Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
…to those who tremble, shake, and stammer when speaking in public;
public speaking is practice, period!
-Nigro Blak
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Cause Action:
Public Speaking Handbook
FIRST EDITION, 2012
ISBN: 978-9966-123-35-0
Copyright © 2012, NigroBlak. All rights reserved. This work is
copyrighted by the author. No parts of this publication maybe
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any
form, without permission of the publisher.
Nigro Blak is a lawyer, author of 62 books, public speaker,
stock market investor and business owner of online dating
platform, ride hailing platform, and farmer of pigs, ducks and
chicken.
Nigro Blak has previously worked as communication skills
consultant; guest lecturer on law; and collective investment
schemes advisor.
He is also a performance poet, armature pianist, and chief
priest/grand elder of the order of opulence, his own religion.
info@nigroblak.com
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NigroBlak's 62 B OOKS
F INANCIAL L ITERACY B OOKS
Doing Business For Financial Freedom- Guide to Building A Business System
Managing Business Cashflow ( Guide to Raising, Protecting and Growing Business Finances)
Invest: 55 Assets to Grow Savings & Earn Passive Income.
Successful Saccos - Managers' Guide to Acquire, Retain and Grow Membership, Savings and Assets
Making Money Together: Investment Club Manual
Making My Child Financially Intelligent: Money Lessons by Age Group (from 3-13yrs)
Retire Happy: 21 Questions to Plan My Retirement
69 Ways to Earn Extra Money While Keeping My Day Job
Be Bold, Sell Something: 101 Business Ideas for Youth in Africa
I Am A Network Marketer - Network Marketing Guide
The Formula Of Getting Rich!
PESA- A Financial Literacy Board Game
Chamas As Angel Investors And Banks: Theorizing The Causal Relationship Between Low Levels Of Chamas And High Levels Of
Poverty Amongst The Luo Of Kenya
Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
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P ERSONAL B RANDING B OOKS
Great Writers: Guide to Writing Articles, Reports, Plans, Profiles & Proposals
People Buy People - 23 Ways To Use Networking Skills To Sell Myself and My Products
Talanta: Guide to Identifying, Developing & Selling My Talent
This Is How To Treat A Man (Fathers, Husbands, Lovers, Sons, Brothers)
Soft Sweet Words: Romantic Whispers to My Woman
Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook
Seventy-7 Moves of a Sexy Woman
Self-Discipline - What, Why & How
99 Ways to Make People Laugh
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L AW B OOKS
Business Transactions & Contracts Law Handbook
Family Law Handbook
Intellectual Property Law Handbook
Alternative Dispute Resolution Law Handbook
Real Estate Law Handbook
Civil Litigation Law Handbook
Energy Law Handbook
Labour Relations Law Handbook
Administrative Law Handbook
Environmental Law Handbook
Criminal Litigation Law Handbook
Financial Services Law
Rich Lawyers, Poor Lawyers : Law Firm Management Handbook
African Jurisprudence, Luo Jurisprudence: Theories, Institutions and Procedures of Law and Justice (Introduction to Law)
Legal Rhetoric: Guide to Legal Writing, Legal Arguments & Legal Interpretation
Policy & Legal Issues in E-Commerce & E-Governance (ICT Law)
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P OLITICS AND R ELIGION
Why Did Hitler Kill The Jews?
Order of Opulence: Religion Of Wealth & Happiness
Garveyism: The Philosophy of Marcus Garvey
100 Upright Men: World’s Greatest Revolutionary Politicians
The Mungiki: Terrorists, Victims, Saints: Three Sides of the Same Coin!
This Is How To Manipulate Voters: Guide for Campaign Managers, Politicians and Aspiring Politicians!
Politics of Poverty: The Odinga Curse to the Luos
Despots: How Minority Rules Majority
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L UO B OOKS
Majestic Luos: How One Tribe Produced Pharaohs, Kings & 10 Presidents For 5 Countries
Ajuoga – How The Luo Treated 100 Common Diseases
The Luo Nation: History & Culture of Joluo (The Luo People Of Kenya)
Luo Traditional Medicine: Curative and Preventive Plant, Animal and Mineral Extracts
I Speak Luo: Conversational Phrases of Luo Language
Luo Religion
English Luo Dictionary
10,000 Luo Words
Raising Luo Children
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O THER B OOKS
Fireplace Stories: Performance Poems
The Half Story of My Life: Follow Your Heart, Live Your Dream
Tuongee Kiswahili: A Conversational Phrasebook With Audio CDs
Eat Rich, Keep Fit-Foods & Exercises for Healthy Living
This Is How To Improve School Performance-Responsibilities of Teachers, Students & Non Academic Staff
I Am Sorry Father-A True Life Story of HIV-AIDS Teenager
Maseno School Dictionary
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Stand Up and Speak Now!
They assailed me with the choice,
They dared me to talk, taxing my guts,
They told me, stand up and speak now,
Oh how I was sweating and panting,
How I stuttered and stammered, how I winked and blinked,
As they told me, stand up and speak now,
I bit my lips and ground my teeth,
I trembled and almost fell as the podium advanced towards me,
As they told me, stand up and speak now,
I had not paced the path of prose,
The forest of speech, or the lane of language,
But they told me, stand up and speak now,
I shivered with dread, faltering with hesitation,
I treaded with uncertainty, sneaking to the front,
I had to stand up and speak now,
Will they twist and turn with boredom?
Will they giggle and chuckle with glee?
Or will they nod and clap in applause?
I am not afraid anymore;
I will stand up and speak now.
Extracted from Fireplace Stories: Nigro Blak’s Performance Poems Pp.
103
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Cause Action
Is public speaking terrifying? Of course! Are there people who
wish they could speak better? Hell yes! Indeed, there are people
who wonder: how can I make the audience laugh? How can I make
them cry? How can I make them believe me? The question really
is-how can I make them to act? This is the main and real purpose
of public speaking: to cause action. This book, written by a public
speaker, coach, and author, who is both talented, and skilled in
speaking, will answer these questions, and more, with practical
skills, phrases, and lines to use. Let us cause action!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Table of Speaking
Introducing Public Speaking ............................................... 9
Public Speaking is an Essential Skill ....................................................... 9
Why Public Speaking? To Cause Action ................................................ 11
Personal Branding for Public Speakers (Become Better, Earn More) . 14
How Do I Prepare For Public Speaking? .......................... 28
Know The Audience ............................................................................... 28
Know My Subject ................................................................................... 31
Simplify my Message- The Rule of 1 & 3 ................................................ 34
Practice the Speech ................................................................................ 36
Memorize The Message ......................................................................... 37
Determine The Rhetoric/Styles I Will Use ............................................ 38
Learn From the Masters ......................................................................... 41
Introduction (The Problem)............................................... 42
The Shock Factor –Opening with a Bang .............................................. 42
Credentials (Authority) ......................................................................... 49
The Problem (Description) .................................................................... 63
The Body (The Solution) ................................................... 64
Logical Sequence: Intro>Problem>Solution> Action ............................ 64
Time Conscious ...................................................................................... 66
Ice Breakers ........................................................................................... 67
Energy/Passion...................................................................................... 75
Emotions (Make Them Laugh, Make Them Cry) .................................. 77
Voice (Modulate, Modulate, Modulate)................................................. 82
Confidence /Image ................................................................................ 84
Common Accidents While Speaking ....................................................... 90
Tell a Story & Use Quotes....................................................................... 93
Adapt, Kill Boredom............................................................................. 103
Interactive (Eye Contact, Questions, Gestures, etc) ............................ 106
Audio-Visual Aids ................................................................................. 112
23 Rhetorical Devices (Style) .............................................................. 122
Conclusion (Call to Action) ............................................. 151
Summarize the Message ...................................................................... 152
Ask them to Act (Call to Action) .......................................................... 154
Close with a Bang ................................................................................ 157
Tips for Effective Masters of Ceremonies (MCs) ......... 168
Preparation.......................................................................................... 171
Delivery ................................................................................................ 176
Debating Skills: Tips & Tricks ......................................... 182
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Content & Procedure ........................................................................... 182
Debate Types........................................................................................ 188
Preparation.......................................................................................... 192
Debating Skills ..................................................................................... 196
Debate Judging .................................................................................... 213
Debate Mark Sheet .............................................................................. 214
Debate Rules ........................................................................................ 215
Public Speaking Judging.................................................. 220
Duo-Rule of Judging Public Speakers .................................................. 220
Public Speaking Judging Sheet ............................................................ 221
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Introducing Public Speaking
Public Speaking is an Essential Skill
Every employer, whether in the Church or Mosque; in the
military or civilian organizations; in school or workplace; in
the public or private sphere; wants me to have certain
qualities which will make me useful to the workplace.
Apart from the specific job skill, the other most important skill
is effective communication (public speaking, written and oral
expression). This is what I refer to in my bestselling book,
Talanta: Ojijo's Guide to Identifying, Developing & Selling My
Talent, as a soft skill or transferable skill or management skill.
It can be ‘transferred’ to all other career opportunities, and
jobs. Dale Carnegie, the great American writer and lecturer
and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement,
salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and
interpersonal skills wrote, ‘Financial success is due 15
percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to people
skills.’ The ability to communicate effectively is the
foundation, wall and roof of people skills; of influencing
people.
Effective communication is the foundation of successful
relationships, both personally and professionally. To
communicate effectively, I can either speak or write, and of
the two, the spoken word is the most powerful. For oral
communication skills, I may want to read Talanta: Ojijo’s
Guide to Identifying, Developing and Selling My Talent, which
has practical exercises on interview skills, oral
communication; whereas for written communication skills
(letters, vitaes, proposals, plans, reports, and profiles), I may
want to read Stupid Writers: Ojijo’s Guide to Writing Articles,
Books, Reports, Plans, Profiles & Proposals.
“we are speakers; we are sharks, lions and eagles; we are
leaders: we cause action.”
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
In the course of my personal and professional life, I will be
speaking to groups of people in a structured, deliberate
manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the
listeners. This is called public speaking. Public speaking is a
powerful tool, and many a politician have made their careers
using skillful delivery of speeches, including Abraham
Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Marcus Garvey, Hugo Chavez, Barrack
Obama and Fidel Castro, to name but a few.
However, in public speaking, as in any form of communication,
there are five (5) basic elements to be effective, often
expressed as, ‘’why’ am I saying ‘what’ to ‘whom’, ‘where’ and
‘how.’’
Public speaking is an art and a skill, and the more I practice it,
the more effective my communication becomes.
It was Ralph Waldo Emerson, the African American philosopher,
lecturer, essayist, and poet who said,
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. “
“it is not what you tell the audience that matters, it is what
they hear.”
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Why Public Speaking? To Cause Action
“With words you may purchase deeds.”-Belthatsar Gracian
Standing up in front of a group to make a presentation can be
intimidating, even for the most seasoned speakers. In public
speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five
basic elements, often expressed as ‘who is saying what to
whom, how and why?’ Today, when I give a public speech, I
will remember, ‘the why is the reason why I am speaking.'
The purpose of any activity is results. Public speaking is speaking
to cause action. Ashley Montague, the famous speaker and
author was right,
‘The meaning of a word is the action it produces.’
When I speak, I am seeking a result; speakers seek to move their
audience to act.
I must be clear on the action I want my audience to take. Public
speaking is a powerful tool, and many a politician have made
their careers using skillful delivery of speeches, including
Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Marcus Garvey, Hugo Chavez,
Barrack Obama and Fidel Castro, to name but a few.
Public Speaking Brands Me As An Expert
Think about the last time I attended a seminar that featured a
speaker. Without even thinking about it, I granted the
speaker “expert” status in my mind, didn’t me? We naturally
assume that someone qualified to address a large group on a
specific topic knows what they are talking about--which is
why making a speech is such a good idea. When I speak on a
topic, I become an expert in that subject. Public speaking is
an incredibly powerful way to brand myself as an expert in
my field. It is a great way to increase my credibility, and it
can even be a direct source of new business. What am I
waiting for?
“Speak to Cause Action”
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Public Speaking Dramatically Increases My
Credibility
How much competition do I face in my market? If I am a dentist,
how many other dentists are there in my city? If I am a CPA,
how many other CPAs are there in my market? The number
is probably high. Now, of those competitors, how many of
them are sought-after speakers? How many are considered a
leading authority in their line of work? By pursuing speaking
opportunities, I differentiate myself from the vast majority of
my competition. Consequently, I am able to stand above the
rest, in the work place, at the interview, and in my
consulting.
Public Speaking Enhances Networking for
Career Success
Do I ever attend networking events? If so, I am familiar with the
routine--shake hands, swap cards, move on to the next
person. If I am lucky, I will leave a networking event with a
handful of connections and maybe one real prospect.
Speaking, on the other hand, gives me a chance to tell my
story and share my expertise with a large audience. And in
my experience, the members of the audience that are most
interested in my services (in other words, the best prospects
in the room), tend to seek I out afterwards and engage in
conversation. When I am finished, I will often walk away
with several great prospects eager to do business. I will
already have sold them on my qualifications just by showing
up to speak! Effectively, hence, when I am a outgoing, public
speaking guy, I am the one always being told to open
meetings, end meetings, meet new visitors, and ultimately,
sit in for the boss. I am the one always being told to
represent the department, represent the boss, represent the
company, and very soon, be the new boss.
"The human brain starts working the moment you are born and
never stops until you stand up to speak in public.
— George Jessel
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Earning Money
Public speakers earn money for speaking. They add value, and
get paid for it. They provide solutions to their audiences.
They tell their audiences to act, and make their audiences to
act. They inspire, motivate, train, entertain, and relax. Public
speakers earn through speaking, as well as through selling
their materials, and also consulting.
We earn money in three main ways.
Speaking Fees: Speaking fees is the most common way of
earning money as a speaker. here, I can either be part of a
speaker networking and marketing company, like
allpublicspeakers.com, and or run my own consultancy.
Either way, I will be marketed, and I will earn every time I
speak before and or for client.
Backroom Sales: This is the second most effective way of
earning money, and it provides me with passive income. My
backroom sales include revenue from books, audios, DVDs,
and or games, developed on the area of my expertise, to be
sold either at, before, or after my speaking events, and also
available in bookshops, online, and at other points of sale.
Consulting: This is the most effective, and highest paying
avenue for earning money, as a public speaker. The
consultancy can take the form of instructing, training,
coaching, counseling, mentoring, or traditional consultancy
in the way of developing materials for a client, for instance,
training manuals, or reference guides...
"Public speaking is the art of diluting a two-minute idea with a
two-hour vocabulary."
— Evan Esar
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Personal Branding for Public Speakers (Become Better, Earn
More)
What Is Personal Branding?
Personal Branding is the greatest form of investment I can ever
make. It involves engaging in activities which enable me to
identify and develop my talents and skills to realize my
potential; and set and achieve my goals and dreams so as to
enhance the quality of my life and contribute to my people
and my community.
A ‘personal brand’ is in many ways synonymous with my
reputation. It refers to the way other people see me. Am I a
genius? Am I an expert? Am I trustworthy? What do I
represent? What do I stand for? What ideas and notions pop
up as soon as someone hears my name?
Personal branding will:
 Differentiate me from others
 Position me on the minds of others
 Develop loyalty from others
 Make people to know who I am and what I stand for
My personal brand has the potential to last longer than my own
lifespan. While the projects I am working on might get sold
onwards or shut down, my personal brand will persist and
(hopefully) add value to each new project I create. People
will follow my brand from project to project if they feel
connected to it. When launching new projects, my personal
brand has the potential to guarantee I never have to start
from scratch again.
“The first time I spoke, my body stood up, and my mind sat
down.”
— Les Brown
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Live My Personal Brand
When I am walking, and people see me, what comes to their
minds? What do people think immediately they hear my
name? When people are asked about me, what do they say?
When my relationships-friends, family, clients and
colleagues, are having discussions, when do I cross their
minds? Do they see me and think-“criminal lawyer”. Do they
hear my name and think, “Sales Expert”. Do I cross their
minds when they are talking about “ICT Mobile
Applications”. This is my brand, my value, my identity.
Whether I realize it or not the greatest brand in the WORLD is
me. It should be twice as important for me to build a brand
for myself. Concentrating on my own self-image will place
me above others who lack charisma, appeal, and influence. In
order words, day and night, I should be thinking of new ways
to better position myself by enhancing my character,
positively and confidently.
My individual image is like a ‘business card’ on display twenty
four hours. It communicates even when I am totally unaware
of its existence. It is observed, perceived and judged at all
times. We are all CEOs of the brand called Me Inc. and as per
marketing gurus – visibility is the key to success. It is up to us
how we wish to be seen and perceived.
In life, as in business, branding is more effective, powerful, and
sustainable than marketing and sales and an effective way to
eliminate my competitors. It is about influencing others, by
creating an image, an identity that associates perceptions
and feelings of success, contentment, goodness, and value,
with my products. My brand identity is the ‘image’ – the
physical appearance which reflects the inner perceptions,
the social eminence and the values.
"If things go wrong, don't go with them."
- Roger Babson
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
What is My Brand?
My personal brand reflects who I am, so I cannot possibly brand
myself if I am clueless about myself. This does not mean
navel-gazing, but rather a realistic assessment of my
strengths and weaknesses, what I love doing, and the skills
that I've mastered or are working to master.
Day in and day out I am constantly competing with others,
whether It is for a job, a date, a promotions, I am out there
striving to prove that I am number one. But what image am I
presenting? Do I pay attention to the things that matters the
most? Do I walk around with my head down displaying a lack
of confidence? How do I think others perceive me? What can
I do now to begin recreating myself? I will be honest with
myself; to determine who I am now and determine who I
want to be.
The single biggest mistake people make is that they either brand
themselves just for the sake of doing it or that they fail to
invest time in learning about what's in their best interests.
The key to success, and this isn't revolutionary, is to be
compensated based on my passion. In order to find my
passion, I need a lot of time to think, some luck and I need to
do some research online to figure out what's out there.
Brand discovery is about figuring out what I want to do for the
rest of my life, setting goals, writing down a mission, vision
and personal brand statement (what I do and who I serve),
as well as creating a development plan. I will have I ever
been called intelligent or humorous by my peers or
coworkers? That description is part of my brand, especially if
I feel those attributed pertain to me.
“everything worth doing is worth doing badly, until you get
it right.”
Les Brown
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Get a Coach
I will get myself a coach. Allpublicspeakers.com, Toastmasters,
and such other speaking organisations, are a good place to
find reputable, well qualified, coaches. When I start my
career, I should speak anywhere to anybody at any time under
any circumstances where they give me an opportunity. I would
offer to speak free, if necessary. I will treat these
engagements like learning opportunities.
"Be skillful in speech, that you may be strong."
- Merikare (2135-2040 B.C.)
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Keep Fresh
No matter how good my content is, I will risk seeming stale and
repetitive if I do not continue adding new elements to my
brand. I cannot ride one idea forever. I will keep adding new
layers to what I represent. I need to revitalize my brand,
give me fresh and new perspectives, and reinvigorate my
branding and image.
The first step is to acquire knowledge, either through the people
I meet, or the books I read. However, just as the Bible warns,
‘faith without action is dead’, so is reading and not applying
counterproductive. Indeed, just as the Quran advises, ‘next to
knowledge must come action,’ the positive results will only
come from daily application of the lessons and strategies.
As I read books, I will focus on applying what I have learned in
the books I have already read. The Buddhists are right, ‘to
know, and not to use, is not yet to know’.
“when you are ugly, and you have money, women will find
something handsome about you.”
-Les Brown
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Practice
Practice is everything in building my brand. I will go out and talk
at schools, churches, any kind of groups - offer my services
for free and build my confidence and reputation. I will take
the feedback I get and work on my weaknesses.
Then once I have shown my expertise (and collected some
references along the way) I can work towards charging a fee.
Some of the places to practice speaking include:
 Social Clubs: Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, the Jaycees, Lions
Clubs, etc. are great places to practice delivering
speeches. Most of these organizations a weekly meeting
that require a guest speaker, so there are 52
opportunities every year for a slot.
 Chambers of Commerce: Chambers often have committees
where officers lead meetings and give presentations, so
run for office. PS, most people avoid positions like this
because they don’t want to have to speak in front of their
peers.
 Joint Venture Seminars: Partner up with other people or
companies who are in the same market but who don’t
compete for clients or customers. For instance, if I can
partner with a social media expert, a graphic designer,
and a video person and teach people how to build killer
websites.
“If I cannot spend less than I earn; I need to earn more than I
spend."
— Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
 Libraries and City Recreation Centers: City offices often
have scheduled seminars and workshops that are really
easy to get a speaking engagement in as long as the topic
is marketable to them and I will work cheap.
 Association Meetings: No matter what industry I belong
to, chances are that there are one or more associations
for companies like mine. Join one or more of these
associations and look for meetings or events where I can
speak and become an influential member of my industry.
 Trade Shows: If I attend trade shows and purchase booth
space, I will fill my booth with folding chairs and conduct
a short seminar every half hour or so on topics related to
the needs of the attendees.
 Lunch-N-Learns: If I am a salesperson and want to speak
to employees at a certain client, I can buy them lunch and
offer to teach them something about my industry.
 Radio and TV Shows: Although there is still a great
opportunity to speak on traditional TV and radio
programs, the Internet has opened a lot of doors for
additional speakers. Internet radio is big and getting
bigger all the time, and many hosts are looking for
interesting people to interview.
“Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.”
George Washington.
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Be Authentic: My Style
Authenticity is the secret mantra for successful personal
branding. The image I desire for myself has to be in sync with
the ‘real’ me. To create that immaculate authentic personal
brand for myself, I have to begin by knowing precisely ‘who I
am’ and “who I ain’t”. Without knowing my true flavour, it is
very difficult to love myself and others. I need to make a
positive emotional connection with myself and find myself
interesting first if I wish to be noticed and acknowledged by
others.
Being authentic means being real, living my personal brand. A
personal brand should be more than how I present myself to
the world. It should also be a real life description of why I
am awesome. So that is what I should be. I will spend my
time emphasizing the elements of my personal brand in my
life. Sometimes we don’t act like the person we want the
world to see. We think we are nice, but we gossip about
others.
Authenticity is as much what I communicate about myself, as
how I do it. Am I kind and unusually enthusiastic? Am I witty
and raw? Am I confident and crusading, like? My style of
delivery should be as unique as any other aspect of my
personal brand. This does not mean I need to sit down and
brainstorm how to be different. Neither should I actively
imitate anyone else. I will think about the key ideas I would
want people to associate with me. Some speakers are about
telling stories, being remarkable. Other speakers are about
simplicity and habit forming. Yet others are about finding
ways to build a career out of what we love doing.
“it is better to be prepared for an opportunity, and not have
one, than to have an opportunity, and not be prepared.”
-Young
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
My Public Image
Once I have completed the self-discovery phase, I will start
putting together the entire package. I should do what I need
to do for myself. Companies spend millions of dollars each
year on the packaging of their products and services. Why?
Because like it or not people judge packages based on
appearances. I must look the part; I will remember someone
is always watching, so packaging is everything. If I need to
start by changing my wardrobe, my hairstyle, the way I talk
and the way I walk-I WILL DO IT-because like they say "first
impression means everything" and my number one goal
should be to display my confidence. Someone once said "If I
am not appearing, I am disappearing,”. People will then
recognize my name, what I am working on, what I offer and
what I am about.
Because my personal brand is built from the thoughts and words
and reactions of other people, it is shaped by how I present
myself publicly. This is something that I have control over. I
can decide how I would like people to see me and then work
on publicly being that image. I will need to be seen as
someone with the authority to teach others on the topic.
People recognize and reach out to confident people. One
useful springboard question is:
How would I like potential customers to think of me?
"There is only one thing more difficult than making an afterdinner speech: kissing a girl who is leaning away from you."
— Winston Churchill
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Build Expertise
Every good brand involves the notion of expertise. Nike brands
itself as an expert in creating quality and fashionable
sportswear. Jeremy Clarkson (host of Top Gear) is an expert
on cars. Even if I am not interested in marketing my advice, I
need to create the perception that I am very good at what I
do. To brand myself, I need to identify a few areas, one, two,
and not more than three, where I want to be known as an
authority, an expert, a go-to person; and then become the
expert in these areas. I will write books, post comments,
articles, blogs, and record videos and audios in these areas.
Just like any business I should have a strategy behind branding
and recreating myself. It is important to find ways to show
that "I" am the total package in order to be desirable. Being
known for what I do differently is more important than just
being known. I want people to believe in me and have the
impression that I am the best and perhaps the ONLY solution
for what they need.
If I am simply offering my audience information, the impact on
them will be less powerful. Those speakers who are their
message, who can be relied upon whether they are on stage
or off stage, are always the ones who will bring more
inspiration.
"Speak when you are angry—and you will make the best speech
you will ever regret."
— Laurence J. Peter
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Influencers
An influencer is any person with an audience that I want to
reach. I will comment on their writing, keep track of them on
social media, help them when they ask for it, if they have a
blog, I will guest-post (it must be my best stuff!). Not only do
I have plenty to learn from people like this, but they are also
the people who can give me that killer testimonial when I
launch my product, who can tweet my links to thousands of
followers, who can share the best opportunities with me.
That being said I will not pester them or ask for more favors
than I give them. If I am useful and not overbearing these
influencers will remember me. I will view this as a long-term
process. I cannot expect to become friends with influencers
in a week. It takes months. I will use non-intrusive forms of
communication.
