yourself, go ahead and make fun of others. (Audience laughter) I’m joking. Be safe. Make some self-ef-facing humor.

See, some jokes can be offensive to some people. Let’s try one. (audience laughter) There were three guys standing outside the Gates of Heaven waiting to come in and a saint came up to them and said, “Well, you three guys need some transportation to get around. So I want to make sure this transportation is determined by your faithfulness to your wives when you were on earth.”

The first guy steps up and says, “Well, you know, I was pretty unfaithful. I was unfaithful about fifteen times.”

And the saint said, “Well? You gotta ride around in this Yugo.” (audience laughter)Second guy comes up and says, “Well, you know, I was only unfaithful about five times.” The saint says, “Well, okay. You go ride around in this Honda Accord.”

And then the third guy comes up and says, “I wasn’t unfaithful at all. I was perfect. I was undying faithful.”

And the saint says, “Well, you get to ride around in this Mercedes-Benz convertible.” He said, “Great!” and went off riding around.

Now the other two guys in the Yugo and Honda Accord come up upon the third guy later in the day. And the third guy is lying face down, crying in his Mercedes-Benz. And the guys say, “What’s the matter? You’re riding around in this Mercedes-Benz. You’re supposed to be the happiest guy here? What’s wrong?”

And the third guy looks up from his Mercedes-Benz and says, “I just saw my wife go by on roller skates.” (audience laughter)

Maybe I should tell more jokes. (audience laughter)

(End of speech)

Now that was a risky joke. And it doesn’t always work. In fact, I told it the best way I knew


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how one time and it just didn’t work. And I was concerned. I didn’t know why. I didn’t know why the people in the church just didn’t like it. Now I’m kidding.

Obviously I would not tell that type of joke at a church. But I told it at a District 36 Toastmaster International Conference because I knew that they were open for it and it probably wouldn’t cause any harm. However, the safest type of humor to use, and the one that helps you build a connection better, is self-effacing humor. Make fun of yourself. Laugh at yourself. Don’t take yourself too seriously. If you allow yourself to show your faults and flaws and to be vulnerable you will make a human connection that’s difficult to break.

Section Eight

Use silence in your speeches.

(Speech)

Use silence in your speeches. (Pause) Use silence. What does that do for your speech, any-body?

(Audience) Allows people to digest what you are saying.

(Valentine) That’s exactly the point I want to make. Silence allows people to digest what you just said before you move on to your next point. Before and after you say something impor-tant...pause... Before and after you say something important...pause.

Think about it. Darren LaCroix says it best. When you are up here speaking it is not a mono-logue. It is dialogue. You are not just talking, you are listening. So if you ask a question, be quiet and listen for the response. Even if it’s rhetorical. If it’s a real question you are asking and somebody answers it, nod and appreciate their answer and then go on to the next person. Make sure you are definitely using silence in your speeches.

Now I got to tell you a quick, funny story. Anybody been to Burlington, Vermont before? ....Okay. Anybody from there? All right. Let’s talk about them. (Audience laughter) I went to Burlington, Vermont to do a two-day workshop and I was teaching public speaking. And the whole time I was saying pause, they thought I was saying pose. And I didn’t notice until they got up to make their speeches. (Audience laughter)

True story. Can you imagine? (Audience laughter) I want you to just think about that for a second before I show you how it went. They got up there, and in the middle of their speech, they were saying things like, “The agenda is...” (Audience laughter) “And I really think we


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can turn Burlington, Vermont around if we... (Audience laughter)

And I said, “What are you doing?”

“You told us to pose before and after we say something important.” (Audience laughter) I said, “It’s pause! It’s pause!” We had a good laugh about that. We probably should have ended the seminar right there. (Audience laughter) But I guarantee you one thing...if you pause.... Instead of pose...it will show poise...(Audience groans, then laughs) I’ve been work-ing on that all night! (Audience laughter) But it will, in reality. If a speaker is comfortable enough to be quiet, the audience will be comfortable enough with that speaker. If the speaker is comfortable enough to allow pieces of silence in his of her speech, the audience will be comfortable with that speaker.

(End of speech)

So remember to use silence in your speeches so the audience will get the full impact of your message.

Section Nine

Years ago when people were still watching the radio...people seemed to have a better sense of listening and being able to intake information audibly. So speakers, presenters, public figures could stand there and just tell about what happened. “He said this... and then that man said that....and then she said that and he said that...” and tell the story as it came through. But nowa-days with the invention of television and the Internet and all this visual stimuli people seem to respond to and receive information differently. There are a lot of visual people in this world and so to connect with them it’s very important not to just tell what happened, but to show it. To act it out when you’re telling a story. Or should I say, when you’re showing anything.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is by adding characters to your speech. So instead of saying, “He said this and she said that,” act it out. Become that person, become the story and show what happened. By doing this, you can add a lot of humor and you’re certain to make a connection. Why? Because we all know through soap operas and movies and plays we connect to characters.

(Speech)

Characters are important in a speech—and I usually won’t do a speech without adding some kind of characters. Anything that can break the monotone of you just standing there and speaking helps the speech. Audiences don’t like to see the same thing over and over. If you


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can add some characters to your speeches, then that would be fantastic.

Now here’s a note: Characters do not have to be in the form of another person. It can be an inanimate object that you use and personify and give it human characteristics. I’m talking to a book. The book talks to me, the book yelled, the book jumped into my arms. Give it some human characteristics and it can add humor into your speech as well.

Now here’s a caveat. I was coaching a young man the other day. And he was adding his char-acters and he was doing it for about ten minutes. I thought I was at Wimbledon. (Audience laughter) So be careful. You want to use it, but you don’t want to abuse it.

We talked about telling a story, now lets talk about making a point. If you want to move peo-ple, you have to answer the question the audience has had in their minds the entire speech. And that question is this: What’s in it for me? What’s in it for me. Why should I be here? You have to answer why. So here’s what I suggest.

Go from an I-focused story to a You-focused message. You’ve got to answer that question. You’ve told them what to do; now you have to tell them why. If you can do that, you will move that audience.

(End of speech)

Anything that you can do that can help you build a stronger connection to your audience, do it. One of the best ways I know to do that is by adding characters to your speech. It is important to answer the question that the audience has in their mind when we’re speaking: What’s in it for me? You do that by taking your I-focused story and giving it a You-focused message. What should the audience do? Remember, we want the audience to think, act, laugh, and learn. And if you take that I-focused story and give it a You-focused message—which focuses on answering the question What’s in it for them—then that audience will act on your message.

Section Ten

Now I’d like to ask you to open you mind. I want you to use the Push, the Pull, and the Pas-sion method of influence, of motivating others. Many speakers you’ll hear use the Pull method, which is: You know, if you take these positive steps, you’ll get this positive result. If you take these positive ideas and put them into action, here’s the positive result that you’ll receive. That is the Pull. You’re pulling them with positive results.

But sometimes we need to use the Push as well. Which is: You know if you don’t take these


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steps, here’s how you may end up. If you don’t take action on this idea, or this principle, or this strategy, here’s what might happen to your life.

See regret has amazing power because nobody wants to live with it. So use the Push. Here’s what’s happening to you if you don’t move. The Pull: here’s what’s happening to you if you do. And the Passion, which is the conviction behind your words. And I guarantee you. You will move that audience.

(Speech)

All right. Now, the next thing I want to talk to you about is going to ruffle some feathers. But I don’t mind keeping the waters troubled. We are in an era where everybody needs to be posi-tive. And I understand that. But we go too far. We say that the only messages and the only way we can influence people is by saying, if you do this you can get this positive result. If you do this you’ll get this result. If you practice this you’ll get this wonderful result.

Now we need to start telling people, if you don’t do this is how you might end up. If you don’t practice this, this is what might happen to you. If you don’t take action on your goal, you’re going to start taking it to your grave. If you don’t start acting on your dream, you’re going to live your nightmare.

We need to use the Pull...we need to use the Push....Think of a car stuck in the mud. You need to pull, you need to push, you need to do anything to get that car moving.

I’m from the field of leadership of Harriet Tubman. Everybody remember Harriet Tubman? Well, I mean not really remember her but... (Audience laughter) let me see. Nobody would have known her, but if you knew anything about Harriet Tubman, what would she do?

(Audience) Underground...railroad?

(Valentine) Underground railroad. Now let’s think about this for a second. Even though this is a topic some people like to stay away from, I’m just talking about the leader in her. And I’m talking about what we can all learn from her.

See Harriet Tubman was a slave. She escaped. She went back and forth nineteen times from Maryland to past Niagara into Canada because Canada was the Promised Land because of the whole Fugitive Slave Law Act, which allowed people to come North.... But that’s a whole different story.

Bottom line is: 298 passengers—she never lost a passenger, including her biological parents.


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But the thing that makes me laugh is when people come up to me, and they say, they think that Harriet Tubman was just some nice old lady they call the Black Moses. And that she’d go to the plantations and say, “Okay, slaves, C’mon.... Everybody, let’s go...C’mon right side up, line up, let’s go...Let’s go...LET’S GO!”

Harriet Tubman carried a gun. Harriet Tubman carried a rifle. Harriet Tubman carried med-ication so she could medicate the little babies so they’d fall asleep and not make any noise on the trip. Harriet Tubman was rough! And she would look at each one of those slaves and say, “When we get started, you can not turn back because you will probably end up telling our way on the underground railroad.”

So they’d start moving. They’d all agree and start moving. And they’d start going through the trees, and through the forests. And the bloodhounds would be chasing them. And if any of those slaves dared to raise up and say, “Moses, Moses, I can’t make it! I gotta go back! Master’s gonna kill me. I can’t make it! I gotta go back!” she would look at them, point the gun at them and say, “Dead people tell no tales.” And that’s when they would look up and say, “Hey Harriet, where did you say freedom was again?” (Audience laughter) Oh Canada! (sings)

See you gotta Pull, you gotta Push, and you gotta do whatever it is you have to do to get that person stuck in the mud moving in the right direction. I call it the Push, the Pull, and the Passion. Tell them what they can get by doing this. Tell them what might happen if they don’t. And, of course, be passionate about it. And that is going to move that person.

(End of Speech)

So remember to use the Push, the Pull, and the Passion. And watch as your audience takes ac-tion.

Section Eleven

(Speech)

Anybody ever run track? Have you ever run track in your life? Anybody? What did you run, sir?

(Audience) The mile.

(Valentine) You ran the mile. Okay, very good. Anybody else? Any sprinters?


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(Audience) Yes sir.

(Valentine) What did you run?

(Audience) 200 and 400.

(Valentine) 200 and 400. You get up to the line, right? They say, “Take your marks...Get Ready...Get Set...” I tend to believe that most people live their lives on Get Set. When it comes to their goals, or their dreams, or to implementing anything that you’ve learned in this speech today—like writing down your perfect day...they take their marks. They get all excited. They say Get Ready, they say Get Set.... They Get Set...and they never Go. And most people die on Get Set.

We have all heard that the richest place in the world is where...?

(Audience) Graveyard.

(Valentine) And this is timeless. Timeless. See any cemetery that you pass by...that’s where books that have never been written...your books...your dreams that have never been imple-mented, your ideas that have never been given. You take your ideas, your innovations, your inventions, everything to the grave with you because you live and die on Get Set.

I know I’ve ruffled some feathers, but I don’t think most tombstones should say Rest in Peace. I think they should say Rest On Get Set. That’s the way people lived and how they died. Les Brown would say, “You’re gone, but not used up.” And I never want you to be one of them.

Eight years ago, there I was on Get Set to my dream, talking about, “Well, I really do want to be a professional speaker, but I don’t know if people will listen. I might be too young. I might be too ugly. I might...but not too ugly?...” (Audience laughter) Hey! Some of you are not laughing. (Audience laughter)

But I might be too young, or whatever it is. I was making all these excuses. But I had already planned it. I had planned everything. Just when I passed a friend of mine’s said, “Craig, sometimes you just have to take that first step.”

So ladies and gentlemen, the question that I get most is: How did you become a professional speaker? I mean I get that everyday, over e-mail from across the world. And I have a sixty-second response that I do in seminars, so you don’t have to ask me afterwards. Sixty-second response. Now this is going to be kind of a monologue, but I need you to help me out. Any-


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time I go like this (Motion)...I want you to say as loud as you can, “Who knew?” We’re going to try it out one time. Ready?

(Audience) Who knew?

(Valentine) All right. A little bit louder. Ready?


(Valentine) All right. Every time I do that I need you to say, “Who knew?” Sixty seconds to professional speaking. Ready?


(Valentine) That when I was giving speeches to the walls within my house, giving speeches to my car. Anybody ever do that? With no audience?

(Audience) Right.

(Valentine) That when I’d run down and walk into the bookstore, and I started reading all these books on the art of public speaking.


(Valentine) That one of those books would be a Toastmaster’s manual of public speaking. And it would say contact this number for a club near you?


(Valentine) That I would contact that number, and I would get invited out to the Randall-stown Toastmaster Club right here in Maryland.


(Valentine) That somebody would see me speak and say, “Wow! You’re pretty good. You should be a professional. You should join the National Speakers Association, which is an organization of professional speakers.



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(Valentine) That one day I would get into a Toastmaster’s contest and I would win at the club level, the area level, the division level, the district level, and just keep winning until I heard the words, “And the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking is Craig Valentine.”


(Valentine) That even before that, a young man would come up to me and say, “Craig, how much do you charge for your speeches?” I said, “Charge?” (Audience laughter) “I speak for free.”

He said, “Oh, ‘cause we’re going to give you a couple thousand dollars.”

I said, “Like I said, I speak for fee!” (Audience laughter) Who knew? And I never would have known if I were still living my life on Get Set.

So ladies and gentlemen, when I raise my arm like this I want you to, as loud as you can, yell out the word Go. And I want you to think about your dreams. I want you to think about that thing that you want to do. That thing you know, deep in your heart, you were put on this earth to do. I’m going to raise my arm and I want you to yell out the word Go, as loud as you can. Is there something that you’ve been waiting to do?

(Audience) Go!

(Valentine) Is there something that you’ve been waiting to have?

(Audience) Go!

(Valentine) Is there something that you’ve been waiting to see?

(Audience) Go!

(Valentine) Is there something that you’ve been waiting to be?

(Audience) Go!

(Valentine) Are you a champion? Oh yeah!

(Audience) Oh yeah!

(Valentine) Are you a winner?


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(Audience) Oh yeah!

(Valentine) Are you a leader?

(Audience) Oh yeah!

(End of speech)

So remember: use the Push, the Pull, and the Passion. See, regret has amazing power. People say that fear doesn’t motivate. I disagree. I remember as a young kid I use to want to jog around the block. And I use to jog around the block with my brothers. But one day my brothers didn’t go, and I still wanted to make the run by myself. And about at the mile point I got tired and I didn’t think I could make it home. I thought I had to walk. And just when I passed of friend of mine’s house, this little ankle-biting, furry dog came barking and chasing after me. And I ran and ran and ran and ran until I was all the way home. I don’t even know when that dog stopped chasing me because I was gone.

The point is that fear motivates. Yes indeed it does. But it is very short term. And that’s when you have to introduce the Pull. The Pull is that opportunity for gain. If you take this action, you have the opportunity to gain this. If you do this thing, you have the opportunity to gain that. The opportunity for gain is the long-term motivational factor that’s most effective. Use the Push, use the Pull. Speak with conviction because that will be your passion.

Section Twelve

So ladies and gentlemen, let’s bring it all together. Think, act, laugh, and learn. Let’s make the audience TALL. I’ve given you some ideas on conflict and some ideas on delivery. How does that fit into my formula? Well, let me tell you this. If you want to make this audience TALL, you can make the audience think by asking questions. When you ask questions of the audience, it gets them off of automatic and on to think. They need to think and process. And that’s a way to help them connect and stay attentive to your presentation. If you want the audience to act, we’ve already discussed this. You want to tell your story and make your point. Drive your story home, let them know what’s in it for them.

To make your audience laugh, use humor. Show your failures That’s always funny. Be self-ef-facing. Let your audience know that you are not taking yourself too seriously.

And to help that audience learn, use original content that’s unpredictable, and original delivery.


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And you will make your audience TALL.

So let’s bring it all together in the speech The Snakebite. It’s a contest speech, so it’s a little wordy. And it’s a little less conversational than I would normally do nowadays. But it does follow the formula of telling a story and making a point. I’ve personalized that story. It has a major conflict: person versus himself. It has humor. It has characters. And silence, which speaks loudly. There’s a change in rate, volume, pitch, and stress. And the audience participates and partners with me on this journey. Finally, and most importantly, there is a crucial point which is vital to the audience. Again, this was a contest speech. So I did a little bit of showing off just to show my originality.

(Speech)

Let me ask a question that may seem strange today. How many of you know the number of people who have died from a snakebite? Answer please.

(Audience) About two.

(Valentine) About two? Okay. That may ruin my speech, but (Audience laughter) Nah, I’m kidding. How many of you care? See I didn’t care until I realized that nobody has ever died of a snakebite. Nobody’s ever died from a snakebite. It’s the venom circulating throughout your body afterwards (Audience laughter) that does you in.

Ladies and gentlemen, today I want to talk about the time when I was once bitten. Tell you about a time when I was filled with venom, and then let you know how I rid myself of that venom and how you can too. Are you ready?

(Audience) Oh yeah!

(Valentine) It was March 4th, 1993. I remember this date for a number of reasons. Number one, because it was my last collegiate basketball game ever. Number two, because of my 22nd birthday, and number three, because of what my ex-girlfriend did that night. Emphasis on ex. (Audience laughter) Changed the course of my life forever.

See when I was gone that evening in North Carolina playing basketball, my ex-girlfriend was back in Maryland. And she somehow found a way to copy a key to my apartment.... And she slithered into my apartment...but she wasn’t alone. Nah, she had another man with her.... And she took this man into my apartment using my key. Then she took this man into my liv-ing room after going into my apartment using my key. Then she took this man into my bed-room, after going into my living room, after going into my apartment using my key. And I’m


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afraid to tell you where she took him then. But she wasn’t faithful. When I got back in town, although I was young and I heard about all this through the grapevine, I was angry. I was hurt. I’d been bitten...Know what?...It didn’t kill me.

Ladies and gentlemen, how many of you have been hurt by another person? Doesn’t have to be in that same way. How many of you have been hurt, your emotions were hurt. Put your hands up. I know you have. I want you to repeat after me. I’ve been bitten...

(Audience) I’ve been bitten...

(Valentine) ...but it didn’t kill me.

(Audience) ...but it didn’t kill me.

(Valentine) Turn to somebody on your left, on your right and say, “I’m moving on.”

(Audience) I’m moving on.

