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TRANSCRIPT
TThhee PPoowweerrffuull SSppeeaakkeerr BBlluueepprriinntt
bbyy JJoonnaatthhaann BBeennddeerr,, MMSS,, MMFFAA
The Blueprint is part 3 of a free course, Your True Voice: How to Speak
with Power and Presence… to Increase your Influence, Income and Impact.
Be sure to get your other teachings on authenticity as well as transforming
public speaking anxiety.
WWhhyy aa BBlluueepprriinntt??
If you don’t have a clear idea of what it means to be a great speaker – and
how to get there – it’s doubly costing you. First, you may have less peace
of mind (and more self-doubt) if you’re worrying about what it takes.
Second, it may literally be costing you. For example, mistakes in nonverbal
communication alone will reduce your credibility… that then affects your
ability to make sales or get a promotion.
In any professional field, there’s a standard. However, since anyone can
get up and speak (even if not that well), and there’s not exactly a
certification process to be a speaker, most people have no idea of the
criteria for great speaking!
This blueprint aims to improve that.
TThhee BBlluueepprriinntt ccoonnttaaiinnss 33 sseeccttiioonnss::
1) The 5 Keys to Powerful Speaking
2) The 3 Levels of Speaking
3) How to Increase Your Skills and Speaking Mastery
Let’s get started.
TThhee 55 KKeeyyss ttoo PPoowweerrffuull SSppeeaakkiinngg
To become a masterful speaker, you need all 5 areas. Please carefully
review all 5 areas – and watch the video for greater detail.
11.. CCoonntteenntt
Content covers the words you say – or, how you craft a talk. There are
MANY things that go into crafting a talk; it would take its own book to
cover all of them!
So let’s talk about the one thing that is absolutely essential, and that most
speakers don’t do well, with which you can start improving your talks right
away: the ssttrruuccttuurree.
If you don’t have a good structure, people will be wondering how long
you’ll be talking for… where it’s headed… and what’s for lunch. That is,
you may start to lose their attention.
And, if you don’t have good structure but you plan to offer a service or
free consultation at the end… it may not go so well.
IInn oorrddeerr ttoo kkeeeepp ppeeooppllee’’ss aatttteennttiioonn tthhrroouugghhoouutt,, aanndd ttoo lleeaadd tthheemm ttoo yyoouurr
ccaallll ttoo aaccttiioonn,, yyoouu nneeeedd aa Progressive Structure..
In a progressive structure, one section organically demands the following
section... that has your audience paying attention and waiting for what
you’re going to say next.
And… it directly leads to your call to action. A call to action tells the
audience to take you up on a free consultation, a service or product you’re
offering, or simply to change their lives or do something differently in their
job. (In other words, to take action.)
While there are various structures, most of the time I recommend using
one particular model, since it works well almost all of the time: Problem,
Cause, Solution. This format can be used for keynotes, offering your
services, and even when speaking up in meetings.
• TThhee PPrroobblleemm – When you clearly articulate a problem that people are
having, it helps them feel acknowledged and seen. They feel that
you get them.
• TThhee CCaauussee – Then, when you can explain why the problem is
happening, it establishes you as an expert and gains their trust.
• TThhee SSoolluuttiioonn – You then give a solution – typically, a series of steps
they can take. However, there is only so much time to go into detail,
and typically people legitimately need more help (often, a more
personalized service, or a deeper level of work than you can do in a
talk or workshop). Which leads to…
• TThhee CCaallll ttoo AAccttiioonn –This could be changing their lives in some way,
inviting them to a free consult, or purchasing a service or product. Or,
if you are speaking to people at a company you work for, to support
your cause or to do their job differently.
Again: while you’ll need to learn many other elements to create a powerful
talk, implementing a progressive structure alone will dramatically help.
AAnndd yyeett……wwhhyy iiss ccoonntteenntt nnoott eennoouugghh??
No matter how well you craft a talk, you have to remember that people
will be paying a lot of attention to your nonverbal communication – that is,
your tone of voice and your body language.
NOTE: Many coaches say that nonverbal communication constitutes 93%
of communication. This is NOT TRUE.
It was a misinterpreted study; the researchers never even concluded that.
The real number is…
50% to 80%.
So yes, it’s still a large number. (But it’s not 93%.) This means that HOW
you talk is at least as important (if not more) as WHAT you say.