I will think about my personal brand each time I interact with
someone - or don’t interact with someone. What impression
am I leaving them with? I should not want to spend time
responding to tweets and emails there is no reason why I
cannot make this part of my personal brand so that people
do not expect differently.
I will build relationships with as many people as possible. I will
get to know their real names and remember details about
them. Not only is this fun and good karma, it leaves a strong
impression on the people who interact with me. The ones
who I know best and who feel most connected to me will talk
about me to others - this is how my personal brand grows
stronger.
"A wise man speaks because he has something to say; a fool
because he has to say something."
- Plato
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Leave-Behinds- Personal Branding Tool Kit
A handout, book, or other type of reference item can make me
more memorable. When we teach our leadership classes, we
have a business card holder with a series of leadership
principle cards in them that we give to every participant as a
way to reinforce the important principles from the course.
I will identify the tools I plan to use to help create my personal
brand. Blogging tips and ideas, using social media to start
conversations, holding events and attending them, releasing
books and reports and offering my expert opinions to the
media are all tools I can use to develop my personal brand. I
will use these tools to position myself as a credible expert.
These are the contents of my personal branding kit:
¯
¯
¯
Business/Identity card: It does not matter if I am a college
student, CEO, or a consultant, everyone should have their
own business card. The card should contain my picture, my
personal brand statement (such as Nairobi Financial Expert),
as well as my *preferred* contact information and corporate
logo. I can create my own business card and sham It through
my mobile phone. On the web, there are social network sites
for creating and distributing my personal business cards.
Resume/cover letter/profile/references document: These are
typical documents that I need for applying for jobs and when
I go on interviews (something over 2 million job seekers do
daily). I will take both my corporate and personal profile
online, promoting my brand to the world.
Portfolio: Whether I use a CD, web or print portfolio, it is a
great way to showcase the work I have done in the past,
which can convince someone of my ability to accomplish the
same results for the future.
"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity"
- Albert Einstein
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
¯
¯
¯
¯
Blog/website: I need to own myname.com for personal
branding, and or a company corporate, or even a blog that
aligns with my name in some fashion. Depending on who I
am, how much time I have on my hands and if I can accept
criticism, I should either start a blog or stick with a static
homepage. Those who blog will have a stronger asset than
those who do not because blogs rank higher in search
engines and lend more to my expertise and interest areas
over time. Professional networking sites like LinkedIn, or
Face book, profile is a combination of a resume, cover letter,
references document and a moving and living database of my
network. I will use it to create my own personal advertising,
to search for jobs or meet new people. I will also, Twitter
profile is a branding technique with a link to either my blog
or LinkedIn profile.
Video resume: A video resume is a short video of me talking
about why I am the best for a specific job opportunity. It
could also be a corporate video profile of my company, or my
company products.
Wardrobe: My personal style is tangible and is extremely
important for standing out from the crowd. This also covers
the wardrobe of my employees. I will select clothing that
best represents me because it will be viewable through my
pictures/avatars online, as well as when I meet people in
reality.
Email address: My email address is a significant part of my
toolkit. My email address poses a great opportunity for my
brand.
"Nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding
than you expect; and if anything can go right it will and at the
best possible moment"
- Maxwell's Law
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My personal branding toolkit, my audio podcasts, my video clips,
my dvds, and my audio books, all form part of what is called
“backroom sales”, which offer me much more money as a
public speaker than the actual speaking. The personal
branding toolkits also form the basis for my third earning
opportunity, “consulting”.
Become Better
"You are the same today that you are going to be 5 years from
now except for 2 things: the people with whom you associate
and the books you read" - Charles 'Tremendous' Jones
I will continue learning and updating my knowledge, especially
if my expertise is based around the online world. The web
changes drastically from month to month. If I was an ‘expert’
two years ago but have since stopped learning and
challenging myself, I am not an expert anymore. Effective
public speaking is developed by joining a club such as
Rostrum, Toastmasters International, Association of
Speakers Clubs (ASC), Speaking Circles, POWERtalk
International, or AllPublicSpeakers.com in which members
are assigned exercises to improve their speaking skills.
"You are only an attitude away from success"
- John Maxwell
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How Do I Prepare For Public Speaking?
Know The Audience
To have an impact, I need to know to ‘who’ I am talking. I need to
Know the needs of my audience and match my contents to
their needs. This knowledge will inform the depth of my
‘what’, and the style of my ‘how’. If I will not know my
audience, then I will literally lose the ‘war’. Lao Tzu taught
any caring reader, centuries past, ‘the general who knows his
enemy will go to 100 battles, and will win 100 battles.’ I need
to know my audience, so that I can know how to talk to them.
If know them, I will know what interests them, and if I know
what interests them, I will know what I need to tell them so
as to make them act. I will remember that people always act
in their interest.
I must adequately research to determine: the composition and
six of my audience (who) the needs and language of expected
audience appropriate venue & timing communication. I need
to answer the audience’s questions before, and or without
them asking. This is part of researching my audience, so that
I know their most pressing problems, and how to address the
same.
Effective public speaking draws upon an understanding of the
shared moral judgments of the audience. A speaker who has
supplied himself with an accurate stock of the values and
beliefs which reflect and express those shared judgments can
marshal them to suit the persuasive purposes of the moment.
I will assess and know my audience before treading forth. If
they are likely to take a dim view of my argument under any
circumstances, I will know this beforehand!
“you must be willing to do today what others won’t do, in
order to have tomorrow what others won’t have.”
Les Brown
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Audiences want to be entertained, inspired, informed or
encouraged to go forward. I need to have messages with
some meat on them, delivered with excitement and
conviction.
I need to work the room. My audience wants to meet me. If I do
not take time to mingle before the presentation, I lose an
opportunity to enhance my credibility with my listeners. A
public speaker has a huge responsibility to his or her
audience. I will have my clients send me a lot of material
about the group before I speak to them.
If I really want to help them, I need to know what it is they want.
As Zig Ziglar said,
“you can have everything in life you want if you will just help
enough other people get what they want,’
And after the speech, I should send a “thank you note”,
appreciating the audience, for having me, and explaining
how much I appreciated the privilege of speaking to their
group. I will then tell them I look forward to speaking to
them soon.
I need to demonstrate my knowledge of the audience’s plight
and then they will listen to me. This is when I can preempt
their questions, so that when I speak, they will be nodding,
clapping, and shaking their heads, in agreement with me,
because I know them, we know each other.
“Money will give me control of my life. Money will give me
options. Money will make me contribute more to
society.”
-Les Brown
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The best communicators understand the value in sharing
information openly, honestly, and generously. The more I
give, the more an audience can connect with me and the
more they will take away. To do this effectively, I will have to
truly understand my audience: Who are they? How do they
learn? Would they respond better to a high-energy
motivational speech, for example, or one that is more subtle?
The better I know my audience, the more likely I will deliver
the information in a way that is meaningful to them. And
then show a true commitment to my audience by revealing
everything and holding nothing back.
Further, for my speech to be effective, I need to know where I am
saying it to the audience. This is because the environment
will determine the emotional state of the audience, and
hence, the receptivity of the message, and subsequent action
based on my speech. The ambience of the environment will
also enable concentration, and hence, understanding, while
also facilitating the use of certain tools to enhance
interactivity, participation, and understanding.
Know the needs of my audience and match my contents to their
needs. Highlight the importance of my ideas & how they
benefit/affect the audience
“There are always three speeches, for every one you
actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave,
and the one you wish you gave.”
-Dale Carnegie
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Know My Subject
Cicero, the greatest rhetorician of all time, in his magnum opus,
De Oratore, argued, ‘rhetoric requires something more than
eloquence; a good orator need also be a person enlightened on
a variety of topics.’ If I want to be relevant, I need to be
informed. Indeed, this is what Aristotle, in his classical work,
The Art of Rhetoric, calls ethos.
I need to know my material thoroughly. To be a good public
speaker, I will remember that in Renaissance Europe, liberal
arts was compulsory for the nobles, and it included three
parts of rhetoric (public speaking), along with logic and
grammar. Hence, I cannot be good in oratory, if my logical
skills, and grammatical capability, are limited. I need to
select what I read and the people I ‘hang out’ with, after all, ‘a
man is the product of the books he reads, and the people he
meets.’
When I am informed, people will believe me. When I am an
expert, people will trust what I say; this will captivate their
conscience, arrest their attention, and enslave their thoughts
to my thoughts. A basketball player who talks about
basketball will have more people willing to believe him, so
will a soldier talking about military tactics. I need to be an
expert in my area. Public speaking is about persuasion, and
persuasion is accomplished whenever the speech is held in
such a way as to render the speaker worthy of credence. If I
appear to be credible, the audience will form the secondorder judgment that propositions put forward by the
credible speaker are acceptable. Otherwise, my audience will
doubt if I am able to give good advice at all. I need to read,
after all, readers are leaders’.
“It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a
good impromptu speech.”
- Mark Twain
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
A further advantage of being enlightened on the ‘what’ is that it
makes it easier for me to craft a logical argument. When I
know the content very well, I have the key to open the door
of all the listeners who have open minds. This is the ‘logos’.
Logos is the way into the hearts of someone with an open
mind. Logos is about credibility. However, logos is not just
facts, it is about presenting them logically. It is about stating
facts, then connecting how they are related to other facts, and
then making a conclusion. It is syllogistic even. It is the use of
reasoning, either inductive or deductive, to construct an
argument. I will need to use statistics, math, logic, and
objectivity. I can use either use inductive reasoning, that is,
use examples (historical, mythical, or hypothetical) to draw
conclusions or I can use deductive reasoning, that is, use
generally accepted propositions to derive specific
conclusions.
Determine what I want to say (the message, the facts, the
pictures, the videos, the stories). I should know my material
thoroughly. It was Cato The Elder, the Roman statesman ,
who said in 134 BC,
“Grasp the subject, the words will follow.”
Part of this is thinking about the logos (facts). When I stand to
speak, I will support my points with examples, data and
illustrations.
I must establish the objective/goals (key issues you want to
express & why). I must determine the theme/exact subject of
the speech.
“Oratory is the power to talk people out of their sober
and natural opinions.”
- Joseph Chatfield
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I should write (and even rewrite) the speech while observing
clarity, courtesy, consideration, conciseness, completeness,
correctness, cohesion & consistence.
After writing the speech, I should edit it, so that I can administer
clear invitation/notice (indicating purpose/topic, time,
venue & speaker)
I need to inspect the venue, and know all facilities are available
and functional just before opening/starting.
“Audiences show up for information, but they stay for the
stories.”
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Simplify my Message- The Rule of 1 & 3
The audience is likely to remember only three things from my
speech. To do this, my message must be simple. To make my
message simple, I should use the Rule of 1 & 3. This rule
states that I should have one main idea, and three supporting
ideas. This will give me one main recommendation, and
three other recommendations; which will lead to one main
action point, and three supportive action points. To be an
effective public speaker, I will focus the speech on a limited
set of ideas or pieces of information rather than talk about
everything potentially relevant to a specific topic. If I have
much more than 3 ideas, I am very likely to lose the
audience. It is better to deliver a few points well than
multiple ones poorly. In public speaking, quality, not
quantity, matters!
I need to outline my agenda and clarify the key goal/objective of
the speech (targeted action/reaction).
This will also make sure that I keep time.
Once I have a good topic, I will prove that my point is true by using
just three support items. I will spend more time proving one
point with three examples and concepts, instead of adding more
and more and more additional points. My audience will only
remember between one and three key things. If I have trouble
determining what points to use or narrowing down to just a few
points, I should not speak. More is less. If I try to say too many
things, I will not say anything at all.
“In public speaking, preparation is the mother of
confidence.”
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
If I take on too many subjects, the message will not be
remembered 6 minutes later, leave alone 6 hours, or 6 days
later, and never mind 6 months, or 6 years later. The
communication challenge is immense: we listen to too much,
from too many. People have so much in their minds to think
about. People have so much in their dairies to do. Then there
is the digital distraction of the smart phones within easy
reach. People are overwhelmed. I do a better job by solving
only one of their problems. Maybe next time, they will invite
me so solve another of their problems, and yet another.
The entire success of my speaking career is premised on this one
rule: simplicity.
If I want participants to be impacted and inspired. If I want
participants coming up to me months—or years—later
thanking me for giving that talk. It can be done, if I practice
the disciplined pursuit of less. This is the price for having
people say, “That was the best presentation I’ve ever heard.”
“if you try to say too many things, you don’t say anything
at all..”
- Greg McKewon
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Practice the Speech
Practice and rehearse my speech at home or where I can be at
ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, my family, friends
or colleagues. I will use a tape-recorder and listen to myself. I
will videotape my presentation and analyze it. This will help
me know what my strong and weak points are. I will then
emphasize my strong points during my presentation
I need to practice and rehearse my speech at home or where I
can be at ease and comfortable, in front of a mirror, my
family, friends or colleagues. I will use a tape-recorder and
listen to myself. Videotape my presentation and analyze it.
Know what my strong and weak points are. Emphasize my
strong points during my presentation.
I need to rehearse sufficiently and frequently. Indeed, I need to
see myself speaking as I take a shower, as I take breakfast, as
I drive to work. I should visualize myself giving the speech,
and visualize the audience responding.
As I practice, I might start to feel butterflies in my stomach or other
symptoms of public speaking fear. This is normal. However, as I
practice once or twice, the nervousness will drop pretty
dramatically.
As the saying goes, there is only one cure for public speaking; it is
called public speaking! I can't really develop courage; I have to
act when I am afraid; if I do that then I move toward courage. I
cannot think my way to public speaking.
“Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.”
- Martin Fraquhar Tupper
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Memorize The Message
I need to commit my presentation to memory. This is what
Quintilian, the great orator of Rome whose reputation grew
so great that the Ceasar created a chair of rhetoric for him,
called memoria (memory). The best speakers write their
speeches well in advance; it helps boost memory, and build
confidence. I must practice enough to be able to recall my
speech without stumbling on points, fumbling on words, or
wandering in gaze.
Most people believe that if they memorize their written speech,
they will sound better than when they read it. It is possible,
but not likely, though. More likely, the speaker will, at some
point, forget something and panic. Instead, I will memorize
the guiding points, but follow the guidelines above to design
a good skeleton of a speech, and just memorize my stories.
A public speaker who reads from a paper is a public reader, not a
public speaker.
I will not read from notes for any extended length of time although
it is quite acceptable to glance at my notes infrequently.
I should not read my presentation. Public speaking is not public
reading.
I will not read from notes for any extended length of time
although it is quite acceptable to glance at my notes
infrequently.
“If you have an important point to make, don't try to be
subtle or clever. Use a hammer. Hit the point once. Then
come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a
tremendous whack.”
― Winston Churchill
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Determine The Rhetoric/Styles I Will Use
Ensure my speech will be captivating to my audience as well as
worth their time and attention.
We watch and listen to great orators with a mixture of
admiration and envy, wondering how on earth they manage
to stay so serene. Their words pour like honey, smoothly and
effortlessly, as they influence and persuade us with ease.
This is rhetoric; the capability to persuade and win an argument,
or to please and win acclaim. One of the biggest tools in the
armory of a great public speaker is rhetoric; the art of using
language to influence others.
I need to learn to use rhetoric devices, or rhetoric techniques.
Rhetoric has retained its place as a cornerstone of great
speeches for thousands of years, and the techniques have not
changed. Rhetoric is as old as speech. Various cultures use
various styles of delivery based on sayings, proverbs, idioms,
personification of objects, and riddles, for the purposes of
sending the message home, or just entertaining.
Anyone who has had a complete education would have
encountered rhetoric, which may in part explain why so
many successful men were also great orators. It was the
mark of speech of elders, leaders, politicians, in various
cultures, across centuries!
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget
how you made them feel.”
- Carl W. Buechner
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From Hitler in Mein Kampf, to Ho Chi Minh to Malcolm X and
Martin Luther King in I have a dream, to Nelson Mandela in
white man, to Mahatma Gandhi in salt walk, to Mao Tse
Tung in Red Book, to Marx and Engels in Das Kapital and
Communist Manifesto, to Che in Motorcycle Diaries, to
Winston Churchill, Fidel Castro in ‘History Will Absolve Me’ to
countless other great leaders, from Frantz Fanon and
Thomas Sankara, to Hugo Chavez and Otto Bismarck,
through Stalin and Lenin, to Barrack Obama and Ghadhafi, to
Ahmedinejad and Ayatollah, coming back to J.F. Kennedy,
history of the world was changed because some people used
rhetoric in their communication; they spoke and they wrote
to seduce the mind of their listeners.
They used Rhetoric. Rhetoric! They individually rallied their
people to war, strife, civil disobedience, revolutions,
rebellion, colonialism, and release from colonialism, racism,
electoral victories, and belief in self, because they
communicated, they communicated effectively. They brought
people to their side. They made people change their minds.
They won arguments. They changed the world. They used
rhetoric.
I can use these rhetoric tools in everyday conversations, and
them I will be captive and entertaining to my friends, family,
clients and colleagues; I will excel in rhetoric; and they will
tell me, ‘ my kung fu is greater than my kung fu!’, and that will
make me smile.
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to
compel.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
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The style of delivery, the ‘how’, is as important as the content,
the ‘what’. Aristotle called this ‘lexis’. The style. It adds petals
to the sepals; and makes the flower of speech complete. Style
is the flower of the flower. It is the poetry in the
performance; the dance in the duet; and the feathers in the
flight. It makes the listener to hold her breath, and still her
heartbeat, and catch her surprise. It is both rhyme and
rhythm, combined. I need to deliver in style, what the Luo
people of Kenya call, ‘Nyadhi.’ Grand Style!
I can use these rhetoric tools in everyday conversations. They
will make me be captivating and entertaining to my listener,
my people, my friends, family, clients and colleagues; I will
excel in rhetoric; and each of them will tell me, ‘ your kung fu
is greater than our kung fu!’, and that will make me smile.
“Be sincere; be brief; be seated”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Learn From the Masters
If I wish to become a great orator, I must first become a student of
the great orators who have come before him. I must immerse
myself in their texts, listening for the turns of phrases and textual
symmetries, the pauses and crescendos, the metaphors and
melodies that have enabled the greatest speeches to stand the test
of time. Aristotle taught that, “the best way to learn is to watch
the masters.”
I need to listen to or watch the great speakers whose speeches lifted
hearts in dark times, gave hope in despair, refined the characters
of men, inspired brave feats, gave courage to the weary, honored
the dead, and changed the course of history.
Throughout the course of world history, great speeches have
influenced and changed the trajectory of our past. From Jesus
Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, through Hitler, Castro, Obama,
to the inaugural speeches of modern leaders, their words have
become an inspiration to millions of people, especially in their
darkest hours. If I want to become better, I will be best advised
to watch the best.
.
“If you want to travel safely, ask those who have come
back.”
-Zulu Proverb
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Introduction (The Problem)
The Shock Factor –Opening with a Bang
“start with a bang, end with a bigger bang.”
-Anonymous
The audience is seated. The lights dim and the room quiets. All
eyes are on the dais. All too often, these are the words that
are heard next:
“Hi, thank you for having me. It is an honor to be here with you
today. My name is Ojijo, and I am going to be speaking to you
today about Financial Literacy.”
And then I look around, and I see this:




People reviewing the program
People reviewing their notes
People texting on smart phones and on laptops
People looking up, looking down, looking everywhere but
at me, the speaker
The reason for all these distracted people?-the weak opening.”Hi,
blah blah blah!
Lackluster openings bore audiences, but there is a way to begin
my presentation that will make audiences take notice: I will
skip the formalities and say something that immediately
engages them. Drawing my audience into my presentation is
important. Doing it before the perfunctory “thank you’s” and
“my name is” will work wonders, and there are a number of
effective ways I can do this.
"Never accept the negative until you've thoroughly explored the
positive"
- Unknown
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Perform an Act
I start speaking before I speak. From how I walk to the podium, I
am already speaking. Consequently, I need to do an act, either
run to the stage, shake people’s hands, with energy, wave and
point at someone in the crowd, sing, dance, jump, and do
something, anything out of the ordinary, to bring energy,
verve, and passion to the room.
Start With A Quote
Name just about any topic, and more often than not there is a
great quote or saying that suits my subject matter perfectly.
One that I like to use to open a presentation dealing with
public speaking is from Mark Twain: “It usually takes me
more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech.”
The most important characteristics of a quote are that it is
relevant to my topic and was delivered by someone my
audience is familiar with. For example, I may begin a speech
on leadership by saying “Jim Rohn once said that “A good
objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to
do well and to help those who are doing well to do even
better.”
I can cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential
person the audience will know of or respect. If I was speaking on
public speaking, I would say:
“If all my possessions were taken away from me with one exception,
I would choose the power of speech. For by it, I would regain all
the rest of my possessions.”
That is what former Senator and Secretary of State Daniel Webster
once observed of the significance of effective public speaking.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in
a great way”
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Likewise, Pericles, the Greek orator, also understood the
significance of public speaking when he said:
“The person who can think and does not know how to express what
he thinks is at a level of him who cannot think.”
Use An “Imagine” Scenario
I will get my audience involved right away by painting an
interesting scenario – something to which they can relate or
aspire. For example if I am sharing an inspirational story, I
could start by saying, “What if I told you that you can be
greater than you know how to be? And what if I told you that
you can do it without realizing it is happening. I know for a
fact that it is possible because it happened to me.”
I bring my audience members directly into the presentation by
allowing each member to visualize something fantastic. If I
am giving a speech about the negative impacts bad food has
on us mentally, for example, I could say, “Imagine a world
where you could eat anything you want. Imagine: no weight
gain, no skin issues, no food allergies. Imagine, anything you
want – candy 24/7 – with no physical ramifications. What
would you eat?”
Ask A Question – Rhetorical Or Literal
When someone is posed with a question – whether or not an
answer is required – that person intuitively answers, even if
it is just in his or her mind. For example, “What is the most
important thing that has ever happened to you?” Or, “What is
the one thing you would grab if your house was on fire?” Or,
“What did you have for lunch yesterday?” A question will
make my audience become personally involved in what I am
saying.
“I would rather regret the things I have done than
those I have not.”
-Anonymous
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Asking a question straight away engages the minds of the
audience into thinking about the answer. For eg. In a speech
about our independence, you may ask “Do you remember how
we got independence?” or “Do you remember how our freedom
fighters worked for independence?” I may not be looking for
an answer from the audience but I want their mind to be
diverted towards my topic and this is what I actually want in
public speaking.
Dale Carnegie said, “There are always three speeches for every
one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you
gave, and the one you wish you gave.” What if he was wrong
and the speech you gave exceeded all of your own
expectations?
Using The Past
Relating my past experience with the topic right in the beginning
can also be another option. For example, when I have to tell
about how to write a book, I may start with “Last year when I
thought of sitting down and writing a book for masses, the
first issue that struck me in the face was, “would I be able to
connect to the masses?”
I will not start with “Thank you for that kind introduction”, or
other such “worn-out openings”. I will start with a bang! I
will give the audience a startling statistic, an interesting
quote, a news headline – something powerful that will get
their attention immediately.
Public speaking is about description! Describe the sizes, shapes,
colours, tastes, fell, length, depth, and width. Describe everything.
-Anonymous
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It is important to know what the purpose of opening of a speech
is. It can be:
— To catch the attention of the audience.
— To introduce the topic.
— To establish my credibility
The point is to say something that grabs the audience’s
attention. It can be something convincing, humorous,
astounding, or mind boggling. I must ban the banalities that
bog down most speech openings. I need to defer the customary
“nice-to-be-here” platitudes. I will direct my audience more into
fawning than yawning over my speech opening.
A Startling Statement
Any talk can be started by giving a surprising statistics or facts
or a bold statement followed by a pause. For eg. “The greatest
fear of many people is to speak in public. The second greatest
fear is to die.”
I can make a bold observation on the importance of my topic. For
instance, if my topic was public speaking, I would say:
“Public speaking is the sine qua non, the essential element, of
leadership. Without it, you cannot lead. With it, you can “lead
nations, raise armies, inspire victories and blow fresh courage
into the hearts of men”.
“To be, I must become.”
-James Allen
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At this stage, I need to tell them what I am going to tell them,
making first step a quick, shocking one that grabs their
attention. I will remember the great saying, first impressions
last longest. I will hook them right away. If I will not capture
my audience’s attention within the first 30 seconds, then I
will have lost them forever. This is called the shock factor. An
opener that grabs the attention of my audience can be
invaluable. I can use a joke, story or quote.
I need to shock my audience. The saying is right,
"No sinner is ever saved after the first twenty minutes of a
sermon."
If I want to shock my audience, I can quote a shocking statistic,
dance, sing, or show a picture. I can also just start by
narrating a story, or making a declarative statement. Further,
I can ask a question, a controversial question. Whatever it is,
it must be staggering, shocking, and big, otherwise, it will not
attract the attention of the audience. If I was speaking on
public speaking, I would present statistics or other data on the
importance of public speaking. For instance,
‘The University of Michigan conducted a survey of 1,290 business
school alumni who were recently promoted. They were asked
what specific subject area prepared them the most for their
business success. More than 70 percent cited effective
communications as the top business skill — ahead of financial
and business acumen!”
“What I think makes me act in a given way; my actions make me
attract certain things to me; the things I attract make me who I am.
My thoughts make me.”
-Ojijo
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Occasion:
Say something about the occasion. It works really well if it is an
anniversary or awards night. “To speak to you on this 3rd
inter-school public speaking competition is an honour.”