(Valentine) But it didn’t kill me. Over the next few months the anger that I had for her, the hatred that I had for him, the venom that I had inside of me started to do me in. See, no lon-ger was I just a victim, no longer was I just the one who had been bitten, I was now the one doing the biting. And I’m not talking about any Marv Albert or Mike Tyson-type biting (Audi-ence laughter) They’re not here, are they?

(Audience) Yes. (Audience laughter)(Valentine) I’m talking about the type of biting where you hurt people’s feelings, where you’re dishonest, where you’re unfaithful. And that’s exactly the kind of person I became. So one night, with a book in my hand I started to fall asleep and I looked down and there it said nobody’s ever died from a snakebite. What’s that? The book said, “It’s the venom. It’s the venom. It’s the venom that kills you.” Then I knew I was getting delirious because I looked down at the book and the book looked at me! (Audience laughter) And the book said, “Craig.”

And I said, “What?”

And the book said, “There’s only one way to get rid of that hatred.”

And I said, “Uh huh.”

And the book said, “There’s only one way to get rid of that poison.”


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And the book said, “There’s only one way to get rid of that venom.”


“It’s forgiveness.”

“Uh, uh.” (Audience laughter) I said, “I’m not forgiving anybody.” (Audience laughter) “I don’t know why I’m talking to a book in the first place.” (Audience laughter)

He said it’s forgiveness. Now I know what you’re thinking. But I’m not talking about the type of forgiveness where you walk up to somebody and you say, “You know what you did was wrong, and I forgive you. You go on your way, and I’ll go on mine.”

I’m not talking about that type of forgiveness. I’m talking about the type of forgiveness where you forgive somebody from your heart. I’m talking about the type of forgiveness where that person doesn’t even know that he or she has been forgiven. Why? Because you know as well as I do that just like a snake will bite you and crawl back into it’s hole, so will a friend that’s hurt you go on with his or her life leaving you there to be hurt over and over and over again until the hatred and the anger and the venom and the poison you’ve swallowed inside you so much that it chokes the very meaning out of your life.

And not only your life, but the lives of others. See when you don’t forgive it effects everybody. It’s contagious. Not just you, it effects your mother, your sister, your mister, your misses, your baby, your granny, your sitter, your nanny—they’re all troubled and harassed by others who go past. So from put-downs to stick-ups and gunshots that disrupt this world we livein...this world we’ve been given and we can’t go on because we haven’t forgiven and you know what? We can’t go on because we haven’t forgiven. Ladies and gentlemen, all this was rolling past the bottom of the screen in my mind. And I said to myself, I said.... “Self”... (Audience laughter)...that’s what I call me (Audience laugh-ter) Wait a minute, District 36, don’t act like you don’t talk to yourself. (Audience laughter) C’mon, I know you talk to yourself. You don’t want to admit it because you think your crazy (Audience laughter) But you know what? I’ve come to the realization that you’re not crazy when you talk to yourself. You’re not even crazy when you talk to yourself and answer your-self. Zig Ziglar said the only time you’re crazy is when you talk to yourself, answer yourself, and then go “Huh?” (Audience laughter)


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So I said to myself, “I forgive her.” And then you know what happens...you start picturing and you go, “No! No! No! What she did was so wrong! It was so unjust! It was so untrue! She doesn’t deserve my forgiveness.”

Then the book jumped back up into my arms and said, “Boy. You’re not doing this for her.... You’re doing this for you.”

You’re doing it for you. He was right. Winston Churchill once said, You can’t keep a man down without staying down with him.

I had to let her go so I could be free. So somewhere, in the innermost part of my being, I found the pool of forgiveness and I dove in it. Totally immersed. And when I came out I real-ized I forgave her, I let her go, I set her free. And now I’m free.

Now that I’m free, do we hang out together? Do we collaborate on projects? Do we have fun with each other? Absolutely.... not! (Audience laughter) You think I’m crazy? (Audience laughter)

Susan Taylor, editor-in-chief of Essence magazine once said that just because you forgive somebody does not give them the right to have a front row seat in your life. (To people in front) No offense. (Audience laughter) But I no longer hated her. I no longer had any anger towards her. I no longer had any venom inside me that I could infect the rest of the world with, because I can’t give the world something that I don’t have. I’m truthful. I’m honest. I’m faithful. I’m a little hot

(Audience laughter) I’m free.... You all know I’m married. (Audience laughter) Not to her. (Audience laughter) And I couldn’t be happier. But ladies and gentlemen, there are too many out there who still have not taken that first step towards forgiveness. And really towards freedom. So I want you to ask yourselves these questions, ladies and gentlemen. Ask yourself this: Is there anyone out there...I have not yet let go? Is there anyone out there I have not yet forgiven? Is there any-one out there I have not yet set free? And if the answer to any one of those questions is yes, then that person you haven’t let go, that person you haven’t forgiven, that person you haven’t set free...is you.... Is you.

I want to leave you with this: Someone may come again and cause you much pain. But there’s no reason for you to be hurt over and over again. Because in order for us to truly live, we must be willing to forgive. After all, nobody has ever died from a snakebite.

(End of speech)


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Section Thirteen

At the beginning of a speech you invite the audience on a journey. But at the end, you need to make sure you bring them home. I’m going to bring you home by showing you how I wrap up most of my speeches. There was a story about Mr. H in Section Four. But that story is not over. It’s time now to bring it full circle, the same way I do in my speeches.

(Speech)

Something happened...and I just have to round it off because I’m bringing you back home. You see, I was walking through the Supreme Sports Club in Columbia, Maryland. Eigh-teen years later I ran into Mr. H in the parking lot. Mr. H is getting a little bit older. (Audi-ence laughter) And I ran into Mr. H and he walked up to me and said, “Hey Craig, how you doin’?”

I said, “I’m doing fine, Mr. H”

And he looked at me and said, “I read the articles.... I saw you on the television...I heard you on the radio.... That is fantastic! I’m do proud of you! I’m so proud of you.” And then he looked and he said, “I can’t believe, that at the age of ten, some man would have the nerve... (Audience laughter) ...to call you Daffy Duck! (Audience laughter)

I said, “Uh, Mr. H? You know...I don’t know quite how to tell you this but.... You’re the one who called my Daffy Duck.”

He looked up at me and said, “It’s me?

I said, “Yeah. You don’t remember?”

And he said, “No Craig, but I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.... I’m totally sorry.”

I said, “Mr. H don’t be sorry.... You changed my life. I would not be the speaker I am today if you had not confronted me that day. You changed my life. I love you. Thank you.... But as far as you not remembering (Audience laughter) that you did that, I think that’s Dethpicable! (Audience laughter)

(End of speech)

For more information, feel free to contact me at www.craigvalentine.com where you can find


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information about my new newsletter, more products, my speaking schedule to see if I’ll be in a town near you any time soon. My sincere hope is that you not only received great information from this program, but that you’ll actually go out and put it into practice.

Remember: You might be on the right track, but if you just stand there...Ahh! You know the rest!


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Ed Tate 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking

You, Too, Can Be a World Champion

Hello. My name is Ed Tate. And on August 26th of 2000, I became the sixty-third World Cham-pion of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International. As you might imagine, this is a highly competitive competition. Anywhere from twenty- to twenty-two thousand people enter it annu-ally, from over seventy different countries. And in the end, I won it all.

This is about how you, too, can be a world champion. I will share some of my secrets, ideas, stories, and anecdotes along the way to becoming a world champion.

But it’s not just becoming a World Champion of Public Speaking; these principles are universal and can be used in any endeavor or goal that you may seek in your life. I hope you enjoy it.

Section One

(APPLAUSE) Good morning! Thank you! Thank you very much!

So there I was...it’s 1999. I’m in Chicago, my hometown. Up on the stage a guy by the name of Albert Mensa. He’s from Ghana, West Africa. And it’s the 1999 World Championship of Public Speaking.

There are over two-thousand people in this auditorium. I was sitting so far back, that the speech contest is a rumor.

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Albert is wearing this unusual outfit. It’s called a dinka. It is an outfit from his country. Now for those of you who remember the Sixties, it looked like a dashiki.

Does anyone remember the Sixties? Okay. It has been said that if you remember the Sixties, chances are, you weren’t there.(Audience laughter)

Anyway, it’s a very colorful outfit. The name of his speech is Underneath, We’re All the Same. And he goes on to describe his early experiences in America where he experienced some dis-crimination and things of that nature.

The speech: it was funny, it was humorous, it was very thoughtful. And at the end of his speech, he tears off his dinka. And underneath he is wearing a three-piece suit to emphasize the point that underneath we’re all the same.

I thought it was brilliant! I thought this guy was great! I made a snap judgment at that point in time. I said, “This guy, he won the speech contest.” And then, later on that morning, Craig Val-entine came out. And he gave a speech...How many of you saw the speech? This speech was very creative. It was a conversation he was holding between himself on a rooftop. The topic of his conversation was whether he should jump, or not.

I’ve got to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, over two-thousand people in the auditorium, and you could have heard a pin drop from across the street. It was a humorous speech, believe it or not. It was very thoughtful. It touched your heart; it touched your soul. And in the end, Craig Valen-tine became the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking.

While in that audience I made a couple decisions. Decision number one: I wrote on a piece of paper that heart wins out over humor. You see, Albert’s speech was incredibly funny. But Craig’s speech was poignant. Heart wins out over humor. And that was the first lesson that I learned about the speech competition.

The other decision that I made that day: I was going to enter the contest that following year. My club had been after me for about three years to enter the competition. Now my excuse was that I was traveling. And that was true. I was traveling a great deal and I was unable to enter the com-petition. However, the truth of the matter was I like being a big dog in a small yard. How many of you know what I’m talking about. And the title of World Champion of Public Speaking, to be honest with you, was intimidating. But for the first time I said to myself, “I can do that.”

How many of you have said to yourselves, “I can do that?” Give me a show of hands. (Pause)...the contestants...the contestants should be raising their hands! Anyway, let’s go on, shall we? What we’re going to talk about here today are a few things. We’re going to talk about my 4-Step

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Success Formula; storytelling secret recipe, and I’m also going to give the three speeches that helped me win the World Championship of Public Speaking. Now, some of you have heard my championship speech One Of Those Days. But I thought it might be interesting for you to hear the other speeches that actually led to me winning the com-petition. Hopefully, we’ll also have some fun as well.

Section Two

My Four-Step Success Formula––Here it is:

• Vision

• Decision

• Focus

• Action Plan

What do I mean by that?

Vision. There is an author, his name is Stephen Covey. He wrote book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. And in that book he says there are always two creations: one is mental, the other is physical.

For example, the chair that you are sitting in right now, someone had to visualize that particular chair in their mind first before it ever became a physical creation. There are always two cre-ations: one mental and the other is physical. Before you achieve any goal in your life, folks, you have to see it here, in your mind, first, be-fore you’ll ever be able to achieve it. So the first step in any goal you want to achieve: it must be visual.

There’s a guy by the name of Michael Podolinsky. He’s a speaker-trainer, and he says you must make your goals visual. Again, you must be able to see them mentally first.

Next, it must be bold. I love this quote by Elizabeth Jeffries: ‘Your vision is not big enough un-less people are falling over laughing.’ I told my friends I wanted to be the World Champion of Public Speaking–they started laughing. I realized I had a big enough goal.

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It must be clear, and you must be able to believe it. This is according to Dr. Wayne Dwyer. You’ll see it once you believe it. And I believe if you can see it, you can be it. So it all starts with vision. My initial vision was to be on the stage in the year 2000.

Step number two: Decision. Motivation comes from just getting started. This is from a friend of mine. Her name is Linda Edgecomb. She’s a breast-feeding, keynote speaker. Now, let me give you a little background about her. She’s actually from Canada.

She had a newborn baby, and it was time to feed her child, and she actually asked the audience if she could feed her child. And they said, “Go for it!” You know guys–they really enjoy that stuff.

Initial decision: Enter the contest, I’m good enough.

There’s this old joke. And I’m sure some of you may have heard it before. There was this man who wanted to win the lottery. And he kept saying, “God, please let me win the lottery. Please let me win the lottery.” And everyday he would pray to God to let him win the lottery. And after weeks and weeks go by, he gets very frustrated with God, and he gets really angry, and he yells at God.

Then all of a sudden, the clouds part and God speaks from above. And He says, “Please meet me half way. At least buy a ticket!”

So I had to buy a ticket. I, at least initially, had to sign up and enter the contest.

This was going to be my top priority. Now, keep in mind, if something happened to my family, clearly that was not going to be the case. But I was very, very focused. And I decided that for the next year I was going to dedicate my life. This was going to be my top priority. And short of anything happening to my family, nothing else was going to get in the way. So again, I was go-ing to be completely focused.

Section Three

I was also going to tell a story. I guess what my strength is, is that I’m a storyteller and I tell it in my own way. And I was going to use what I call my Four-H Secret Recipe. That stands for:

• Head: Does a speech make you think?

• Heart. Does it touch your soul?

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• Humor: Does it make you laugh?

• Heavy Hitting.

I couldn’t come up with another “H” for alliteration so, bear with me, all right? So, Head, Heart, Humor, Heavy Duty. Again, is it significant? Does it touch your soul? Does it make you laugh? And is it profound?

My first speech is called Tate’s Rules on Bullies. Let me give you a little background. When I was a kid I was very small. And the neighborhood I lived in, if you were small you got picked on a lot. And bullies were quite common.

My son is going to be a big man. He’s going to be 6’2”, 6’3”, or 6’4”. And he’s always been among the larger kids in his class. And I was determined that he was not going to be a bully. But what I discovered is if you are a big kid, and you are not a bully, smaller kids form small gangs and they bully you. So I was trying to teach him a lesson with regard to how to handle bullies, in this particular case, because he was having a problem with some other kids in school. So this speech was originally written just for him. It was written for an audience of one.

Speech: Tate’s Rules on Bullies

Hey nigger! Go back to the ghetto! These are the words that used to greet me everyday on the playground when I was seven years old. They were the words of my first bully. His name was Richard. Now me, I had another name for him. But this is a family program and we’re not going to go there.

One day we’re on the playground. Richard is swinging upside down on the monkey bars. He is going back and forth, back and forth. I’m reminded of one of my favorite quotes. It’s by a gentleman by the name of Pat Riley. Pat Riley is the head basketball coach of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. He wrote a book entitled, The Winner Within. It is wisdom given to him by his father, Lee Riley. And his dad told him the following. He said, “Son, every now and then your back is against the wall. You must plant your feet and make a point about who you are and what you’re about. And when that time comes, you simply do it.”

Well, on this particular occasion I decided I was going to plant my feet. And when the time came, Richard swung this way and I swung that way and pow! I did it! And he dropped faster than Enron stock.

I was grounded for a month. But when I came to the playground, no kid ever called me that

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name again. And I learned my first lesson when it comes to bullies: You must take a stand. Overconfidence leads to arrogance, and arrogance must be punished.

My second bully, he was a guy by the name of Bruce. Bruce was a senior in high school. He weighed 175 pounds and he was stocky. I was in seventh grade. I weighed seventy pounds. I was skinny.

One day we’re on the playground and we’re playing American football. And I’ve got on football pads, helmet, the whole nine yards. Bruce was coming around and he was bragging about how savvy he was with the ladies. Until I pointed out two things. One, I’ve never seen you with a woman; and number two: Why do you always hang around seventh graders? And everyone laughed. (the audience is silent) And everyone laughed. (Audience breaks into bois-terous laughter). That was the audience participation part of the speech! (Laughter contin-ues) Here’s the clue; you’re the audience. (Laughter).

Everyone laughed, except for Bruce. And he said, “I’m going to kick your behind!” That’s not what he really said, but I think you get the point. At first I was scared. I was nervous. And then I noticed something. He’s got on a leather jacket. I’ve got on football pads. He’s wearing a hat. I’m wearing a helmet. If I’m going to get into a fight, today is the day.

So I planted my feet. And when the time came, pow! I did it! And wouldn’t it be great if I told you I won that fight. But I didn’t. I won something more important that day. I won my self-re-spect. You see, bullies rely on their silent partner: your fear.

There’s this great book that came out in the late 1980s. It’s by Dr. Susan Jeffers. And in it she says, “We must feel the fear, and do it anyway.” Lesson number two: When it comes to deal-ing with bullies, do not let fear paralyze you.

I would need lesson number one—take a stand—lesson number two, do not let fear paralyze you when it came to dealing with my third bully. I met him while I was a sophomore in col-lege at the University of Illinois. At the time I was a disc jockey at a student-run radio sta-tion. The protocol there at the station was that the seniors, the upperclassmen, they had their choice of the best available time slots.

At the time I was working the graveyard shift, but my ratings were so high that for the first time in the school’s history an underclassman was allowed to go prime time. And I was excit-ed when I got this promotion. I told all my friends, and I called up my family, and I was very, very excited until I met the senior who I had bypassed. And his name was Ron.

Ron was 6’6”, 300-pounds, two-percent body fat. He was a starting tight end on the Fight-

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ing Ilini football team, plus he was a bodybuilder. He cornered me. He said, “You’ve got my job. And if you know what’s best for you, you had better quit. But we’re going to make it look good. We’re going to wait a week before you give your resignation. And I will be back in a week for your answer.”

I’ve got to tell you, folks, I have never been that afraid in all my life. The following morn-ing I went to the program director. She said she couldn’t help me. I went to the police. They said they couldn’t help me. They said it was his word against my word. They would actu-ally have to wait for a crime to be committed...(audience laughter)...you’re getting ahead of me...(audience laughter)...They would have to wait for a crime to be committed before they could take action. And I remember thinking to myself: Has the concept of crime prevention...has it made it here? I went to administration. They couldn’t help me. I went to his football coach. He wouldn’t help me. It was at that moment when I felt I had no place to run, no place to hide, that the answer came. This time I would have to take a step in a different way.

True to his word, one week later he cornered me again. Now, someone tell me something. What is it about bullies that they’re punctual? I remember in school, they’d say I’m gonna beat your butt at three-fifteen, and they would be there at three-fifteen, if not earlier. Any-way, Ron, this time he shows up wearing a T-shirt that is clearly two size s too small. When he is breathing you can literally see the muscles in his chest expanding and contracting. And if that wasn’t intimidating enough, he had this big piece of wood in the back, in his back pocket. And he was hitting it like this (Smacking sound) and I remember thinking to myself: I didn’t get the memo that we could bring wood?

And he said, “Well, what have you decided?”

Ladies and Gentlemen, I was terrified. I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking. The only thing I knew I could rely on was my voice. I planted my feet, I put my hands behind me, and this is what I said.