One thing you don’t tend to hear a lot about…
WWhheerree ddooeess yyoouurr nnoonnvveerrbbaall ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonn ccoommee ffrroomm??
It comes out of your habitual expression and your internal experience. This
means that if you are nervous, you are likely sending signals (by doing
things like pacing, or saying fillers like “um,” or many, many other things)
that undermine your credibility.
AND… when you DO have training… and learn to be comfortable being
seen, being open and relaxed, and have more tools to work with… you
have intentionally trained your habitual expression to be compelling. And,
if you are confident, your internal experience makes your nonverbal
communication even more powerful.
The next 4 keys teach you how to do this.
22.. CCoommffoorrtt aanndd CCoonnffiiddeennccee
Why is this one of the 5 keys? Because… it’s very important to realize that
fear and nervousness can be transformed! You must find greater
confidence to be an effective speaker.
You’ll find much greater detail about confidence in Part 2 of the Your True
Voice course, which focuses on transforming public speaking anxiety into
confidence.
Here are brief reminders.
1) WWaarrmm uupp!! You need to be ready physically, vocally, emotionally, and
mentally. And yes, review your content as well.
2) Know how to pprreeppaarree effectively for talks.
3) Grow your ability to be ttoottaallllyy rreellaaxxeedd and to breathe deeply,
anywhere you go.
4) Get a CCoonnffiiddeennccee MMiinnddsseett!
5) Grow your COMPETENCE as a speaker to increase your
CONFIDENCE.
Remember: no matter what your level of experience… or how much
anxiety you have…this can be changed. Really.
33.. TThhee AArrtt ooff CCoonnnneeccttiioonn
Connecting with your audience is absolutely essential. If you don’t connect
well, your audience won’t feel your energy… or might feel it too much if
you’re not tuned into what they need!
Over the past many years, I’ve developed a framework for connection that
applies both to public speaking and to everyday life. The Spiral Path of
Connection is a multifaceted framework for…
• Connecting with an audience
• Staying connected with yourself – that is, not losing yourself around
others (especially important for those who identify as introverts)
• Connecting with others in your personal life
• Impacting people intentionally and effectively
• Healing the wounds around connection that most people have.
We’ve all learned to defend ourselves in different ways, which
inhibits connection.
There are 9 points on the connection spiral. While this a much longer topic
(as in, the topic of a forthcoming book), here’s what to focus on to start.
TThhee ppaatthh bbeeggiinnss wwiitthh INNER ccoonnnneeccttiioonn.. You need to know how to stay
true to yourself, and have good self-care, when you are with others. Inner
connection also involves connecting with the earth, as well as with
something greater than yourself.
Important: Connect with yourself before you connect outwardly, in order
to not lose yourself when interacting. Keep inner connection going while
you move into…
INTERconnection. Interconnection is a whole art unto itself. So much
miscommunication can occur. Make sure the first thing you do is…
RECEIVE. Tune into your audience (or into other people in your everyday
life). Be curious. Go beyond surface appearances.
Receiving will then help you…
IMPACT, or give, intentionally. Creating effective impact is essential in all
communication, be it to make sales when speaking, or simply to
communicate cleanly and clearly with others in your life.
Cultivating these skills also reduces the “freeze” response, because you
break out of being frozen (where you’re really not connecting) when you
focus on receiving and impacting.
Be sure to watch the video at 9 minutes to find out about potential
problems with under- or over-impacting.
ALSO – one essential connection practice is to master strong EYE
CONTACT. With great technique, you can speak to an auditorium of
thousands… and have every single person feel like you’re talking directly
to them. Get my best tip at 9:29 in the video.
44.. CChhaannggee:: VVooccaall aanndd PPhhyyssiiccaall DDyynnaammiiccss
CHANGE means two things:
First, you need to learn the foundational vocal and physical dynamics that
help you both look and feel confident.
Second, get training in how to vary your body language and voice to
maintain (or recapture) your audience’s attention.
See the 3 Levels of Speaking below for greater detail.
55.. CChhaarriissmmaa aanndd PPrreesseennccee
Charisma and presence are two sides of the same coin. The most
important thing to know is that both can be learned and grown.
As Part I of this course stated, PPrreesseennccee iiss bbeeiinngg pprreesseenntt…
• PPhhyyssiiccaallllyy. Being embodied… not “stuck in your head”
• EEmmoottiioonnaallllyy. Be emotionally open and real!