Tell A Story/ An Anecdote:
Most of us can instantly relate ourselves to the anecdote/story
and our minds are then open to the broader message the
speaker has to share. These generally start with the word
“Imagine”. For example, “Imagine yourself in Mauritius, sitting
on a beautiful, secluded beach, a gentle breeze blowing…”.
I need to start my speech better by diving in! Instead of gingerly
dipping my toes into the proverbial speaking pool, I will open
with a splash!
I need to tease my audience from the second I open my mouth. And
open their eyes to something new, different, and even
entertaining. I will pique their interest. I will immerse my
audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal
splash of cold water. With a powerful 30- to 60-second opening,
my audience will be engaged to stay tuned for more.
Then, I can then formally introduce myself, and give my audience
an overview of my speech. It is important they know up front
why my speech is important to them.
“Big goals require the accomplishment of many small
goals.”
-Anonymous
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Credentials (Authority)
Standing up in front of a group of one’s peers and giving an
extended speech is, for some, one of the most intimidating
prospects imaginable. From the office conference room to
the locker room to the board room, many professional and
social situations require the deliverance of a successful,
eloquent and rousing speech. For those who have overcome
stage fright and are comfortable with public speaking, the
importance of establishing credibility is paramount because
a message cannot be effectively received unless it is truly
believed.
Credibility is, literally, the extent to which my audience believes
me when I speak. It is about the trust they place in me,
especially as being an expert in my topic. Getting the
audience to believe me is an important part of giving a
speech. The audience needs to know that I have the
qualifications to speak on my topic and that they should
listen to what I tell them. Establish my credibility in the
beginning so that they know they can trust what I am saying.
Unlike simple trust, which is often given until a person is
found untrustworthy, credibility often has to be earned, and
people will look first to indicators such as achievements in
education and employment, then to their first-hand
experience of my presentation. Things that add to presented
credibility include: high qualifications, such as a PhD or
degrees in multiple subjects; having books and papers
published; senior positions in known organizations; and
significant achievements in my work or private life.
“A good speech should be like a woman's skirt: long enough
to cover the subject and short enough to create interest”
― Winston Churchill
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Just being different may make me feel--or prompt others to act-as if I don't have enough credibility to be speaking or
speaking up. That can happen when there are big
discrepancies between the audience and the speaker in
terms of age, gender, race, even modes of dress. If I am the
youngest person in the room, the only woman or person of
color, or the casually dressed intern amidst the sea of suits
(or the reverse of any of those situations), It is easy to feel
like the "other," out of place and out of sync.
It is hard to pull-off establishing my credentials without
sounding like I am bragging. The public speaking
blogosphere is alive with stories of presenters who didn’t
quite hit the right note. So how can I avoid setting off the
braggart alarm bells of my audience while still establishing
my authority to speak on the topic?
State my qualifications: In public speaking, credibility is
dependent on my audience's perception of me as being
qualified to speak on a particular subject. Just as in other
types of business, my audience or my clientele must believe
that I am knowledgeable in my field. It is vital to my
credibility that I begin a speech by iterating the
qualifications and expertise I possess pertaining to the
subject at hand. List my previous experience in dealing with
the topic being discussed, making sure to carry myself with
confidence and composure. When the audience senses that
my speech is based on competence and comprehension of
the issues, they will instinctively pay closer attention and
absorb my message more readily.
"actions speak louder than words."
- Unknown
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I need to establish my credibility by succinctly and directly
reviewing my skills, knowledge and experience, but quickly
direct my speech towards the topic in question to capitalize
on the air of capability I have fostered. Initial credibility is
that which I have before the presentation. This may be zero
when people do not know me at all. It may also be very high
if I am a known author, professor or personality who has
achieved fame. For those with low initial credibility, the task
is to create credibility, which is where presented credibility
is important and particularly derived credibility for real
evidence. For those with high initial credibility, the challenge
is to live up to expectations, which may be artificially
inflated, perhaps by my publicists or maybe by excessive
admiration from my adoring audience!
Use Bio: Presented credibility is that which is presented to the
audience before I speak. If there is a brief biography in event
material then this may give them some indication of my
achievements. A powerful form of presented credibility is a
glowing reference from other people who themselves have
high credibility. This is often done when a known person
introduces a person who is not known. I will make sure my
photo is included, and if my bio can accurately say something
that emphasizes my youthful accomplishment, I will do it:
"Annie Smith is the youngest scientist at LifeMarkBio to be
published in all three major journals in the field," for
example. I will put it right out there. I will clue the audience
in before the talk. This may be a time to also consider
building an online presence, a special web page for my
presentation that includes advance materials, including my
bio and photo, my slides, handouts, even a welcome video
from me.
"Properly organized even crime pays."
- Jim Fisk
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I will add links to my online profiles to show my credentials in
more detail and encourage networking. I will make sure my
audience gets the link ahead of the event. I will ensure the
attendees have it ahead of time. Write it in the third person,
rather than the first person. For example “Olivia has been
teaching presentation skills for ten years” as opposed to “I
have been teaching presentation skills for ten years”. Even
though we know intellectually that personal profiles written
in the third person were probably written by the person
themselves – it does not set off our braggart alarm bell.
Derived credibility comes from what I actually present. It comes
from the quality of the material in my presentation, including
the layout of my slides and the credibility of the facts I
present. It comes from the words I use and how I say them. It
also comes from how I dress and present myself with clear
authority. Confident, relaxed body language, firm, fearless
eye contact, and a declarative tone…. all of these say, in
public speaking code, I have arrived. A person with high
initial credibility can lose derived credibility here if they am
Ill-prepared, which can happen to a famous person with an
over-busy schedule. If my audience thinks I do not care
enough about them, then they may feel betrayed and
discount much of what I say. A person with low initial
credibility can do a lot here to build credibility with a clear,
well-thought-out presentation and strong delivery. It does
not have to be world-class as my audience likely does not
expect this. But if I send them away with a good impression
of both I and what I have said, my credibility will take a
significant boost.
"All you need is something to say, and a burning desire to say
it... it doesn't matter where your hands are."
- Lou Holtz
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Equally unfairly, they may forget what a lesser-known speaker
says, even though it is sound. This is one reason why it is
important to make a solid and clear impact, not over-doing it
nor presenting too much information. They will remember
few things, so do remember to make my points clear and to
give them a strong ending.
At introduction, I need to cite my status/credential. This is what
Aristotle calls ethos, it indicates to the audience that I have
the authority, and experience, and knowledge, to talk to the
about this topic.
Legitimacy or credibility is based on authority. To the extent
that I fail to express myself authoritatively, I make myself
invalid as a public speaker. I must tell them what books or
articles I have written, where I am consulting, and or where I
am a faculty member.
A large part of making the speech successful is first establishing
credibility between the speaker and the audience. Although
the subjects of each speech will differ, gaining credibility
usually involves the same actions. Perhaps the most
important part of a public speaking is providing my audience
with easily understandable and digestible information. When
writing my speech, I should write down my main points in a
logical, sequential order. Doing so will make it easier for my
audience to get on the same page with me. This is the
foundation of establishing trust and credibility.
"If anything can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible
moment."
- Murphy ‘s Law
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Confidence: Make sure the credibility problem isn't in my head.
If I am also doubting my credibility, it is time to work on my
confidence level again. I will fake it until I make it. I also
establish credibility when I speak clearly and with
confidence. It is relatively easy for an audience to pick up on
confidence or a lack of confidence. Therefore, I should avoid
speaking too quickly or acting indecisively throughout my
speech. In addition, I should smile occasionally, use eye
contact and speak loud enough so I command the attention
of my audience. If I act confidently and speak with
enthusiasm, It is likely that my audience will view me as a
credible speaker.
Research: Not only must I establish credibility; I need to do so in
my opening statement. What is fascinating about this fact is
that I needn't necessarily have firsthand knowledge of or
experience in my topic. I can easily establish credibility by
quoting others, by means of interviews, by reading about my
topic, and by gathering information, statistics, dates, and
facts from legitimate sources. And I will forget to use
anecdotes as well. Reference a respectable source or sources
during my speech to back up my claims. Many times, backing
up my claims with a commonly known source such as a book
or article can get I over the credibility hump. If the audience
is on the fence about trusting me, referencing something
respectable can often help me win their favor. If I am
planning to give a presentation on a subject about which I
have limited knowledge, I must research my topic. I need to
know more than those in my audience; otherwise, there is no
reason for them to listen to me. I would be better served
listening to them!
"I don’t have a worry in the world, I gave them all away!"
- Garefield
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Admitting mistakes: Admit some of my imperfections to my
audience. While this may seem somewhat counter-intuitive,
in reality, it can be a difference maker. Since everyone has
some type of imperfections, admitting my imperfections will
often help me establish trust. Otherwise, the audience may
become skeptical of a person without any flaws. I should not
apologize for not having read something! I need not read
every piece of writing in my field to understand its basic
organization and politics. I can improvise with both
substance, and style. The goal is to stand up for myself.
Nothing more, nothing less. In this particular case, the
message is: I am an important public speaker, because I
have credibility. Answer the questions from my audience
honestly after the speech. The final part of solidifying my
credibility is to answer a few questions from the audience
afterward. During this time I should be straight forward and
transparent with my answers.
Make it more personal: If the group is small enough (a
presentation to senior managers, for example), walk around
the room before the meeting gets started to shake hands and
introduce myself one-on-one, or greet people at the door:
"Good morning, I'm Annie Smith. I will be sharing the new
marketing data with you this morning. Looking forward to
your questions." That gets it out of the way on an individual
level, and I will look composed and confident to boot. After
all, as Bakutana Samuel says, “public speaking is speaking to
on person, while the other 99 are listening.”
‘the smartest fisherman is the one who knows how to fish in
troubled waters’.
-Ojijo. Politics of Poverty: Odinga Curse to the Luos!
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Have someone else introduce me: Arranging for someone else
to describe my expertise and credentials to the audience will
do wonders to convince them that they should listen to what
I have to say, while also avoiding the damage that blatant
self-promotion can cause. Having someone else introduce me
does not mean I leave them to it – very few people prepare
properly for introducing a speaker. And there is also a risk
that my introducer says something which is at odds with the
message I want to send in my presentation. I have a good
friend who speaks across UK, Australia and New Zealand on
Values Education in schools. She has a Christian background
but strongly believes in Values Education being non-religious
in nature. Before one particular presentation, her introducer
dwelt on her Christian “credentials”. The audience peppered
her with questions about the relationship between her
Christian beliefs and values education throughout the
presentation.
Plunge straight into my presentation. I will beware of falling
into the trap of saying “Well, as the chairperson said my name
is Ojijo Pascal and I’m from a company called Effective
Speaking.” Doh! Wasting the precious few seconds that I have
to capture the audience's attention by talking about myself. I
establish my credibility by being master of my content - so I
will jump right into it with a startling statistic, an interesting
fact or a relevant story or question. Then I will provide an
overview of my presentation and begin my first point. If I feel
compelled to talk about myself, then 1 or 2 short and welldelivered sentences will suffice; I will be sure to practice
saying them so I don't have a lot of "ums" and "ahs."
"Make it easy for the buyer to buy."
- Alan Weiss
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It is best to start off directly with my topic and then reveal
information about myself as an organic part of the
presentation. For example, I could say "last week when I was
working with [insert famous person or company name here]..."
or "when we showed the new product to a group of engineers
clients last month, they were very happy with it."
Tell a story. Tell a short personal story which serves both as an
introduction to my topic and subtly signals my expertise in
the area. When I’m introducing myself at the start of my
introductory presentation skills course for nervous
beginners, I tell the participants about the time I was
enveloped with fear giving the first important presentation
of my career. They can relate to this and can see that I have
managed to overcome that fear. But I should not come across
as bragging. That is because the information about my
credentials is incidental to the main story and so slips
through the back door into the audiences’ minds without
setting off their braggart alarm bell. If the audience realizes
that I have gone through the process personally, they can see
that I know what I am speaking about. I will keep my
experiences related to my topic, but should not just list
everything I have done or I risk becoming a boring speaker.
Dress appropriately for the situation. In public speaking, they
see us before they hear us, and hence, before I say a single
word, I can enhance my credibility in the eyes of the
audience by attending to my wardrobe. Casual clothes will
not make me appear impressive in a formal group.
“The greatest asset that a country has is her people; and their
greatest strength is their knowledge.”
-Ojijo. Why Did Hitler Kill The Jews?
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For most speeches, it is not recommended that I show too much
skin. That can make me look like I am trying to distract the
audience because my topic isn't important and can establish
the wrong message.
Sociological research has consistently shown that a wellgroomed and professionally dressed speaker is naturally
viewed as more believable than a disheveled and
unorganized one. While the underlying reality of this
prejudice is dubious at best, there is no harm in utilizing my
audience’s subconscious predilections to my favor. By
wearing a tailored suit, combing my hair neatly and carrying
a briefcase, I will immediately suggest to my listeners that I
am a figure worth listening to. However, if this is not
appropriate for my audience, dress in clothing that is.
Ladies should wear a good bra. 80% of women are wearing the
wrong fit of bra, right? Well, when that happens on stage, it is
tragic. While we are on the topic, tits up ladies. As a lady, I
should lift my girls up and my entire posture changes.
Further, false eyelashes are important. I should not be afraid
of them. When I am being photographed, the small touch of
glam can give me just the right amount of voom voom. And
finally, high heels are a must. It is not how I feel, it is how I
tower.
Gents, should shave, and smell great. A 5 o’clock shadow looks
great when I roll over in the morning, but in the spotlight or
on camera, I do not look suave, I look like a bum. Further, it is
all about excellent fitting pants, shirts, and jackets. If my size
is not common, I need to get a tailor.
“run with what you know, and fix it along the way.”
-Ojijo.
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Show my confidence. If I make it clear that I understand my
topic, the audience is more likely to believe me. Appearing to
be nervous or unprepared can make me seem less qualified
to speak on the topic. Keeping good eye contact can show my
confidence.
Pronounce all my words correctly. I won't establish my
credibility while speaking if I am mispronouncing words that
I should know for my subject. If I have too much trouble with
a word, I should find a different one that has the same
meaning. Also watch how I phrase things. I don't want my
statements taken the wrong way. During the course of my
speech, maintaining a clear voice and sticking to my script is
an important aspect of building credibility. When a speaker
falters or stumbles over his or her words, the audience
becomes distracted and their attention to the message being
delivered falters. In addition to appearance, some speakers
find their vocal image gets in the way of credibility. Figuring
out my vocal image, and note that we tend to hear sentences
that end with a downward tone as more decisive, and those
that end with an upward tone as indecisive.
"The will to win is nothing, unless you have the will to prepare."
- Anonymous
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Give evidence that supports what I am saying. Seeing that
another credible source agrees with I can enhance my own
credibility. Don't give any false statistics. This will destroy
my purpose of trying to establish my credibility while
speaking.
Stand solid with my shoulders square to my listeners. Plant
my feet hip-distance apart. Stay still. There is a more
advanced approach where the speaker moves around the
stage, but in the beginning, focus on being solid and still. If I
am sitting, sit as tall as possible to establish credibility.
Take up more space. I will gesture a little larger, stand a little
wider and straighter, move around a little, making sure to
stay still when I reach my destination (which generates a
feeling of stability and certainty).
Maintain strong eye contact. Generally, speakers should aim
for eye contact for 3 to 5 seconds; for a stronger feeling of
authority, stay closer to the 5-second limit. With large
audiences, divide the room into sections (perhaps a 3 x 3
grid) and make eye contact with someone in each section,
covering all sections in the room. Get their heads to nod.
Always be looking at someone.
Hold my head still when speaking. Speak loudly. Higher
volumes project confidence and authority. However, too
much volume causes people to shut down to protect
themselves.
“99% of the population is afraid of public speaking, and of the
remaining 1%, 99% of them have nothing original and
interesting to say.”
― Jarod Kintz,
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Use short, concise sentences. Eliminate fillers like "sort of," "I
think" and "um." Be brief and direct. Declare my opinions
boldly. Pause between ideas without yielding the floor.
Making people wait for me, just a little, is a very powerful act.
Use a downward inflection. An upward inflection indicates a
question. To increase my appearance of authority, I will
speak with a downward inflection to indicate certainty about
what I am saying.
Few Thank Yous: While It is fine to start out by thanking my
hosts and affirming how excited I am to be presenting for
this audience, make sure this is not long and drawn out. This
is not the time to thank everyone in the room by name - just
give the highlights and quickly move into my content.
Incorporate the extra thank-yous into my presentation or
save them for later.
Practice: By practicing and mastering my speech ahead of time,
I can assure that my speech will be flawlessly conveyed. The
ability to memorize the specific wording, body language and
points of emphasis during a speech is a skill mastered by
many politicians and one which serves to make their public
addresses so effective. A study of any historical politics
directory clearly indicates that successful public speaking is
one part talent and two parts preparation. The credibility of
my next speech will surely be bolstered by practice time and
proper planning.
“Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect
something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for
perfection, run with what you know, and fix it along the way…”
― Paul Arden
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If I want my audience to trust in me and in what I have to say, I
will build my credibility, an important qualification in
establishing my success in public speaking. Credibility is
speakers’ ethos. A speaker must have experience, or cite
sources/experts in their speech. A speaker with speaker
credibility makes the “what” they are saying or trying to
persuade more believable by the audience.
"It is not whether you really cry; it is whether the audience
thinks you are crying"
-Ingrid Bergman
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The Problem (Description)
The audience is here, listening to me, because we care about the
same problem, and I care about their problem.
However. I need to describe the problem to them, in such a way
that they will agree, nod their heads, shake their heads, clap
their hands, and clench their fists.
I need to describe the problem because public speaking is about
description of an issue, painting of a picture, giving sounds to
silence.
If I am going to speak, I need to say one word in three words. For
instance:
I should not say, it rained
I say, it rained heavily, with thunderstorm, hails, and lighting.
I should not say, Europeans are suffering,
I say, Europeans are sick, poor, and ignorant
I should not say, vote for me
I say, make a choice, choose progress, choose Ojijo.
The purpose of descriptive language is that it will make the
problem, as well as the solution, to be closer to the audience,
they will listen to me more, and they will love the rhythm
and rhyme of my presentation. I need to describe the
problem of the audience, and or the problem that we want to
audience to solve.
do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his
level and beat you with experience.
-Anonymous
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The Body (The Solution)
Logical Sequence: Intro>Problem>Solution> Action
I should put what I have to say in a logical sequence. The
material I present orally should have the same ingredients as
that which are required for a written research paper, that is,
a logical progression from INTRODUCTION (Thesis
statement) to BODY (Strong supporting arguments, accurate
and up-to date information) to CONCLUSION (re-state thesis,
summary, and logical conclusion).
To be logical, I need to arrange my speech into four parts, which
parts am Introduction, problem, body and call to action.
In introduction, I introduce myself; state the purpose of the
speech, (introduce the topic); and explain why the topic I
want to talk about is relevant to the audience, and why I am
the best suited to talk about it. This is where I talk about my
authority, expertise, experience, and achievements, as part of
my ethos. This makes my speech authoritative.
Then in the problem, I relate the issue I am talking about to the
audience, hence exposing the significance of the issue. Hence
making their problem to be my problem. I factually state the
problem, buttressing it with evidence.
“Honestly, if everyone likes what you say something is wrong
with your message.”
― Ashley Ormon
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To make my presentation more logical, I can also use analogies.
Analogies are a fantastic way to make complicated information
easier to understand and make my presentations more fun as
well. An analogy is basically just a comparison where we are
saying that something (complicated information) is just like
(something less complicated). Or instance, a financial planner
trying to explain early retirement planning might compare
planning my retirement to planting an orchard. If I only plant
one tree and wait only one year, I am not going to get a great
crop. But if I plant a dozen trees of different types of fruit and let
them grow for ten years while nourishing them along the way, I
will end up with a bountiful harvest.
In the body, I explain, exemplify, and expound the problem,
offering stories, proverbs, sayings, idioms, and facts about
the problem.
Further, to add logic, I need to argue both sides. A good way to
use examples and stories is with a “good” example and a
“bad” example. For instance, if I am giving a suggestion or
advice in my presentation, give one example of a time when I
am someone else didn’t take the advice and the results were
less than adequate and a second example when we used the
advice and had a success.
“No one ever complains about a speech being too short!”
- Ira Hayes
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Time Conscious
If I am scheduled to speak 15 minutes, it is best to speak for 10
minutes, not 16, and most definitely, not 20. All audiences I
will not like overflow. Keeping time shows I respect my
audience. If there is a question-and-answer session or cospeaker scheduled, I should give them their due time. The
rule is to take 2/3 of my speaking time, not ALL of my
speaking time, and more. I will not exceed my time
allocation. Nada. No. Never.
Respecting people’s time is a sign of self-respect.
The audience won’t forgive me for cutting into someone’s time
that they are waiting to hear.
At most, audiences will tolerate 3 minutes of overflow before
becoming impatient. I will recall the immortal words of
Franklin D. Roosevelt, ‘Be sincere; be brief; be seated’. If there
is a question-and-answer session or co-speaker scheduled, I
should give them their due time. Respecting people’s time is a
sign of self-respect. To be a great speaker, I will remember
Robert Green’s 4th law of power, in his classical, 48 Laws of
Power; ‘always say less than necessary.’ William Shakespeare
was right, ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’.
Good things, when short, are twice as good. The wise avoid
being bores, especially to the great, who are fully occupied: it
is worse to disturb one of them than all the rest. Well said is
soon said.
I keep trying to lose weight... but it keeps finding me!
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Ice Breakers
An ice breaker ship breaks the ice so that other ships can pass
through the otherwise impassable ice. Some audiences are as
cold as ice, and hence, the need for an ice breaker. The focus
has to be on the audience and breaking up whatever would
prevent my message from being received. There are two uses
of public speaking icebreakers. One is used to build rapport
between the speaker and a large audience. The other is to
warm up a group with each other.
To effectively break the ice requires involving the audience. This
is true of a workshop with 20 people or a lecture to a
thousand. The more participation from the audience the
more attention we will get for our public speaking.
Audience participation is a fantastic way to break up the
presentation and adds energy and attentiveness to a
presentation. The old adage is that “People will support a
world that they help create,” so when my audience helps
deliver my presentation, they will enjoy the presentation
more and retain the information longer.
In the past, most public speakers and presenters liked easing off
the tension by asking people to introduce themselves before
the presentation/speech started. But this approach only
shifted the tension from the speaker to the audience since
audience members would get intimidated by the sudden,
unprepared speech they have to deliver.
“In presentations or speeches less really is more.”
― Stephen Keague
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Ice breakers are a great way to begin a meeting. They can help to
relax participants, increase their receptiveness to my
message and encourage contribution. An ice breaker can also
help to foster a team atmosphere and generate enthusiasm
among the group.
Ice breakers can be fun, amusing, humorous, thoughtful,
surprising or just plain silly. The most popular ice breakers
are games that have participants reveal something personal
about themselves, or which encourage participants to get to
know each other in other ways. The idea is that more than
just having fun, the ice breaker will truly help to create group
cohesion based on mutual trust and understanding.
An important consideration when deciding on an ice breaker
activity is my available time. If an activity is too long the
serious work of the meeting may not be given enough time.
If, on the other hand, it is too short then the participants may
feel that it was merely a perfunctory exercise. The time I
allow for an ice breaker activity also depends on the size of
the group, the overall length of the event and its purpose.
Many of our top ten ice breakers can be used for on-site
meetings and teleconferences alike. The nature of ice
breakers is to get the group to talk, to share, and to get to
know each other in a casual exchange. The best and most
successful teams start with a little bit of fun; learning how to
value what each member brings into the group. Ice breakers
can help facilitate this exchange of information and comfort
in doing so at the very start of the team forging process.
“It is much easier to be convincing if you care about your topic.”
― Nicholas Boothman
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Breath: Ask everyone to stand up and take a few deep breaths.
This will get them to relax.
Greet Ask everyone to greet their neighbour, hug, shake hands,
or do such other thing to their neighbor to welcome them.
People will laugh, relax, and just like that, the ice is broken.
Contest: Divide the audience into small groups and have a
contest of some kind. This could be a test to see what they
remember from the speeches from previous presenters or it
could be a contest to see who can come up with the most
creative solution to a challenge or problem that I am
experiencing. Get creative, because people learn more when
they are having fun.
List of Five: Give each participant a list of five to ten traits that
they must find in common with the people around them.
Sample items could be: "Find someone that was born in the
same month", "…someone who lives in my state", or "…drives
the same model of car". I will try to think of twenty or so
questions and give a slightly different set of questions to
each person.
Agree/Disagree: Write the words "agree," "disagree," "strongly
agree" and "strongly disagree" on separate pieces of paper
and post them on four different walls of the room. Then I will
make a statement such as "our organization can change the
world" and have everybody move to the part of the room
that matches their opinion. At the end of the activity, I will
have the group discuss why they chose their response.
“Live an active life among people who are doing worthwhile
things.”
― Dale Carnegie,
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Greet the person Infront: Everyone stand up and greet the
person in front of you or behind you. This will initiate
humour as everyone turns to find only the backs of the
people behind them. Tension is eased as everyone is now
relaxed and much more attentive and receptive of the
speaker. The speaker is fun and likeable; she is human after
all! This ice breaker creates laughter - a tranquilizer without
any side effects.
Describe Your neighbour in one word/colour: Let the group
write their perceptions of their co-attendees on a piece of
paper, as they see them or as they appear to them. What kind
of person are they, in one word? This works nicely for small
groups that do not know each other. People's perceptions of
others can be interesting.