I said, “Ron, I’ve decided to keep my show. But before you do anything drastic there are a couple things you need to know. Number one: I’m a resident advisor. And what that means is that I am also considered university staff. Striking me is like striking a professor. It is imme-diate grounds for dismissal. If you hit me, you can say goodbye to your education. And since you would no longer be a student, you would no longer be eligible to play football. You could say goodbye to athletics and sports. I’ve taken the liberty of letting the police know where you practice and where you work. You can say goodbye to your newborn daughter, your wife, and your freedom. I’ve also hired an attorney. And I will sue you for everything that you have, and everything that you hope to have. And by the way, I like your Camaro. You can say good-

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bye to your lifestyle.”

After that day I never heard from Ron again. But I also learned the most important lesson when it comes to dealing with bullies. And that is this: Violence is not the answer. The great-est weapon that we have in terms of solving our problems is our mind. We must take the time to think. We must have the courage to let people know that we will never, ever give in. Our dignity is one of the few things in life we can say is ours. And if we let someone take it, in the end, we have nothing. We have nothing. And personally, friends, I’d rather be beaten down than give that up. Every now and then your back is against the wall. You must plant your feet, and make a point about who you are and what you’re about. And when that time comes, you simply do it.

Section Four

Did the speech make you think? Did it touch your heart? Did it make you laugh? Was it pro-found? Head, Heart, Humor, Heavy Duty.

Step number three: Focus. Focus on your outcome. Here’s what I want you to do. When you’re competing, or if there is any goal you want to achieve in your life, focus on what the goal is, as opposed to the how. Focus on the what rather than the how. Most people don’t even start. They get stuck in, “How am I going to do this? How will I achieve this goal?”

When I was sitting in the audience in 1999 in Chicago I had no earthly idea as to how I was going to achieve this goal. But I knew what my goal was. We have an expression in America: Keep your eye on the prize. The prize was to enter the competition, at that point in time. So focus on your outcome. Focus on the ‘what’ first and the ‘how’ will come later.

We also get more of what we focus on. Turn on what I call your RAS. This is called your Re-ticular Activating System. It the bundle of nerves in the back of your head. Let’s say, for ex-ample, that your refrigerator breaks down. All of a sudden you will see refrigerator ads both in the newspaper and on television. Now prior to that you paid no attention to these things. Do you know what I’m talking about? Okay? But all of a sudden, it’s like “Hey! Isn’t this great? They have refrigerator ads in the newspaper just for me!”

Now the truth of the matter is you filtered those out. You never paid attention to them. But what happens is, if you have a specific goal, all of a sudden your eyes will be open to things that you hadn’t paid attention to before. So turn on what I call your RAS, or your reticular activating system.

Ask what I call effective questions. An effective question is: What can I do today to bring me

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closer to the goal? On my screensaver on my computer, these are an example of some of the questions I would ask:

• What else can I do to prepare?

And what happens is sometimes you don’t get the answers to these particular questions. But have you ever had the experience that all of a sudden your driving along in your car and boom! the answer comes? All of a sudden you’re in the shower and boom! the answer comes. You’re jogging by the lake and boom! the answer comes. An effective question, what it does is, you may not get the answer right then and there, but once you launch the question, you brain is like a computer and it will keep on processing until the answer comes. So I would encourage you to ask effective questions.

Step number four is what I call the Action Plan. Learn from your champions. When I won the regional competition that took place in Galveston, Texas I literally thought I had lost the compe-tition. I thought there was another competitor there who did better than myself. And I also have a habit: I cannot watch other competitors. So throughout the entire competition I would do my speech and then I would go backstage.

At the World Championship of Public Speaking, I asked permission if I could just walk back-stage because I was so nervous. I couldn’t just sit there and watch. And they gave me permis-sion to do that. So, literally, I missed almost all the competitors throughout the competition. My son came with me to Galveston and he sat and watched the regional competition. And at the end of the contest he said, “Dad, I think you won.” And I said, “Son, thank you for saying that. But you don’t know how this goes. You don’t know how adults think. And we’ll just see how this goes.”

And he said, “Well, Dad, I think you won.” This was right after the contest. That evening they had the dinner. And they started announcing the runners-up and the winners. And the gentleman I thought had won, he came in second place. And my son turns around to me at the dinner table and he says, “Dad, you won!”

And I said, “Son, you don’t know how these things work. There are still seven other competi-tors. And you don’t know how adults think.”

Anyway, they announce the winner. Now the moment they announce the winner someone coughed at my table and I did not hear who won. So I’m sitting there. Everyone in the place is rising and applauding, and my son turns around to me and says, “Dad, you won!”I said, “Well, son, you don’t know how these things work...”(audience laughter) .... “You don’t

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know how adults think...”

And he says, “No, Dad, this time you won!”

Anyway, we’re on the plane later on that evening and I said, “Son, why do you think I won?” And he said the following. “Everyone else was trying to be like a Tony Robbins, Dad. They sounded like parents. You just came out and you told a story.”

I had no idea at the time what my speech was going to be for the World Championship. But at that moment I made a decision: I was going to tell a story. I discovered in that moment, in what my son had told me, that that’s what my strength was. It was to tell a story. So that’s what I was going to do.

My grandmother said, “Why don’t you ask the other winners?” And I’m thinking, “Well, there’s a thought!” So I decided to contact some of the previous world champions. And I’ll tell you what they told me a little bit later.

There is a lady by the name of Patricia Fripp and she says, “If you don’t ask, then the answer is automatically no.” So I thought, what have I got to lose? If you contact someone, say for exam-ple, I remember in high school there was this woman, and her name was Alina, and she was the prom queen. And I wanted to go out with her. And I’m thinking, “But she’ll say no.” You know the voices inside your head?

And my cousin said, “Why don’t you ask her?”

I said, “Why I can’t do that.”

And he said, “Even if she says no your condition hasn’t gotten any worse.” There’s a thought! So I asked her. And guess what? I went out with the prom queen because I was the only one who had the courage to ask her. So here’s a lesson: Ask! Section Five

My second speech was entitled Three Questions.

It was the morning after Christmas, and you could smell it all through the house. It wasn’t the aroma of freshly baked Christmas cookies. Nor was it the scent of a recently cut pine tree. It was the stench of marijuana.

Home alone were my wife’s nephews, fifteen-year-old Randall and fourteen-year- old Nicho-

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las–cousins that were visiting us from Chicago for the holidays. My wife had been out Christ-mas shopping. I had been out with my son and several other children from the neighborhood ice-skating. I approached the oldest one and I asked him, “Have you guys been smoking?” Now before I continue on with the story, how many of you have parented teenagers? A quick show of hands. How many of you have actually been a teenager? (Audience laughter) What do you suppose they said? “Who us? Smoking? NO!” Had we’d been gambling, I would have lost money. I would have believed them, you know? And they walked right past me, and as they did, the fumes actually caused my eyes to water. At that moment the person who needed to be left home alone was myself. I decided that, plus I needed some fresh air, so I decided to drop off the neighborhood children. And as I did that I asked the other parents, “What would you did if you came home and found your children smoking?”

Well one parent said, “I would have him smoke the entire carton.” (Audience laughter) I had failed to mention to the parents exactly what these boys had been smoking. Somehow, this wasn’t the message that I wanted to send.

But they all agreed on one thing: Let your wife handle it. (Audience laughter) But I thought about these boys who were from fatherless homes and I decided it was time for their first man-to-man discussion.

Now when I got back into the house it was April fresh. The windows were open; there was this breeze flowing throughout the house. Incense, potpourri, and candles were burning. Randall and Nicholas are sitting on the couch. They’re playing Nintendo. They look like little angels...Hell’s Angels.

I gathered a few supplies. I gathered a jar, some coins, and a ball. (NOTE: He has all the aforementioned props). When my son saw what I had he said, “Dad, can I watch?” ‘Cause he knew what was about to happen.

I said, “No, son. I need for you to do me a favor. I need you to walk the dog. And don’t come back until the dog is winded.” (Audience laughter) We have a hound dog. We’re talking four, maybe five days. (Audience laughter).

He smiled at me. He said, “Dad, I’ll take as much time as you need.”

When I got back into the room I said, “Boys, we need to have a conversation. Please turn off the video game.” Then I said, “This is going to be a conversation, and we have a couple of rules. Ground rule number one: This is a one-time conversation. After today I will never

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bring it up again. Rule number two: This is a private conversation. It is between me and you. And I remember thinking, ‘And just a few thousand Toastmasters.’” (Audience laughter) Are you kidding me? This is great material! (Audience laughter) “I will not bring it up in front of either of your mothers, nor will I tell your aunt. And rule number three: The person who has the ball, they get to talk. My house, my rules, I get to go first. But don’t feel bad. You will have your turn.”

The first question I asked them is “How do you like my house?” Now there’s nothing special about my house. It’s your ordinary house in the suburbs. But for these boys who were from Chicago’s rough side we might have well have lived in a villa.

And they said, “Uncle Eddy, well, we like your house a lot.”

And I said, “Well do you suppose a person who has a house like this is fairly smart?” At-tention. We have completely lost eye contact. All of a sudden they start looking at their gym shoes.

“Now here’s something you don’t know about me. I like yourselves, I’m also from Chicago’s rough side. I’ve been robbed at gunpoint three times. And once I was beat up by a gang be-cause I refused to join. Do you suppose a person who survived all that is fairly street smart, as well?”

All of a sudden they start pressing the buttons on that Nintendo controller and the thing is not even plugged in? And I said, “Now this brings us to the next point of this conversation. And I call this my rules on trust. (The jangle of coins in a jar is heard.) And I believe that trust is like a bank account. It works like this: You’re born, you get an automatic deposit. (Coins drops in jar). You take that first step, automatic deposit. (Coins drops in jar) Your first smile, automatic deposit. (Coins drops in jar). That first poop, automatic deposit. (Two coins drop in jar). Your first grades in school, automatic deposit. (Coins drops in jar). In fact, there are few things in life you can’t do to make deposits (many coins drop in jar) into this trust ac-count.

“However, (coin drops in jar) there’s only one way to make a withdrawal. And that is when you lie. And unlike the deposits, which were frequent and continuous, the first time you tell a lie, a huge, huge withdrawal. (Pours coins into hand, slaps onto table.) And the next time you tell a lie, it is a huge, huge withdrawal. (Pours coins into hand, slaps onto table.) And it doesn’t matter if it is a little white lie or if it’s a huge whopper, or the most common form of lying there is today: withholding information. Allowing other people to come to the wrong conclusion. It’s all the same. (Pours coins into hand, slaps onto table.) It’s a huge, huge withdrawal.

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“And your accounts were full, until today. (Holds jar high for the audience to see. And then he turns it upside down to empty it.) I’m going to ask you one time. I’m going to ask you one time only. What happened in my house today? Before you answer. You can either stick to your story or you can tell me the truth.

“But there’s one other thing you need to know about me. See I believe that you’re either in or you’re out. Being part of the in-crowd? That’s when I took you snowboarding; that’s when I took you ice-skating; and that’s when I took you to laser tag. Those are examples of you be-ing part of the in-crowd.

“Being part of the out-crowd? You heard that we went snowboarding; you heard that we went ice-skating; you heard that we went to laser tag. That’s being part of the out-crowd.”

At that moment, I took the ball. I tossed it to the oldest one. He hemmed, he hawed, he stut-tered, and he stammered. But in the end, he told me the truth. And I congratulated him. I said, “Boys, I am so proud of you. Today you have taken your first steps towards adulthood. But there’s a couple other things we need to clear up.

“Number one: I want you to go upstairs. I want you to get the rest of the stuff and I want you to bring it down. I was watching on Discovery Channel the other day that marijuana floats for about ten minutes in the toilet before it actually slinks down to the bottom. I’m curious. Let’s see if that works. (Audience laughter)

“The other thing that you need to know about me is don’t you ever, ever lie to me. You see, the people who I deal with, I need the answers to three questions. Number one: Can I depend on you? Number two: Can I count on you? And number three: Can I trust you? And if the answer to any of those is no, then I don’t need you and you can’t be a guest in my house.”

Ladies and gentlemen the lesson is this: There is no relationship without trust and there is no exception to that rule. In our lives, with the people who we deal with, our friends, our family, our neighbors, our co-workers, it’s all the same. Can I depend on you? Can I count on you? And can I trust you?

Section Six

Did the speech make you think? Did it touch your soul? Did it make you laugh? And was it sig-nificant? Head, Heart. Humor, Heavy Duty.

Action Plan. Learn from other champions, as I mentioned earlier. I watched previous videos.

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Nine previous years of World Championship of Public Speaking videos. The hotel in which I stayed in in Miami Beach, they were kind enough to hook up a VCR, and I was able to watch those videos literally up until the day of the competition. I noticed there was a trend going on. It seemed that the finalists, they either had somebody who was dead or dying in their speech. And I called up one of my mentors (David Brooks) and I said, “I gotta change my speech.”

He said, “Why is that?”

Because there’s nobody dying in my speech.”

He said, “What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been watching these videos for the past couple of weeks, and all the finalists, someone’s dead or dying’.”

David Brooks, who is the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking, told me the following: Don’t force it if it doesn’t fit. Give your speech. Don’t try to make it fit into some type of model. Give your speech.

And that’s the thing I would encourage you to do. Give the speech that’s inside of you. Don’t give the speech that someone else said, ‘This is what you’re supposed to do.’ Because as many members as we have in Toastmasters, that’s how many different ways there are to succeed. Otis Williams, the 1993 World Champion told me the following: “Be so good that the only question is, Who’s in second place?” (Audience laughter) I love that one! The other thing is practice like a Tiger. What do I mean by this? I was watching Tiger Woods play golf. And again: reticular activating system.

Now here I am, it’s a Sunday afternoon and Tiger Woods is in the PGA Championship. And the previous day he had shot, I think it was a fifty-eight. He had tied for the highest, excuse me, the lowest score in the PGA championship. I’m thinking, ‘Wow! That’s pretty incredible!’ But Paul Harvey, the rest of the story.

Later on I discovered that after he got done shooting this record round, rather than celebrating, what he did was he went straight to the practice round, the practice tee. He practiced until ten-thirty that night. They literally had to kick him off the practice tee.

You see, ladies and gentlemen, Tiger Woods is a world champion not because of his talent, and he’s an extremely gifted and talented individual, but he is willing to outwork his competi-tion. Made up my mind right then and there. I may not win the World Championship of Public Speaking, but no one was going to outwork me. I was going to practice like a Tiger.

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Get feedback. Test your ideas and make adjustments. I did. I got this idea from one of the other clubs when I was practicing my speech. We did roundtable evaluations. Rather than the tradi-tional evaluation where someone stands up and gives you an evaluation and everyone writes down on a piece of paper what they thought, what we decided to do was: Starting off from the left and working your way around the table, tell me what you thought about the speech.

What it did was eliminate duplication. Did you ever give a speech and then four or five people say the same thing? But when you do a roundtable evaluation, and everyone contributes, you don’t get the same answers. And what’s really interesting is, by the time it gets around to this side, you get some real gems and pearls. So that was another way I got feedback. The other thing is, people kept telling me, “Don’t do audience participation.” As you will see, my speech–the World Championship speech–is an audience participation speech. You will know what your cue is. But over and over again, I would say 98% of all Toastmasters told me, “Don’t do it. You’ll lose control, this is a timed speech, you’ll be disqualified.”

And I listened to them. And every morning I would wake up and say, “But I like this idea.” And everyone kept telling me, “Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it.”

Ladies and gentlemen, there comes a point when you have to decide whose speech is it? Is it yours, or is it theirs? I decided one day that it was mine. Now, I don’t mean to be disrespectful because along the way a lot of people gave me some wonderful advice and suggestions. But on this one point, I was not going to vary. I was not going to waver. I was either going to win it, or I was going to go down in flames with this idea.

And Tiger Woods says something else: Commit to your swing. I decided I was going to commit to my swing. This was going to be my swing.

The other thing was I wanted to beat Rene Gotfroy. Now people are saying, Who’s Rene Got-froy? Two weeks before the World Championship of Public Speaking, I went to the National Speakers Association convention in Washington, D.C. And they had this young man. He came out, his name was Rene Gotfroy.

Rene originally was from Haiti. And when he said he slept on the streets, he literally slept on the streets. He was able to eventually come to Canada, and became an actor. And his goal was always to come to the United States.

And on this particular expedition to Canada he decided he was going to smuggle into the United States. He convinced a truck driver to smuggle him into the United States. He hid under the wheel wells of the truck. Had he fallen, he would have been killed. He came to the United

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States; covered with tar, soot and dirt, he only had five dollars. And he gives his story and it was so heart-heavy, it was compassionate. And at the end of the speech, he says I only have two pos-sessions from my homeland. And he brings out this old Samsonite suitcase, and he opens it up.

And the first thing he brings out is a copy of his laminated citizenship papers. Now there are over thirty-five hundred professional speakers in the room, and you could have heard a pin drop.

And if that didn’t get you, then he said, “The other thing that I carry with me, is one of my prized possessions.” And he brings out the American flag.

And at that point in time, I’m thinking like, “Man, my allergies are really acting up.” But on that day Rene Gotfroy was one of the best speakers in the world. Reticular activating system, and effective questions. I said to myself: What if I follow Rene Gotfroy? What if Rene was in the competition? What would happen then?

That was the question I processed on for the next two weeks prior to the world championship of public speaking. To beat Rene Gotfroy.

New decisions. I would trust my instincts. I would tell a story. I would use my 4-H’s. I would practice like a Tiger, and go for it!

Section Seven

The final speech, the one that got me over the top, was entitled One of Those Days.

(Sound of paper being torn from a pad). “There you go, Mister Tate. Next time, drive a little slower.”

Speaking of slow, have you ever noticed how long it takes a police officer to write you a tick-et? (Audience laughter) Completely eliminating all that time you made up. (Audience laugh-ter) I said to myself: It’s going to be one of those days.

But I did the math. There was still enough time for me to make my noon flight to Phoenix. All I had to do now was park my car, walk through security, and off to the gate. And as luck would have it, I found a parking spot right away.

Oh, but when I got to security there were lines for as far as my eyes could see. For the first time in aviation history, United Airlines had decided to enforce the two-bag limit. (Sigh) I did the math. There was no way I was going to make my flight. I said to myself, It’s going to be...(Audience) ...one of those days.

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(Ed) ...one of those days. Now I was upset with United Airlines and the police officer. Be-tween these two they had conspired to make me late. At least, that was going to be my story. I noticed on the departure board there was a two o’clock flight leaving for Phoenix. I said to myself: I am a premier executive with United Airlines. I have spent tens of thousands of dol-lars with this airline. They had better figure out a way to get me on that flight or I was going to give them a piece of my mind!

