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In this issue:

DO NOT USE THESE WORDS IN A SPEECH!
QUESTIONS OFTEN ASKED
DELIVERY FOR THE EXPERIENCED SPEAKER
BOOK REVIEW: THE TIPPING POINT

DO NOT USE THESE WORDS IN A SPEECH!

Speakers often ask themselves, "What can I say in this speech?" An additional concern should be the words not to use in a speech. Here are some suggestions.

Eliminate "filler" words. These are words that a speaker speaks instead of just remaining silent. These include "and," "and uh," "OK," "All right," and "You know." It is best just to pause instead of filling the space with unnecessary words or verbalized pauses.

Certain sentences should be omitted as well. Avoid previewing a joke by saying, "This is a funny story." The only person who thinks it is funny may be you! If you say nothing about the humorous aspects of the joke or story and no one laughs, then it is taken as a serious piece of material and you go ahead to your next point. Besides, telling an audience a story will be funny is signaling them to resist laughing. Laughter is more likely when it is spontaneous rather than when it is predicted!

Avoid saying, "I am going to tell you a story." Just start the story. We can tell it is a story once you say the first sentence. Your story will have more impact without a preview. Never say, "Before I get started, let me say…" Once you have reached the lectern you have started whether you realize it or not. The opening words are the beginning of the speech even if you say they aren’t. Never say, "I’m not as prepared as I should be," or "I have not been feeling well," or "I don’t know where to start," or " I had a difficult time determining what to say." Again these add nothing to the content of the speech and if you don’t say them we may not identify any of these traits or characteristics in your speech. In other words don’t make excuses about your speech once you are in front of the audience.

Never use profanity in your speech. Profanity may offend some audience members, and it shows you don’t have a very extensive vocabulary if you resort to such words when you only have twenty minutes to speak. In most circumstances, don’t use slang expressions or jargon since the audience may not understand these terms.

Don’t say, "I know you don’t know the meaning of these terms so let me explain them." Certainly you may want to define and explain unfamiliar terms but that kind of sentence is insulting to the audience. If you must introduce your explanation simply say, "Let me explain what I mean."

Choosing the right words in a speech is certainly critical to your success, but what you don’t say can also influence the overall impact of your presentation.

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A QUESTION OFTEN ASKED

A question I’m often asked is, "How can I make my message easily understood by my audience?"

Clarity of ideas is critical to understanding. One certain way to accomplish this is to answer the "w" questions. Rudyard Kipling wrote, "I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew); their names are What and Why and When, and How and Where and Who." Apply that sentence to content in your presentation, and clarity will result. Clarity of ideas will also be insured when you frequently use illustrations, definitions, comparisons, and specific instances. With each main idea you communicate, incorporate at least two of the above supporting materials.

Finally, seek to limit subject matter. Limit! Limit! Limit! Too many speakers try to cover too much material, and confusion instead of clarity results in the minds of the audience. As Lou Heckler stated, "It is much better to say a lot about a little than a little about a lot." It is much easier to create understanding when you limit your content to one or two major thoughts than it is to cover ten. Dwight Eisenhower said that the message of any speech should fit on the inside of a matchbook.

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DELIVERY FOR THE EXPERIENCED SPEAKER

As beginning speakers we knew there were certain qualities that helped us to deliver an effective speech: eye contact, purposeful gestures, good posture, vocal variety, and volume. As we become experienced speakers, there are additional delivery techniques we can use to go to the next level in our speaking skills. I want to give you suggestions on how to develop your delivery style beyond the simple basic elements.

First is to center your delivery around the audience, not the lectern or table you are speaking from.  Once you start speaking, the audience's attention can follow you to wherever you are. This may mean moving into the audience on occasion or moving to one side of the room for emphasis. You may move to a different location so the audience can see your visuals or demonstration better. If you are answering questions you may want to move toward the person asking the question. Or you may want to nonverbally include certain members of your audience with eye contact and embracing gestures as you tell a story. Don’t just stand behind or to the side of the lectern as you speak. Let the audience determine where you stand and what gestures and eye contact you incorporate as you deliver your presentation.

Second, adapt your delivery to the audience response. If the audience appears to be lethargic, you may want to speed up your rate of speaking or increase your volume. If the audience seems tense, perhaps you might soften the volume and use smaller gestures, slowing down your rate. If the audience does not seem to be looking at you as you speak, you might point to a visual or gesture with a prop you are using and that will usually motivate them to make eye contact with you again. If, because of puzzled looks on their faces, you feel the audience may not be understanding the point you are making, you might pause more to give them extra moments to assimilate the information you are giving. If they look too serious, you might smile more or have bigger, more pronounced facial expressions; they may respond in kind.

Learn to anticipate where the audience may laugh, or feel emotional, or be ready to ask a question. If you can anticipate well, you can use your delivery to underscore what they are experiencing. When the audience is laughing, you need to pause longer to let them enjoy the experience you have provided for them. For the anticipated question, you may look expectantly at the group. For the emotional impact, you may soften the volume or change the rate of speech to further engage them. To change any of the above intellectual or emotional contexts, you might take a step in a different direction to let them know you are ready to change moods.

The experienced speaker uses props and visuals in a very inconspicuous manner. Your movements as you pick up a prop or move to the screen or laptop should be such that the audience is not aware that you have added another dimension to your speech. When speaking, the advanced speaker is able to incorporate the visual without pausing or breaking the thought. Smoothness is a key term in using visuals of any kind. In a sense, when handling props or visual aids, you choreograph in your mind where you are going to be moments before you are there.

As an experienced speaker, do not allow distractions from the audience to interfere with the delivery of the speech. When distractions occur, the speaker does not look in the direction of the distraction, but rather works harder with eye contact and movement to hold the attention of the audience. Certainly if the distraction keeps people from hearing or understanding the message, the speaker will eventually make adjustments. But if your delivery indicates that you expect their focused attention, the audience will be less likely to give consideration to the interfering noise or movement.

Finally, at the advanced level of speaking, audience members are unaware of notes you may be using. Instead of regularly looking at notes as you speak, you develop the skill of looking at notes when the audience is laughing,  taking in your information on the screen, pondering a question you asked them, or completely engaged in a story you are telling them. And when you do make use of notes, you glance at them rather than staring at them. You feel so comfortable with your notes that you are confident that a glance is enough to pick up the train of thought again.

As you grow in confidence and clarity of ideas in your presentations, remember to develop your delivery of the message in a more professional manner as well. Eventually your delivery will blend in so smoothly with your content that the audience will not even think of your delivery as they are completely involved in the substance of your presentation.

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BOOK REVIEW: THE TIPPING POINT

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell is a nonfiction book that gives a creative and well-developed rationale for why major changes in our society so often happen unexpectedly and suddenly. As the cover of the book states, "Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a few fare-beaters and graffiti artists fuel a subway crime wave, or a satisfied customer fill the empty tables of a new restaurant." The moment these social epidemics take off, or when they reach their critical mass, is "the tipping point."

The book is rich with case studies and stories that a speaker could use in a variety of ways. There is a fascinating and information-filled chapter on the history of "Sesame Street." His story of the ride of Paul Revere is not the version you read in your fifth grade history book. The reemergence of the Hush Puppy in New York City is not the kind of story you would find in the daily newspaper. These are just a few of the thought-provoking narratives which help speakers look at people and influences in a different way and in the process find possible stories for all kinds of speech topics.

The Tipping Point is a refreshing and different look at change in our society.

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