Quote: I can start with a nice, quotable quote. It can be a fun
quote; a thought-provoking quote or one that is related to
my topic. I love the quote below, it gets people thinking and
nodding in agreement. It is quite deep and full of truth.
Group Juggle: I can throw balls to others in a sequence, using
each person's name. Works every time. Can be extended to
"Warp Speed" (to see how fast the group can throw balls
through a set order to each group member).
Pass The Story: With everyone in a circle, I will have someone
come up with a short story that they whisper to the person
next to them. I will have that person relate the story to the
next person and so on. When the story has reached the last
person, have them recount the story out loud.
"Whenever two people meet, there are really six people
present. There's each man as he sees himself, each man
as the other person sees him, and each man as he really
is"
- William James
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Human Knot: In a circle, people put their arms in and hold
someone else's hand, then try to unravel the knot without
letting go of hands. Involves getting physically close to
others, stretching, laughing and problem solving.
Truths & a Lie People write down two truths about themselves
and a lie. Then introduce the three "facts" to the rest of the
group who tries to guess which one is a lie.
Fear in a Hat:
Group members write personal fears
anonymously on pieces of paper which are collected. Then
each person randomly selects and reads someone else's fear
to the group and explains how the person might feel. Fosters
interpersonal empathy.
Have You Ever? Active, fun group activity to explore and
celebrate the rich diversity of people's past experiences.
Works well with large groups.
Zoom: A group tries to create a unified story from a set of
sequential pictures. The pictures are randomly ordered and
handed out. Each person has a picture but cannot show it to
others. Requires patience, communication, and trying to
understand from another's point of view in order to recreate
the story's sequence.
Animal Sounds: Participants are blindfolded and assigned an
animal. The challenge is to use animal noises in order to
meet up with other animals of same species. It releases
energy.
“The customer is always right' in the world of business, 'the
audience is always right,'” in the world of public speaking”
― Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Nametags: Prepare nametags for each person and put them in a
box. As people walk into the room, each person picks a
nametag (not their own). When everyone is present,
participants are told to find the person whose nametag they
drew and introduce and say a few interesting things about
themselves. When everyone has their own nametag, each
person in the group will introduce the person whose
nametag they were initially given and mention something of
interest about that person. This helps participants get to
know and remember each other.
Desert Island: Group people in teams of five or six and tell them
they will be marooned on a desert island. Give them 30
seconds to list all the things they think they should take and
each person has to contribute at least three items. At the end
of 30 seconds, tell the teams they can only take three things. I
will have the person who suggested each item on the list tell
why they suggested it and defend why their item should be
one of the chosen three. This helps the team learn about how
each of them thinks, get to know each other's values, and
how they solve problems.
Commonality Plus: Group my meeting participants at tables. At
each table ask the group to list ten ways that everyone in
that group is similar. Let them know that they cannot list
body parts or clothing and that what they select cannot have
anything to do with work. One person at the table should be
tasked to make their list. At the end of my time limit have the
group share their list with all meeting members. This is a
great opportunity for my meeting attendees to learn about
each other's hobbies, families, and common interests.
When we finish growing physically, we start becoming wise, or
foolish.
- Ojijo, The Half Story Of My Life. Follow Your Heart, Live Your
Dream
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Line Up: As people enter my meeting, I will hand each one a
piece of paper with a different number written on it. I will
ask the group to arrange themselves in numeric order
without using their voices, hands, or showing their number.
This helps the team to think of other ways to communicate
with each other and to work together to achieve a common
goal.
Meet and Greet Shoe Pile: This works great in large groups and
is a variation of the name tag ice breaker. I will have
everyone take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile. I
will have each group member pick up a shoe and walk
around the meeting room greeting other people as they try
to match their selected shoe to the one another team
member is wearing. This is a great way for new people to
meet several members in a group.
First or Worst: Have each member tell the group their first or
worst job in turn. This easy to use ice breaker works great
with teleconferences too and allows team members to spark
conversation with each other and to have some fun
commenting on the jobs that they have each done.
Introduce Your Neighbour: Ask everyone to introduce the
person next to them. This creates relationships between the
audience members as people get to know each other's names
and start relating at a completely different level; and
participating better in the discussions. It is also easier to
introduce someone than to introduce my own self.
A speaker should approach his preparation not by what he
wants to say, but by what the audience wants to learn.
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Word association: This ice breaker helps people explore the
breadth of the area under discussion. Generate a list of
words related to the topic of my event or training. For
example, in a health and safety workshop, ask participants
what words or phrases come to mind relating to "hazardous
materials". Participants may suggest: 'danger,' 'corrosive,'
'flammable,' 'warning,' 'skull and crossbones,' etc. Write all
suggestions on the board, perhaps clustering by theme. You
can use this opportunity to introduce essential terms and
discuss the scope (what's in and what's out) of my training
or event.
Burning questions: This ice breaker gives each person the
opportunity to ask key questions they hope to cover in the
event or training. Again I can use this opportunity to discuss
key terminology and scope. I will be sure to keep the
questions and refer back to them as the event progresses and
concludes.
Grab the Finger: Fast-moving 5 min. group activity to get
people together and focused. In a circle, right finger on next
person's left palm. I will try to grab a finger before mine gets
grabbed.
Welcome someone: This one is popular in churches: tell the
person next to you that "I'm glad you made it (here) today."
“Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance”
― Stephen Keague,
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Energy/Passion
I should speak with conviction as if I really believe in what I am
saying. I will persuade my audience effectively.
Enthusiasm is the absolute most important public speaking
secret. If I have energy and enthusiasm, my audience will
love me. I will be excited about my topic, and my audience
will be excited about my presentation.
I also need to be alive and full of energy in the course of my
speech. To do this, I will control the pace, tone, and rhythm
of the presentation. Speeches, like music, have tempo and
rhythm. I will know when I want to speed up and when I
want to slow down for emphasis. Often major points are
delivered more slowly and deliberately. A rushed
presentation will give the audience the impression that I am
unprepared or I am nervous. A slow presentation may bore
them and lose their interest. I will make sure there are not
too many ‘uh’s’ or ‘you knows’ interjected, as these are
common bad habits among speakers. Sometimes it is helpful
to punctuate transition points with a ‘now’ or ‘o.k.’ or
‘alright’. I will make sure that I I will not sound monotone (I
will vary the inflection or pitch), and that I have considered
the emotional texture and balance of the speech.
I will speak with conviction as if I really believe in what I am
saying. Speak loudly and clearly. Sound confident. I will not
mumble. This will help me to persuade my audience
effectively.
[Introducing myself]: to those who don’t know me, my
name is Oj, to those who know me, my name is still Oj.
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
To show energy, I should speak faster. This goes against
conventional wisdom in public speaking, but it is one of the
most valuable tips. Speak faster! Really. When I talk faster, I
add natural energy to my presentation. Think about the last
time that I was excited about something. How did I tell
people about it? Was I slow and measured or fast and
exaggerated?
The reason why most coaches will tell a speaker to “slow down”
is because most speakers zoom through memorized
speeches with little or no emphasis on content, so the tone
stays the same all the way through.
I will talk faster, and the audience will get excited about me and
my topic. I know what I am thinking… “Everyone else tells me
to slow down.” Well, everyone else does not get paid
thousands of dollars every time they speak and are probably
pretty boring. If I want to be like them, do what they tell me.
If I want to be a great speaker, I will speak faster.
Speaking with passion is important because the greatest
speakers are not the ones who know the subject soo well, but
rather, the ones who believe in the subject soo well. Passion
beats experience dead cold, all the time.
A child can neither be foolish or wise. These are the burdens of
adults.
- Ojijo, The Half Story Of My Life. Follow Your Heart, Live Your
Dream
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Emotions (Make Them Laugh, Make Them Cry)
Public speaking is about transferring emotions from the
speaker, to the audience.
The major use of style is Pathos! Emotion! I can create emotion
through many ways, including using audio visual aids,
evidence of facts of what I am propounding, or affecting the
environment of delivery, for instance, I can use a dark hall, or
certain attire, all of which will create harmony between the
listener’s state of mind, and the subject. This is what makes
horror movies work, or not work, for that matter. I can use
metaphor, amplification, storytelling, or present the topic in
a way that evokes strong emotions in the audience. Tony
Robbins teaches that human beings act from emotions, all
the time, whether knowingly, or unconsciously. If I want to
act nicely, I must feel nice; interestingly, if I want to feel nice,
I must act nice. The psychologists are right, ‘action, not logic,
changes emotions.’
My audience needs to be in a certain emotional state, certain
pathos, to receive certain type of communication. If they are
not in the emotional state to receive my message and act, I
need to MAKE THEM BE in that state. For instance, Hitler had
to plant the seeds of hatred of Jews amongst his government
beaurocracy to be able to arouse such state support for his
actions; the colonialist kings and queens of Europe had to
cultivate an air of superiority amongst their lieutenants to
make them believe that ‘white skin’ is superior to ‘black,
yellow or brown skin’, and hence any mistreatment of them is
justified.
I knew this was going to be a good audience when I noticed
all the food at the back.
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Today, the presidents of the western world must continuously,
through propaganda, paint other leaders of the nations of the
world as ‘dictators, belligerents, ‘axis of evil’, ‘peddlers of
weapons of mass destruction’, and ‘pariah’ or ‘terrorist
states’ as to be able to attack them, and then they would
justify the pillaging of the resources, just as the colonialists
did, based on the propaganda, ‘we are paying our soldiers’
and ‘rebuilding our war coffers’.
On teaching why the emotional dispositions of the audience was
important, Aristotle wrote, ‘we I will not judge in the same
way when we grieve and rejoice or when we are friendly and
hostile.’ This is called pathos.
Opportunity may knock only once, but temptation leans on
the doorbell.
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Humor (Making them Laugh)
Further, to be engaging, I need to inject some humor, a personal
story, a quote or inspirational vignette into the speech.
Showing my quirks or adding a narrative element will draw
the audience into the presentation and gain their interest,
creating a more intimate relationship or connection. I will
balance my presentation of ideas, principles, and theories
with something historical or narrative. I will add humor
when possible. This will help keep my audience engaged and
interested. After all,
‘people always remember things they heard when laughing.’
And again, if I make my people laugh, they will remember me as
‘a hero, the one who saved them from boredom’.
Add humor whenever appropriate and possible. I will keep
audience interested throughout my entire presentation.
Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a
boring speech is always too long to endure even if the
presentation time is the same.
Thanks so much for saying all those wonderful things about
me. Could I have a copy of that for my in-laws?
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I can also apply the Point/humor/point strategy. This technique
allows me to use negative humor without offending. This is
also a simple example of making a point with humor.
Sometime we have image problems don't we? The old joke says,
‘If the banks are so friendly,. . . how come they chain down
the pens?’. What are you doing about my image?
Point/humor/point.
If I am a banker, I can use the humor freely because I will be
making fun of myself.
“Man is born free and is everywhere in chains.” -Rousseau
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Anger (Making Them Cry)
One way of making people act when we speak is to cause them
to get angry, because when they are angry, they will act. We
need to say things or show them things which will make
them feel sad, angry, mad, and ready to pounce and beat
someone, even if themselves.
I can tell them the story of someone who was innocent but
suffered. I will show them a video of someone who was good,
but at the mercy of the evil ones. I will point them to pictures
of situations which are sad and pathetic.
I will tell them about me, about my story, about orphan children,
about powerless widows, about destitute old people.
“Some will buy, some won't. so what. Some are waiting.”
― Todd Stocker
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Voice (Modulate, Modulate, Modulate)
What do they call boring speakers? Right, “mono-tone”. When
we get nervous, especially when we memorize a
presentation word-for-word, we tend to zoom through the
presentation because we are afraid we will forget something.
Most often, a speaker will sound very monotone when
he/she does this. Instead,
I will design my speech and make a conscious effort to call
attention to words or phrases that need to be emphasized. “It
made a HUGE difference,” versus “It was a huge difference.”
Especially when I have done a presentation before, it can be easy
to fall into a drone, going on and on and on and on and on
with only minimal changes to my inflection. I will always
speak as if I was speaking to a friend, not as if I am reading
off of index cards (even if I am). If keeping up a lively and
personable tone of voice is difficult for I when presenting, do
a couple of practice run-throughs. If I still cannot get it right
and presentations are a big part of my job, take I will take a
public speaking course or join Toastmasters or
allpublicspeakers.com.
I will speak loudly and clearly. I will sound confident. I will not
mumble. I will pause, and speak, and pause. I will allow
myself and my audience a little time to reflect and think. I
will not race through my presentation and leave my
audience, as well as myself, feeling out of breath.
"Praise does wonders
- Arnold Glasgow
for
our
sense
of
hearing."
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Know when to STOP talking. I will use a timer or the microwave
oven clock to time my presentation when preparing it at
home. Just as I do not use unnecessary words in my written
paper, I should not bore my audience with repetitious or
unnecessary words in my oral presentation.
I will speak slowly, enunciate clearly and show appropriate
emotion and feeling relating to my topic. I will establish
rapport with my audience. Speak to the person farthest away
from me to ensure my voice is loud enough to project to the
back of the room. I will vary the tone of my voice and
dramatize if necessary. If a microphone is available, I will
adjust and adapt my voice accordingly.
It was Mark Twain, the great American literary giant, who said,
“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as
effective as a rightly timed pause.”
I will begin by telling you what a remarkable person our
speaker is. Then I will describe all the wonderful things
he’s done for the community. And I will conclude by saying
some things that are true.
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Confidence /Image
“rule number one: don't let them scare you!" - Unknown
About this quote: Not allowing people to scare and intimidate
me is truly the number one rule; not only in public speaking,
but even more so in life! I will focus on the audience, after all,
they need me, I am the speaker, and they are the audience.
They are ready with their pens pointed, books open, and
eyes on me, ears attentive. This alone should make me feel
confident.
Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to
remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances. I
should not be scared by being questioned or judged. I will
always remain cool and not take questions as attacks. People
ask questions to get clarity, that's it.
To be confident, I need to prepare before the d-day. I need to
memorize the speech, and I will avoid reading directly from
the paper.
The speaker should be prepared. 99% of a speech is preparation.
The single most important piece of advice is “Prepare”.
I should remember the 5 P’s of success, ‘prior preparation
prevents pitiful performance‟.
When we get nervous, we tend to breath more shallowly. When this
happens, the speaker will not have enough oxygen which makes
the panic even greater. Which alters the breathing even more.
When I feel this happening, I will just stop, and take a deep
breath from the diaphragm. I will take a nice deep breath before
I say my first sentence.
“If you can’t write your message in a sentence, you can’t
say it in an hour.”
-Dianna Booher
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I will remember that 90% of Nervousness Does not Show: The
audience usually can’t see the butterflies, or shaky hands, or
sweaty palms. The problem occurs when we start thinking about
these symptoms rather than focusing on the audience and our
topic. By human nature, most people are focused on themselves
not on me. Focus on them and two things will happen: 1) they
will like me more, and 2) much of the nervousness that I feel
will go away.
When I prepare, I should go back to my skeleton outline that I
created and add a question, analogy, story, statistic, quote, etc. to
each of my original points. This will give my presentation some
meat.
And if I feel scared, I can just pause, smile, and let the audience
feel my presence, while I also take stock of the audience. Of
course,
Another strategy is to focus on the friendly, smiling face in the
audience. As Bakutana Samuel says, “public speaking is about
speaking to one person, while 99 others are listening.”
"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do" John Warden For many, public speaking can strike fear into
the bravest of hearts, and make blood run cold. It is one of
the most unsettling experiences a man can endure. George
Jessel was right, ‘The human brain starts working the moment
I am born and never stops, until I stand up to speak in public.’
Standing up in front of a group to make a presentation can be
intimidating, even for the most seasoned speakers.
For many of us,
public speaking and anxiety tend to go hand in hand.
But to make my presentation, I need to be confident.
Money comes like a tortoise, but leaves like a hare.
- Ojijo. Invest: Ojijo’s Guide to Financial Instruments and
Alternative Investments
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
When I am presenting in front of an audience, I am performing
as an actor is on stage. How I am being perceived is very
important. Dress appropriately of the occasion. I will be
solemn if my topic is serious. I will present the desired image
to my audience. I will look pleasant, enthusiastic, confident
proud, but not arrogant. I will remain calm. I will appear
relaxed, even if I feel nervous.
If I made an error, I will correct it, and continue. There is no
need to make excuses or apologize profusely.
Making speeches in public or giving professional presentations
can leave me with butterflies in my stomach and my legs
feeling like jelly. My mind can become cluttered and
confused and my voice can race and somehow not convey
the confident assured tone I had planned. This is why I need
to be confident.
There are major differences between the written word and the
spoken word. I will keep my sentences short and easy to
follow, giving as much attention to how I say what I say as to
what I say. I will use an outline of my key points and prepare
In advance to work off the outline. The best speakers write
their speeches well in advance; it helps boost memory, and
build confidence.
I will minimize levels of apology (.e.g. after sneezing/coughing)
Sometimes a word or phrase is all I need on the outline to launch
a section of the presentation. My outline will fit on two
sheets of papers, not more. This will allow me to make eye
contact regularly with my audience, including individual
members, and to avoid reading.
If at first you do not succeed, destroy all evidence that you
ever tried.
~ Unknown
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I will seek to maintain full eye contact with the audience.
Maintain sincere eye contact with my audience. I will use the
3-second method, e.g. look straight into the eyes of a person
in the audience for 3 seconds at a time. I will have direct eye
contact with a number of people in the audience, and every
now and then glance at the whole audience while speaking. I
will use my eye contact to make everyone in my audience
feel involved.
I will remember the words of Marcus Garvey, the entrepreneur,
philanthropist, political leader, philosopher and believer in
Afrikan dignity, when he said that,
‘If you haven't confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race
of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have
started.’
It is more effective for a new speaker to claim character or
success qualities by using the self-talk process we explained
earlier. The Boy Scouts are dramatically more successful
than the general population because at every weekly
meeting we claimed character qualities:
"On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my
country and obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all
times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and
mortally straight."
The Scout Law says,
"A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind,
obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent."
Expect something, and you will be disappointed, bitterly,
Expect nothing, and you will be surprised, pleasantly,
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Further, to build confidence, I need to tap into my natural
abilities. The most effective speakers are constantly working
to capitalize on their strengths—whether that is great
storytelling or a talent for getting the audience to
participate—and also to improve upon their weaknesses.
Tapping into my most powerful interpersonal qualities is an
excellent way to make myself accessible, engaging, and
unique.
Finally, if I find myself feeling intimidated before a presentation,
I will remember that
my nerves I will not show.
What I am feeling is primarily internal, and others cannot sense
my fear if I I will not let on. Also, my audience is rooting for
me—they want a great presentation, so they want me to
succeed. Finally, and most importantly, I am in control of my
nerves. If I have practiced my speech again and again, as any
great speaker must, the confidence will flow naturally. In
addition, mental visualization exercises, such as envisioning
applause as I near the end of my speech, and physical
exercises such as deep breathing and stretching, can also
relieve stress so that I can deliver a powerful, engaging
presentation uninhibited.
Finally, in my presentation, I need to be confident. Making
speeches in public or giving professional presentations can
leave me with butterflies in my stomach and my legs feeling
like jelly. My mind can become cluttered and confused and
my voice can race and somehow not convey the confident
assured tone I had planned. This is why I need to be
confident. To be confident, I need to prepare before the dday. I need to memorize the speech, and I will avoid reading
directly from the paper. There are major differences between
the written word and the spoken word.
God could not be everywhere and therefore he made
mothers.
-Anonymous
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I will keep my sentences short and easy to follow, giving as
much attention to how I say what I say as to what I say. I will
use an outline of my key points and prepam In advance to
work off the outline. Sometimes a word or phrase is all I
need on the outline to launch a section of the presentation.
My outline will usually fit on one to three (8.5’X11’) pages.
This will allow me to make eye contact regularly with my
audience, including individual members.
A further strategy to build my self confidence is to look at the
people I think are confident in public speaking (or in any
other area of my life I want to build confidence in), and
watch how they dress, laugh, walk, meet and greet; and I will
realise- I can do it. On confidence, Actor George Clooney, in 3
Kings, says, ‘The way this works is, I do the thing that scares
me most and I get the confidence afterwards!’ I need to speak,
to be a great speaker.
And when I am speaking, then I forget my speech, I can do the
following three things:
1. I will pause, look deep in to the eyes of a member of the
audience, and state the theme of the event, very slowly,
“Time Management”, or rephrase it: “Managing Time”.
2. Second strategy is to ask the audience a question: “How
many of you know of bad time managers? Live with bad
time managers? “
3. And finally, a guiding question: “What do you think of
what I just said?”
I will remember the immortal words of Mark Twain,
“There are only two types of speakers in the world. 1. The nervous
and 2. Liars.”
[Mic problem] This microphone is like my former girlfriend:
it won’t let me speak.
-Anonymous
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Common Accidents While Speaking
“All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.” - Ralph Waldo
Emerson, 1860
I am asked to speak to 15 people about a subject I know
something about (Why else would I be asked to speak?). I
become scared to death. I think the audience will dislike both
my ideas and I personally. I don’t think I can persuade them.
I plod on, prepare my speech, rise to deliver it and all of a
sudden, I experience one or more of the following stage
fright symptoms.
Rapid heartbeat: My heart is beating so fast and loud that I am
sure everyone in the room hears my heart pounding. Relax.
Only I can hear my heartbeat. It’s beating faster than usual
because adrenaline and other chemicals are increasing my
heart rate. Breathe slowly and deeply. Concentrate on my
speech. Focus on someone in the audience I am comfortable
with for a few moments. I heart rate will slow once I become
immersed in my presentation.
Trembling legs or hands: I am embarrassed because one of my
legs or hands is trembling. Everyone who sees it knows how
scared I am. I feel like such a coward. Relax. Take several,
slow, deep breaths. Contract and then relax the shaking
muscle. Again, adrenaline and other chemicals have supplied
more energy that my body needs, and irregular breathing
has disrupted my blood circulation. Shift my weight on my
feet to stop my leg from shaking. Use large hand gestures
that move my hands and arms.
“They say they milk chickens.”
Russian Proverb
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Shaking or cracking voice: I begin speaking and my voice
shakes or cracks. My voice sounds so weak and I am
embarrassed. How can I continue? What should I do? This
problem is simply caused by irregular breathing. I can easily
eliminate a shaking or cracking voice by slowing my
speaking rate and gaining control of my breathing rate.
Focus on someone comforting in the audience. Intentionally
slow my speech, inhale, and lower the pitch of my voice as I
continue.
Dry mouth: My mouth feels like it’s full of cotton. My lips stick
together and slur my speech. I am afraid that the audience
won’t understand me because of the slurring. It’s the old
adrenaline problem again! The adrenaline is pulling
moisture from my mouth. If I can take a drink of water, stop
and do so. Hold it in my mouth for a few seconds before
swallowing. Pause for a few seconds and relax. Breathe to
relax. If I cannot take a drink, pause or stop to collect saliva
in my mouth and hold it there for a few moments before
swallowing. To diminish the chance of this happening, chew
gum or use a mint before speaking.
Perspiration: My forehead and upper lip feel moist. I am very
self-conscious of this and feel growing embarrassment. My
perspiration is probably caused by my rapid heart rate that
raises my body temperature. Then again, maybe it’s just
warm in the room. Try to ignore it as much as possible. Wipe
my upper lip and forehead briskly with a handkerchief, and
then continue my speech.
“God keeps those safe who keep themselves safe.”
Russian Proverb
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Flushing: My face and neck look like I am coming down with the
measles! It’s all red and I know people can see that I am
scared. These red splotches are caused by irregular blood
flow to the outer layers of my skin by adrenaline. This mostly
happens to women. There’s usually no way to stop it once it
starts other than to relax in order to slow the adrenaline
rush.
Why don’t these speaking problems occur when I am talking to
loved ones, co-workers, or acquaintances? They don’t usually
occur because I am relaxed when I speak to people with
whom I am familiar under comfortable circumstances. More
than anything else, relaxation is the key to delivering great
presentations to groups. Delivering presentations in
conversational tones is one of the easiest ways to force
myself to relax.
I can be a great speaker. I can give great presentations every
day.
“All politics is tribal. “
Anonymous
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Tell a Story & Use Quotes
Humans are hardwired for stories. They love heroes, journeys,
surprises, layers and happy endings. A good public speaker takes
their audience on a journey, leaving them feeling inspired and
motivated. But structuring my speech to get my ideas across and
keep my audience engaged all the way through is tricky. I need
to learn, and utilise, certain proven strategies.
Stories are easy to remember and easy to deliver to an audience, so
my nervousness will drop as I relay stories to my audience.
Stories, serving as examples, also help me prove my bullet
points in a way that makes it easy for the audience to remember.
To deliver a presentation that captures the hearts and heads of my
audience, I need to steal classic storytelling techniques. I need to
start with the story, and the rest will be, well, history.
Amongst the many strategies to tell stories I can apply:
Monomyth: The monomyth (also called the hero’s journey), is a
story structure that is found in many folk tales, myths and
religious writings from around the world.
This style in showing how I overcame a series of challenges; slowly
building tension; and delivering a satisfying conclusion.
In a monomyth, the hero is called to leave their home and sets out on
a difficult journey. They move from somewhere they know into
a threatening unknown place.