I walked over to customer service. In line ahead of me there was a couple. There was this tall, young man and his girlfriend. Now the conversation between the tall, young man and the customer service agent went something like this: (yelling) What do you mean there’s not enough room for us on the two o’clock flight to Phoenix? It’s because of United Air-lines we missed our connection in the first place. I am a premier executive. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars with this airline. You had better figure out a way to get us on that flight!(Audience laughter) The customer service agent went, “Sir, I am so sorry. The next flight where I can get you both on is at six o’clock.

He said, “Do the math, lady. The wedding is at five.”

And then he committed what I call the unpardonable sin. He called her the B-word. And the silence was deafening. (pause)

Then he storms off....a-a-a-nd I was next. (Audience laughter) It’s going to be...

(Audience) ...one of those days.

(Tate) I made eye contact with the customer service agent. All of a sudden it occurred to me, she was just trying to do the best she could. She, like myself, was just trying to earn a living for her family. I said, “Ma’am, take your time. I’m in no hurry. (Audience laughter) Not any-more. (Audience laughter).

She said, “Sir, what can I do for you?”

I said, “I couldn’t help but overhear that the next flight to Phoenix was booked, but if you could put me on any flight to Phoenix today, that would be fine.”

And her fingers, they danced across the keyboard. And then she presented me with the final seat on the two o’clock flight to Phoenix. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! (Audience laughter) That’s not what I really did. (Audience laughter) But it was close! (Audience laughter)

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I thanked her enthusiastically and I told her, “Don’t let it be one of those days.”

I had a little time to kill so I deiced to go over to the food court and get something to eat. And who is in line ahead of me? The tall, angry young man and his girlfriend. And I remember thinking to myself: You know? Someone ought to day something to this guy. Someone ought to give this guy a piece of their mind. Somebody ought to do that. And then I heard this voice and it said, “Ed, it’s not you.” (Audience laughter) And then I heard this other voice and it said, “Ed, if not you, then who? If not here, then where? If not now, then when?”

Folks, clearly, I spend way too much time talking to myself. (Audience laughter)

I approached him. By the way, did I mention that he was tall? 6’4”, about 220. Folks, don’t let this stage fool you. I am not a big man. I said, “Sir, excuse me. I realize it’s none of my business, but if it’s true what you say, if it’s true that you are a frequent flyer, then there are two things that you know. The question is not if, the question is when you will miss your next flight. The second thing that you know: The customer service agent over there? She’s not a pilot. She had nothing to do with you missing your flight. The next time this happens, and it will happen again, I want you to be nice.”

Then all of a sudden, Pow! (pause) His girlfriend hits him in the arm and said, “Yeah.... Be nice.” (Audience laughter)

Now some of you all thought I got hit, didn’t you. He walked away in stunned silence, rub-bing his arm.

Finally, I make it to the gate. And I notice something unusual. Now, typically a gate is oper-ated by uniformed personnel. But on this particular occasion, in addition to the uniformed personnel, there was a man in a suit. And suits usually mean trouble. And I thought, momen-tarily, maybe that customer service agent wasn’t supposed to give me that ticket. Now, I’m keeping this ticket.

It’s my turn in line. I hand my ticket to the gate agent. The gate agent whispers to the suit, “This is the guy.”

I’m going: Oh, man! Their gonna take my ticket! I’m keeping this ticket. The man in the suit reaches across the counter to shake my hand. He says, “Mister Tate, I want to thank you for what you have done.”

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As I reach out to shake his hand, I remember thinking to myself, “He’s just trying to soften me up...(Audience laughter)...so he can take my ticket...(Audience laughter)...I’m keeping this ticket.” I said, “Well, what did I do?”

He said, “Earlier today, one of our customer service agents...we had a problem with one of our passengers. And we had a supervisor behind the counter and she noticed how graciously you had treated one of our own.

“That same supervisor took her break at the exact moment you confronted that angry passen-ger. Mister Tate, our number one priority is to get our passengers safely to their destinations, and we do that every day of the year. But seldom, if ever, does anyone stand up for us. And, Mister Tate, I want to thank you for what you have done. Mister Tate, may I please have your ticket.”Man, I knew it!!! (Audience laughter) It’s going to be...


(Tate) All of a sudden the gate agent, his fingers are dancing across the keyboard. And he presented me with a first class ticket on the two o’clock flight to Phoenix.

Every now and then you must listen to that voice. That voice inside your head, and the voice inside of your heart. It is the voice of your conscience. It is the voice that asks: What is the right thing to do? It is the voice that cries out: If not you, then who? And every now and then, when we listen to that voice...It’s like I was trying to tell you all along, I knew it was going to be...


(Tate) Thank you very much. If you’d like to get a hold of me, I can be reached at [email protected]. I can also be reached at my toll-free number 888-607-1642. Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the program.

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Darren LaCroix 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking

Got Humor? Comedy Secrets for Professional Presentations

There is nothing like the feeling you get when you make an audience laugh...

My name is Darren LaCroix, and I’m the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking. I’ve brought my humor to far away places like Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Middle East. But, ironical-ly, in high school I was considered least likely to ever be funny. I became a student of comedy and humor. And after ten years of performing stand-up comedy professionally, now I teach oth-ers how to get more laughs. I realize most presenters don’t understand the comedy secrets. What I’d like to share with you in this program is comedy secrets for professional presentations.

Section One

Sshh! I’ve got a secret! Actually, I have seven secrets. Secrets I learned the hard way from my first ten years in stand-up comedy. Most of my presentations now are in the professional world. But I still perform in New England when I’m home.

I took every stand-up class that I could, read every book on the subject, and sought out mentors in the comedy world. Other presenters started asking me for help in the humor area. I realized almost everything I learned in comedy can be helpful in the professional world. The great thing about the professional world is you don’t have the pressure of being funny. Any humor you can bring to a presentation is a bonus. And any humor you develop can be used again in most of your presentations whenever you have a new audience.

The following was presented live in front of an audience of presenters in Austin, Texas. We’ll also sit in on part of my Humor Boot Camp for three more humor secrets. Let’s head to Austin.

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(Speech)

How all ya’all doing’? (Audience laughter) That’s my favorite, all ya’all. Plural ya’all! (Audi-ence laughter) That’s too cool. I have to tell you something real quick that just happened that I didn’t have time to put in my introduction. I just found out that President Bush only had one autographed photo of a motivation speaker, and it’s me!

(Audience) Whoa! Ooo!

(LaCroix) Yeah, uh, (giggle) he didn’t ask for it...(Audience laughter)...but I sent it to him. (Au-dience laughter)

Why did you laugh? What was it? How did that happen? Sshh! I have a secret! I have a lot of secrets that I learned the hard way on my way up the stand-up comedy reins in Boston, Massachusetts. Most comedians, most presenters, don’t want you to know what I’m going to tell you. It’s because I had great mentors, and especially in the championship. David Brooks, one of the greatest teachers of speaking there ever was. Please give him a hand. (ap-plause)

I had mentors in the comedy world before I even knew there was a speaking world. And I want to teach you what they taught me. Are you ready?

(Audience) Yeah!

(LaCroix) All right. Secret Number One is: Comedy is a process. Comedy is a process. I know what you’re thinking? Ooh Hoo! Sexy! (Audience laughter) What a great secret! Comedy is a process!

I know most of you are thinking, ‘How boring.’ (Audience laughter) But the truth of the matter is this is the greatest secret of all. You know why? Because if it’s a process, a process is some-thing that you can duplicate. So many people believe you’re either born funny or you’re not. But it’s a process.

In my championship speech I mentioned how I all happened. I was driving down the road lis-tening to a tape of Brian Tracy, a great speaker. And he asked the question. He said, “What would you dare to dream if you knew you wouldn’t fail?”

I thought about it, and...all of a sudden it hit me. I’d be a comedian! How cool would that be! Make people laugh! Speak in Austin, Texas someday! (Audience laughter) Oh yeah!


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But you have to understand my background. I wasn’t funny. I wasn’t considered a class clown. In fact, the first time my brother ever laughed at me is when I told him I wanted to be a come-dian. (Audience laughter) Ouch! (Audience laughter)

It’s the truth. Let me tell you some of the rest of the story. That Saturday night I didn’t want this regret lying in my head when I got old, that I didn’t try it. I thought I will at least try it once. If I don’t like it I never have to do it again. So that Saturday night I went to a comedy club in Worcester, Massachusetts. And at that club I went up to one of the comedians after the show and I said, “Hi! My name is Darren and I want to be a comedian. What do I need to do?”

And he asked me a question. He said, “Are you funny?”

I said, “No way!” (Audience laughter) I learned later, that’s important. (Audience laughter) But what was really fascinating? It wasn’t most important.

So I studied. He told me about these books. I said, “Books? They have books on stand-up com-edy?” Of course there’s books on everything. But sometimes when you’re so close you can’t recognize it.

See, all my friends and family, when I told them of my dream, this thing I wanted to try, they thought I was crazy. But what happened was, my friends and my family, they compared me to Jerry Seinfeld. Someone at the top of his career. That’s not a fair assessment.

So what my first comedy mentor told me to do was go to open mike nights. Watch other people who are just starting out. So I did. Every Sunday night I went to Stitches in Boston, Massachu-setts. I watched people go up for their first time. You could tell who was new! (Audience laugh-ter) They sucked! (Audience laughter) I thought, “I can so that!” (Audience laughter) No, I had been rejected before. I had made it through high school dating. (Audience laughter) That’s for me!

So I studied for two months. And then I went to Stitches. It was my night...April 26, 1992. Did you ever have a time in your life when everything turns into...slow...motion?

This was my night. I remember it was a little smoke-filled comedy club. Tiny little cocktail tables. I brought ten of my friends and sat them around me. (One person laughs)

(LaCroix) Thank you. (Audience laughter) Great timing! I sat them around me; the smoke was in the air. And I remember the comedian introduced me. He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time, please welcome Darren LaCroix....”


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And I came up from the other side...(Audience laughter)...I looked out at the audience...What the heck was I thinking? (Audience laughter) I was so nervous you could visibly see me shak-ing. I had a barstool up there where I put my notecards. I put my notecards on the barstool, and my hand was shaking. But I didn’t have the where-with-all to pull my hand off of the notecards...(Audience laughter)...so I’m trying to read the notecards...and it doesn’t work very well.... Did you ever try and read when you’re driving? (Audience laughter) It was so bad. In fact, did you ever have a time when your body didn’t do what you request it to do? (Audience laughter) In the middle of my speech one of my original jokes was about Dr. Goddard, who I spoke about in the championship speech. And I talked about the first liquid fuel rocket. The first rocket took off and I said it went vertically (Audience laughter)...In the United States, this is horizontal. (Audience laughter)

At that moment I realized what I did, I said, “Oh shoot!”...and everybody laughed. (Audience laughter) Why you laughing? What is it? It was the only laugh I got that night. (Audience laugh-ter) And as I walked off stage this man put his arm around me. He said, “Don’t worry. It’s just your first time.”

I remember thinking, ‘Don’t worry? Just my first time?...Did you see what I did?...I got a laugh...’ (Audience laughter) Oh yeah!

No one ever told me I could do that. I’m telling you, you can do that. See, the amazing thing is sometimes we let other people tell us what success is. Everyone else thought I had to be really funny for five minutes. For me, I had that one thing that worked...even though I screwed up, I could get rid of everything else and reproduce it.

That’s what it’s about. It’s a process. It’s not a born funny or you’re not. Some people are, and some people have a propensity to be good at it. But I’m living proof that you can do this. Now when I do this presentation I always tell people how bad the first night was. But you know what? Most people don’t believe me. And I understand that. So what I’d like to do now is trans-port you to Stitches, Boston, Massachusetts. I’m going to show you a video clip. And I’ll be standing over on the side vibrating. (Audience laughter) Because it’s painful to me. So let me show you a little piece of that infamous night.

(Clip of Stitches, April 26, 1992)

(LaCroix) Anyone here live in New England?

(Audience) Yeah! (Clapping)

(LaCroix) I figured I had to get somebody to say yeah. Did anybody ever notice that any, every


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other small town in New England takes one little small historical fact and makes it the greatest event in the world? (Audience laughter) Sorry for my voice fluctuating like that. But...a...a lot of towns are like this, a...a.... I was doing some research, a, places like Lexington, you know, a the first revolutionary skirmish happened there...a...what was his name, I can’t even think of it, ...a...obviously he was real famous. A...Eli Whitney was in Westborough, you know born in Westborough, a...um...I was doing some research and I discovered that the actual, first dentist to use ether actually happened in Charlton, Massachusetts, and the interesting thing about this was he actually experimented himself, you know...nobody had actually done this before....and he started with animals and then he used his own dog....(End of clip)

I know (Audience laughter and clapping) How many of you would have walked up to me af-ter that presentation and said, “You know what? You could be a world champion!” (Audience laughter)

“Yes! Now I saw the potential!” (Audience laughter)

Every one of you could be at least that good. (Audience laughter)

Section Two

Comedians never turn down stage time. If you’ve ever heard me speak before you know my mantra: Stage time, stage time, stage time. In my opinion, 95 percent of your growth, whether you want to be funny or just an effective speaker, comes from the amount of time you are up in front of an audience. I don’t believe you can practice without an audience. Even if it’s one video camera. But something in front of you, watching you, makes you present differently. It affects your presentation. So I firmly believe that it’s the amount of time that you’re up here that you will get better quicker.

Sometimes we think that we have to be fully prepared. And do to lack of preparation, there’s been no record of a speaker spontaneously combusting. (Audience laughter) So what’s your excuse?

See, it’s not about if I go up here today will they like me? It’s if you go up here today, you will be better next week. But so many of us think, ‘Well, I’m not fully prepared so I’ll wait until next week.’ And next week turns into next week. And next week turns into next month. The reason I am here today is because when I asked my comedy mentors what was most important. They told me stage time.

I took that in. My parents, my friends, they were never good speakers. I didn’t listen to them. I


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would listen to someone who was good. I took their advice, and took it to heart. And I guarantee you, there is no way for you to get better as a speaker than to get more stage time. My com-edy mentors put it to me this way. “Darren how can you be funny on front of an audience until you’re comfortable in front of an audience?” How can you be an effective speaker, until you are comfortable right here?

I could do three hours right now in front of you because I love doing this. But let me tell you, back then? I didn’t love it. (Audience laughter) But it’s because now I’m so much more com-fortable here.

When I get to do a keynote speech I get paid very well. But when I go speak for an hour some-where at a conference or a big convention, I am not getting paid for that one hour. When I first started in comedy, if I couldn’t get stage time locally near my home in Boston, Massachusetts, I would drive two-and-one-half-hours to Portland, Maine to go on stage for five minutes—for free—and drive back. Now, when I get paid for a keynote speech, I’m getting paid for those drives to Portland, Maine.

Now I’m not telling you you have to do this. I’m telling you my story and how it helped me. So if I prepared this much to be the world champion, and right now you’re preparing this much, if I can just encourage you to do this much more...That’s why I’m here tonight. That will change the way you speak.

And I don’t want to teach you my style. I have to speak in my style, but you will notice David Brooks is extremely different from myself. When we went to Oman in the Middle East together, our host said, “We brought in two world champions. And we thought about bringing one or the other. And it would have been less expensive. But if we brought in David Brooks, we would have thought a world champion needed to be a great writer. If we brought in Darren LaCroix, we would think a world champion needs to be just out of his mind.” (Audience laughter)

Okay...delivery is my strength. But I worked on my strength and I had to bring my writing skill up to the level of the other eight contestants...and stand out with my delivery. David was just the opposite. But it doesn’t matter. That was his style. You need to work on your style. The more of-ten you are up on stage, the quicker you will get to the true you up here in front of the audience. So many of the new comedians, one of the things I notice is that they never turn down stage time. This is the number one habit...that if you create this, discipline yourself to do it...and my little voice right now is launching into your head for the rest of your speaking career....

When I first started out I actually joined Toastmasters in order to get more stage time because comedy clubs are only open at night. I was working at BOSE, the stereo speaker company, and this thing came across my desk about Toastmasters. And like you I’m like, What the heck is


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that? (Audience laughter) But then when I went to a club and I thought, ‘Wow! These people are nice! They’re encouraging! And their sober!’ (Audience laughter) I like that!

I immediately went out and joined four clubs. Why? Because I wanted to quadruple my failure rate. (Audience laughter) Absolutely! I think Toastmasters is the best place to screw up. Why do it on your job? That’s what Toastmasters is for.

Section Three

People laugh when their minds have been successfully tricked. What the heck does that mean? What I’m going to do is show you how we can dissect a punch line, so you understand why we laugh and where it happens.

The best analogy I heard was by George Carlin. And what he said is that it’s like a train running down a track. Where you laugh is when the train is derailed.

Now write this down. A setup is creating an expectation. The punch line is changing the expec-tation. Creating an expectation and then changing it. That’s done many ways—with your body, with your voice, with the words you choose. There’s many different ways, but everything adds to that setup or takes away.

The reason a lot of people are afraid to be a comedian and come up on stage is that they’re expected to go Bang! Bang! Bang! Setup, punch. Setup, punch. Setup, punch. So there’s added pressure. But the same principles can apply in speaking. That’s what I want to explain to you. Again, the train is going down the track. The setup: You are thinking this way. The change in the expectation is where you laugh. Example: When I started off talking about how George Bush has one photo of one motivational speaker and it’s me, you’re assuming, I’m convincing you, that he asked for it. Then I changed the direction—but he didn’t ask for it. I created that expectation.

If you’d like to write this down...look at the old Henny Youngman line. “Take my wife...

(Audience) Please. TAKE MY WIFE----- SET UP --------

----- PUNCH LINE --------


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(LaCroix) ...Please. Where the line that comes down says punch line? Write ‘please’ on that line. That’s the change of direction. Now a quiz. Who can be the first one to tell me what he wants you to think in your mind? What two words?

(Audience) For instance.

(Audience) For example.

(LaCroix) For instance or for example. It’s that expectation. So what Henny Youngman wants you to think is, ‘Take my wife, for example...’ He’s leading your mind ahead. You think ahead. That speed rate we were talking about? You think quicker than other people speak. He inten-tionally wants you to go there with the voice inflection, and how he says it. But he changes the direction.

Let me give you another example. A lot of speakers use the power of three. We’ve all heard that when you list things, you list three. It’s never four, it’s never five. If you’re trying to make an example, and you are a professional speaker, or you’re an effective speaker, you always use three. If three examples don’t work, you need better examples. (Audience laughter)In my championship speech I talked about a lot of people like to go for that gold but we never take that first step. We always have the excuse—if I just had a little more time; if I just had a

TAKE MY WIFE----- SET UP --------

----- PUNCH LINE --------

PLEASE

TAKE MY WIFE FOR EXAMPLE----- SET UP --------

----- PUNCH LINE --------

PLEASE


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little more money; if the kids were just a little older. Three. Did you ever meet someone who over explains? “Okay, I got the point!” (Audience laughter) Three. How do we use this in comedy? What we do is we use the first two items as the setup, to get the train going along the track. For example, what did I say tonight? Can anyone think of a rule of three I used to make you laugh?