• MMeennttaallllyy. Stay focused and connected, and “in the room.”
• EEnneerrggeettiiccaallllyy. While this may be an abstract concept to many, you
can literally learn to grow your energy so that people feel and sense
it… which also grows your presence.
And as for the other side of the coin…
CChhaarriissmmaa is the art of being you… when you are totally relaxed, at ease,
and safe. The key is to let that expression of you come out in public in
front of a large group! When you’re totally yourself, unapologetically, with
all of your idiosyncratic expressions, that’s pretty much charisma.
Both take specific steps to learn. You can do it. And it’s POWERFUL when
you do – for both you and for audiences.
TThhee 33 LLeevveellss ooff SSppeeaakkiinngg
LLeevveell 11:: TThhee FFoouunnddaattiioonnss
You need ALL of these in order to be a powerful speaker. Note: while
referred to as “foundations,” it’s far more comprehensive than you’ll find
in most speaking trainings. Make sure that you get trained in all of the
foundations, even if you have to seek help in multiple places.
Let’s break it down in terms of what’s needed within each of the main keys
of speaking named above.
1) Content. Know how to craft a powerful talk that persuades and
enrolls – that grabs their attention, sustains it, and moves them to
action.
2) Comfort and Confidence. Have enough comfort so that you can
eliminate most of your discomfort and nervousness… and yet be fine
when it arises… and handle it effectively without it holding you back!
3) Connection. Your eye contact must be great, and you need to know
how to at least somewhat receive and impact those around you.
4) Change. Let’s get into some more detail. Here are the elements
needed you absolutely need at the foundational level.
a. Body language basics include:
i. Planting your feet
ii. Gesturing
iii. Great facial expressions
NOTE: for all of these, you must be relaxed and at ease –
or they’ll look forced and fake.
b. Vocal power:
i. Improved vocal resonance
ii. Reduced vocal strain and good vocal projection
iii. Reduced fillers (Um, Uh, Like)
iv. Powerful pronunciation –or, dynamic diction – that
engages your audience and enhances the meaning and
power of every word you say
When you have all of these foundational skills, and they are integrated into
your self-expression, you are a powerful speaker!
And yet… there are further levels to grow into.
LLeevveell 22:: PPrreesseennccee
In Level 2, when you discover and step into your true presence, you can
truly relax when you’re speaking.
Why? Because when you are fully present, you can trust yourself to be
responsive to the moment. No matter what happens, you can adjust and
handle it easily. You can respond with what’s needed… rather than be
reactive.
When you have presence – both as a speaker and in life – people want to
work with you because they trust you. Presence is compelling!
Here’s the great thing: presence arises out of learning and integrating
many of the earlier levels, especially comfort/confidence and connection.
That is, when you’ve learned to be fully relaxed and embodied… and
you’ve grown your connection skills… this helps you find presence.
So while it takes more practice and training over time, the foundations will
get you started.
LLeevveell 33:: TThhee DDyynnaammiicc,, CChhaarriissmmaattiicc SSppeeaakkeerr
In this level, you take all of the previously named skills to new heights.
As far as content goes… you know how to craft talks so that you get
consistent standing ovations.
With confidence, you can talk to audiences of thousands with little
nervousness.
And as for your connection skills… every single person, even in a huge
conference room, auditorium or theatre, feels you’re talking directly to
them.
What’s especially important to note for dynamic speakers: your vocal and
physical dynamics. Let’s discuss them in more detail.
1) Your BBOODDYY LLAANNGGUUAAGGEE brings out your own charisma… and you
can walk dynamically around a large stage, fully owning it.
2) With improved VVOOCCAALL PPOOWWEERR, you can effectively use vocal
dynamics lliikkee pitch, tempo, volume, enunciation variation and
pausing to engage and move your audience.
3) The best speakers have been trained in how utilize advanced
speaking styles that take their self-expression far beyond their
habitual range, without sounding fake.
4) You can “score” a talk as if it were a piece of music, with all of
these dynamics, to make it consistently engaging.
5) Even if you have your talk entirely planned out, you can adjust and
change your words and delivery in the moment to make your talk
even more amazing!
Finally, your charisma and presence are powerful and engaging… as you
remain totally, uniquely YOU.
In sum: the dynamic speaker is sought-after, because she or he
consistently moves audiences, and can be relied upon to be both inspiring
and entertaining… even when making offers from the stage.