After overcoming a great trial, they return home with a reward or
newfound wisdom – something which will help their
community. Lots of modern stories still follow this structure,
from the Lion King to Star Wars.
Using the monomyth to shape my presentation can help me to
explain what has brought I to the wisdom I want to share. It can
bring my message alive for my audience.
“Death need not concern us because when we exist death does
not, and when death exists we do not. I was not. I was. I am not. I
do not care.” -Epicurus
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I can tell the inspiring story of finding my life’s passion, and the
difficult path I took to become a world champion in my craft. I
then close by sharing my newfound skills with the audience,
bringing my journey full circle.
The Mountain: The mountain structure is a way of mapping the
tension and drama in a story. It is similar to the monomyth
because it helps us to plot when certain events occur in a story.
This style helps in taking the audience on a journey; showing the
benefit of taking risks; and demonstrating how I learned some
newfound wisdom.
It is different because it does not necessarily have a happy ending.
The first part of the story is given to setting the scene, and is
followed by just a series of small challenges and rising action
before a climactic conclusion.
It is a bit like a TV series – each episode has its ups and downs, all
building up to a big finale at the end of the season.
Aimee Mullins uses a mountain-structure speech to tell a personal
story – from being born without fibula bones in her lower legs to
becoming a famous athlete, actress and model.
Nested Loops: Nested loops is a storytelling technique where I layer
three or more narratives within each other.
This style helps in explaining the process of how I was inspired/
came to a conclusion; using analogies to explain a central
concept; and showing how a piece of wisdom was passed along
to me.
I place my most important story – the core of my message – in the
centre, and use the stories around it to elaborate or explain that
central principle. The first story I begin is the last story I finish,
the second story I start is second to last, etc.
‘Man is the measure of all things; of things that are that they are,
and of things that are not that they are not.’ Protagoras
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Nested loops works a bit like a friend telling me about a wise person
in their life, someone who taught them an important lesson. The
first loops are my friend’s story, the second loops are the wise
person’s story. At the centre is the important lesson.
For example, Simon Sinek’s TED talk show, How Leaders Inspire
Action, shows how successful organizations place the ‘why?’ of
what they do at the centre, surrounded by the ‘what?’ and
‘how?’ of their business. Nested loops are an ideal way of
framing this message, giving my audience a real insight into my
identity.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie uses the framework of her experiences
in university and the way that Africa is perceived in the Western
world to drive home her argument about stories.
Sparklines: Sparklines are a way of mapping presentation
structures. Graphic designer Nancy Duarte uses sparklines to
analyse famous speeches graphically in her book Resonate.
This style helps in inspiring the audience to action; creating hope
and excitement; and creating a following.
She argues that the very best speeches succeed because they contrast
our ordinary world with an ideal, improved world. They
compare what is with what could be.
By doing this the presenter draws attention to the problems we have
in our society, our personal lives, and our businesses. The
presenter creates and fuels a desire for change in the audience.
It is a highly emotional technique that is sure to motivate my
audience to support ME.
Martin Luther King’s speech is famous the world over because it
contrasts the racist, intolerant society of the day with an ideal
future society where all races are treated equally.
“To be is to be perceived (Esse est percipi).” Or, “If a tree falls in
the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” –
Bishop George Berkeley
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In Medias Res: In medias res storytelling is when I begin my
narrative in the heat of the action, before starting over at the
beginning to explain how I got there.
This style helps in showing how great minds came together;
demonstrating how a development occurred at a certain point in
history; and showing how symbiotic relationships have formed.
By dropping my audience right into the most exciting part of my
story they will be gripped from the beginning and will stay
engaged to find out what happens.
But be careful – I do not want to give away too much of the action
straight away. I should try hinting at something bizarre or
unexpected – something that needs more explanation. I will give
my audience just enough information to keep them hooked, as I
go back and set the scene of my story.
This only works for shorter presentations though – if I string it out
too long my audience will get frustrated and lose interest.
Zak Ebrahim begins his talk with the revelation that his father
helped plan the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing. His
audience is gripped from the beginning, as he begins to recount
the events of his childhood and the path he took after his father’s
conviction.
Converging Ideas: Converging ideas is a speech structure that
shows the audience how different strands of thinking came
together to form one product or idea. It can be used to show the
birth of a movement. Or explain how a single idea was the
culmination of several great minds working towards one goal.
Converging ideas is similar to the nested loops structure, but
rather than framing one story with complementary stories, it can
show how several equally important stories came to a single
strong conclusion.
:The principle of sufficient reason holds that for everything, there
must be sufficient reason why it exists.”- – Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz
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This style helps in demonstrating how strands of a process are
interconnected; showing how several scenarios relate back to
one idea; or letting multiple speakers talk around a central
theme.
This technique could be used to tell the stories of some of the
world’s greatest partnerships – for example, web developers
Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Larry and Sergey met at Stanford’s
PhD program in 1995, but they didn’t like each other at first.
They both had great ideas, but found working together hard.
Eventually they found themselves working on a research project
together. A research project that became Google.
John Bohannon and the Black Label Movement explain (verbally
and through dance) how scientists and dancers came together to
form an exciting, dynamic alternative to boring presentations.
False Start: A ‘false start’ story is when I begin to tell a seemingly
predictable story, before unexpectedly disrupting it and
beginning it over again. I lure my audience into a false sense of
security, and then shock them by turning the tables.
This style helps in grabbing attention from the start; keeping an
audience craving resolution; or focusing attention on a pivotal
moment in my story.
This format is great for talking about a time that I failed in
something and were forced to ‘go back to the start’ and reassess.
It is ideal for talking about the things that I learnt from that
experience. Or the innovative way that I solved my problem.
But best of all, it is a quick attention hack which will disrupt my
audience’s expectations and surprise them into paying closer
attention to my message.
It is the same as retroactive continuity, that is, when a storyteller
goes back and alters the ‘facts’ in their story. If I am a character
in the story I am telling, I can use a false start to go back and
retell my own story in a surprising way.
“One cannot step twice in the same river.” – Heraclitus (ca. 540 –
ca. 480 BCE)
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J K Rowling begins her speech at Harvard in a typical fashion. She
talks about her time at university and the expectations of her
parents. The audience expects her to talk about the growing
success of her writing career – instead she focuses on a time in
her twenties where she felt she had ‘failed’ in life. What comes
next is inspirational.
Petal Structure: The petal structure is a way of organising multiple
speakers or stories around one central concept. It is useful if I
have several unconnected stories I want to tell or things I want to
reveal – that all relate back to a single message.
This style helps in disrupting audience expectations; showing the
benefits of a flexible approach; or keeping the audience
engaged.
I tell my stories one by one before returning back to the centre. The
petals can overlap as one story introduces the next but each
should be a complete narrative in itself.
In doing so, I can weave a rich tapestry of evidence around my
central theory. Or strong emotional impressions around my idea.
By showing my audience how all these key stories are related to one
another, I leave them feeling the true importance and weight of
my message.
Simon Sinek again! His theory might lend itself perfectly to nested
loops, but he himself chose to deliver his talk in a petal structure.
He tells his audience a series a stories to help illustrate his ideas,
each one strengthening his message further.
Of course there are many other storytelling techniques out there that
I can use. What I hope this post has done is show I that stories
are powerful. They are the language of my audience.
My talk – however dry the subject – can be brought alive if I find
the story at the heart of it all.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” – Socrates (470-399
BCE)
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Make it Recent: Further, a story is more impactful when it is
recent.
Share personal stories: The story, if told, should be personal,
and or very close and relevant to the topic. A personal story
helps to boost my credibility. Stories are powerful because
they are emotional and memorable.
When I or my team has challenges, I will tell the story about the
challenge or mistake, and then add the moral at the end to
show how I learned from it. A lot of times, this can add some
self-deprecating humor as well.
Told well, stories can be the key to a compelling presentation
that excites, energizes, and truly engages the people sitting in
front of me. As anonymous said:
“Others may not think what we think, but through a shared story,
they can feel what we feel.”
So, I will consider sharing a story of struggle or triumph or my
personal path—ideally at the start of my speech. I will not be
afraid to reveal information about myself and demonstrate
my vulnerabilities—this will capture people in a way that
fact and information-sharing alone never will.
"Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has
finished listening."
— Dorothy Sarnoff
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Make it Funny: Quoting a funny story, either mine or somebody
else’s, can be a successful way of opening a speech. But it
does depend on circumstance, and I need to think carefully
before going ahead with this line of thought.
Use Quotes: In public speaking assignments in particular, using
quotes from other people can add impact and verve to the
delivery. The person being quoted does not necessarily need
to be well-known. It is what they have to say that is
important.
Once I have achieved a good reputation, my credibility will be
established. Until that point, and even afterwards, I can
improve my credibility by aligning myself with successful,
knowledgeable and respected people. I can do this in a
number of different ways, from endorsing what these people
have done or said, to using famous written or public
speaking quotes. Using relevant quotes from people who
know the subject matter and are themselves well respected
is a smart strategy to ease tension and nerves, enhance a
speech or make it much more fun. They also serve to shock
the audience into attention. For instance, when I speak on
political strategies, I often quote Margaret Thatcher, when
she said, "Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell
people you are, you aren't!"
Using humorous quotes can also add entertainment value and
put smiles on the faces of my audience. This helps to relax
both the speaker and make those being spoken to feel more
at home.
"Nothing will be attempted if all possible obstacles must first be
removed" –
Samuel Johnson
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In general, the way I use quotes in a speech, and the type of
quotes I choose for a speech, will depend partly on the topic
of discussion as well as the audience I am addressing. They
need to be relevant both to the topic and to the people
listening. This is absolutely vital.
If the speech is a serious one, quoting proven facts or statistics
can help to establish me as an expert. But again, they must be
relevant.
So where do I start looking for quotes that will suit my speech
and add to my credibility?
First of all I will remember that I am choosing quotes to back up
my speech — not to bulk it up. So I am looking for quotes
that are reasonably short and either: ◦clever, ◦funny, or ◦fact
specific,
Once I have decided on the subject of my speech, I can search the
Internet for relevant information where I might find some
quotes, or I can delve into books on the subject. Alternatively
I could page through old copies of Reader’s Digest to see
what funny quotes and comments they have used. I could
also use religious texts like Tanakah, Bible, Quran, Gita, etc.
Most presenters like to create long list of bullet points with facts and
figures. Instead, I will give my audience the story behind the
number. For instance, (1) revenue increased 10% (2) closing
ratios went up 3% (3) advertising costs decreased 15% and (4)
profit went up 15% is easily forgotten and will take up a whole
PowerPoint slide.
there are six things i can do with my time in retirement: i can
work or i can play or i can sleep. i can improve my mind or
my health or my community.
-Ojijo. Retire Happy: 21 Questions to Plan my Retirement
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However,
“At the beginning of the last quarter, we changed our advertising
strategy and focused more on repeat business from current
clients versus spending money to attract new clients. We stopped
sending mailers to the mailing list that we used in the past, and
we sent multiple mailers to past customers instead. We were able
to cut the mailing cost by 15% in this move, and since the sales
team had fewer leads, they were able to spend more time
developing repeat business and increased their closing ratios by
3% and total revenue by 10%. Since cost were down as well, the
combination of increased revenue and decreased advertising
cost let to a 15% increase in profit.”
Much easier to remember, much easier to deliver, and no bullet
points needed.
I will not use a quote just for the sake of using a quote. There is
always a quote that will fit every situation, and I cannot find
it, it means I am not looking harder. And if I cannot look
harder, because I am pressed for time, then I go back to
basics and draw on my own personal experiences. This is
often the best approach of all.
When I quote an expert, I am temporarily borrowing their expertise
and credibility. Quotes should be short and by someone the
audience will recognize, and when used properly, they can help
the speaker have even more credibility.
Every page of this great book is littered with several quotes, and one
at the bottom.
[if you make a mistake] There are several secrets to giving
a good speech. That was not one of them.
-Anonymous
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Adapt, Kill Boredom
“You cannot keep their attention all the time, but you can
recapture their attention all the time.”-Anonymous
All audiences are bored. If not now, then soon. Listening is
boring, and listening to boring people talk about boring work
in boring ways is even more boring. As a speaker I go in
thinking “these people are probably bored to death from the
last guy”, as I would be.
The greatest challenge of speakers is to keep the attention of the
audience. The simplest answer, of course, is to keep
attracting their attention, EVERY MINUTE.
The average human being will focus for one minute, and then
start thinking of other things. If I can get into the mind of my
audience every one minute, then I have their attention, and I
do this by constantly changing what I am saying, and how I
am saying it. I will need to listen adopt.
If what I have prepared is obviously not getting across to my
audience, I will change my strategy mid-stream.
Communication is the key to a successful presentation. If I
am short of time, I will know what can be safely let out. If I
have extra time, I will know what could be effectively added.
I will always be prepared for the unexpected.
The purpose of adapting the presentation is to kill boredom, and
to save me if I forget something, or if I am distracted.
[Flowery intro] Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I
wish I could figure out who you have me confused with.
-Ojijo
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Alternatively, if I can paraphrase the last word, or topic, I just
talked about, as a question. For instance, if the last topic was
self-esteem, or if the last phrase I used was, “you need to get
up and be counted”, then the question can be, “will you get up
and be counted?”
If I lose my train of thought and feel some panic, then one of a
couple of things might be happening. I likely have a bunch of
bullet points that are difficult to remember. If so, go back
through the earlier tips and design my speech differently. If I
am feeling light headed and confused, though, or I forget
something, then I need to stop, look deep into someone’s eye
in the audience, and ask a question in line with the theme.
For instance, if I was speaking on self-confidence, I will ask,
“what is self-confidence?”
My audience may be bored … or just need an energy/bathroom
break if …
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
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
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They are yawning
They are fidgeting
They are playing with their portable devices
They are talking or whispering to their neighbors
They are sleeping
They are slouching in there seats
They are leaning their chin on their hand and frowning
They are spacing out, their eyes are glazed over
They are leaning back and not making eye contact
They aren’t responding … no laughter, no questions, no
applause at appropriate points
“money is like power, the less of it we use, the more of it we
have.”
-Ojijo. Making My Child Financially intelligent: Money Lessons
By Age group (From 3-13 years)!
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The surprise is there is a huge advantage if the audience is
bored. Their expectations are low. If I do anything
interesting at all, such as not be boring, I will stand out. If I
prepared correctly (meaning I practiced, have clear points,
am enthusiastic about them, and understand why the
audience showed up) I will look like a rock star.
People will perk up instantly when I start answering the
question they came into the room to hear. If I choose those as
my first words, I will have them out of the gate. And when
they hear I am answering it well, I will have their full
attention. It is that simple. But few speakers have good
material, or more bluntly, good thinking on the right
questions in their material, that this often does not happen.
Pretense, fear and ego blind smart people into doing stupid
things, in lectures and at large.
…there is one way to get ahead financially: earn more than
you spend!
-Ojijo. 69 Ways to Make Extra Money While Keeping My Day
Job!
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Interactive (Eye Contact, Questions, Gestures, etc)
To be interactive, I will walk, posture, signal, and ask questions. I
should make my presentations as interactive as possible.
There are a few ways to create a more inclusive
presentation.
Posture
I will remember that only a small percentage of communication
involves actual words: 7%, to be exact. In fact, 55% of
communication is visual (body language, eye contact) and
38% is vocal (pitch, speed, volume, tone of voice). The
world's best public speakers have strong body language: a
commanding presence that reflects confidence, competence,
and charisma. Another way to engage my audience is to
invite them to prepare a joint statement, engage in an
exercise, or wrestle with a few questions (either in advance
or through breakouts). A third way (and often the easiest) is
to leave time at the end for questions and comments from the
audience.
I will also remember to stand up when speaking. The person who
stands up to speak carries authority and has more energy.
I need to move faster when gesturing. For instance, when I walk
to the front, don’t run, but take about a half-step faster pace
than normal. If I walk like I am going to the gallows, I will
suck energy out of the room and leave an impression of
being boring. If I move like I want to get to the front of the
room, I will push energy into the room.
[If you’re short] I’m short, but I compensate—by making my
speeches long.
-Ojijo
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Samples
One other way to enhance interactivity is to offer a sample. I will
give the audience something they can see, touch, feel, or
experience. If I am talking about a product, bring one to pass
around. If my topic is less tangible, give an example. For
instance, when we teach public speaking skills classes and we
introduce how powerful stories can be, we give an example of a
dry presentation without stories, and then we go back and add
the stories in and show the audience the difference. Give a
sample to reinforce my point.
Questions
Questions arouse interest, pique curiosity, and engage
audiences. So I will ask a lot of them. I will build tension by
posing a question and letting my audience stew a moment
before moving to the next slide with the answer. I will quiz
their knowledge and then show them how little they know. If
appropriate, I will engage in a little question-and-answer
with my audience, with me asking the questions.
Question also have the ability to create a knowledge gap, and
arouse interest in the audience to want to listen to me more,
if only for the answer to the question.
However, I should never ask the audience a question that I do
not expect them to answer. Rhetorical questions aren’t
interactive and have the potential to be annoying or even
manipulative, so really avoid these types of questions.
the main cause of disease, and the main cure for disease, is
food.
-Ojijo. My Body - 100 Common Medical Symptoms, Causes,
Possible Diseases, Treatment, Home Remedies & Prevention!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I should also be very careful with Yes/No Questions. Questions
where some people will answer “Yes” and some will answer
“No” will divide the audience, so only use them if a division is
what I want. For instance, “How many of I have been sexually
harassed at some time in my career?” will likely cause a
negative division that I would rather avoid, but “How many
of I made President’s Club this year?” might give I a positive
result. Just be careful dividing my audience.
I should also avoid Single Answer Questions. Questions with
only a single correct answer have only two possible results.
Either one single person will answer the question correctly
for one single success, or no one will answer the question
and the entire audience will feel stupid. If there is only one
answer, avoid the question and just tell the audience the
answer.
The best types of questions are open-ended and “opinion based”
meaning that anyone with an opinion can, and most likely
will, be correct. So a whole group of audience members are
now the heroes of the room. The best way to do this is to
make sure that my bullet points have gone to that “next
level” where the result to the audience is added and just ask
it instead of telling it. “So we are two weeks behind schedule
on the Smith building. What kind of things can we do to get
back on track by the end of the month?” However, I need to
make sure the scope of opinions will support my view point,
and make my presentation credible.
‘I will never become a somebody till I make a somebody’Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
If my audience more introverted or less likely to interact, use
Think/Write/Share method. I will ask them to think about all
of the possible ways that something can be done, and write it
on the paper, and then share. “If I would, write down two or
three of my best ideas.” Then wait for everyone to write
down at least one thing. “Tell me what you wrote down, and I
will write them on the whiteboard.” I will get a lot more
participation this way.
Another way to get a group to participate is to ask them to tell their
best idea to a partner sitting next to them, or to ask their
neighbour a question. Then have the partners volunteer to tell the
group a single idea that their partner shared that was particularly
good.
Eye Contact
Maintain sincere eye contact with my audience. I will use the 3
second method, e.g. look straight into the eyes of a person in
the audience for 3 seconds at a time. I will have direct eye
contact with a number of people in the audience, and every
now and then glance at the whole audience while speaking. I
will use my eye contact to make everyone in my audience
feel involved. Making eye contact with my audience is
important. This helps them to pay attention to me and makes
me look confident.
‘the best way to start is to start; the best time to start is now;
and the best place to start is here.’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Gestures
Body language is important. Standing , walking or moving about
with appropriate hand gesture or facial expression is
preferred to sitting sown or standing still wit head down and
reading from a prepared speech. I will use audio-visual aids
or props for enhancement if appropriate and necessary.
Another use of gestures is in pointing at the audience, or
someone in the audience, while speaking. For instance, I can
point at the lady in front, and say, “thank you Ann” , or point
at the person behind and ask, ”don’t you want this country to
be run better?”
I need to talk with my hands. We all naturally speak with our
hands, but for some reason, when we stand up to speak, we
tend lock up our body language and lose a lot of our natural
energy. I will drop my hands when I start a speech, then use
them to explain my points. (By the way, if I tell a lot of stories,
this will happen naturally.)
In a small room, try to make my gestures outside of my torso.
Small gestures below the shoulders and close to my body
make me look weak and timid. The higher and wider my
gestures are, the more confident I appear. When we get
nervous, we want a barrier between us and the threat, so the
small gestures show the audience that I am threatened by
them. I will make the gestures bigger.
‘alot of money in a short time (riches) comes from doing deals,
not from earning wages.’!
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
As my audience gets bigger, so should my gestures. If I have a
lectern, (most people call it a podium, but the podium is
actually the small stage that a speaker stands on) the
audience will not see my gestures unless I over-exaggerate
them. I will make my gestures huge. They will look very
normal to the audience.
“Just the fact that people I will not understand me does
not make me an artist.”
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Audio-Visual Aids
I can also use visual aids as a how strategy. Many people will
understand the message of my speech more clearly when it
is more visual. Like they say, ‘a picture says a thousand
words’. I can use flip charts, slides, photographs, overhead
projectors, handouts, PowerPoint presentations, or even a
simple whiteboard to add visual cues to my speech. What we
see often leaves a more lasting impression than what we hear.
When using audio-visual aids to enhance my presentation, be
sure all necessary equipment is set up and in good working
order prior to the presentation. If possible, I will have an
emergency backup system readily available. I will check out
the location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements
for audience, whiteboard, black board, lighting, location of
projection screen, sound system, etc are suitable for my
presentation.
I will also master the use of presentation software such as
PowerPoint well before my presentation. I will not overdazzle my audience with excessive use of animation, sound
clips, or gaudy colors which am Inappropriate for my topic. I
will not torture my audience by putting a lengthy document
in tiny print on an overhead and reading it out to them.
While using any visual aid, I must be well versed with the
technology and information/data in each visual aid before
the d-day. It is also vital that I I will not turn my back on my
audience as I use my visual aid, or I may lose my audience. I
also should not turn the lights on low for long periods, or I
might be surprised to look up and find them all sleeping!
[hot room] I haven't sweated this much since my tax audit.
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I should use presentation technology (i.e., overhead or slide
projector, PowerPoint). These engage the audience’s sense of
sight in addition to hearing (a creative presenter might try to
engage other senses as well).
Further, the visual aid needs to be appropriate. They should also
demonstrate something, by making a point, and just being be
data. Visual aids should not be distracting, but should blend
into my speech. As a rule of thumb, I should not pass a visual
aid around for the audience while I speak. Visual aids should
also be explained clearly to the audience. Further, visual aids
should look professional, since sloppy aids will kill my
credibility. In addition, visual aids should be easy to
understand and quickly pass the point. Finally, visual aids
should be easy to see. This may seem obvious, but many
speakers I will not consider this when selecting visual aids.
Further, when using visual aids, I should refer to the information
in the aid as, ‘in the middle’ or ‘at the top’, or ‘on the left’, so
that I use the five positions (left, right, top, bottom and
center’, to guide the audience through my visual aid. This
helps me not to turn my back to the audience while
presenting.
To enhance my public speaking, I should also use visual aids.
Many people will understand the message of my speech
more clearly when it is more visual. Like they say, „a picture
says a thousand words‟. I can use flip charts, slides,
photographs, overhead projectors, handouts, PowerPoint
presentations, or even a simple whiteboard to add visual
cues to my speech.
“Now I'd like to open the floor to questions. And since they
never get a chance to speak at home, why don't we start
with the married men? “
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
What we see often leaves a more lasting impression than what
we hear.
While using any visual aid, I must be well versed with the
technology and information/data in each visual aid before
the d-day. It is also vital that I will not turn my back on my
audience as I use my visual aid, or I may lose my audience. I
also should not turn the lights on low for long periods, or I
might be surprised to look up and find them all sleeping!
Further, the visual aid needs to be appropriate. They should
also demonstrate something, by making a point, and not just
data. Visual aids should not be distracting, but should blend
into my speech. As a rule of thumb,
“I should not pass a visual aid around for the audience while I
speak. “
Visual aids should also be explained clearly to the audience.
Further, visual aids should look professional, since sloppy
aids will kill my credibility. In addition, visual aids should be
easy to understand and quickly pass the point. Finally, visual
aids should be easy to see. This may seem obvious, but many
speakers I will not consider this when selecting a visual aid.
Further, when using visual aids, I should refer to the information
in the aid as, ‘in the middle’ or ‘at the top’, or ‘on the left’, so
that I use the five positions (left, right, top, bottom and
center’, to guide the audience through my visual aid. This
helps me not to turn my back to the audience while
presenting.
‘everything in life depends on humour!’
Ojijo. 99 Ways to Make People Laugh!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Effective PowerPoint Presentations
In addition to the skills of public speaking, I should use
PowerPoint slides to enhance my presentation. This section
lists the tips I can apply to prepare effective PowerPoint
presentations.
Large Texts
I need to use large texts, so that people have fun, and I will not
strain in watching my slide, and reading the messages. I will
spice up my slide with interesting fonts. Different fonts
convey different feelings. For instance, adding a slight
rotation to text and images makes them more interesting.
Font size must be large enough to be easily read. Size 28 to
34 with a bold font is recommended. I can use Word Art, or a
clip art image of a sign, to convey text in a more interesting
way.
Bold Colours
Color evokes feelings. Color is emotional. The right color can
help persuade and motivate. Studies show that color usage
can increase interest and improve learning comprehension
and retention.
I will use high contrast dark on light, or light on dark. I will use
color with care, to emphasize my talk, and avoid extremely
bright colors, hot pink, neon orange, acid green. Further, I
will not combine red/green, yellow/purple, or blue/orange.