(Audience) Toastmasters. You said they were nice, they were supportive

(Audience) and they were sober.

(LaCroix) They were sober. Nice...supportive...you’re thinking I’m going to say something else complimentary on that line like encouraging, and I switched it with an exaggeration. And you knew my being a comedian I deal with hecklers and drunks a lot. So the change of direction was where you laughed. It’s at that point where the train is derailed that you physically laugh.

Another example: I was doing a show up in Portland, Maine. It was in the dead of winter, February. So it was very difficult to drive in a snowstorm. And there are no streetlights on the Maine Turnpike. Very dark...tough getting up there...especially in a snowstorm. I talked to one of my friends who lives up there. He said, “You better pack your car to be safe. Just in case you breakdown.”

So when I started my stand-up show I told them I just drove up from Boston. My friend warned me I better be careful. So I packed a blanket, a flashlight...my mother. (Audience laughter) First two, common household items that I might actually pack. Third thing, the exaggeration. The change in direction. Is that clear to everyone?

Toastmasters are nice, supportive, ---------------------- SET UP -------------------------

----- PUNCH LINE --------

sober

1 2

3encouraging


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This is something that you can do. I wish I had all day to teach you all the things. I don’t have time. But I just want to inspire you. You can do this. These are exercises you can do. There are ways to think. There are things that you can study. Watch other comedians. Watch the Tonight Show or any opening monologue from one of the late night shows. And you will see what I’m talking about.

In my championship speech I talked about Dr. Robert Goddard’s first rocket took off in Au-burn!....and landed in Auburn. (Audience laughter) With my voice, my body, “took off in Au-burn!” So you’re thinking other state, other planet, other country. In Auburn.

I created the expectation, and I changed it.

I’ve ruined stand-up comedy for all of you. (Audience laughter) You will see it coming now. But you’ll be a better student of it, and you’ll be able to reproduce it.

Section Four

Humor stems from tragedy. We’ve all seen the comedy/tragedy masks in theater. You can’t have the comedy without the tragedy. The tension has to happen first. The comedy is the release of that tension.

How many of you have seen my championship speech in one form or another? Six? Oh, this will work great. (Audience laughter)

Tragedy. Humor stems from tragedy. My speech Ouch! All of my stories were the bad things that happened to me as I tried to become a comedian. We all have tragedies in our life. And we

So I packed a blanket, flashlight, ---------------------- SET UP -------------------------

----- PUNCH LINE --------

my mother

1 2

3jumper cables


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all say, ‘Someday we’ll laugh about this.’ Laugh sooner! (Audience laughter)

But at the same time, the things that you can now look back with your friends to laugh about, those are the same things that other people will laugh about in your speeches— the anger, the hurt, the feelings. Those stories are the key to you helping to make the audience laugh, and to relate to what you’re saying, and make your points.

Great quote, if you want to jot it down. My comedy mentor, Dave Fitzgerald said, “Comedians are just people who get paid to complain.’ (Audience laughter) That’s what we do. Only we fig-ured out a way to get paid for it. But there’s so much in that. Comedy stems from tragedy.

Section Five

Number Five: Great jokes aren’t written. They are rewritten. The one mistake I see so many speakers do is they write a new speech. Then they write a new speech. Then they write a new speech. No! My comedy mentor, Dave Fitzgerald, after eleven years in comedy...write this down...had 1 hour and 14 minutes worth of material. One hour and 14 minutes after eleven years. He’s been on A&E’s Comedy on the Road, Evening at the Improv, Caroline’s Comedy Hour...one hour, 14 minutes. If he was asked to go up and do an hour and a half, he could do it. But guess how much time would be working with the crowd? Exactly.

Great comedy isn’t written, it is rewritten. He worked for a year to get one word in one of his routines. In one of his routines he talked about being on the back of a motorcycle. And we all know people who have motorcycles. I have one myself. And that when we buy the motorcycle, we have to buy the costume... (Audience laughter)...that goes with it. You know, the matching costume? So, of course, you run out of money.

So he talked about his friend who wanted to take him for a ride. He had no money left, so he had to ride on the back with a colander on his head. (Audience laughter) Okay? Colander, funny word. But he kept looking for a funnier word. A year later...macaroni strainer. (Audience laugh-ter) Macaroni strainer is funnier than colander.

Can you see how something like a word can make a difference? And you people want to go write a new speech? (Audience laughter) What are you out of your mind? (Audience laughter)The difference with a comedian in writing a new speech, the difference is they would tell a story. And there would be one little giggle off here on the left. And they be, What??? They’d go back and listen to the tape. What was it? That’s an opportunity. How can I juice that up? How can I make it better?

But we just think, as I did at the beginning, ‘Oh it wasn’t very funny. One person just snickered


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a little.’ No. That was an opportunity—someone laughed. Let’s focus on that and see how we can make it better. Great speeches aren’t rewritten, oops! Excuse me... (Audience laughter). Re-member how David mentioned you don’t have to be perfect? You can stumble once in a while? (Audience laughter) I just wanted to give you and example. (Audience laughter) That’s all! I can’t emphasize enough that you can’t evaluate yourself when you are up here. The number two habit you should create besides stage time is record yourself every time. Not most of the time, every time. That’s one of the things I noticed new comedians do. Old comedians do it as well, if they’re trying new material.

When you go back, and you’re driving home and you’re listening to your speech, you’ll have ideas because now you’re in a relaxed environment. Now you can think better, you can evalu-ate. You can ask yourself the questions: How can I make this clearer? How can I make this fun-nier? Asking those questions over and over will produce results.

Comedians are just people who focus more on their stories and their routines than most people do. It’s a focus thing. But you see the end result. Coming up here, making it look natural. I’ve told that president joke about George Bush wanting my autographed photo at least fifty times. But we make it look like somebody’s just coming up here winging it. That’s not how it works. So don’t go back and write a new speech, take one of the speeches you’ve already written and look it over again. And rewrite it. That’s the key. No professional speaker, no professional co-median in the world writes a new speech every time.

When I go to Toastmasters all around the world I have two presentations. This presentation and the one about what I learned during the championship. Two—that’s it. When I’m speaking in corporate I have two speeches: Laugh and Get Rich and my customized corporate comedy. That’s it. So I’m always working on the stories.

I joined The Toastmasters World Championship because I had a part-time job, and I was work-ing on my speaking career. I never took time to focus on the stories I was telling for my book when I was going around the country. I didn’t have time to work on them and make them better. I joined the championship, not to win—no one from my district had ever won before so I didn’t even fantasize about that—I joined to force myself to work on my own stories. It’s because I fo-cused like that that I started winning. I didn’t have any grandiose ideas of a trophy. I just wanted to make my stories better. That’s it.

One of the audio programs that I created, Learn How the Pros Make ‘Em Laugh, I went and in-terviewed all of my comedy mentors on how to be funnier. One of the gentlemen’s name is Bob Seibel. I going to play you a clip of what he said regarding this subject.


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(Bob Seibel clip)

(LaCroix) What do you think separates a good comedian from a great comedian?(Seibel) Application...things I lack...and I am what you call a lazy comedian. There’s Bob Seibel, and then there’s Robin Williams. Now I worked with Robin Williams at the Hollywood Comedy Store back in the eighties. I didn’t work with him; I worked on the same bill with him.

(LaCroix) Uh huh.

(Seibel) Robin Williams would constantly create and test. Create and test. Create and test. He was, for lack of a better word, obsessed with his profession. I’ve never been obsessed with my profession. I am spoiled; I have a gift...I have developed it to the point where I make a liv-ing at it. But to be great versus a good comedian? A great comedian knows he has a gift and works on refining the talent.

(End of clip)

He’s been doing it for thirty years. When someone like that tells you this is how it’s done, create and test, create and test, you need to listen.

Section Six

The secret ingredient to comedy is attitude. I can’t stress that enough. We go up there and give our speech for the first time...we’ll be okay, there’ll be some funny spots...but when you go back and listen to yourself or watch yourself—if you can videotape yourself even better—and you’ll realize you’re giving it without a lot of enthusiasm.

And a lot of time comedians will focus on their own routines and their own stories, and adding an eyebrow raise, adding a gesture.... Something simple like that can make all the difference in the world.

In fact, I’ll let you in on another comedy secret. Every Sunday night Jay Leno goes to a little comedy club in Los Angeles. And he knows what the headlines will be generally for that week. He will try his routine...his comedy writers write him out some jokes that are potential for the week depending on the headlines. And he’ll try them on Sunday night, and he’ll deliver them without any enthusiasm at all. If they get a laugh, he knows that with his delivery he can juice it up, With the attitude he puts behind it he can get a bigger laugh.

The Tonight Show audience is second only to the World Championship audience in ease of


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laughter. (Audience laughter) He knows, with his confidence and with his style, he can punch it up. But if it can get a laugh, even a small laugh with just saying the words, he knows it is well written. And it will work with the audience. That’s how he tests material. So let that be a lesson to all of us. That it is the attitude behind what you say.

I’ll give you an example. Just one word. I’m going to ask for three people to give me an emo-tion to put behind the word. Yeah, right, will be the word. So anyone give me an emotion to put behind it.

(Audience) Anger.

(LaCroix) Anger will be first.

(Audience) Enthusiasm.

(LaCroix) Enthusiasm.

(Audience) Frustration.

(LaCroix) Frustration. All right. So anger...how will I do anger? If I were telling a story.... (deep exhale) ...Yeah? Right!.....What did I do? What did you notice?

(Audience) Facial Expression. Body language.

(LaCroix) Body language. Facial expression.

(Audience) Breathing. Tone of voice.

(LaCroix) Please...I’m really not mad at you. Tone of voice. What’s that?

(Audience) The stare.

(LaCroix) The stare. Yes, as I walked away. Doesn’t that tell you a lot? And here we are. We write 8-minute speeches and try to say them in 5 minutes. That doesn’t leave time to add these little nuances. That’s what I noticed when I studied the world champions before me, they took the time, the pausing, to milk and bring the audience in. That was the difference. Write a 4-min-ute speech and deliver it in 5. Not the other way around. That’s how it works.Enthusiasm. Yeah!....Right! What was another one?

(Audience) Frustration.


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(LaCroix) Frustration. ....yeah?.....right.....(Audience laughter)

One of the things that I noticed when I do this, when I teach my class I have students come up and do this to feel the difference and everyone else observes.

I take my time. I wait before I even say the word and get into that emotion. Think of that emo-tion when you’re telling a story. What is the attitude that you have about the story? When you tell your story, what’s the attitude that the characters in your story have? It’s the attitude that those characters have about the situation that will bring it to life. Attitude is that secret ingredi-ent.

Section Seven

Seven. Great improv, isn’t! Can you imagine...how I felt...the morning I found out....was paral-leled only to...finding out there was no Santa Claus.

(Audience) Aww!

(LaCroix) I loved Robin Williams. I studied his tapes. I watched his routines, his HBO special, I’ve seen it 12 times! And I remember that night distinctly. I watched him be interviewed by Johnny Carson...he’s being interviewed and all of a sudden...that’s...that’s a joke...I’ve heard that before. ...That’s another one of his jokes...All the questions were leading into Robin Wil-liams’ material that he said before.

And I started thinking about it. He walks through the crowd and this person has a camera, this person has a tie on. And he would comment on that. But it started dawning on me that whenever he plays there’s always someone with a camera. There’s always someone with a tie on. There’s all these things that happen again and again.

When you speak things will happen. For example: cell phone rings. So you think that might ever happen in your presentation? (Audience laughter) Cell phone rang...I just said, “Hold my calls” and kept going. (Audience laughter) I know to some people in the audience, they thought “Oh wow! He’s genius!” (Audience laughter) I said some. (Audience laughter)

Do you think that’s happened to me before? I’m telling you that the same things will happen again. If you use PowerPoint the bulb will burn out. If you present anywhere eventually you will deal with a fire alarm. (Audience laughter) You’ll deal with cell phones going off. You’ll deal with people coming in late.

A famous one in the comedy world...Someone comes in late at a comedy club. They have to sit


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right up front because some of their friends are here. And what will the comedian say? “Hey, can I get you something?...Like a watch?” (Audience laughter)

I would never do that in the corporate atmosphere. It’s a little harsh. Did you see both the change in direction and that it looked like I was just improvising? It’s not.

Write down improv lines that you hear and see other speakers do. It’s amazing, if you just write them down you will be able to recall them when that happens. I don’t know how that works. If you want to know how the brain works ask David Brooks. (Audience laughter) You want to know how to speak, ask me. (Long Audience laughter) He’s a writer not a fighter.

Great improv lines, aren’t. Start noticing them. Write them down. Have your own ready. When the situation happens to you, that in your type of presentation just may happen again, simply write down the situation and think about it when you’re driving. You’ll come up with some ideas when you’re comfortable and not in that setting. But if you are ready to respond in that instance, you will look genius.

The audience wants to know that you’re not going to get fazed by anything that happens. If something like a cell phone going off shakes you, or the fire alarm going off shakes you, the au-dience loses confidence in you if you can’t handle it. If you are ready with a line, it doesn’t even have to be brilliant; you gain the confidence of the audience. This person can handle it.

Section Eight

Now let’s sit in on part of my Humor Boot Camp for three more secrets. Number Eight: Setting is more important that material or delivery. Let’s talk about the three of them:

• Material

• Delivery

• Setting

This is a concept I came up with along with my comedy mentor and my speaking mentor, Dave Fitzgerald and Rick Seigel. It’s called the Triangle of WOW. And if you look at it as a commu-nication tool, every time we communicate, this triangle exists.

Let’s go over what our goal is. Our goal is to stretch all three sides every time we communicate. First, material. The words that you choose. Now this is so important. Every word that you say


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either adds or detracts from your goal. There is no middle ground.

A laugh is inversely proportional to the amount of words it takes to get there. That’s why when you see a comedian, and they’re telling you jokes, it’s Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! They are us-ing very few words to get to the next punch line. That’s the difference between a comedian and someone who tells a funny story or is humorous. They have the pressure that they need to be Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! So every word that you tell them in your story or presentation either takes them closer to your goal or takes them away.

My original title for the speech Ouch! was, Don’t Chop Down Your Cherry Tree. That was how it started. But as soon as I practiced and I got feedback from people in the audience. As soon as I said the words cherry tree, what goes into you mind.

(Audience) George Washington

(LaCroix) George Washington. Cherry tree immediately took the audience on a tangent. So if you are not careful about the words you’re choosing, you’re creating all these little tangents that’s taking away from your goal.

Delivery. The manner in which the words are communicated. Your words must match your body. And what do I mean by that? Have you ever seen a speaker start off a presentation.... (monotone) “Good morning....I’m so excited to be here today....”

What? Someone forgot to tell your body it was excited.

But you as an audience member, you’re sitting there watching this person, and they’re starting the day saying how excited they are and they look bored out of their mind.

So what do you do as an audience member? You’re sitting there, you’re looking at this person and you’re judging their credibility. If they can’t be honest in their very first words, you’re go-ing to question whatever they say the rest of the time.

That’s why those first 30 seconds in whatever you’re doing, whenever you speak are so incred-ibly important. The audience is scanning you. They’re judging you. It’s not fair? It’s reality. One of the things I also teach people to do is to video your presentation, go home and watch it, but turn down the volume. Watch your own silent movie and ask yourself: What does your body say? Your body’s communicating. Is the message congruent to the words you are saying? Setting is the atmosphere in which the communication transpires. Now think about that? It’s not just how the seats are set up. That’s an obvious one. The temperature of the room...the room set up.


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Speaking, especially comedy, is an intimate form of communication. Every time you present you need to be aware of all these things. It will effect the outcome. And people are not going to sit there and say, “Well, he was funny except for the fact that everyone was spread out in the room and no one laughed. But he was funny.” No, they’re just judging whether you were or you weren’t. They don’t take into consideration all the other factors. We, as communicators, need to be aware that it effects everything.

Setting is not only the room, but what is happening in the minds of the audience. Let’s say, for example, I had to give a presentation on humor September 12th, 2001. I could have been the greatest comedian in the world. I could have had the perfect set up. The room temperature could have been great.... Everyone’s mind was somewhere else.

If I’m doing a speech at the end of the day, and I know I’m the last one before lunch or the last one before dinner, these people are antsy. They want to get to the food, they want to get out, they want to get to the bar. I will say something right up front. I’ll say, “I know I’m the only thing standing between you...and the bar.”

Immediately, they love me. I know what’s on their minds. And it’s a key to connect to the audi-ence. If I said, “If you just bear with me for a half-hour and I’ll let you out five minutes early” they’re loving that. Even if I have to cut my presentation a little, I will do so much better for that half-hour.

I always sit in the back if I’m doing a regular seminar. I always sit in the back of the room as people are coming in and I will eavesdrop on their conversations. What are they consumed with? Is it the temperature of the room? Is it something that happened outside? Is it the session they were at earlier today? What are people talking about? And then that is one of my quickest ways to connect to the audience.

Quiz: Comedian, the best comedian in the world, one of my favorites, Don Gavin. But it would apply to any headliner comedian in Boston. A normal comedy show is three comedians. A nor-mal comedy show opener does 10-15 minutes. Middle act does 20-30 minutes. Headliner does 45 minutes. Regular show any weekend, any comedy club anywhere. Thirty minutes into the headliner’s act there’s a lull in the laughter. Lasts about 5-7 minutes. But it always happens. This is the best guy in the show! Can anyone tell me why there is a lull in the laughter at that point in every comedy show?

(Audience) Waitresses.

(LaCroix) Waitresses. Explain your answer.


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(Audience) They’re taking away the food, or drinks, or reordering drinks.

(LaCroix) But they’re doing it through the whole show. That’s a great guess, by the way. That’s a distraction. When I speak anywhere it’s in my contract there will be no waitresses in the room because it’s distracting. If you’re distracted by anything, you’re not paying attention to me; it’s tougher to make you laugh.

(Audience) The comedian plans it, to give the audience a break. Too much laughter so they can build it back up.

(LaCroix) Nope. Absolutely not. These are the guys, best in the world. They can hold your at-tention for 45 minutes, except for this one problem. Yes.

(Audience) Your bladder.

(LaCroix) Your bladder. If everyone’s bladder were time-released I would accept that. (Audi-ence laughter) They’re not. So another, but a great distraction. Yes?

(Audience) I would say, ah...at a certain point people want to take a rest from laughing?

(LaCroix) Nope. But that’s a good one because psychologically there could be that effect. Most comedy shows are about an hour-and-a-half long tops. That’s about how long the butts can take it before you start getting too antsy.

(Audience) Laughter burn out. Overload.