SSiinnccee tthheerree’’ss aa lloott ttoo lleeaarrnn…… wwhheerree ddoo yyoouu ssttaarrtt??
While the more advanced levels are most desirable, it’s essential to have
the Foundations, Level 1, in place. Once you have that foundation, you
can build your skills higher and higher.
It’s important to note that some people (especially those who have some
speaking experience) possess elements found in higher levels… and yet
are missing foundational elements. If you are neglecting even a couple of
these, it’s like having cracks in the foundations of a house: it’s unstable,
and will cost you (confidence, persuasiveness and sales) if you don’t fix it.
HHooww ttoo IInnccrreeaassee YYoouurr SSkkiillllss aanndd SSppeeaakkiinngg MMaasstteerryy
First, keep in mind that ANYONE can become a powerful speaker. It’s not
a matter of “talent.” The idea of talent keeps many people away from
actually growing their skills, because they either think they’re great… or
they don’t think improvement is possible.
YYoouu nneeeedd jjuusstt ttwwoo tthhiinnggss::
1) Expert coaching. Many coaches don’t have that much experience.
2) Dedication. To learn these skills takes a little time and effort.
HHoowweevveerr,, iitt mmaayy ttaakkee lleessss eeffffoorrtt tthhaann yyoouu tthhiinnkk.. EEvveenn 1100 mmiinnuutteess aa ddaayy iiss
eennoouugghh ttoo ttrraannssffoorrmm yyoouurr oolldd hhaabbiittss iinnttoo ppoowweerrffuull sskkiillllss..
Note: go to 18:10 in the video to hear an example of one of my early
students, back in 1999… when I stopped believing in talent.
If you've already tried improving your speaking, have worked diligently,
and haven’t gotten better, it’s not your fault. You simply haven’t had the
right coaching.
AAnndd ttoo iimmpprroovvee,, yyoouu nneeeedd aa ccoommbbiinnaattiioonn ooff 33 tthhiinnggss..
First, professional speaking skills… obviously you need those! It’s essential
to know what looks good, and what works for all business situations and
applications.
Second: performance techniques. Acting, voice and movement methods
that performers use to enhance presence, confidence and expressiveness
will help you move beyond your normal range of expression.
And finally: personal development. Personal growth methods help you be
okay with being seen, and to step into the version of yourself that you
really want to be. If you don’t do the inner work, the speaking and
performance techniques may feel fake…rather get integrated as a part of
you. And you won’t feel authentic.
(Note: those with significant unprocessed trauma may benefit from
psychotherapy or similar modalities. However, the vast majority of people
get what they need through personal development methods that
specifically apply to speaking and being seen.)
What’s important to note is that all three require learning from a
professional. Just like any other skill, you’ll achieve mastery MUCH faster if
you don’t do it on your own!
Which means… in order to claim your voice, you actually have to get
training. Preferably in a proven system that takes you through everything
you need to learn, step by step.
AAnndd ddoonn’’tt ffoorrggeett……
RReemmeemmbbeerr tthhiiss:: tthhee wwoorrlldd nneeeeddss YYoouurr TTrruuee VVooiiccee..
You have a unique message. Even if you have the same job title as
someone else, and appear similar on paper, your contribution is different -
and is needed.
As you grow your speaking skills and confidence – and significantly
increase your income as a result – you’ll be even more rewarded, knowing
you are making a bigger difference.
AAnndd tthhee wwoorrlldd nneeeeddss iitt..
The world needs you, shining and speaking, with your true voice.
Are you ready to ccllaaiimm it?
Leave a comment below the video, and share how this blueprint has
impacted you. And, if you know the message you want to share with the
world, share a brief note about that, too!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jonathan Bender, MS, MFA has helped
thousands of entrepreneurs and
professionals become confident,
authentic and dynamic speakers who
change lives. Jonathan’s work blends
professional speaking skills with
performance technique (acting, voice
and movement) with personal
development.
The founder of the WholeSpeak™ Method, he also trains and certifies
coaches. Jonathan is also the creator of Connection Jams™ and The
Performance of Your Life™. He holds Masters degrees in both
communication and performance, and is a theatre director, actor and
creator.
A coach for 20 years, he specializes in working with those who care as
much about growing themselves as they do their careers: his clients
range from CEOs to entrepreneurs to actors, and people from 5
continents have taken his trainings.