“No matter how much the boss likes you, if you work in a
bank you cannot bring home samples.“
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I need to use text with strong colors to make my slide eyecatching. I need to create a beautiful color scheme or theme
and stick to it. I will not need to be an expert in color theory,
but It is good for business professionals to know at least a bit
on the subject. Colors can be divided into two general
categories: Cool (such as blue and green) and Warm (such as
orange and red). Cool colors work best for backgrounds as
they appear to recede away from us into the background.
Warm colors generally work best for objects in the
foreground (such as text) because they appear to be coming
at us. It is no surprise, then, that the most ubiquitous
PowerPoint slide color scheme includes a blue background
with yellow text. I will not need to feel compelled to use this
color scheme, though I may choose to use a variation of those
colors.
Unconventional Images
I need to use intriguing and unconventional images to grab
audience attention. 3 days after a presentation, most people
only remember 10% of what they hear. However, if I add a
picture, recall shoots up to 65%. Simple, uncluttered slides
with powerful images are my best bet for creating powerful
presentations. I will let the picture or graphics tell the story –
I will minimize the use of text. Images are key elements of
every presentation. My audience has ears and eyes – they’ll
want to see what I am talking about, and a good visual cue
will help them to understand my message much better.
“If you'd lose a troublesome visitor, lend him money.”
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Rule Of 1-1-1-1 (One Idea, One Slide, One
Word, One Image)
The rule of 1-1-1-1 states that I should
express one idea in one slide using one word and one image.
I need to use one word and one image in one slide for one idea,
and then explain in the presentation. I will not write long
paragraphs. My presentation is not a document! It is a
PowerPoint, meaning, a powerful point, not powerful
paragraph, or gallery of pictures.
People should be able to look at my slides and get the main
message in 3 seconds. This approach will make sure I offer
only one idea per slide. It will also make sure I will not
overwhelm my audience with too much information.
So now I have my plain background instead of a cluttered and
distracting PowerPoint template. I will use each slide to
express one idea: Presenters can completely transform their
presentations from boring bullets to high-impact visuals by
putting one point on a slide. Presenters must assure that
slides follow good cognitive design principles. Something as
simple as having only one main idea per slide makes a huge
difference.
The gospel is, “less is more”. The fewer slides that I have and the
less content that I have an each slide, the more impact that my
words will have.
“My girlfriend can smell another woman perfume on me
from outside the house, but she burns food all the time.”
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Choking, Shocking Title
I need to use a shocking title to hook my audience into my
presentation. Such titles can be in bold, strong words, or
foreign words which are generally known and memorable, or
in terms of weird questions, obvious, or unexpected. If it is
shocking, it is good.
I should also make the title audience focused. To do this, it
means to ask the audience a question that they want
answered, or offer the general answer to a question. I will go
back to my title now and redesign it so that it has a major
“want” of the audience. I will just look at the title as I have it
and ask “why” does the audience need to hear this
presentation? Whatever the answer to that question is
should be added to the title.
Multi-Media
I will use video and audio to convey my message more
effectively. This can be in the form of an animation. Dynamic
content, such as a brief video that illustrates an important
point, is a great way to engage my audience. Using audio that
helps convey my message, like recorded narration (I can add
this to slides when sending my presentation to others to view),
can also help keep my slides clean and approachable. In
animations, there is a fine line between a comic or
professional impression. However, animations can be rather
powerful tools to visualize and explain complicated matters.
A good animation can not only improve understanding, but
can also make the message stick with my audience. I can
embed videos from YouTube into my presentation, if my
internet connectivity is great.
‘the greatest poverty is the poverty of the mind.’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Few Slides
In general, using a few powerful slides is the aim. I will
remember the great public speaking maxim, “be brief, be
seated.’ I will apply the KISS principle. I will Keep It Straight
and Simple.
Prepare
I will remember to prepare for the presentation. This includes
research before writing my PowerPoint presentation, and
familiarizing myself with the presentation, to see exactly
what I will be presenting to my audience. I will proofread
everything, including visuals and numbers. To temporarily
clear the screen, I will press W or B during the presentation;
then press any key to resume the presentation. I will talk
through my presentation to see how much time I use for
each slide. I will set the automatic slide transition to the
amount of time I want to spend discussing each slide.
Am I using the right amount of time per slide? I will decide
which slides or comments need alteration to make my
presentation smoother. I will change the automatic slide
transition settings for individual slides to fit the amount of
time needed for that slide and practice again. Am I still
within the time limit? I will decide if I want to remove the
automatic slide transition feature before giving the
presentation.
Mohammed Ali said,
“I hated the trainings, every moment of it. But I did not quit, I told
myself, I will suffer now, and live the rest of my life as a
champion.’
Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable
to trust nobody.
-Agatha Christie
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
I will check my work for spelling mistakes and grammatical
errors and for logic and the flow of information.
A well-prepared and enthusiastic talk will help I convince my
audience and maintain their attention. I will test my
presentation in the room before my talk. I may need to adjust
the colors/templates/font size for the room/equipment. I
should be prepared to give my talk without a PowerPoint
slideshow, technical glitches do happen.
Numbers and Statistics
Numbers are usually confusing to the audience. I will use as few
as possible and allow extra time for the audience to do the
math. Numbers should never be ultra precise, and should be
presented in a diagram, as chart, or pie, or bar. I will
remember to cite my source on the same slide as the
statistic, using a smaller size font.
Charts
Charts need to be clearly labeled. I can make more interesting
charts by adding elements from the drawing toolbar.
Numbers in tables are both hard to see and to understand.
There is usually a better way to present my numerical data
than with columns and rows of numbers. I will get creative!
PowerPoint deletes portions of charts and worksheets that
am Imported from Excel, keeping only the leftmost 5.5
inches. Plan ahead.
“Always live within your income, even if you have to borrow
money to do so. “
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
‫و‬
‫و‬
‫و‬
‫و‬
Pie Charts. Used to show percentages. Limit the slices to 4-6
and contrast the most important slice either with color or by
exploding the slice.
Vertical Bar Charts. Used to show changes in quantity over
time. Best if I limit the bars to 4-8.
Horizontal Bar Charts. Used to compare quantities. For
example, comparing sales figures among the four regions of
the company.
Line Charts. Used to demonstrate trends. For example, here
is a simple line chart showing that our sales have gone up
every year. The trend is good. The arrow comes in later to
underscore the point: Our future looks good!
“"I don't like to talk bad about heaven and hell - you see, I
have friends in both places."
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
23 Rhetorical Devices (Style)
The rhetorical devices are based on poetry. They make the
words attractive to listen to and to read. They cause the
words to synchronize with the listeners’ mind and
environment, so that they are seduced in their thoughts. If I
read poetry, I will become a great rhetorician, no wonder all
the revolutionaries, great politicians and people’s liberators
read poetry, and read many books. There are very many,
including metaphors, proverbs, alliterations, allusions,
consonance, assonance, tri-partite statements, et cetera and
various such devices.
The use of rhetoric makes one an orator. Orators of all times:
Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Adolf Hitler, John F
Kennedy, Gandhi, Bill Clinton and many more, specify many
different qualities an orator should have, may it be articulate,
nimble and steadfast or it be bold and declarative; the
capability to hold their interests for long.
Great orators are the ones who stir up revolutions, stir up
emotions and spur people to action as we know the power of
spoken words is undeniable. The word “oration” comes from
the Latin word “oratio” for “speech” and “orare” for “to plead,
speak, or pray.” Vittorio Emanuele Orlando quotes “Oratory
is just like prostitution: you must have little tricks”.
A good oratory or in turn speaking up infront of masses is not
just due to genes. It is actually a skill comprised of physical
behavior and can be learned by anyone who cares to
succeed. A good oratory is needed for the emancipation of
the individual be it be in relationships, forums, education
and work.
"I have been complimented many times and they always
embarrass me; I always feel that they have not said
enough."
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
TRICOLON / (THREE PART LISTS)
Three-part lists, also known as a tri-colon, are words, phrases,
examples, or the beginnings or endings of phrases or
sentences in threes. By using three points to augment a
single argument, it makes it memorable for the audience
without trying to bludgeon them into submission by making
too many points.
‘Government of the people, by the people, for the people’ ...
President Abraham Lincoln, ‘Never in the history of human
endeavour has so much been owed by so many to so few’ ...
Sir Winston Churchill.
‘Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve
me and I will learn’ – Benjamin Franklin
‘The God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all
deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness’ Barrack Obama.
‘everything in life depends on human relationships- business,
selling and getting rich is no exception.’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
ANTITHESIS (CONTRASTS )
Contrasts, also known as antithesis, are two ideas that are
usually (although not always) diametrically opposed placed
in close proximity. It draws an audience’s attention to their
differences in a much stronger way than if they are
separated by several sentences.
‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a
nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their
skin but by the content of their character’ -- Martin Luther
King, Jr.
‘We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together
as fools’ - Martin Luther King, Jr
‘Reasonable men adapt to the world. Unreasonable men adapt the
world to themselves . That's why all progress depends on
unreasonable men’ - George Bernard Shaw
‘No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by
making the other poor bastard die for his country’ - General
George Patton
‘That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind’
--Neil Armstrong
‘To be or not to be, that is the question’ - William Shakespeare
(Hamlet)
'It is obvious that women are smarter than men. Think
about it - diamonds are a girl's best friend; man's best
friend is a dog. '
-Anonymous
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
‘The success of our economy has always depended not just on the
size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of
our prosperity ...’ - Barack Obama
‘Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the
pursuit of justice is no virtue.’-Barry Goldwater - Republican
Candidate for President 1964
‘Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more’.
Brutus in: ‘- Julius Caesar’ by William Shakespeare
‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the
age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the
epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the
season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the
spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had
everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were
all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct To Hell.’
- Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities)
‘Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to
mankind.’ -JFK, in a speech to the UN.
Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many
to so few.’-Winston Churchill, in his speech to parliament on
August 20, 1940.
‘…if in doubt, do the right thing; act in the same way you
would want people to act if the matter concerned you.’
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
ALLITERATION (Repeating The Same Sound)
Alliteration repeats the same sound or letter beginning several
words in sequence.
‘They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has
ever known. They have served tour after tour of duty in
distant, different, and difficult places.’ – President Barack
Obama
‘With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray
together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to
stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free
one day.’ – Martin Luther King, Jr.
‘....we shall not falter, we shall not fail.’- President G.W. Bush
Address to Congress following 9-11-01 Terrorist Attacks.
‘Let us go forth to lead the land we love.’ President J. F.
Kennedy, Inaugural 1961
‘Veni, vidi, vici.’ (I came, I saw, I conquered)-Julius Caesar
‘My style is public negotiations for parity, rather than private
negotiations for position’ - Jesse Jackson
‘We want no parlay with you and my grisly gang who work my
wicked will ‘ -Winston Churchill
‘That power ... which derives strength and perverted pleasure
from persecution’ - Sir Winston Churchill
‘since the leader leads and hence dictates the growth or
otherwise of a venture, or relationship, or institution or
country, it is important that either when the organisation,
relationship, institution, faces a challenge, then either the
leadership style (leadership) should be changed, or the leaders
(leadership) should be changed.’
-Ojijo. Politics of Poverty: Odinga Course to the Luos!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
‘Step forward, Tin Man. You dare to come to me for a heart, do
you? You clinking, clanking, clattering collection of
caliginous junk...And you, Scarecrow, have the effrontery to
ask for a brain! You billowing bale of bovine fodder !’ - the
Wizard of Oz
‘Our party ...has always been at its best when we have led not by
polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction
...’ - Barack Obama
‘I will never put a better bit of butter on my knife’ -advertising
slogan, Country Life butter
‘the instrument of humanity's liberation is skills!’
-Ojijo. Talanta: Ojijo’s Guide to Identifying, Developing &
Selling my Talent & Career Skills!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
ALLUSION (Reference To A Famous Person Or
Event)
Allusion is a short reference to a famous person or event. It
must be easily understood. It explains, or enhances the
subject under discussion without sidetracking the listener.
‘You must borrow me Gargantua's mouth first.’ Tis a word too
great for any mouth of this age's size’ - Shakespeare
‘If you take his parking place, you can expect World War II all
over again’
‘i wonder how poor people survive!’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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AMPLIFICATION (REPEAT A WORD, WITH
DETAILS ADDED )
Amplification repeats a word or expression while adding more
detail to it, in order to emphasize something.
‘I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I
have the heart of a king, and of a king of England, too’ Queen Elizabeth I
‘the poor are poor because they are poor.’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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ANADIPLOSIS (STARTING A CLAUSE WITH LAST
WORD )
Anadiplosis repeats one or several words that end one clause
and begin another.
‘Some men are born with greatness, some men achieve
greatness, and some men have greatness thrust upon them’ William Shakespeare
‘The love of wicked men converts to fear, fear to hate, and hate
turns to death’ - William Shakespeare
‘Men in great place are thrice servants: servants of the state;
servants of fame; and servants of business’ - Francis Bacon
‘They call for you: the general who became a slave; the slave who
became a gladiator; the gladiator who defied an Emperor’ Joaquin Phoenix (from the movie Gladiator)
‘Suffering breeds character; character breeds faith.’ – Rev.
Jesse Jackson
‘Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to
suffering.’ – Yoda
"there are two things that every man needs...ideas and
money.’
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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ANAPHORA (REPEATING A CLAUSE )
Anaphora repeats the same word or words at the beginning of
successive phrases, or sentences.
‘To think on death it is a misery, To think on life it is a vanity; To
think on the world verily it is, To think that here man hath
no perfect bliss’ - Peacham
‘But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One
hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly
crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of
discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on
a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of
material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is
still languished in the corners of American society and finds
himself an exile in his own land’ - Martin Luther King, Jnr.
‘with ideas and no money, idea will gnaw at the mind of the
thinker...there is frustration; with money and no ideas, the
money will quietly flow away, hence, there is frustration...’
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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‘But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate,
we cannot hallow this ground.’ - Abraham Lincoln
‘We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall
fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we
shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in
the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may
be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the
landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the
streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never
surrender.’-British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
‘For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and
travelled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they
toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of
the whip and ploughed the hard earth. For us, they fought
and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy
and Khe Sahn’ - Barack Obama.
“in the kingdom of business, ideas are the slaves, capital is the
king!”
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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ANTISTROPHE (REPEATING WORD OR CLAUSE AT
END OF SENTENCES )
Antistrophe, also called epistrophe, repeats the same word or
phrase at the end of successive clauses.
‘In 1931, ten years ago, Japan invaded Manchukuo -- without
warning. In 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia -- without warning.
In 1938, Hitler occupied Austria -- without warning. In 1939,
Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia -- without warning. Later in
1939, Hitler invaded Poland -- without warning. And now
Japan has attacked Malaya and Thailand -- and the United
States -- without warning’ - Franklin D. Roosevelt
‘A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake
our friends and break the bonds of fellowship, but it is not this
day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of
men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we
fight!’ - King Aragorn (from the movie 'The Return of the
King'),
‘It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared
the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can. It was whispered by
slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom
through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can. It was sung by
immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and
pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving
wilderness: Yes, we can’ - Barrack Obama
‘if I look for opportunity, I will attract opportunity.’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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ANTIMETABOLE (REPEATING PHRASES IN
REVERSE ORDER)
The repetition of words or phrases in successive clauses, but in
reverse order.
‘Not all schooling is education nor all education is schooling.’
– Economist Milton Friedman
‘Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.’ – Scientist
Carl Sagan
‘Failure is success if we learn from it.
-Anonymous
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ASSONANCE (USE OF WORDS WITH SAME VOWEL
SOUNDS )
Assonance is the successive use of different syllables with the
same or similar vowel sounds in words with different
consonants. It is similar to rhyme, but can be used with
similar sounding words.
‘I feel the need for speed’ -- Tom Cruise (from the movie Top
Gun)
‘It beats as it sweeps as it cleans’ - advertising slogan for
Hoover vacuum cleaners.
‘Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.’
The Lord's Prayer.
‘fame is for all men; we neither choose it, no does it choose
us...our actions attract it!’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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ASYNDETON (NO CONJUNCTIONS )
Asyndeton is a lack of conjunctions (e.g. 'and') between
successive phrases or words.
‘He was a bag of bones, a floppy doll, a broken stick, a
maniac.’ – Jack Kerouac
‘…and that government of the people, by the people, for the
people shall not perish from the earth.’ – Abraham Lincoln
‘We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any
hardships, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure
the survival and the success of liberty’ - JF Kennedy, Inaugural
Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use;
our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the
force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility
and restraint’ - Barrack Obama
‘it is not smart to be stupid about money.’
-Ojijo. Making My Child Financially intelligent: Money Lessons
By Age group (From 3-13 years)!
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CHIASMUS (REVERSAL )
Chiasmus is a very commonly used and effective technique
where the words in one phrase or clause are reversed in the
next.
‘But just because you're born in the slum does not mean the
slum is born in you, and you can rise above it if my mind is
made up’ - Jesse Jackson
‘It is not the men in my life that counts: It is the life in my men ‘
- Mae West
‘And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what my country can do
for you; ask what you can do for my country’ -- John F.
Kennedy, Inaugural Address
‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’ - unknown
‘it is very easy to rule, but very difficult to lead, ignorant
people.’
-Ojijo. Politics of Poverty: Odinga Curse to the Luos!
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‘Whether we bring our enemies to justice or bring justice to
our enemies, justice will be done’- President George W Bush
‘If black men have no rights in the eyes of the white men, of
course the whites can have none in the eyes of the
blacks’ - Frederick Douglass
‘The true test is not the speeches the president delivers; It is if
the president delivers on the speeches’ - Hilary Clinton
‘I'd rather be looked over than overlooked’ - Mae West (again)
‘Is man one of God's blunders or God one of man's blunders?’
- Friedrich Nietzsche
‘One should eat to live, not live to eat’ - Cicero
‘The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to
preserve change amid order’ - Alfred North Whitehead
‘ my manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is
good is not original, and the part that is original is not
good’ - Samuel Johnson
Nothing is as violent as ignorance.
-Emma Goldman
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DIACOPE (REPEATING A PHRASE AFTER AN
INTERVENTION )
Diacope is repeating a word or phrase after an intervening word
or phrase.
‘Free at last, free at last; thank God almighty, free at last!’ Martin Luther King
‘The people everywhere, not just here in Britain, everywhere -they kept faith with Princess Diana’ - Tony Blair
‘Put out the light, and then put out the light.’ – William
Shakespeare, Othello
‘For the love of God, man, for the love of God.’ – Me, all the
time
‘You’re not fully clean unless you’re Zestfully clean.’ – Zest Soap
commercial
every generation has a dictator, and a savior.
-Ojijo. Politics of Poverty: Odinga Curse to the Luos!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
EPONYM (Substitution Name For An Attribute)
Eponym is substitution of the name of a famous person
recognized famous for a particular attribute, for that
attribute. By their nature they often border on the cliché, but
many times they can be useful without seeming too
obviously trite. While finding new or infrequently used ones
is best, it is also more difficult, because the name-andattribute relationship needs to be well established:
‘You I will not need to be Einstein to see that .... ‘
‘That little Hitler is fooling nobody’
‘We all must realize that Uncle Sam is not supposed to be Santa
Claus.’
‘to appreciate humor, i must have a sense of humor!’
-Ojijo. 99 Ways to Make People Laugh!
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HYPERBOLE (Deliberate Exaggeration)
Hyperbole is the deliberate exaggeration for emphasis or effect.
It must be clearly intended as an exaggeration, and should be
used sparingly to be effective.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, I've been to Vietnam, Iraq, and
Afghanistan, and I can say without hyperbole that this is a
million times worse than all of them put together’ - Kent
Brockman (The Simpsons)
This stuff is used motor oil compared to the coffee at Starbuck's
‘If you call me that name again, I'm going to explode!’
‘there is nothing that has happened in my life that shouldn't
have happened, every little thing, and hence i am living the life
i should have lived till now...!!!’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
HYPOPHORA (RHETORICAL QUESTION )
Hypophora is a figure of reasoning in which one or more
questions or objections is/are asked or stated and then
answered by the speaker; reasoning aloud (i.e. the original
'rhetorical question)'.
‘When the enemy struck on that June day of 1950, what did
America do? It did what it always has done in all its times of
peril. It appealed to the heroism of its youth’ - Dwight D.
Eisenhower
‘'But there are only three hundred of us,' you object. Three
hundred, yes, but men, but armed, but Spartans, but at
Thermoplyae: I have never seen three hundred so numerous’ Seneca
‘only soldiers salute soldiers! it takes a skilled person to
recognise skill. only talented people really celebrate other
people's talents.
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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METAPHOR (Comparison Of Two Different
Things By Speaking Of One In Terms Of The
Other)
Metaphor is the comparison of two different things by speaking
of one in terms of the other. A metaphor asserts that one
thing actually is another thing, not just like it.
‘From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron
curtain has descended across the Continent’ - Sir Winston
Churchill
‘All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely
players’ - William Shakespeare
‘You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of
thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold’ WJ Bryan, arguing against the introduction of the Gold
Standard
‘It is raining men.’ – The Weather Girls
*Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player that struts and frets
his hour upon the stage. ‘Shakespeare, in ‘Macbeth’
*From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron
curtain has descended across the continent.- W. Churchill
‘It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their
captivity’ - Martin Luther King Jnr.
‘the money i want is in someone’s pocket, so i need to
determine what value i will offer to obtain the money; in other
words, what will i sell.’
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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‘The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans’ President JF Kennedy
‘The mother of all battles’ - Sadaam Hussein
‘The (Presidential Oath has) been spoken during rising tides of
prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often
the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging
storms’ -Barack Obama
today, i will be a good person, and even if i have to be bad, i
will do my best to be the most good bad person...!!!
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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SIMILE (Comparison Between Two Different
Things That Resemble Each Other)
Simile is a comparison between two different things that
resemble each other, comparing an unfamiliar thing to some
familiar thing known to the listener, usually prefaced with
the word 'like':
‘He bestrides this narrow world like a colossus’ - William
Shakespeare
‘My love is like a red, red rose’ - Robert Burns
‘Let us go then, you and I, where the evening is spread out across
the sky like a patient etherised upon a table’ - T.S. Eliot
‘We are going to go through them like crap through a goose’ General George Patton
‘Seeing John Major govern the country is like watching Edward
Scissorhands try to make balloon animals’- Simon
Hoggart
‘It is like being savaged by a dead sheep’ - Labour politician
Dennis Healey on being verbally attacked by Tory minister
Sir Geoffrey Howe
‘We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and
righteousness like a mighty stream.’ – Martin Luther King, Jr.
‘You’re as cold as ice.’ – Foreigner
once honest, always free!
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
OXYMORON (JUXTAPOSING CONTRADICTING
WORDS OR PHRASES )
Apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which
seem to contradict one another.
I must be cruel only to be kind. Shakespeare, Hamlet
Hurts so good. John Cougar Melancamp
the more i read, the better i speak, and the better i write!
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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PROVERBS (TRIBAL WISE SAYINGS )
A simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated,
which expresses a truth?
Samaki mkubwa hukamatwa na ndoano kubwa. (Swahili)
By the time the fool has learned the game, the players have
dispersed. (ahsanti)
No one tests the depth of a river with both feet.
Money is sharper than a sword.
If you am In hiding, I will not light a fire.
Two small antelopes can beat a big one.
When the fool is told a proverb, its meaning has to be explained to
him.
When the cock is drunk, he forgets about the hawk.
A river that forgets its source dries up.
When a man steals my wife there is no better revenge than to let
him keep her.
He who marries a beautiful wife and he who plants corn by the
roadside all have the same problem; insecurity.
Akati kinikwa kakiri kabisa. (Kiga)
When the moon is not full, the stars shine more brightly.
there is no shame when i tried and failed; there could have
been shame if i failed to try.
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
PERSONIFICATION (Attribution Of Personality)
Attribution of personality to an impersonal thing.
*England expects every man to do his duty.’
-Lord Nelson
The rose was a soft as a baby's skin
‘Rise up and defend the Motherland’ - Line from ‘Enemy at the
Gates’
‘a problem is something i can do something about’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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IDIOMS (PHRASES MEANING DIFFERENT THINGS )
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from
the meaning of individual words, and is used to pass a
message.
‘The cat's out of the bag’ instead of ‘The secret is given away,’
‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away.’
‘climb on the bandwagon.’
‘Saved by the bell.’
‘Bury the hatchet.’
To ‘have a chip on one's shoulder.’
‘A close shave.’
‘Dot the i's and cross the t's.’
‘He who pays the piper calls the tune.’
‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’
‘The pot calling the kettle black.’
‘Raining cats and dogs.’
To ‘shed crocodile tears.’
‘Clean bill of health.’
‘Close but no cigar.’
‘Cut from the same cloth.’
‘Strike while the iron’s hot.
‘beauty weeds out the weak, sexiness weeds out…well, all!’
-Ojijo. Seventy-7 Moves of a Sexy Woman!