(LaCroix) Nope. But a good guess. Anyone else? Okay, three...two...one...Time’s up. Right at that moment is last call. Last call comes and they hand the bill. And what happens at every table? Everyone around the table looks, distraction, goes right to the bill. So the comedian loses the whole room. And they hate it. If there was some way to remove last call, they would. But unfortunately, the club owner likes last call because he gets another influx of cash.

So if the best comedian in the world can’t make people laugh during that distraction, what are they chances that you and I have? Your goal is to get rid of every possible distraction. Now keep in mind you will not get rid of all of them. But if you have it in your game plan you’ll do a lot better.

Section Nine

Number Nine: It’s never the audience; it’s always you. Well, it was a bad audience. Well, it was


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a tough crowd. Well, they weren’t nice people. This is a secret. It’s always you.

A gentleman named Oliver who owns the Comedy Connection in Portland, Maine pulled me aside one night when I had played a comedy showcase off the beaten path up in Maine. I be-lieve it was in Augusta. Me, being a new comedian, and he, wondering whether he wants to keep booking me, I’m at odds where I have to prove myself. Now he wasn’t there at the show because it was happening the same night and he was at the main club in Portland.

And he came up to me and asked a question, when I stopped in after the show. He said, “Darren, how was the audience?”

I said, “They were great. I had a lot of fun. They were just terrific. I love playing up in Maine because they’re so much...easier. More fun to be around.”

When Oliver asked me the question, how was the audience? Can anyone guess what he really was asking me?

(Audience) How did you do tonight?

LaCroix) How did I do tonight? That’s what he wanted to know. As a new comedian trying to break in with this owner, what do you think I would say if it went bad? If he asked me that di-rect question. If he asked me, “How did you do?”

“Well, I...I...I did pretty good.” If it was bad. You’re going to cover your own tracks. “Wow, I sucked, Oliver!” (Audience laughter) Did you see the attitude behind that? (Audience laughter)

So he was asking me, how was the audience? Especially a newer comedian will say, ‘It was a good audience,” “It was a bad audience.”

I’ve seen some of my comedy mentors, who were headliners, who the opener has gone up and he has had a tough time. The middle act has gone up and he has had a tough time and does okay. But the headliner can turn it all around. They have that ability, that presence. They know audi-ences. They are also studying the comedians before them. What they tried, what worked and what didn’t. More importantly, they have the belief that they can bring the audience to them. They don’t try to go to the audience.

Sometimes when I play a club in Worcester it tends to be an audience that likes the blue jokes. They like the innuendoes. Early on I had a tendency to go to them, rather than force them to listen to more intelligent humor. We tend to think it’s the audience’s falter when it really ends to


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be our own fault. And our own non-belief in what we’re about to do. And whether we can bring them to us. Yes?

(Audience) What do you mean, know the audience?

(LaCroix) Know the audience.

(Audience) How do you get to know the audience? Other than if you’re in corporate and you know who you’re speaking to. But if you’re in a club...

(LaCroix) If you’re in a comedy club...what’s the area? What’s around the area? When I play in Worcester I’ll talk about Kelley Square. Because it’s the worst intersection and everyone hates it, and there’s no stoplights.

(Audience) No!

(LaCroix) You just go. People from that area understand that. Now, if it’s all people from that area, and I’m not from around there, I can pick up the paper that day. I can ask people who own the club or run the club what’s been happening in town.

(Audience) So you’re not talking about knowing their mental states, or their nature. You’re talk-ing about physically what’s out there.

(LaCroix) Physically, but also what frustrates them. Kelley Square frustrates people in that area. Frustration is a tragedy. That’s where humor comes from. My job as a comedian is to relieve that tension. What you want to look for are what are the tension areas?

Let’s say I was talking to a group of salespeople. What’s their tension area? Trying to close the sale. How could I bond with them? Make light of that. Talk about something that blew up in my face when I was trying to sell something.

So what’s the commonalties in your audience you’re looking for? Why are they there that day? In comedy club it’s because they’re local. Usually. At a corporate meeting there’s definitely a common thread as to why they’re there.

If you’re not familiar with that group...let’s say it’s radiologists...where I don’t really understand what they do...I call people from the audience ahead of time and then ask them. What frustrates you? What are some of your pet peeves? And that immediately allows me to come up with ma-terial to connect with them.


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(Audience) Like when you spoke for us. You came the night before and spent some time, ask-ing...

(LaCroix) I spoke to ERA...real estate agents and brokers. I called some people ahead of time. But I always try to spend as much time at the conference as I can. I don’t know what it’s going to lead to. But now they’re seeing me face to face. I didn’t just walk from my car, come in, give a presentation, and leave.

I spent some time with them. I went dancing the night before. I had three or four of my jokes that I started the presentation with, came from the people who were the suave, debonair dancers. And they know who I’m talking about. I’m an observer. I went and I watched what was hap-pening. And noticed what other people were noticing. And that’s why I go and eavesdrop in the back, if I can, in case I can’t be there the night before.

The more common knowledge you can get about your audience the easier it is to connect. Now, not just for humor. If you’re trying to make points in powerful stories, you can use those same things that you find in order to make your point.

Going back to number nine, where it’s not the audience, it’s you. Now there are audiences that are tougher. If you can build your own belief in yourself that ‘I can get this audience. I can bring then there.’ The total responsibility lies in you. In your ability to tell your story and connect with them, despite the distractions, despite the rough, toughness of a certain audience.

(Audience) Darren, have you ever been in a situation where you’ve gone through some of your material, and you’re not getting the response, and you change it, you play to the audience to see if you can pull out what those nuggets are.

(LaCroix) Absolutely. You need to be aware of how well it’s going. And if it’s not working with your original plan, you need to have the confidence to change your plan.

When I’m doing an opening act, and I’m the first one up, it’s the toughest part to go first. I will launch into my material, and I will realize it is not working. So what I usually do in that situa-tion, I will stop. I will acknowledge the audience. “This isn’t going well.” They’ll laugh at that. And then I’ll go in and just start talking to people in the audience. Get them on my side, then go back to the material.

Sometimes I know right away that material isn’t going to work based on my experience. And again, that’s where stage time comes in. You start to get a sense for what’s going to work and what isn’t. You’re still not always right, but I have the confidence now to just change lanes. When I first started, if someone heckled me, that was it. I had my routine memorized. They


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heckled me, I lost everything. My brain stopped moving. I’m done. “Okay, good night!” And I couldn’t deal with it.

Now I know I can deal with it. I never go after a heckler right way because the audience thinks I’m a jerk. If they heckle a second time, I still don’t go after them. The third time? They’re done! Now the audience wants me to shut them up.

So you see, the audience thinks I’m a bad guy if I pick on them immediately. Second time could go either way, so I wait. The third time, now they’re like, “Shut up, buddy, we paid to hear him do his stuff.” Now the audience is on my side. But earlier on I used to make the mistake.

One of the standard lines in comedy is, let’s say somebody’s just talking really loud. And I’ll say, “Where did you learn to whisper? A helicopter?” That’s an old line that can be used in that situation.

Or if somebody’s commenting or just shouting something out, “It’s not like I go to the salad bar at Wendy’s and screw up your day job.” It’s an old line, but it works in that situation. Let’s just read nine again. It’s never the audience; it’s always you.

Now Nine-B? Secret Number Nine-B: Sometimes it is the audience. And the reason I say, first, it’s always you, is 90 percent of the time, you can turn the audience around. 90 percent of the time you can take over even in a bad situation.

Once in a while you just have to understand that it is the audience. Or it is something like Sep-tember 11th. Or something you weren’t aware of: Half the company got fired before you walked in there, and you didn’t know it.

When I do my humor research ahead of time, I’ll ask, “Are there any taboo topics I shouldn’t speak about?” And I bring this up because, one, I want to know; and two, it gives me an out if the meeting planner doesn’t tell me something and I accidentally go somewhere that I shouldn’t. I can say, “Well, I asked you.”

Most times when asking that question, most people say, “No, any topic’s okay.” But one time this meeting planner told me, “Yeah. Don’t do any airplane jokes because last year three of our board of directors died in a plane crash.”

Flying to this presentation, I’ll be thinking humor. Everyone else is flying in, maybe some plane jokes, or something that happened to me at the airport. I would have lost the audience, and never known why. And it really wouldn’t have been my fault. The effect on the audience, they wouldn’t have thought it was funny. It wouldn’t have went well.


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On occasion it is the audience’s fault. But keep in mind that most of the time you can turn them around the more confidence you have.

Most comedy clubs in this area have one show on Friday night, have an earlier show on Satur-day, eight o’clock, and a late show on Saturday, ten-thirty. To show there’s a difference in the audiences I can let you listen to a comedy routine that I do. Same thing, word for word...but each show the response will be different. Me, same person, same delivery. Friday night show, people have been working all day. They’re tired. They don’t have as much every so they tend not to laugh as much.

Saturday early show, great show. Best of the whole weekend, usually. They’ve had all day, they’ve slept late, they’ve worked, they’ve had fun outside, they’ve taken a nap...that’s the best show. Saturday night late show? They’re drunk. There are many issues going on. Every show, even though me...my material is exactly the same, will get a different response.

You will get different responses whenever you speak. What you are trying to do is create the stories that will work 90 percent of the time. And how to go from 90 to 92 percent? That’s our goal. Just how to make it more effective for every presentation.

I get asked to do comedy and humor at eight in the morning. And I warn the meeting planner ahead of time, this is not the optimal time for humor. But sometimes that’s the only place they can put me in the schedule. I warn them ahead of time. I’ll do it. You’re paying me. But I want to let you know it doesn’t work great at nine. Nine-thirty? Ten? But not at eight. They’re not awake yet. They haven’t had their coffee; their coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.

Sometimes it is the audience. Section Ten

And Number Ten: Comedy requires belief. Comedy is about belief. You must believe it’s funny first. You also must believe you have the ability to deliver it. Belief comes through whenever you’re speaking.

Introduce yourself to the audience. Tell them what you told me, and then I’d like to comment on that.

(Audience) My name is Pat. And I was just talking about the open mike that I went to at the Boston Comedy Club, Dick Doherty’s at Remington.

(LaCroix) The Comedy Vault, yeah?


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(Audience) The open mike that I went to. It reminded me of what Darren said earlier that just getting up there, and looking at what they were doing, and in the back of my mind, ‘Well I guess I could do at least that.’

(LaCroix) It’s painful. But what he noticed is, and what helped me, was that he saw other peo-ple. Comparing yourself to someone else who is just starting and saying, “I can do that. I can be at least that good.”

And that’s what helps you to realize, ‘Well, if this guy’s doing it...Why can’t I?’ And now, be-cause you’re a member of Toastmasters you’ve so much more to bring to the table for your first night than most people ever will. And that’s not saying it’s going to be easy, but that’s saying it’s increasing your odds of laughter dramatically, because you already understand presence. You already understand basic speech skills.

I took every class I could for comedy. I went to every presenter who talked about ‘Adding hu-mor to your presentation.’ And I’ll never forget. I was at a regional conference up in Nova Sco-tia and I sat in on someone else teaching how to be funny. And I couldn’t believe what he was saying. The basic essence of his whole presentation was, go back and find old Reader’s Digest magazines. Use the stories from them. No one will remember.

What??? It bothered me so much. And that’s what helped me have the belief that I could teach this stuff. Because I knew I was at least as good as that guy.

It happened for me in comedy, but it also happened for me in giving speeches. That I looked up and said, ‘This guy is giving a speech.’ And then when I saw people getting paid to do it? I’m at least that good! But that’s what gave me the belief that I could do this.

So you have to believe it’s funny. You have to believe that you can deliver it. If you don’t have that belief, you can develop it. That’s the good news.

There you go, ten comedy secrets and insider information to help you in your professional pre-sentations.

Let’s recap:

Number One: It’s a process. The best one of all because that means you and I can learn it. I did it. Now it’s your turn. It’s a process you can learn,

Number Two: Stage time, stage time, stage time.


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Never turn it down, Even in a one-on-one opportunity. Bring your humor and your stories into your general conversations to try them out and see where you get a reaction.

Number Three: The audience laughs when the mind is successfully tricked. Successfully tricked is the important thing. You need to bring them down those rails. Get that train moving in the right direction. Every word you choose either adds or detracts from the clar-ity.

Number Four: Humor stems from tragedy. Almost all humor comes from tragedy. Both frustrations, pet peeves...consider that when you start writing some humor.

Number Five: The best jokes aren’t written; they are rewritten. If the pros create and test, create and test, that’s what you and I should be doing.

Number Six: The secret ingredient to comedy is attitude. What’s the attitude behind your characters? Behind yourself when you tell a story? Both your characters and your own attitude are so important to getting the laughs and bringing your pre-sentation to life.

Number Seven: The greatest improv, isn’t. Start jotting down improv lines you see other speakers use. And jot down the situations that keep coming up on a regular basis. And in the comfort of your own home, or while you’re driv-ing, now try and think of, “How would I react in that situation?” And jot down your own notes. It is a little bit of work, but it will pay off when you need it too.

Number Eight: Setting is more important that material or delivery. Remember, all three of those elements make up the Triangle of WOW. This is what you need to make proper communication. But the setting, a poor setting, can ruin material and delivery. We all know material and delivery are important. But the setting is the one place that we have so much control over, not all control, but so much that we need to do everything that we can to make the setting best for learning.

Number Nine: It’s never the audience, it’s always you. A good speaker should be able to turn around almost every audience.

And Nine-B: Don’t be hard on yourself. Sometimes it is the audience. But after, do a little brainstorming and think, ‘What else could I have done to turn them around?’


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And Number Ten: Comedy requires belief. You need to believe in it in order to sell it. Selling jokes is just like selling products. If you don’t believe it’s funny first, there’s no way you’ll convince the audience that it’s funny.

Those are the best ten secrets that I can come up with to help you on the road to learning humor. But be open and learn from every source you can. Don’t let this be the only place. Go out and find books. Watch other people. Study videotapes of your favorites. And through learning from the people who make you laugh, it will be the answer to finding your own funny bone.

Thanks for joining me in Comedy Secrets for Professional Presentations. There are other exer-cises out there that can teach you how to learn and to write comedy. Find a humor buddy. Some-body who is as interested as you are that you can work together with. Remember, it’s not just the secret, but it’s what you do with it. Keep ‘em laughing!

If you’d like, please sign up for my free e-mail newsletter Stage Time with free tips for humor and for presentation skills. Just go to my web site at humor411.com.

I also have two audio-learning CD sets. Speak Like a Champion, which is for people who are putting together speeches and presentations. One CD is about the lessons I learned along the journey. One is the step-by-step of how I created the world championship speech.

Another CD in that program is an interview with myself and my speaking coach on the process, and how we went through it together. And the final CD is how to go from free to fee. If you would like to learn how to go professional, that would be the first step.

I also have a four-CD set, Learn How the Pros Make ‘em Laugh. You’ve already heard a short clip from that in this program. I tried to think, when I first started, what would be most help-ful to other speakers in learning how to be funnier? And I realized that I had friends who were some of the best in the world at stand-up comedy and speaking. So I went back and I inter-viewed them in order to help other people shorten their learning curve.

Would it be helpful to you to sit down and as questions to some of the best in the industry about how to make them laugh? What would you ask them? I realized when I first started I would be too nervous if I had that opportunity. So that’s why I did this with my friends. I sat down and I asked them what it took. Here’s a short clip from that program.

(Buch Clip)She was voted by her colleagues as International Ventriloquist of the Year. She’s appeared on Good Morning America and is also the past president of the New England Speakers Associa-tion. She speaks on the dynamics of business relationships through ventriloquism. She’s a


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great, straight woman and has a lovely cast of characters that she brings to corporate audi-ences all over the country. She and her characters are hysterical. So I had to ask her to join us. Especially because storytelling is such an important part of any speaker’s keynote presen-tation. And characters are an important part of storytelling.

(LaCroix) I know you and I have a similar issue. You and I are pretty straight offstage.

(Judy Buch) Yes.

(LaCroix) Nobody looks at us like, ‘Here’s the life of the party person.’

(Judy Buch) Exactly.

(LaCroix) We’re fun people, but we’re not funny people.

(Judy Buch) I’m not that funny person who’s always on like that. I’m very much the straight person. But, on the other hand, my characters come up with funny things. It’s like I think in their language. When I think in their language, I starting to think in a different way, a new way, and it comes out funny.

(Character voice) OO, Yeah! That’s it. That works all the time.

(Judy Buch) And you’re not even moving your lips.

(Character voice) Oh, it’s hard to talk like that.

(End Buch Clip)

(Doherty Clip)

(LaCroix) Dick, how long have you been doing stand-up comedy?

(Dick Doherty) About 36 years.

(LaCroix) 36 years?

(Dick Doherty) Yeah. Not about. There’s no abouts. When you get to that number there’s no abouts. 36 years.

(LaCroix) What is it, do you think, that makes people laugh?


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(Dick Doherty) Relief. I think everything that is laughter is about a relief. I believe that, you have to understand that I’m very spiritual about everything that I do. I believe that we are constantly fighting unhealthy messages about our all-rightness. And we’ve put in place all sorts of internal mechanisms to help us hang on to our sense of all right and to protect us from messages that come. I think laughter comes when something breaks through. That ef-fort that it takes to be okay. It reminds you that you are okay.

(End of Doherty clip)

If you are interested in these programs, just go to the shopping cart on my web site humor411.com.

Take care, and keep ‘em laughing.


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Jim Key 2003 World Champion of Public Speaking

Speak Better, Quicker

I’m Jim Key, and I’m the 2003 World Champion of Public Speaking. Welcome to the program, Speak Better, Quicker. The fact that you are listening to this means that you recognize that the ability to communicate effectively can have a profound impact on your personal and profession-al life. It means that you are looking for tips and techniques that you can use to quickly improve your speaking abilities to the extent that you are willing to devote time to studying a program such as this which is geared towards helping you do exactly that.

Section One

Whether you speak to small groups of ten or less people, or to crowds that could fill a coliseum, the way that you perceive speaking and the preparation that you put into each speaking opportu-nity, will have a significant impact on whether or not you are successful in giving that effective speech.

I have a lot of information to give you in this program, but that information will only be as effective as your willingness to apply the things we cover. I’m going to suggest that you take some notes while you listen to this program, if possible. If you are doing something that re-quires most of your attention like driving a car, for instance, please don’t do that. For now, simply listen to the program. And then go back and listen to it again when you can take notes. You’ll find that to be very beneficial.

The absolute minimum goal of this program is that you will learn at least one thing that you can use to make yourself a more comfortable, confident, and effective speaker. If we can accomplish

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that, then this program will be a success. Ideally, however, you will learn many things that will help you become a better speaker. If that’s the case, then this program will be an even greater success.