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SYMPLOCE (Repeats The First And Last Word
Or Phrase)
Symploce repeats the first and last word or words in one phrase
or sentence in one or more successive ones, thereby
combining ANAPHORA and EPISTROPHE
‘Much of what I say might sound bitter, but It is the truth. Much
of what I say might sound like it is stirring up trouble, but It
is the truth. Much of what I say might sound like it is hate,
but It is the truth’ - Malcolm X
‘Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night,
Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces
attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese
attacked Wake Island. And this morning, the Japanese
attacked Midway Island’ - Franklin D Roosevelt
‘There are many people in the world who really I will not
understand, or say they do not, what is the great issue between
the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to
Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave
of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some
who say, in Europe and elsewhere, we can work with the
Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a
few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system,
but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach
Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin’ - JF Kennedy
‘In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone. In
the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk
alone. In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this
world, we cannot walk alone’ - Barrack Obama
sexiness is all about the woman, beauty is only the physical
appearances.
-Ojijo. Seventy-7 Moves of a Sexy Woman!
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Conclusion (Call to Action)
My speech closing is the most critical part of my speech (even more
important than the speech opening).
An effective speech closing summarizes my main argument(s),
resolves loose ends, is memorable, and (when appropriate) gives
a clear and compelling call-to-action.
A poor speech closing is usually one that is absent altogether, one
that drags on for half the speech, or one that fails to make any
sort of conclusion at all.
There are many effective ways to close a speech. In fact, many of
the tips for opening a presentation will also work for the
closing. The most important thing is to close with a bang.
Below are tips on what I can do to make a killer closing for my
presentation or speech.
"How many of you believe there’s something you can do in
the next three weeks that would make your personal life,
your family life, your business life worse?"
-Anonymous
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Summarize the Message
In the summary, I will remind the audience the topic I tackled,
and why it is important, and the recommendations that I
offered.
Now, the call to action is not just to be at the end of the
presentation, but at end of every story, I should ad moral or
an action. So when I finish my stories, I will add a moral or
an action to the end such as, “so, what I want us to get from
this is…”
When we tell people to do something or give advice, human
nature is to play Devil’s Advocate, but when I tell a story first,
they are more likely to agree.
I will try it around the office. Instead of giving advice right away,
start with a story about the advice first and see if I get better
results.
Further, my successes are solid proof that my advice is sound, so
anytime I offer advice or a suggested plan of action; always
try to use a personal example as my proof that my advice is
valid. If I haven’t had personal success with the new idea,
find some other group or person who has and use their
success story as proof. However, the person, or group, need
to have identifiable demographics, i.e., same sex, age group,
religion, culture, or race, as the audience, so that they see
they can act, and get results.
The summary is the call to action. In the call to action, I will tell
them about what is being done to solve the problem right
now, and by whom, and what ought to be done, and by
whom.
"I have never taken any exercise except sleeping and
resting."
-Anonymous
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To end my presentation, I will summarize my main points in the
same way as you normally do in the CONCLUSION of a
written paper. I will remember, however, that there is a
difference between spoken words appropriate for the ear
and formally written words intended for reading. Terminate
my presentation with an interesting remark or an
appropriate punch line. I will leave my listeners with a
positive impression and a sense of completion. Thank my
audience and sit down.
“Many years ago Aristotle made the statement that two weights
of the same material would fall at different rates of speed and
the larger, heavier one would hit the ground first. This was
taught at the University of Pisa. However, many years later a
young philosopher named Galileo said that was untrue—that
if they were of the same material they would fall at the same
rate of speed. He was challenged to prove it. He went to the top
of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, dropped two weights different in
size but made of the same material, and they hit the ground at
exactly the same time. He had convinced everyone there that
he was right. However, guess what happened? They continued
to teach what Aristotle had said many years before because
Galileo had convinced them but he had not persuaded them.’
The greatest persuasion tool is reputation. In the world of
speaking, my reputation makes the sale. My greatest
persuasive effort will be my reputation. They know exactly
what they are getting before I’m invited. I will be able to
build a very large clientele through reputation, which gives
birth to recommendations.
-
End with a relevant quote
-
Pose a question for the audience to think about,
"I must have a big of mind; it takes me as much as a week
sometimes to make it up."
-Winston Churchill
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Ask them to Act (Call to Action)
In public speaking, the closing words are where I drive my point
home. If the audience walks away with one thing, it should
be my closing call to action. This is when I deliver the
specifics of what it is that I want my audience to do—to be
part of the solution.
It is never easy to judge the impact of a speech, so, I will not wait
for an ovation. Indeed, it might take upto a few years to hear
someone comment on the speech.
I will ask them to do something. This is the true call to action!
This could be telling the audience to vote, or to avoid extramarital sex, or to register and volunteer, or to start saving
money for retirement, or even to write to their members of
parliament.
I speak with the hope that the audience will listen and take
action.
I need to tell them the action. I will seek to persuade, because,
people are emotional and only act, I when the emotional
switch is turned on.
I can re-state highlight, clarify & stress key points & objectives
with emphasis.
When I am asked to give a public speech, I will remember that
my final words are my most important. I will use them to
turn my audience to my point of view and tell them what
action I need them to take.
Tell them what you want to tell them, then tell them, then
tell them what you just told them.
-Winston Churchill
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I will conclude with/by suggesting and justifying my best option.
I will remember to keep my proposals SMART i.e
-
Specific
-
Measurable
-
Achievable
-
Relevant
-
Time Bound
I can make my ending memorable. I will find a quote that
supports my view point or tell a quick story that shows how
the support I am asking for has made a difference in
someone’s life. I will use motivational words that inspire my
audience to stand or cheer in agreement.
Closing my speech properly is as important as my opening
remarks and delivering a thought-provoking body of
presentation. I can’t just engage them during my storytelling
and then end everything abruptly or with a bland one-liner
“thank you “speech. The closing part is the last impression I
will leave with my audience therefore it is important to make
it count.
The closing of my speech should be able to tell my audience
what I would like for them to do next.
Excuse me; is that your perfume that you are wearing?
Ojijo-99 Ways to Make People Laugh
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A speech or presentation without a call to action is a speech or
presentation probably not worth giving. The close of my
speech should clearly spell out what you want my audience
to do next.
“In order to guarantee that we save tomorrow, we need to start
today! Let’s get to work.”
“If every person in this room leaves and immediately starts writing
their goals, I guarantee you’ll enjoy next year!”
“We can have wealth or we can have poverty. The choice is ours,
and is based entirely on the decision we each individually
make today. Start saving, start investing live in the ditches
and watch your neighbors prosper. I know I’m choosing
wealth.”
i will do myself a lifelong favor if i keep reading!
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Close with a Bang
“Attach more importance to a graceful exit than to applause on
entrance.”-Anonymous
Now, there is nothing wrong with ending a speech with a “thank
you”. Actually, it is polite, but how it is said will make all the
difference. I will end my speech with an attitude, not a
platitude. Instead of firing off a perfunctory “thank you,” I
will consider launching fireworks of final passionate
thoughts from the podium. I will trigger spontaneous
applause to a well-rehearsed, well-timed, and well-executed
performance!
It takes creative thinking and a compelling delivery to end my
speech with a mighty climax that relegates the perfunctory
“thank you” as superfluous. No wonder that only seven of the
217 speeches listed in William Safire’s anthology Lend Me
Your Ears: Great Speeches in History conclude with “thank
you.”
I will consider examples of resounding speech conclusions from
heroes gone past. I can learn from these to spark my creative
energy and capture the spirit of ending with a bang.
On the brink of the American Revolution, the colonists were
debating the war. Patrick Henry concluded a stirring speech
on March 23, 1775 with this:
“Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of
chains and slavery. Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what
course others may take but as for me give me liberty or give
me death.”
"When I was in school I used to answer hard questions
quickly. I would quickly say, I don’t know."
-Winston Churchil
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In the face of a German threat of an invasion upon England in
World War II, Winston Churchill on June 18, 1940 called
upon all of the British to brace themselves. He concluded his
speech with the words that have become the title of the
speech:
“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duty and so bear ourselves
that if the British Commonwealth and Empire lasts for
thousands of years, men will say: ‘This was their finest hour.’”
The High Note
Leading speakers end their speeches like the opera star—on a
high note, vocally and intellectually. Just as the comedian
should leave ‘them laughing, the speaker should leave ‘them
thinking. Last words linger. Last words crystallize my
thoughts, galvanize my message, and mobilize my audience.
I can refer back to my opening anecdote or quote and say, “We
have arrived, now, where we began.”
Then I reiterate the message I want my audience to remember.
This will achieve symmetry in the classic3-part speech
outline:
“Tell ‘em what you are going to tell ‘em; tell ‘em, then tell ‘em what
you just told ‘em.’
You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of
the people some of the time, but you can never fool mom!
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The Challenge
I will challenge my audience to apply what I have told them in
the speech.
If I was concluding a speech on the importance of taking action, I
could say:
“Let’s turn from spectators into participants. Let’s recall the
inspiring words of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt who said:
‘Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs
even though checkered by failure, than to remain with those
poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because
they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor
defeat.’
We have too much to do to sit on the sidelines. We need you to step
out of the gray twilight into the bright sunshine so that we can
all see the dawn of a new day.”
What's the difference between stress, tension and
panic? Stress is when wife is pregnant. Tension is
when girlfriend is pregnant. Panic is when both are
pregnant!
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The Echo
“Last words crystallize your thoughts, galvanize your message,
and mobilize your audience.” - Peter Jeff
I will focus on one word in a quotation and emphasize that word
to echo my final point.
For example, I can consider the five echoes of the word “do” in
this ending to a speech on the importance of getting involved
in the education process:
“More than 450 years before the birth of Christ, Confucius said:
‘What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; what I do, I
understand.’
Let’s do it together. We’ve heard what we have to do. We’ve seen
what we need to do. Now is the time to do it, and, together, we
can do it.”
[small crowd] I forgot to bring something with me—my audience.
~ Unknown
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The Repetition
I will find a phrase and structure it in a repetitive format that
strikes the cadence of a drummer, building to a crescendo
ending of a motivational speech:
“Architects cannot renovate it.
Businesses cannot incorporate it.
Churches cannot inculcate it.
Only you can orchestrate it.”
Or
Developers cannot innovate it.
Engineers cannot calculate it.
Governments cannot legislate it.
Only you can orchestrate it.”
Or
Judges cannot adjudicate it.
Lawyers cannot litigate it.
Manufacturers cannot fabricate it.
Only you can orchestrate it.”
Or
Politicians cannot appropriate it.
Scientist cannot formulate it.
Technicians cannot generate it.
Only you can orchestrate it.”
Man: Your place or mine? Woman: Both. You go to
yours and I'll go to mine!
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The Title
I can also give my speech a provocative title that encapsulates
my message memorably. Then, use the title of my speech as
my closing words to stir my audience to think more fully
about what they just heard, reinforcing the title of the speech
that I referenced earlier.
The hint here is to try writing the ending of my speech first to
better construct the title.
The Sing Song
I can also ask the audience to repeat a phrase that I used several
times in my speech.
For instance, if my phrase was: “Together, we can win.” I repeat
that phrase over and over again. Then just before my close, I
say:
“I know that all of you are talented, all of you are driven. I know
that none of us can do this alone, but (pause) Together (pause)
we can (pause until the audience responds.)
The Vision
Create a mental vision of the future and motivate your audience
to work towards it. I can also motivate my audience by
sharing my vision. I will create a mental picture for my
listeners of what could happen as a result of my call to action
. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. illustrated this beautifully with
the final words of his epic “I Have a Dream” speech:
I get no respect with my wife. I fell asleep with a
cigarette in my hand. She lit it!
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The Question
I can also leave my audience with a rhetorical question that will
make them think.
“And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we
let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every
state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when
all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and
Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands
and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last!
free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
I can end with a rhetorical question that captures my message
and leaves the audience thinking. One that directly ties into
my call to action can be very effective. Here are two
examples:
“What choice will you make when you leave here today? Will go
about your normal routine or will you __________?”
“Ultimately, the future of Nairobi lies in your hands. When will you
be ready to do something about it?”
When you are married, nobody asks about your sex life.
They know that you don't have one!
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The Callback
I can also refer back to a story I told where some activity was not
fully completed. Then pick up the story and close it around
my theme.
For example:
“Remember those bubbles that four year old held so gently in his
hands? Well now those same gentle hands are now poised
skillfully around the hearts of hundreds of people. Today he is
a heart surgeon.”
“ ‘Life is made up of small comings and goings. And for everything
we take with us, there is something that we leave behind.’
So too this year, in a very special way, we have lost our old
company in a very special way. Now we are moving on to a
stronger, more mature company.”
The Quotation
I can use a famous quotation to harness the audience’s attention,
much like turning on a spotlight.
For example, if I was concluding a speech on the importance of
maintaining self confidence in the face of adversity, I could
say:
“We have to be like the bird –the bird that author Victor Hugo one
observed – the bird that pauses in its flight awhile, on boughs
too light, – on a branch that is likely to break– feels that
branch break, yet sings, knowing she hath wings.”
The first rule of talking to a man: Keep it simple! Give
him only one thing at a time to think about!
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The Third Party
I will also take the use of a quotation up a notch with the Third
Party Close. I will leverage the use of a quotation in context
of my message. I will use the premise of that quotation to
frame my finale so that it serves as a launching pad to lift my
message high for the audience to more fully appreciate.
If I was concluding a speech on the importance of embracing
change, I could say:
Change has become a way of life to a better life. We have to recall
the insight of President Abraham Lincoln, on the brink of Civil
War and fighting the near 100-year long tradition of slavery in
the United States dating back to George Washington and
Thomas Jefferson, who owned slaves. Lincoln looked change
directly in the eye and said:
“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate for the stormy
present and future. As our circumstances are new, we must
think anew and act anew.”
And so must we. We need to look at this old issue in a new way, not
simply for today but to make our tomorrows more rewarding,
more fulfilling, and more compelling because of the change we
make today. With your help, we can think anew and act anew
on the issue before us today.”
Strong closing lines are important if I want my audience to take
action. I will learn how to conclude my presentation with the
influence and power it needs to compel my audience to take
my prescribed action.
Men prefer looks to brains because most men can see
better than they can think!
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Many speakers spend so much time on the opening attentiongetter, on organizing the main points, using the rule of three,
inserting humor, etc., that they run out of steam when it
comes to end.
A public speaking presentation is a speech that is made in an
effort to influence a specific outcome. My goal is to persuade
my audience to believe in my cause and to take action to
support me. Political speeches and fundraising speeches are
great examples of public speaking. In public speaking, my
final words – my closing– are the most important.
I will forget weak endings like:
“Well, it looks like I’m about out of time. If you want to know
more, I’ll stick around for a few minutes.”
“Are there any questions? No, it does not look like it. Thanks for
coming.”
My conclusion should signal the end, but it is not just a final
sentence. In public speaking, I use this time to summarize the
benefits of taking a specific action. If I told stories in the body
of the presentation, now is the time to remind the audience
of the main stories I told.
If I choose to signal the end with the words “in conclusion” (and
this is not very much recommended), I will make sure I mean
it. I will not ramble on for another 30 minutes or add new
points to my talk.
“The test of a real comedian is whether you laugh at him before he
opens his mouth.”
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The Exit
After I have delivered my call to action and concrete steps my
audience can take, I will make my exit memorable. I am
looking for applause and agreement. I want to know that my
message got through.
These transcripts show the “exit” line delivered by President
Barack Obama.
"We don't turn back. We leave no one behind. [Cheers.] We pull
each other up. [Cheers, applause.] We draw strength from our
victories. [Cheers, applause.] And we learn from our mistakes. But
we keep our eyes fixed on that distant horizon knowing that
providence is with us and that we are surely blessed to be citizens
of the greatest nation on earth."
Sex is not the answer. Sex is the question. ‘Yes’ is the answer.
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Tips for Effective Masters of Ceremonies (MCs)
What do people remember in an event?
It is not the children's choir, the corporate video or the music. It
is not even the venue or the food.
The secret to a great event is the person who brings all of these
diverse elements together and then delivers them with
personality, humour and charm. My role as MC is to be the
glue or cement that holds the event together.
An MC can make, or break an event.
The master of ceremony, MC, also known as Emcee, has a very
unique role to play at an event. A Master of Ceremonies, or
MC, is a personality who leads a party or event and
introduces new acts to the audience. The MC has a
particularly large place in the world of events, where the
fast-talking and always stylish MC gives flavor and character
to the event.
There are many duties to perform and not everyone can be
organised and entertaining at the same time. It is a special
skill. When considering the role of MC it is advisable to have
had prior experience of speaking in public. The skills and
techniques developed in public speaking are the same as
those needed to be a successful MC.
“Once you get people laughing, you can tell them anything”
- Herbert Gardner
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Generally, he or she will perform several functions, with some
related to interacting with guests and others associated with
others working behind the scenes. In general, an effective
emcee exhibits a warm and inviting personality, is articulate,
and has the ability to relate and work well with people.
With weddings, banquets, and awards shows, this individual is
often called on to offer a speech of some sort. The speech
may have to do with the purpose for the gathering, or be
devoted to sharing important information about an honoree
who is the focus of the event. In general, the speech is usually
focused, to the point, and kept short. This helps to keep the
event moving forward and minimizes the chances of the
audience or participants growing bored with the
proceedings.
Not everyone is capable of being an effective master of
ceremony. Since much of the work involves conveying
information to other people, this person must be articulate in
both the choice and pronunciation of words. The successful
emcee will also have a warm and accessible personality,
making it easier to connect with everyone in attendance at
the event. He or she must also have excellent organization
skills and a well-defined sense of timing, since those
attributes make a huge difference in how much attendees
enjoy the gathering.
if someone can do it for me, why should i?
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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Being asked to MC an event can happen anytime. At a social
setting, at work or for more formal occasions.
A good MC gets the crowd roaring with energy, has their own
unique style, and creates material with a spark that's almost
infectious.
And the fact is, high profile does not equal success. I've heard
famous name MCs tell inappropriate jokes and get guests,
organisers and sponsors immediately offside.
To become a good MC I need to make a good name for myself. If
performers find that I deliver them an eager and excited
audience on-stage and can chill out backstage, performers
will start requesting me as their MC.
But the good thing is, it is a learned skill.
‘there is no relationship without trust!’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Preparation
Get A Good Briefing: I need to clarify with the event organiser
beforehand what their expectations are and what they want
exactly.
Know The Hosts. The first and most cardinal rule is to know the
hosts and or main personalities in the event, and how they
relate with each other. If it is a wedding, obtaining some
back-history on the couple and their friends makes a lot of
sense. The more information I have, the more relaxed I will
be and prepared for eventualities. Is this an annual event? If
so, what did last year's MC do?
Know The Speakers. I then need to know the speakers or
performers or presenters or entertainers I am Introducing. I
should always request a formal introduction from speakers,
and or ask them to send me their profiles, and if they do not
have one, help them write one. Most professional speakers
will provide a prepared introduction. Professional speakers
know exactly how they want to be introduced, and layspeakers will benefit from being asked the right questions
about their presentation. Not only will I be prepared for their
time-slot, but I will be a legend in their eyes when I rattle off
a specific, professional introduction that makes them look
fantastic. I need to know in advance who the speakers are,
what they look like, and where they are sitting. I also need to
know if they are related to the hosts.
Knowledge = information + experience.
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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Know Service Providers and Sponsors: Make early and
professional contact with my main team. On the corporate
side, this is event companies, keynote speakers, presenters
and venue staff. For private functions this could be wedding
planners, committees, club members etc. Having great
relationships in place ensures I am more likely to be able to
enlist their help if needed, and means I am better prepared
for any issues on the day.
Case The Joint. Take time to walk the venues, the stage and
other performance areas. Where are the bathrooms? What
are the health and safety rules in the particular venue I am
In? Walking the route my delegates will take when using the
above info will ensure I am able to give them the exact
information, when they need it. If speaking to a group is new
to me, I will spend time on stage visualizing the crowd and
rehearse how I will address them.
Grow My "Gift Of Gab”. The art of talking fast and on my toes is
central to the MC's task. While some MCs speak from a script,
unexpected events like audience heckling require a quick wit
and a fast tongue. I will speak with lots of people in many
different environments to develop my gift of gab.
love everyone. everyone is different. love everyone differently.
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Have A Detailed Agenda. These instructions apply to all types
of ceremonies, from graduations to bar mitzvahs to celebrity
roasts. The key to being a good MC is confidence. Knowing
what's going on (and thus what I should talk about) is
everything. There's nothing more embarrassing than
announcing to 100 people that Joe Blow is about to juggle
bowling balls, only to have Jane Doe come out singing a song.
There is a lot to remember and do as an MC. I will make sure
my event organiser provides a running sheet so I know what
happens and when. I will ensure I keep to a detailed
timetable as closely as possible. Thorough preparation and
discussing the day with the participants will make this much
easier. The audience and speakers appreciate an efficiently
run event.
Know My Audience. It is just as important for I to know my
audience as it is for my audience to know I. Spend as much
time in front of audiences so I can read an audience's energy.
Knowing what the audience wants and when they want it is
crucial to becoming an MC.
Prepare Thoroughly/Rehearse: Spend time at the venue
beforehand getting used to the stage, lighting and sound
system. I will practice my lines out loud. I will warm up my
voice. I will get in the moment. : Meet with the organizers of
the meeting to understand the purpose of the meeting and
discuss the detailed plan of the day. Uncover as much as I can
about the speakers and if possible talk to them about their
background and their speech. Also speak to others that will
play a role in the day to build up a positive relationship with
them.
‘results are the reason for any activity.’
-Ojijo. I am A Network Marketer: Ojijo’s Network Marketing
Guide!
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Get Some Style/ Develop My Personality/Be Authentic. The
most important part of an MC's character is personality and
charisma. An MC needs to be able to sway and rouse the
crowd while knowing when to pass the mic on to the next
performer. Just as importantly, a good MC will not be
forgotten by the audience after the show. I need to let My
Personality Come Through and Be Myself. I should not be
overly wooden or scripted. I will let my personality shine
through. I am not just presenting bands or comedy acts as an
MC, I am presenting myself. I will get a personal style that
will help the audience quickly identify me on stage and
remember me off stage. In addition to informing and
persuading the audience, as a speaker, we also have an
obligation to entertain the audience. If I can WOW! The
audience, I will be memorable. So do something different
than what everyone else does. To do this, I can teach the
audience something that will surprise them, e.g., a joke, a
dance, an ice breaker, a proverb, a riddle, or a memory trick,
or even how to read faster. It needs to be a simple technique
that anyone can learn, so it is very impressive to most
audiences.
Know The Theme of the event and say something about it remind people what they get to benefit by being there. A
great way to introduce the theme is to tie it to some relevant
humour or humorous situation. This also involves knowing
last year’s, or last event’s theme, and connecting the two, so
as to give some kind of background.
‘…entrepreneurship is a means to an end; one of many means’
-Ojijo. Sell Something: Ojijo’s Guide to Entrepreneurship &
Raising Capital!
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Have A Backup Plan, Be Prepared For The Unexpected
Happening: In spite of all the planning and preparation the
meeting can get off track. Although I cannot plan precisely
for the unexpected event, I can have some contingencies in
place. An efficient MC will have a supply of contemporary
stories and anecdotes that can be used to cover up any
confusion arising from the unforeseen circumstances. The
more that I have, the better my presentation will be, and the
more that my audience will like me. Conferences and
functions are dynamic flowing events. Not everything goes to
plan and the professional MC has an option up his sleeve to
cover any late or no-show speakers that is in-keeping with
the theme and feel of the conference or event. Weddings in
particular are well known for large time-lags.
Ambience (Sounds & Lights): I will prepare nice musicals or
sounds effect, or videos, in advance, for my work, so that
when the time comes, the music is right, the lighting is right,
and the video, if any, is right.
Compliments: I will prepare some complimentary remarks
about the hosts, chief guests, event sponsors, company CEO,
founders, and or the newlyweds or granduands, whatever
the event.
Emergency Kit: Carry a sewing kit, batteries for cameras, an
iPhone charger and anything else I can think of in a rescue
kit. Guests often come to the MC with random requests like
this and I will blow them away if I can quickly and easily
resolve their panic issues. I will be a hero.
‘i am a better person today than i was yesterday?.’
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Delivery
Arrive Early: Arrive early on the day to check with other
participants that all requirements are in place. If not, take
action to correct any problems. Incorporate any last minute
changes into my plan. Also check out the facilities, e.g. where
are the bathrooms, are the microphones and the visual
equipment working? I will discuss with the other
participants including the speakers the plan for the day.
Confidence: Maintain a welcoming posture on the day of the
wedding celebration. I will hold my head high, shake hands
warmly, look people in the eye and smile sincerely. During
the program, speak clearly and audibly so that guests in all
corners of the reception venue can hear I well. I will look
confident and sincere. People will know if I am faking it. I
will relax and have a glass of water nearby at all times.
Opening The Meeting/Overview: I will open the meeting with
energy, dance, song, question, quote, and or a fact unknown
to the audience. Then I will give an overview of the event.
The opening needs only to be brief and cover the essentials
such as acknowledging any special guests, introducing
myself, and the reason for the meeting. I will remember to
make mention of key facts such as an important guest, or
very many people in audience, or a mother with a child:
anything that stands out. I will then tell the audience about
the proceedings (starting times, speaker line-ups,
presentation times, question times, breaks etc.)
‘ it ís through politics, that a country’s affairs are
determined’.
-Ojijo. Politics of Poverty: Odinga Curse to the Luos!
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Acknowledge Key Support, Sponsors. I cannot stress how
important this point is. Without sponsorship, conferences
and events just cannot take place, and very likely, they will
not be able to afford me! Give the sponsors as much air-time
as I can and find innovative ways to maximize their
exposure. For any event, the function is supported by a
number of groups; caterers, venue staff, organizational
helpers etc. I will make it part of my role to acknowledge
them publically.