The topics we will cover in this program are:

• How to tap the number one secret to rapid speaking improvement;

• How to be a three-dimensional speaker; and

• How to overcome nervousness.

What I’ve outlined here gives us a lot of ground to cover, so let’s jump right in and get started.

Section Two

The number one secret to seeing rapid improvement in your speaking ability also helped me grow very quickly as a speaker. It’s really not very complex at all. It simply involves how you learn what are and what are not effective speaking techniques.

It is simply this: If you want to quickly become a more effective speaker, you must become a committed, focused, and involved student of effective public speaking. Let me repeat that. If you want to quickly become a more effective speaker, you must become a committed, focused, and involved student of effective public speaking.

The bottom line is, how can you get on the fast track to become a better speaker? How do you rapidly improve? I have become a better public speaker, and today I am the World Champion because at one point I became a student.

So what does it mean to become a committed, focused, and involved student? Think back to a time when you heard a very good speaker. That person’s speech may have informed, enter-tained, or inspired you¬¬––or it may have done all three of those things.

While you were hearing it, did you analyze the techniques and methods the speaker was using? Did you gain any additional knowledge that helped you improve as a speaker?

Sometimes we do, but many times our natural tendency is simply to observe and enjoy the presentation. That’s not a bad thing. But it’s possible, at the same time, to do that while learning some additional things about the process of speaking.

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The approach that a student takes goes well beyond being a simple spectator. I see the similari-ties between being a spectator versus a student like those between being a sports fan versus an athlete. Here’s what I mean by that.

I am a sports fan. I really like sports and I get a great deal of enjoyment from playing a couple of them. I also enjoy watching just about every sport on television. When I watch any game, it is simply to derive enjoyment in that moment from watching it. Relatively little preparation and virtually no exertion or forethought is required on my part.

Now compare this to the manner in which one of those athletes’ watches a game. The difference is as stark as night and day because they analyze it and study it. They scrutinize their perfor-mance, looking for ways to improve. And they watch games others play, looking for new and effective techniques that they can add to their repertoire.

They want to have as much information as possible at their disposal. So to accomplish this, they may even watch a game repeatedly. They study it thoroughly, but that’s not where it ends. They practice repeatedly, incorporating what they have learned. They put together a game plan based on this new knowledge, and they put that game plan into action. An athlete may have natural ability, but the successful ones go beyond that to become students of their sport.

That’s exactly what we, as speakers, must do. Sure, some people may have some natural abili-ties to speak, but the more successful speakers go beyond that to become students of speaking. They scrutinize their speeches looking for areas to improve. And they watch and listen to other speakers, looking for techniques that they can incorporate into their own speaking style. They develop a speaker’s game plan based on what they’ve learned, and they practice those things and put their plan into action. Successful speakers do not simply observe, they become students of speaking.

To help you to better understand how to become a student of speaking, let me tell you about my experience. One of the things I did on my journey to becoming a student was to develop an inquisitive nature about speaking. I wanted to understand the dynamics of the relationship that exists between the material being presented, the speaker, and the audience. So I questioned everything.

For instance, when an audience would laugh, I would ask:

• Why did they laugh?

• What did the speaker say that they thought was funny?

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• Was it the words? Or the delivery? Or was it both?

• What was the audiences’ train of thought leading right up to the moment before they laughed?

• On other occasions when an audience was very silent because of something solemn or moving the speaker said, I would ask:

• How did the speaker bring the audience to this state of mind in this moment?

• What did they say or do immediately before this moment, and what part did that play in this?

• Is the audience simply feeling the emotion of the moment? Or are they contemplating the speaker’s words on a deeper level? And if so, what are they thinking?

I wanted to know how and why these things worked. So I asked questions. That’s what I rec-ommend that you do. Become inquisitive. Ask questions. Make it a point to watch and listen to people who are effective speakers. And question why the things that they do work.

In addition to the questions I’ve already mentioned, here are a few more examples:

• What did this speaker do differently that stood out?

• Why did her or she do it that way?

• Was it effective with this audience?

• Was there anything particular about this audience that made it more effective?I’m sure that you can also develop other questions that better suit your approach to being a stu-dent of effective speaking. And I would heartily encourage you to do that.

While you are doing that, however, it is important to understand that what may work for some speakers, may or may not work for you. You have to find your own unique style.

Even in those instances when what you see doesn’t work for you, something can be learned from observing all effective speakers. Even those whose personal style and experiences may be greatly different from yours. The bottom line is this: You can always learn from effective public speakers.

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On the other hand, the same is true when you listen to speakers who aren’t effective. I don’t mean to be unkind, but these things do happen. Even in those uncomfortable circumstances, you can become a better speaker by remembering to ask questions such as:

• Why was this not effective?

• Was it the material or the speaker’s delivery that was lacking?

• How could parts of this presentation or the speaker’s delivery be modified in order to be more effective?

And, of course, you may develop other questions that better suit you in these instances as well. If you recall, earlier in this program I mentioned that you should become a committed, focused, and involved student of effective public speaking. I called the model that I used the OLD Meth-od.

OLD is an acronym. The “O” and “L” stand for Observe and Learn–that’s what I’ve covered so far. Asking those questions I’ve mentioned, and finding the answers to them deal with the ob-serving and learning aspects of this method.

All of that, however, means very little unless we’ve put what we learned into practice. Being an involved student involves that last letter “D.” And it stands for Do. Let me give you this exam-ple.

You can hear someone describe how to ride a bicycle. And you can watch someone riding a bi-cycle. But until you actually get on one yourself, and put your observations and knowledge into action, you aren’t going to be able to ride a bicycle.

The same is true with speaking. You can hear me describe how to be a better speaker. And you can watch and listen to others speakers. But you will only improve when you put yourself into situations where you are asked to speak.

It’s important that we observe. It’s necessary that we learn. But it is crucial that we do. This means that we begin to change how we present to incorporate those things we’ve learned. To help you understand how I’ve applied this approach to my own speaking habits, let me share with you a couple of the things that I have Observed, Learned, and Done. Section Three

I also walked into that with a pre-conceived notion of what persuading with power looked like

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and sounded like. See, I’ve seen a lot of motivational speakers who were very LOUD...and very demonstrative with their gestures. And to me, that’s kind of what persuade with power looked liked.

Well, Mary was not very loud. In fact, she was very quiet. And she didn’t make a lot of gestures. In fact, she was very, very still. But her speech had a tremendous amount of power because she spoke from the heart. She had heart power. And by seeing that, I learned that I can be LOUD, but I don’t have to be to speak with power. And when I saw that and learned it, I started chang-ing the way I spoke. I started speaking through the heart. And it made a huge amount of differ-ence in my effectiveness.

* * * *

He did something with props and stage usage that was remarkable. A simple chair...he used a chair in his presentation to represent his grandfather. And specifically his relationship with his grandfather. He talked about how his grandfather would sit in a chair and he would have these times with him as a boy. So he established, by using the prop the way he did, he established this chair as his grandfather. Now as he was over in other parts of the stage he could simply refer to it and you knew it’s his grandfather. You understood that.

He later went on in his speech to talk about how his grandfather became ill and was in the hos-pital. And he said right before he got to the hospital room his grandfather had just passed way... And he slowly lowered the chair.

What he did with that simple act, that simple use of the prop...instead of just telling us ‘my grandfather died,’ he created for us a scene in which, since the chair represented the grandfather, we were witnessing a remarkably intimate family moment...his grandfather passing.

And he talked about how he went into the room, and his grandfather looked so different. And he was scared to even touch him. And all he could do was put a single finger on his toe. And he touched the tip of one of the legs of the chair.

My concept of the stage was ‘I have to put it in thirds, and I have to do this and that.’ And then he came in and by establishing a certain area of the stage as meaning something, and specifi-cally having a prop in that area, then later on, with simplicity, he was able to have tremendous effectiveness. Tremendous power. And so I changed the way that I thought about staging.

From these two speakers I learned two things.

1. Visual aids and props can be very simple, and yet very powerful.

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2. The most powerful speeches aren’t necessarily the loudest ones. They are the ones with heart power.

Because of what I learned from these and other speakers, I literally changed how I delivered my speeches and I became a much better speaker. I now look to make the stories in my speeches more vivid and come alive for my audience. And I write, or in some cases, rewrite my keynote addresses to not only appeal to the audience’s intellect, but to their heart.

I realize that there are many different types of presentations and that you may be called on to give any number of them. You may be a keynote speaker. You may give technical presentations. Or you may be a classroom teacher or trainer. Regardless of the type of presentation you make, this principle applies. Watch people who make presentations. And study what makes them ef-fective or ineffective by asking specific, pointed questions. Be on the lookout for the ineffective techniques that you may have, and incorporate some of the new techniques that you see, the ones that work for you. Either way, be sure that you tap into the number one secret to seeing rapid improvement in your speaking ability: Become a committed, focused, and involved stu-dent of effective pubic speaking. When you do this, you’ll be better equipped to move into the next topic we’ll cover, which is how to become a three-dimensional speaker.

Section Four

Every speaking opportunity has the potential to go either very well or very poorly. If you could, wouldn’t you want to stack the odds in your favor? Well you can if you are a three-dimensional speaker. What does that mean? Well, there are three dimensions to every speaking opportunity. And if you are attentive to each one you increase your odds of being successful. A large part of the equation is knowing what you should expect in each of these dimensions. Let’s first define them and then we will cover each one in greater detail.

The three dimensions of speaking are:

• What you say;

• How you say it; and

• The environment in which you speak.

Now before you say, “Jim, that sounds a bit oversimplified to me,” let me say that each of these dimensions has enough material to fill an entire program itself. We are only going to look at each one briefly, and we are going to go in reverse order. So I’ll start by discussing the environ-ment in which you speak. This includes

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• The venue (the room);

• Any audio-visual equipment that you use; and

• The audience.

The room in which you speak can be very instrumental. The are many questions about the room to which you need to know the answers in advance, such as

• Is it large enough to comfortably accommodate the audience that you anticipate having on hand?

• Is the way that it is set up, the configuration of the tables and chairs, conducive to the type of speech you will deliver?

• Does the room have large windows that overlook some beautiful scenery, or overlook a location that has a lot of activity that could distract your audience? If the answer to either one of those is yes, are their blinds on those windows that can be closed to retain your audience’s attention?

These are just a few of the questions about the room you need to have answered. You may or may not be able to control these things, but to the extent that you can, you should so that all dis-tractions are minimized. If you or your audience don’t have to deal with unexpected surprises, then you will give them the best opportunity to fully experience your speech.

Other concerns about the room might be

• How good is the lighting?

• Will I be speaking standing on the floor or standing on a raised podium or stage?

• If I need a lectern, will one be available to me? The more you know ahead of time, the more you can plan for, which will give you less to worry about when the time comes to speak.

Audio-visual equipment is another part of the environment in which you speak. This includes microphones and sound systems, projectors, video screens, and so on. If you’ve ever tried to lis-ten to a speaker who wasn’t audible enough, or you’ve strained to read the text on a PowerPoint presentation, you’ll easily realize how important the correct use of audio-visual equipment can be. Here are a few questions you’ll need to ask regarding your speaking opportunities:

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• Will this room and audience size require that I use a microphone?

• How will my voice sound with this microphone?

• Will I be able to test all computer, video, and projection equipment I will be using during my presentation?These are important things to ask. In fact, here are a couple more relating specifically to the sound system:

• Will I have an opportunity to do a sound check, or test the microphone before I speak?

• Where are the speakers for this sound system located? And what happens if I walk in front of them with the microphone?

• Will someone be on hand to adjust it if I get loud feedback? You’re not guaranteed to be exempt from an unexpected issue that might arise, but by asking questions like these you can minimize some unpleasant surprises.

The audience, however, is the wild card element of your speaking environment. It can be very tough to gage the mental state and attentiveness of any audience. People have different lengths of attention spans. They may be preoccupied with other things. Or they might be sitting next to someone who is distracting them. There’s not a lot you can do about some of those things, but you can at least be aware of any issues you have to address or avoid.

When I speak to a group that I am not well acquainted with I ask the person who arranged for me to speak to fill out a questionnaire that’s designed to give me greater insight into the makeup of my audience. When I’m speaking to a business audience I ask:

• What is the life of an audience member like during day-to-day business?

• What frustrations do they experience in their work?

• What new trends or changes are happening in their industry now?

• Do they face any sensitive issues, and what other information might be helpful for me to know?

Perhaps, the most important question I ask, however, is this:

• How do you want your people to feel, or what do you want them to do when they leave

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my presentation?

When you know the answers to these questions, you will be better informed about your audi-ence and you will be in a better position to experience speaking success. What about unexpected distractions? How do I handle those? What if someone’s cell phone goes off repeatedly during my presentation? What if I am speaking in a restaurant and the wait-staff distracts my audience? What if there’s a public address system, and during the most poi-gnant part of my speech, someone makes an announcement over it?

I would invite you to take a proactive approach to as many potential distractions as you can identify. Have your introducer remind the audience to silence any noise-making devices before you speak. Arrange to speak when the waitstaff is not in the room. Ask that there be no public address announcements, or whether or not the public address system in the room where you are speaking can be disabled.

Will this mean that you are completely immune from all distractions? Of course not. It will, however, allow you to avoid some of them. The environment in which you speak includes

• the room, and all of its features;

• the audio-visual equipment, and all if its idiosyncrasies; and

• the audience, with all of their different mindsets and attentions.The more knowledge about these things you equip yourself with ahead of time, and the more you can control these elements, the better position you will be in for speaking success.

Section Five

The next dimensions of speaking we’ll discuss include what you say and how you say it—the actual content of your speech and the manner in which you say it. I want to discuss these closely together because they are so closely tied. At various times I’ve heard people say that we remem-ber a certain percentage of what we hear and a certain percentage of what we see. I don’t recall what those particular percentages are, but I don’t actually think that’s what’s most important. The bottom line to me is that it matters immensely that we carefully consider how our content and our delivery methods impact our effectiveness.

The questions to ask in determining what level of focus you should put on each of these dimen-sions are these:

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• How will my audience experience my speech?

• What will they see?

• What will they hear?

• What will they think?

• How will they feel?

• How will they remember my message?

Let me put the importance of your content and delivery in these terms: The effective speech will appeal to the audience’s senses and give them something to remember, while also connecting in a very real and tangible way with their minds and hearts.

When you are crafting that dimension of ‘what you say,’ realize that while your speech as a whole is one message, it can be made up of multiple sub-messages or points. How are you go-ing to get the audience to remember all of your points?

First, let me say that you need to plan to have the appropriate number of points. The more points you have, the tougher it will be for your audience to remember them, unless they take notes or you give them some type of handout that they can reference later. Even if they won’t be taking notes, I use a formula that I’ve heard several excellent speakers espouse. And I wholeheartedly endorse it.

The formula is simply this: Tell a story, make a point. That’s it. Tell a story, make a point. Or you may want to switch the order at times. You may make a point and then introduce a story to make your point. You get the idea. Doing this creates a new memory for the audience. That memory is of the thoughts and feelings that they experience when they hear your story. Whether your story makes them laugh or cry, whether it stirs feelings of sadness or joy, they will remem-ber those feelings that they had when they heard your story. When they recall those feelings, they will recall your story. And when they recall your story, they will also recall your point. So what kind of stories should you use? For that matter, how do you clarify the different types of stories that exist? I look at stories as existing on a wide spectrum. On one end of the spec-trum you have those stories that are commonly known. They can be historical events, excerpts from literature and so on, in which you have no personal connection or involvement. They are things that anyone can research or learn about.

On the other end of the spectrum are the stories that happened to you personally. They include

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things that you have seen, and experienced, and gone through. Keep in mind, they don’t have to be a huge, monumental event in order to be effective. But through your life experiences, what-ever they may be, you can speak authoritatively about how you felt and what you learned when you went through them. And you can use them to give highly effective, highly relatable exam-ples of larger truths.

So on one end of the spectrum you have those common, public domain stories to which you have no personal connection, and on the other end you have your personal story. Between those extremes, there can be stories that don’t personally involve you, but which cause you to have some emotion, or from which you learned something. Focussing on that tangible impact that a story has on you, what you felt or what you learned, introduces a personal element to it. That doesn’t make it a completely personal story, it simply places it on that spectrum between those two extremes.

Of these two different types of stories that I can incorporate into my speeches I prefer the per-sonal stories. To me, they deepen and strengthen the connection I have with my audience. They maintain the audience’s interest by not being something that the audience is likely to be familiar with. And regardless of how long those stories are, whether they are very long or very short, I can usually utilize them in a variety of ways. For instance, some stories can be humorous.

(Speech)

So in late January of 2000, I was in the hospital to have surgery on my right wrist. On my right wrist—that’s important to note. As part of the preparation process, it doesn’t matter what part of your body you’re having surgery on, they make you wear those very attractive and fashion statement hospital gowns. The nurse comes in to prepare me. Now prepare is a curious word. As part of it she shaved my wrist, she took out a felt-tip pen and drew a circle around it. But then she said this.

“Mr. Key, would you like me to write ‘No’ on your other wrist, just in case?” (Audience laughter)

So I thought about this question. Would I like you to write ‘No’ on my other wrist, just in case? I said, “Ma’am, yes I would. In fact, while you’re at it, I want you to write the word ‘No’ everywhere.” (Audience laughter) “I don’t want there to be any doubt. As a matter of fact, since you have designated the area on which to operate as being that which is shaved, I want you to write it in really big letters right here. I don’t want to be a headline the next day saying ‘Something Went Wrong.’

(End of speech)

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Or how about this one.

(Speech)

When I was fifteen years old my dad was a minister all the while I was growing up. In fact, he still is. And we were always at these small, country churches. And my mom played the piano and/or the organ, my sister played the piano and/or the organ, and I did not.

Now I took piano lessons was I was a kid. And I was okay at it. But I stopped taking piano lessons for the dumbest reason. How many of you when you were a kid were dumb and stu-pid? (Audience laughter) Okay. You know I saw a few hands, but I’m willing to bet that if we were honest, we’ve all done things that were.... I did some of those things. I stopped taking piano lessons because my older sister was taking them; therefore it was a girlie thing to do. Is that not the dumbest reason you ever heard for stopping something?

I wanted to participate in the music somehow. There was a guy at the church who had a bass and amp. It stayed at the church and he never played it. And the church was about fif-teen miles away from the town; a little country church. One of the windows on the church wouldn’t lock. And, as the pastor’s son, I of course, had this information.

So when no one knew, I snuck into the church and got out this guy’s bass guitar. Didn’t ask permission...it’s always easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission. So I was dinking around with it. And I finally kind of felt comfortable with playing it, so I brought my little alarm clock/radio up to the church. And I put the microphone down on the teeny tiny two-inch speaker and turned on country music. It came over the P.A. system so I’m kind of play along with some music and I got a little bit better and a little bit better.

So at some point I felt comfortable enough doing it so I asked my dad if I could play during the church service. He had no idea I was sneaking into the church doing this so I kind of rat-ted myself out to some degree by telling him that.

But he said, “Yeah. That would be fine.”

I was very nervous. I felt comfortable when there was no one there but me. But when there was going to be an auditorium with people in it, and a lot of those people were my friends...I was very nervous. So what I did, I sat really, really close to the amplifier, and I turned the volume down really low so the only person who could hear it was me. But I got through it. I made some mistakes, But what do you expect from a first-timer? I was only about 14 or 15 years old. But I felt so good that I had been able to participate, that I was part of it. It was great.

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And then my “friends” got to me. And I’m sure we all have friends like this. And my friends said, “We didn’t hear anything you were playing. You were just up there posing, trying to look good and get attention. You can’t play that bass for nothin’.”

And this feeling that I had had, this elation because I had participated, nose-dived because my friends ripped from me the chance to enjoy that. And I was devastated.

How many of us encounter people who, whether they intend to or not, can rip from us enjoy-ment of just the slightest things? If you are one of those people, don’t raise your hand. If you are sitting next to one of those people, don’t point fingers. Because, quite honestly, there’s been times when I was one of those persons. I’ve been on the receiving end of it, and I’ve been the person who is on the dealing out end of it.... That’s just the way it is.

Well, this older man in the church...he wasn’t known as a man of many words, but when he did speak...you know the older, wiser people in my church were great resources. And this guy came up, with my friends still there ridiculing me, and he put his hand on my shoulder. And to this day, his name is Pete Rowe...some of the details stick with you when they are signifi-cant to you. His name is Pete Rowe.

He puts his hand on my shoulder and he says, in the way that only a wise, respected, South-ern gentleman can say, he said, “Young feller, you just keep doin’ what yer doin’. One of these days you’ll be able to whomp up a diddy.” (Audience laughter)

You will not find that phrase in a dictionary: Whomp up a diddy! You won’t! I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I knew what it meant for me and what it did for me. It encour-aged me. It gave me permission to believe in myself and know I could mess up and it was still okay. Because if I just kept doing what I was doing, I’d be able to whomp up a diddy.

Now I still play the bass guitar today. I can’t remember any single time when anyone has told me, ‘You’re laying to softly.’ I remember many times when someone has said, ‘The bass is too loud!’ And I say, “The bass can never be too loud.” (Audience laughter) It just can’t. But I would have never kept playing, I would have never gotten better and gotten more confident, if at that particular point in time someone didn’t come along and encourage me.

(End of speech)

Other stories might be more serious.

(Speech)

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And one of the great things about working with kids is that many of them haven’t gone through the same things we’ve gone through as adults. So they haven’t had the opportunity to become jaded and cynical. And so to me it is a recharging thing to be able to work with them because they lifted me up.

Well, there was one particular girl in our youth group who was a little different from the other girls because...as long as I’ve known her and I’ve known her and her family probably about 10-12 years.,,as long as I’ve known her she always worn very, very thick glasses and hearing aids. I don’t know what the other kids’ reactions to her appearance is, but I think she is...was very self-conscious about it. And it’s something that caused her to not really react well socially with these other kids.

And you know if you have or have been around teenagers, especially today’s teenagers, they talk a mile a minute. I heard Bill Cosby say one time, “Parents are not interested in justice, we just want a few minutes of quiet.” (Audience laughter) And that’s true. It’s true for me anyway.

Well, after one particular youth service I noticed that all the other teenagers were on one side of the room, just milling around and talking and socializing and having a great time. And on the other side of the room this one girl sat all alone. Well, I had the great idea that I would just go over and make her day. And so I walked over to her, and there was a chair next to her, and I said, “Sweetheart, would it be okay if I just sat here and talked to you for a minute?” And she looked at me with a truly pained expression and said, “Why would you want to do that? Nobody else does.”

How do you respond to the cries of a despondent heart? See I walked over there thinking, ‘Well I’ll just come over here, snap my fingers, and I’ll be Mr. Johnny-on-the-Spot encour-agement and everything will be rosy.’ I had no idea the depths of hurt that she was feeling.

There are people that I encounter today that I have no idea of what they go through. People in my church, my next-door neighbor, I don’t know what they face at their job, at their family get-togethers. I have no idea what they face. There may be a hurt there that is deeper than I could ever imagine.

And so there I was standing next to that little girl...she wasn’t little, she was 15 or sixteen.... She was hurting. The only thing I could think of was to say something that could encourage her. So I sat down next to her and I said, “Sweetheart, let me tell you how special I think you are. You are a gift from God. Don’t ever let anybody tell you differently. And if they do, send them to me.” I have rarely experienced a hug so tight as she gave me. She just about choked me. And she

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whispered in my ear, “You have no idea how it feels to hear you say that, because nobody out-side my family ever says those things to me.”

Now from that moment and until today, I have seen a remarkable change in her outlook and in her attitude. Every time I show up, she gets insulted if I don’t seek her out and give her a hug when I get there and before I leave. We made a personal connection simply because I took a moment to encourage her.

(End of speech)

The question I want you to ask yourselves is how can you use each of your stories? What larger truths could you use them to exemplify? Here again, you need to examine your stories with the student’s mindset. Ask questions. If you can, back away from your stories a little bit and try to look at them from a larger perspective. Of these three stories I’ve shared with you let me show you a few ways I might use them. First, my hospital story.

(Speech)

As part of it she shaved my wrist, she took out a felt-tip pen and drew a circle around it. But then she said this. “Mr. Key, would you like me to write ‘No’ on your other wrist, just in case?” (Audience laughter) I said, “Ma’am, yes I would. In fact, while you’re at it, I want you to write the word ‘No’ everywhere.” (Audience laughter)

(End of speech)

How could I use this story? Let me give you three quick possibilities. For starters, I could speak t the importance of being certain. As a second possibility, I could focus on the fact that unex-pected things happen to each of us. Lastly, I could speak to the benefits of finding humor in tense situations.

Next, my Pete Rowe story.

(Speech)

And this guy came up, with my friends still there ridiculing me, and he put his hand on my shoulder. And to this day, his name is Pete Rowe...some of the details stick with you when they are significant to you. His name is Pete Rowe.

He puts his hand on my shoulder and he says, in the way that only a wise, respected, South-ern gentleman can say, he said, “Young feller, you just keep doin’ what yer doin’. One of

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these days you’ll be able to whomp up a diddy.” (Audience laughter) You will not find that phrase in a dictionary:

(End of speech)

How could I use this one? I could underline the fact that your friends may not always be your best advisors. Or I could stress that one person’s belief in you is more powerful than the disbe-lief of many.

Are you beginning to see how this works? When you look at your stories from a different per-spective, or multiple perspectives, you can come away from that with many ways you can use your stories in your speeches. Before we move on, let’s look at the possibilities of that last story.

(Speech)

I said, “Sweetheart, would it be okay if I just sat here and talked to you for a minute?” And she looked at me with a truly pained expression and said, “Why would you want to do that? Nobody else does.”

How do you respond to the cries of a despondent heart?

(End of speech)

What do you think? What could I focus on with this story? For starters, I could show how things are not always what they seem to be on the surface. I could implore you to consider the signifi-cance of what you say to others. And finally, I could point out the importance of being an en-courager.

One story may have multiple applications. You might be able to use your stories in a variety of ways if you are simply aware of those other possibilities.

Here are some questions that you may find valuable when evaluating the possibilities of your stories.

• What are the perspectives of the other people besides me in my story?

• Does this story tie in with other common, relatable experiences that the audience may have had? Chances are if your experience stirred certain emotions in you, it will stir the same ones in them.

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• Does the story have a twist or an unexpected element?• Can I clearly and succinctly describe what I learned or how I felt when I experienced it?I invite you to add your specific questions to this list of evaluation criterion and look at your stories with these questions in mind. It will help you to gain a greater understanding of ways you can use them in your speeches.

Some stories can be humorous, and other stories might be more serious. Or, somewhere in-be-tween. Either way, your stories are a wonderfully effective means of giving your message more impact when you tell a story, and make a point.

The last tip I’ll offer concerning this ‘what you say’ dimension of speaking is this: make sure that you move smoothly in and out of your stories with good transitions, and that you carefully write the contents of your stories. If you simply pull them from memory on the spot while you are speaking you may miss the opportunity to use them to their fullest effect. Good, thoughtful writing produces well-crafted speeches which will help you get the most value from your sto-ries, and in turn, provide the most value to our audience.

Section Six

The final dimension of speaking is a bit difficult in a writing situation. It is the ‘how you say it’ dimension and it involves all of the physical qualities of speaking. It is those things that the au-dience actually sees and hears. Since I can’t show you examples of each of these things, let me invite you to consider the following questions.

• Concerning your voice, are you fully using it to maximize the effectiveness of your speech?• Do you know the range of your pitch, and the appropriate volumes levels and rate of speech to use at different times for the maximum effect? • Do you vary it at the right times and in the proper manner in order to have the optimal impact?• In your speeches, do you know how to effectively use the power of silence?• What about your gestures? Are they smooth and natural? Or do they look forced and out of place? • Do you repeat any particular gestures so often that they lose their effectiveness? • Do you move around on the stage? If so, do your movements have particular purpose in helping you communicate your message? Or are they simply aimless wanderings?• Can you avoid meaningless pacing and use your movements to make your stories more vivid for your audience? • Do you fully think your movements through?• If you decide to use props, will they enhance your stories? Or will they, the props, be-

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come the focal point and will you message become obscured? • Can you introduce those props smoothly and plan their smooth exit when you’re finished with them?

Facial expressions: Here is an element of your delivery that can significantly impact of your stories.

• Are your facial expressions consistent with what you are saying?

• Do they properly convey the emotions of your stories?

• Whether you are speaking about joy, or sorrow, or fear, will the audience look at your fa-cial expressions and see the physical manifestations of that particular emotion and believe that’s what you are feeling as you tell those stories in your speeches?

In the following clip I spoke directly to the issue of facial expression. Try to imagine the reac-tion of the crowd as you read along.

(Speech)

One of the aspects of presentation that a lot of people either misuse or don’t use enough is their facial expression. But the thing I found when I recorded myself is that I’m a very in-tense person. When I wanted to get a point across, I found myself in the video as very stern and angry with this expression that could be intimidating, and could be communicating something I didn’t intend. So I had to learn and I had to force myself, when appropriate, to lighten up. It’s okay to smile once in a while. It has to do with that connection to the audi-ence.

And if you use a facial expression that is not in line with the emotion you are trying to com-municate it can break that connection. On the other hand, if you are talking about something that is particularly sensitive to you—if you felt something—the audience will know it more if you show it. If you are talking about a time in your life when there was sadness, it’s okay to show it because you experienced it. If it was a time a joy, show it.

I used an example with my oldest son about three or four years ago that I think is a perfect synopsis for this. At the time he was 14 or 15 years old and he was working as a referee at the YMCA. He fell and broke his wrist, so he had this cast on his arm. A couple of days later, that Sunday, he was going to church, our youth group met on Wednesday nights. He had his arm in a sling and he was, you know, just ready to go, and I said, “Oh son,” I said, “If you would like some tips from the old man on how to score some major points with ladies, then I got the

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tip for you.”

And of course, you know...it’s Dad, and so therefore it’s wrong. (Audience laughter) I don’t have credibility with him, I’m Dad and he’s...Well, anyway, I told him, I said, “The key to you going from getting some sympathy points to getting major sympathy points is one simple thing. And it is right here.”

And he said, “What do you mean?”

And I said, “Okay, this is you. (Audience laughter) This is you getting major sympathy points.”

(Audience laughter)

One little thing that’s part of a facial expression changes dramatically what you are commu-nicating. So if you are communicating emotions or feelings put it out there on your face for people to see, and it will enhance your effectiveness. I have a lot of fun with that story.

(Audience) Did it work?

(Key) You know what? He didn’t do it. (Audience laughter) All we can do is give them the knowledge and it is up to them to make use of it. So he missed his opportunity, but it’s not because I didn’t contribute.

(End of speech)

Now I know in simply reading this you have no idea what I did with my face to get those reac-tions from the audience. To be fair, if you are ever in attendance at an event where I’m speaking I will be glad to show you what I did if you ask.

The bottom line with the ‘how you say it’ dimension of speaking is that you need to be aware of the impact of your voice and your movements and your expressions, and all of these things that I have mentioned. They should be natural and effortless and consistent with what you’re saying and the meaning you are trying to convey.

But this raises the question: If you can’t see those things that I’m talking about in the program, how are you going to see them when you actually do them as you speak?

(Speech)

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To identify and improve your physical presentation record yourse...on video. How many of you took a cassette, put it in the record, closed it, pushed record, spoke, you hit stop, you hit rewind, you hit play, and you said, “I do not sound like that!” (Audience laughter)

Yeah, yeah, I think we all have. (Audience laughter) Well, you may record yourself on video and think, ‘I do not look like that!’ Oh yes you do! (Audience laughter) The camera doesn’t lie.

Now here’s the reason why I think it is such a crucial thing in helping you. If you have some tendency to do something...for instance, there’s a specific gesture that you use over and over again, and your evaluators may never actually call you on it. But if you see it on videotape, you’ll know that you’re doing it over and over. And the more you do it, the less impact it has.

(End of speech)

If you have some distracting tendency physically, you’ll see it. You may get it in your feedback from your evaluator, but you may not. The most critical feedback I’ve ever gotten was the feed-back I had given myself after watching myself on videotape. Because I thought, ‘I wasn’t doing that, was I?’ Yeah, I was. And it wasn’t something that was effective.

You can only improve upon the things that you are aware of. Videotaping yourself with let you examine how you are coming across to the audience from their perspective. Once you are aware of hat, you can then work to improve it.

How do you become a three-dimensional speaker? Know the importance of what you say, know the most effect way to say it, and maximize your use of the environment in which you speak.

Section Seven

How do you overcome nervousness? There’s a saying that it’s not about getting rid of those butterflies that are fluttering around in the pit of your stomach when you’re nervous, it’s about making those butterflies fly in formation. Well, there certainly is some value in that saying. But it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. It doesn’t address the question of how you get those but-terflies to fly in formation.

I have four specific suggestions on how to so just that. You put yourself in a better position to succeed when you are fully prepared in each of the speaking dimensions.

Purposefully craft the words that you will say. Plan on smoothly and effectively delivering your message. And as much as you can maximize the elements of your speaking environment for

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your success. The more prepared you are in each of these dimensions, the more confident you will be. And the more confident you are, the less that nervousness will impact you. You will significantly help your cause if you can minimize the physical symptoms of nervous-ness that you will feel. Those symptoms may include:

• Sweaty hands

• Rapid, shallow breathing

• An increased heart rate.

How do you do that? How do you minimize those symptoms? Quite simply, become more physically fit. I’m not suggesting that you have to become an athlete of Olympic proportions, I’m simply saying that if you can increase your level of fitness from whatever it is now to what-ever you can get it to, those physical symptoms of nervousness won’t have as much impact on you because you will have a lower resting heart rate and your body will be more accustom and more able to handle the stress.

If you want to leave nervousness behind when you speak, replace it with a feeling of comfort and ease on the platform. That doesn’t come overnight, but it can be achieved over time. One of the best ways you can do that is to speak frequently. Seek out opportunities to speak regularly. You may be able to find those in your community, at your job, or as I did by joining a local Toastmaster’s club. Whichever you choose, the more frequently that you speak, the more com-fortable you will become at speaking.

A final suggestion I have concerning overcoming nervousness is that you battle it at its source. At its very core nervousness is rooted in your mental process. It has to do with the mindset you bring to the platform. If that’s the case, then the solution must also lie in your mental processes. In addition to any positive self talk or visualization you might do I would encourage you to think of it this way. If you’ve ever carefully selected a gift for someone, or maybe you’ve per-sonally made a gift for that person, in that intense moment of anticipation while you wait for them to open it you may have the physical symptoms of nervousness. But it’s really excitement. You see, you have invested yourself in that gift. That includes the time you spent, the money that was required, or even you special abilities. And that moment when they open it you know you know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they’re going to love it.

(Speech)

How do you deal with the nerves? How do you deal with nervousness? How do you control the nervousness? Does it get less? No, of course not. I look at it this way: Nervousness is

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rooted in your mental process. It’s in your mind. And so the solution has to be in your mind. The way I look at it is, when I put my time and my effort and my blood, seat, and tears— all those things into writing that speech and practicing that speech, when I am stepping out here and dealing with nerves when presenting to an audience, I’m doing something significant. This is my gift to the audience.

Have you ever given somebody a gift and you knew, you knew, they were going to love it? You just knew it before they even saw the box, or the wrapping, you knew they were going to love it. And you kind of get worked up, this nervous energy—the symptoms of nervousness. You may get dry mouth, get sweaty hands, but you know—you know!— they’re going to love it! That’s the way I look at my speeches. I program my mind to think this speech is my gift to them. They are going to love it. I can’t wait! (Audience laughter) That’s what I do.

Now what that does, as those physical symptoms of nervousness come on and I turn those feelings into positive energy, that gives my presentation a boost. I’m not as drab; I’m not down. I come out and feel and I look alive. Because I’m feeling that energy.

So when it comes to nervousness, that’s what I do. Consider your speech, the time you invest-ed, your gift to the audience. And if you do it right, they’re going to love it.

(End of speech)

That is the mindset to take to your speaking opportunities. Train your mind to understand that you have invested yourself to creating this speech for this audience. You invested your time, you invested your stories and your experiences and abilities. Your speech is your gift to the au-dience.

Will those physical symptoms of nervousness still be around? Maybe. But when you feel them you will understand that what you are feeling is excitement. It’s anticipation. If anything, allow that feeling to infuse your presentation with energy and life because you know you have a gift to give the audience. And when they receive it, they are going to love it.

Section Eight

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this program, and that you’ll apply what we covered and quickly be-come a more effective speaker. Remember to tap into the power of being a student of effective speaking. Become a three-dimensional speaker and use the techniques we discussed to make nervousness a thing of the past.

If you have any questions, or would like to share your stories of speaking success since learning

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to speak better, quicker, please contact me. My e-mail address is [email protected] and I look forward to hearing from you.

If you’d like to sign up for my e-mail newsletter, or learn about my other audio-learning inspira-tional resources, please visit my web site. That address is www.jimkey.com.

If you’d like to inquire about having me speak for your organization with the intent of moving your organizational and individual performance to higher levels of excellence, please e-mail me. That e-mail address is [email protected].

And again, I look forward to hearing from you.

© 2004 Jim Key

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