Slow Down With Words. If I talk too fast it can lead to stuttering
and people watching I cannot understand what I say. So slow
down when I am talking too fast. I will speak slowly and
clearly. I will project my voice even when I am using a
microphone, taking the time to enunciate my words. My
voice is my best tool when I present, so I will use it. If I am
quiet, the audience will question my authority on the subject.
I will increase my volume a little to show the audience that I
am in control. I will make my own cheat sheet for
pronouncing words and names I am unfamiliar with, and
then sound it out with my contact to verify I am pronouncing
the words properly so I do not make embarrassing mistakes
when I have an official audience.
Self Introduction: I will introduce myself, giving an indication of
my relationship with the host, or event organisation, or the
people at the event, or the program, or the institute. During
the introduction, I also showcase my credentials, as an MC,
speaker, professional, and someone they can call or refer for
another function like this. CREDIBILITY. MARKETING.
no one climbs a tree from the top.
-Ojijo. The Wisdom of Mountain Climbing!
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Avoid Stupid Questions. I should ask questions that people
might answer with a clear choice of either ‘yes’, or ‘no’. It
keeps them focused and they won't get distracted. However,
remember to ask questions which will elicit a clear, one
word, simple answer, of either, “cold”, “warm”, “yes”. “no”,
etc.
Engage My Crowd: I need to give my audience a little attention
here and there. If I am an MC at a wedding, I may want to rile
up the guests to anticipate the bride and groom's entrance or
on-site activities. For a large-scale event, such as an awards
benefit, I may be running an auction or announcing awards
and have a little time to deviate from the script. Before
making any announcements, I will get the crowd’s attention
FIRST and also let the videographer know that you’re ready
to start the next formality.
Introducing The Speakers: When I introduce the speakers, I
will keep it brief. I will cover their name, a brief biography
and the topic of their speech. As I introduce them, I will
thank them, and lead the applause for them and the
organisers. After their speech: - I will thank the speaker and
give a quick outline of the speech - one or two lines is all that
is needed. I will brief each of the event professionals before
making announcements to make sure they are prepared and
ready for THEIR role in the next phase of the evening.
Provide A Mix Of Entertainment And Information. The key to
a good MC is light and shade. I need to tell the audience
something they do not know about the hosts, event, or
sponsors, while at the same time, entertaining them with
interludes of jokes, music, or even dance.
‘…a professionalized talent is the most rewarding career!’
-Ojijo. Talanta: Ojijo’s Guide to Identifying, Developing &
Selling my Talent & Career Skills!
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Improvise: I can also use my other talents so that the audience
or guests will not get bored with all my talks. I can sing or
dance if I am skilled for it. I can become a total entertainer
just to make sure that the event will be happy and enjoyable.
I should be prepared to handle glitches, such as the late
arrival of the newlyweds, by keeping the guests entertained.
Run On Time: The major role of a good MC is to keep the event
running on time. It is my role to make this happen. No one
likes an event that runs over time. I need to be firm on time.
This is one element that is non-negotiable. Know the proper
timing, such as when to introduce the bride and groom's
parents and speakers, and at what point to invite guests to
dinner and dancing.
Music: I need to have the sound tracks, background music, or
music interludes, which reflects the energy of the occasion. It
is a funeral, I need classical dirges, and if it is a wedding, I
need to pre-select energy, and soulful music. If it is a
graduation, it needs to be full of energy, verve, and passion.
Knowing the general age of the audience, and the current hit
songs, will be a plus. This is also the time for me to make
dance move.
Connect Activities: I have to link, segue and make a transition
directly from one section or theme to another during the
entire event. The best MCs do this seamlessly and
effortlessly. Comment on what just happened. Nothing is
worse than for something to happen on stage and the emcee
goes right on with the next introduction as if he/she missed
the point. I will find something humorous or meaningful
about the previous person/event when I come back on stage
and I use that to begin my transition to the next introduction.
minimizing my risks from the outset is the best form of
"insurance" i can buy.”
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Focus On The Speakers and Performers: I will remember the
speakers or performers I am Introducing are the stars of the
show not the MC. I will not grandstand, big note or let my
ego get in the way. I will let the event elements, be they
speakers, performers or award winners, shine. At the other
end of the scale, I will listen carefully to their presentation when the time comes to thank the speaker, I will be prepared
with a succinct summing-up of their presentation as part of
my outro.
Humour. There will always be a dull or idle moment in every
event. This is really unavoidable. But to prevent this from
happening in a very important event like weddings, I should
make sure that put in bits of humor and funny lines in my
script. This will keep the guests alive and interested with
what I have to say. This will also avoid any untoward
incidents to happen during a wedding. I will keep everyone
connected with the event. Every audience deserves my
respect and ability to entertain without resorting to offcolour material. If in doubt, choose something non-offensive.
HANDY HINT - jokes where the audience do not see the
punch-line coming are the most effective. I can go one
further and research specific jokes, energizers, one-liners etc
that are geared towards the industry or event I am
performing at. Guests appreciate a good, well-timed joke, but
keep humorous asides in good taste and make sure they are
appropriate for kids in attendance.
Getting everyone to do what they are best at: that is
leadership.
-Ojijo
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Keep It Short. If the emcee takes too much time, it takes the
focus away from the event.
Enjoy Every Minute: Although the MC's aim should be to be
almost transparent to the audience, I really am the person
making the difference at the front of the room, the one who
will be the lynch-pin, the captain of the ship. Getting it right
as a professional MC will pay huge dividends for my future.
Smile Constantly. Smiling shows the crowd that I am at ease
and having a good time. I want them to be at ease and have a
good time, so I've got to set the example. If need be, imagine
in advance several happy or funny scenarios. I will play out
these scenarios in my head while I am talking to the crowd. I
will remember the old speech class advice - imagine everyone
in the crowd is in their underwear. My light-heartedness is
sure to rub off.
Language: I will use language that is appropriate for the event
at all times. If it is a sports function, then I will use sports
terms to communicate, and if it is a religious function, then I
will use quotes and verses from the religious texts.
Closing The Day: At the end, I will thank the audience and
mention some highlights of the event. I will recognise special
guests and sponsors. I will then thank all the speakers and all
who attended. If appropriate, I will make a special thanks to
the organisers and any individuals who especially
contributed to the success of the day. I will then include a
summary of the day and include any highlights of the
meeting.
i need to think once and for all; i need to think big.
-Ojijo. The Gift of E11even Moves to Make Me Wealthy!
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Debating Skills: Tips & Tricks
Content & Procedure
What is a Debate? A debate is an argument with rules. Two
teams present a resolution (sometimes called a proposition)
or topic that they will debate. The arguments are timed. One
team is for the resolution (PRO or affirmative) and the other
team is opposition (AGAINST or negative). A judge decides at
the end of the debate who is the winner (based on point
system)
Why Debates? Debating can help you develop many abilities,
like reasoning, research and speaking skills. Debates usually
focus on relevant and often deeply divisive propositions,
emphasizing the development of critical thinking skills, and
tolerance for differing viewpoints. It is each candidate’s
opportunity to present their ideas to a wide audience and
persuade viewers of their positions. Similarly in a business
presentation, a presenter must win over the audience and
clearly communicate his point of view in a way that causes
the audience to take action. From negotiating difficult deals
at work to dealing with heated emotional conflicts, debating
is a part of life. And tactics such as keeping quiet, finding an
opponent's Achilles heel and suppressing emotion can help
you get the upper hand -- and what you want -- in an
argument.
“Most debates, over most things, are predicated on fear, rather
than facts, science and evidence.”
-Ojijo
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Question, Topic, or Issue: The question for debate is introduced
by a president or moderator who proceeded to regulate the
discussion. Debate teams debate over an issue, more
commonly called a topic or proposition. The issue, by
convention, is presented in the form of an affirmative
statement beginning with "That", for example, "That cats are
better than dogs," or "This House", for example, "This House
would establish a world government." The subject of topics
varies from region to region. Most topics however, are
usually region specific to facilitate interest by both the
participants and their audiences.
Team Members: Each team can have one, two or three
members, or as many others, in parliamentary debates. Each
team member is named according to their team and speaking
position within hisher team. For instance the second speaker
of the affirmative team to speak is called the "Second
Affirmative Speaker" or "Second Proposition Speaker",
depending on the terminology used. Each of the speakers'
positions is based around a specific role. For example, the
third speaker has the opportunity to make a rebuttal
towards the opposing team's argument by introducing new
evidence to add to their position. The last speaker is called
the "Team Advisor/Captain". Using this style, the debate is
finished with a closing argument by each of the first speakers
from each team and new evidence may not be introduced.
Each of the six speakers (three affirmative and three
negative) speak in succession to each other beginning with
the Affirmative Team. The speaking order is as follows: First
Affirmative, First Negative, Second Affirmative, Second
Negative, Third Affirmative, and finally Third Negative.
“Use soft words and hard arguments.”
-English proverb
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Power Matching: In the first round of the tournament, all of the
teams are randomly matched to compete with each other.
After the first round of some tournaments, teams are “power
matched” to go up against other teams with similar records
(e.g. in the second round, a 1-0 team will be matched with
another 1-0 team). If there is a tie in record, the judges will
use the number of ballots and total points earned to decide
the matching. This allows for teams to compete with other
teams of similar skill.
Time: Speakers were given set amounts of time to argue their
point of view, and, at the end of the debate, a vote was taken
to determine a decision or adjourn the question for further
debate. Speakers were not permitted to slander or insult
other speakers, or diverge from the topic at hand, again
illustrating the value placed on politeness.
Opening Statement/Constructive Speech: The first speaker of
the Proposition (Prime Minister) opens the debate, followed
by the first speaker of the Opposition (Shadow Prime
Minister), then the second speaker of the Proposition and so
on. These are called constructive speeches. Depending on
rules, it can begin with BIRT (Be it resolved that…). Then the
debater/speaker states 3 or 4 supporting points first. The
common strategy is to then elaborate on each one, from
strongest to weakest. Finally, the speaker recaps. The first
speaker in a debate must make sure that the resolution is
clearly stated and defined.
“If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as
wherein they agree, there would be far less anger. “
-Joseph Addison
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Resolution: This is the topic of the debate. The point on which
both parties have agreed to debate. It is always stated in the
positive. It begins with the phrase (BIRT): Be it resolved that
…. For instance, “Be it resolved that Somalia is a better place
to live than Rwanda.”, and not, “Be it resolved that Somalia is
NOT a better place to live than Rwanda.”, or “Be it resolved
that all public schools in Kenya should make uniforms
mandatory for all students.” and not “Be it resolved that all
public schools in Kenya should NOT make uniforms
mandatory for all students.”
Point of Information: After the first minute of each speech, and
before the last minute, members of the opposing team may
request a 'point of information' (POI). The speaker may
accept or reject as he wishes (although he is supposed to
accept at least 2). If the speaker accepts, they are permitted
to ask a question. POI's are used to pull the speaker up on a
weak point, or to argue against something the speaker has
said. However after 6 minutes, no more POI's are permitted.
The debate may include points of information. These allow
you to interrupt your opponent’s speech to ask a question or
make a point about their argument. Be ready to pounce if
you spot something that does not make sense – but
remember that your opponents will do the same to you!
“He that always gives way to others will end in having no
principles of his own.”
-Aesop
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Discussion, Cross Examination or Floor Debate: After all
speakers have spoken, the debate will be opened to the floor,
in which members of the audience will put questions to the
teams. This is the most difficult part because it involves
thinking on your feet. This stage questions the validity of
constructive speech by source, date, or relevance. It shows
the weakest points, and is done very aggressively. It usually
starts with general questions then gets really specific. The
cross examiner should address flaws in logic: these are the
fallacies.
Break: There is usually a break, after a floor discussion, also
called preparation time, to allow the speakers to prepare for
rebuttal arguments, also called, closing statements.
Summary Speech/Rebuttal/Closing Statements: This is the
time to do some final damage. After the floor debate, one
speaker from each team (traditionally the first speaker), will
speak for 4 minutes. In these summary speeches it is typical
for the speaker to answer the questions posed by the floor,
answer any questions the opposition may have put forward,
before summarizing his or her own key points. It is designed
to argue the case made. It is your time to point out the
inconsistencies, absurdities, and illogical arguments of your
opponents. Rebuttal provides the opportunity for speakers
to critique their opponents' arguments. The closing
speaker(s) should sum up all relevant arguments and
rebuttals without introducing any new information.
Absolutely no new evidence may be presented during this
time.
“It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue
about them. “
-Pierre De Beaumarchais
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Judging Debates: Debates are judged as public speaking.
Emphasis is typically on analytical skills, entertainment, style
and strength of argument. The debaters are judged on the
quality of the arguments, the strength of the rhetoric, the
charisma of the speaker, the quality of the humor, the ability
to think on one's feet and, of course, the teamwork. The
winning team will typically have excelled in all of these
areas.
Matter, Manner Method. To make sure that every element of
your speech does its job, you can think about it being made
up of two matter and manner.
1. Matter: Matter is what you say – the arguments you
make and the evidence you show to support them. It does
not matter how well you speak, if it isn’t solid it won’t
stand up to counter arguments. Make sure you’ve thought
about all the arguments against you – if you don’t, your
opponents will!
2. Manner. Manner is how you say it. There are a few
techniques that make any speaker more engaging: make
eye contact with the audience, don’t speak too quickly
and don’t just read from your notes! The manner and
style needs to suit me, the subject, and the audience: an
inappropriate joke could lose you the debate, however
funny you think it is. Manner is also the way you put
everything together. Is your speech in the right order, so
your arguments follow on from each other? If you’re part
of a team, is each member taking a different approach,
and how do they fit together?
“No great advance has ever been made in science, politics, or
religion, without controversy. “
-Lyman Beecher
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Debate Types
There are several types of debating styles, based on number of
participants, nature of contest, content, and procedures.
Parliamentary Debate: Parliamentary Debate: In parliaments
and other legislatures, members debate proposals regarding
legislation, vote, and make resolutions which become laws.
Debates are usually conducted by proposing a law, or
changes to a law. Members of the parliament or congress
then discuss it and eventually cast their vote for or against
such a law. It borrows terms such as "government" and
"opposition" from the British parliament (although the term
"proposition" is sometimes used rather than "government"
when debating in the United Kingdom).
Policy Debate: Policy debate is a form of speech in which teams
of two advocate for and against a resolution that typically
calls for policy change by the government. It is also called
cross-examination debate (sometimes shortened to Cross-X,
CX, or C-X) because of the questioning period following each
constructive speech. Affirmative teams generally present a
plan as a proposal to implement the resolution. The negative
will generally try to prove that it would be better not to do
the plan or that the opportunity costs to the plan are so great
that it should not be implemented.
“Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute.”
-Josh Billings
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Candidate Debate: In jurisdictions which elect holders of high
political office such as president or prime minister,
candidates sometimes debate in public, usually during a
general election campaign.
Competitive Debate: In competitive debates teams compete,
and one is judged the winner by some criteria. There are
many different styles of competitive debate, organizations
and rules. One purpose is to train and educate young people
who may in future be required to debate and resolve
matters. Competitive debate is carried out at the local,
national, and international level. Competitive debate often
takes the form of a contest with explicit rules. It may be
presided over by one or more judges. Each side seeks to win,
following the rules. Each side is either in favor of ("for,
'Affirmative', Pro"), or opposed to ("against, 'Negative',
Con"), a statement (proposition, moot or Resolution). The
"for" side must argue supporting the proposition; the
"against" side must refute these arguments sufficiently to
warrant not adopting the proposition; they are not required
to propose any alternative.
“No matter the economy of the jungle, I will never eat grass.
It is not pride. It’s just who I am.”
-The Lion
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Oxford Style Debates: Derived from the Oxford Union debating
society of Oxford University, "Oxford-Style" debate is a
competitive debate format featuring a sharply framed
motion that is proposed by one side and opposed by another.
A winner is declared in an Oxford-Style debate either by the
majority or by which team has swayed more audience
members between the two votes. Oxford Style debates follow
a formal structure which begins with audience members
casting a pre-debate vote on the motion that is either for,
against or undecided. Each panelist presents a seven-minute
opening statement, after which the moderator takes
questions from the audience with inter-panel challenges.
Finally, each panelist delivers a two-minute closing
argument, and the audience delivers their second (and final)
vote for comparison against the first. Two teams of two
debate an affirmative motion (e.g. "This house would give
prisoners the right to vote",) which one team will propose
and the other will oppose. Each speaker will make a sevenminute speech in the order; 1st Proposition, 1st Opposition,
2nd Proposition, 2nd Opposition.
“It is better to debate a question without settling it than to
settle a question without debating it.”
- Joseph Joubert
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Turn Coat Debate: In this style of debating, which is most
popular in India at school level , the same speaker shifts
allegiance between 'For' and 'Against' the motion. It is a solo
contest, unlike other debating forms. Here, each speaker is
required to speak for 2 minutes 'For the motion’, 2 minutes
'Against the motion' and finally draw up a 1 minute
conclusion in which the speaker balances the debate. At the
end of the fifth minute the debate will be opened to the
house, in which members of the audience will put questions
to the candidate which he/ she will have to answer. In the
Turncoat format, emphasis is on the strength of argument
and balancing of opinions. The winner will have to excel in
providing a clear understanding of the topic.
Public Debate: The central focus of public debates is to promote
public speaking and real-world persuasion skills over the
predominate use of evidence and speed. To further this goal,
public debates predominantly use lay judges in order to
encourage an audience-centered debate style. Furthermore,
although the main goal of the debater is to persuade the
judge, these debates also award the best speakers within
each tournament. Public debates can have both team debate
where two teams of two debate and individual debate. In
both team and individual debate a list of topics are given to
the two sides thirty minutes before the start of the round. A
striking negotiation ensues to pick a topic. The sides, one
affirming the resolution and one negating the resolution,
then prepare an opening speech, a cross-examination of the
other side, and closing remarks for the round.
“Whenever science makes a discovery, the devil grabs it
while the angels are debating the best way to use it.”
-
Alan Valentine
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Preparation
Preparation for debating is the same as preparation for any
other public speaking session, with one minor addition:
Know the Opponent.
The other areas are clear:
1. Know the Subject: I need to research, read, listen, watch,
and get as much facts, and fiction, on the topic of debate.
It is particularly important to get the sources of my
information committed to my memory. It sounds obvious,
but it is very important - without it, it is possible to miss
out on major points or even get the wrong idea of what
the motion actually means. The topic guide usually
provides a good summary of the core arguments for and
against the motion, and it is a good place to start my
research from. I need to be prepared to justify my points
and cite my references for statistics. I need a good
balance between arguments and evidence, so I will aim
for a good mix. If I have well prepared speeches, but also
a strong command of the facts and ideas surrounding the
issue, I will find it far easier to respond to counterarguments and points from the floor that I may not have
considered. Being informed is for the debater like
exercise is for an athlete. In a debate questions may come
from the mediator or opponent, and in a business
presentation a skeptical audience could confront you
with a rigorous Q&A session. Knowing “your stuff” will
make you prepared for anything that comes at you.
“Being informed is for the debater like exercise is for an athlete.”
-Ojijo
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2. Be Current: I need to know the current issues facing the
world, the region, and the country, or city. Is it
resignation of major political figure, terrorist attack,
divorce, school protest, university strike, etc. If I keep
generally up to date with the news and current affairs,
this might be relevant in one of the future debates and
helps to get my mindset into a debating and critical one,
which I found very useful. Practicing with my team is also
good, and it can be quite interesting and thought
provoking to hear and respond to other people's
opinions. Many tournaments will have topics on recent
headliners. I should set aside an hour everyday to read
news magazines.
3. Know the Action: I need to know exactly what action I
want to cause. It must be clear whether I want my
audience to start a campaign, stop supporting a
legislation, clap, sing, dance, or go to school. I must then
find all possible powerful phrases of telling them to what
I want them to do.
4. Know the Audience: Further, I need to know my
audience. My language, examples, voice, and nature of
presentation will be determined by the audience. I need
to know their sex, their age, and their current, immediate
need. I will remember, speaking is like sales, if I am not
moving close to my audience, then, I am moving away
from my audience.
“We live our knowledge. it is what we know that determines our
next action, or inaction.”
- Ojijo
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1. Know the Venue: I need to know the venue, whether it
will be open field, or closed door. Whether there is a
podium, or not. Whether we will be seated, or standing.
and whether the chairs are short, or tall.
2. Know the Opponent: But, knowing your arguments is
just the half of it. You must also be able to combat the
opposition with sound arguments. To be able to do that,
it is important that you understand the other side’s
position. It is important that I know my opponent, my
enemy. Lao Tzu, the Chinese philosopher wrote in his
classic Art of War, that, “the general who knows his enemy,
will go to 100 battles, and will win 100 battles.” I need to
know what competition I am against. Then I will know
their weakness, their strength, their fears, their secrets,
and their plans. When I do this background research, I
also get to know the people around my opponent, for
instance, is he against drugs, when his son is using it? Is
he supporting guns, whereas he is from a group that
fights guns? Has he been paid to support a project? Is his
wife corrupt? Did her daughter procure an illegal
abortion? I must know my audience. I should also
research the opponent’s side, and argue their points, so
that I know if I have stronger come backs, and counter
arguments. Knowing your opponents argument can boost
confidence levels, although some people have been
known to fake it until they make it -- something we don't
advise. Instead, call your opponent's bluff by checking
their facts, too.
“When you resort to attacking the messenger and not the
message, you have lost the debate.”
Addison Whithecomb
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3. Drink Water: Be sure to drink lots of water. Research
shows that water gets oxygen to my brain--don’t let
myself get dehydrated. I must not go for the gold (urine
should be almost clear.) Drink 8 large glasses of water a
day, especially if I am exercising --which of course I am. I
will be surprised at how much better I feel. Do I feel
groggy when I wake up in the morning? That is because I
am dehydrated after not drinking all night. I will drink a
large glass of water immediately and I will wake up fast.
4. Visual Aids: One of the things that make the presidential
debates unique in comparison to most presentations is
the lack of visual aids ‒ don’t try to mimic this exclusion.
Visual aids complement what you are saying to help
convey your message. And, most importantly, they are
processed much faster than words and are easier to
remember.
5. Research Witty Statements: I need to research on quick
statements to come back to the opponent if they hit on
my age, lack of experience, tribe, education, or sex.
6. Practice: The more you practice and plan your speaking,
the less nervous you will be. There is but one way to be
better at anything, “know how to do it; then do it many
times over.”
“Always act like you’re winning, even if you’re not.”
-Ojijo
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Debating Skills
Once the d-day arrives, these are the practical tips and tricks to
win the debate:
1. Grand Entrance, Strong Start: I need to make a grand
entrance, either dancing, running, jogging, clapping, or
singing. I need to begin with a bang. Either a strong
powerful question, quote, or story. I need to start with
energy, verve and passion.
2. Discredit Everything/Counter: This is very important. I
need to disagree with everything the opponent says, if
not in content, then in form. I must not be seen to be
agreeing, or taken up, or won over, by his arguments. I
must be seen to be crossing the line to their side. Any
argument that I do not address in a rebuttal will be left in
the memory of others as my opponents stated it. The
strategy of just asserting the contrary is surprisingly
underutilized. Sometimes, the best argument is simply
“no, the opposite.” If they say “economic growth is good,”
why not say “economic growth is bad?” I should always
be ready for that direct clash. In all debates, the first thing
to do is to counter the previous statements,
presentations, and assertions. Counter. Counter. Counter.
3. Never, Ever, Apologize. They say, “Admit fault”. They say,
“To err is human. To forgive divine.” Well, what I know is
that once I say I was wrong, in a debate, I have lost 50%
of the debate. I should never, ever, admit fault. And this is
why I should research my topic very well, especially, the
other side’s argument.
“There is but one way to be better at anything, “know how to do
it; then do it many times over.”
-Ojijo
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4. Flow: I need to make all my points flow, both flowing in
contradicting him, and in supporting my main message,
and earlier, preceding point. It is quite possible that
somebody will offer a new perspective on my argument.
This does not necessarily directly contradict what I have
said, but might prove a good discussion point. The ability
to respond to these new ideas, while linking them to my
original argument, will demonstrate the ability to listen,
think, and respond to different points. Create coherence
between team members by each beginning with a
common Philosophy or reference to the same value. “The
Opposition philosophy in this debate will be that
nonviolence should be paramount.”
5. Speak Slowly and Lowly: I need to stay cool, calm and
collected. I need to speak slowly. Whilst the time limit is
fairly tight, it is better to have a calm and mannered
presentation than a rushed one which tries to cram too
much in. Place my strongest arguments first to get them
into the debate early, I do not leave key arguments until
later as I may not get the chance to use them. Low-talking
is a time-tested tactic in negotiations. Speak quietly and
your disputant has no choice but to work that much
harder to contend with you.
6. Go Silent: You can't lose if you don't speak. You can even
try using non-verbal cues to persuade your rival, such as
mirroring their stance, aligning yourself with the other
person to diffuse confrontation, or using a hands-down
gesture to calm tempers.
“Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion,
dissent, and debate.”
-Hubert H. Humphrey
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7. Simplicity: I need to deliver the message in clear, simple
language, with one main point, and three supporting
points. This is the speaking rule of 1 & 3. When
challenging a definition, I will use the “common person
on the street” criteria--will a guy on the street
understand or agree? I will think of a value criterion to
evaluate the resolution (utilitarianism, humanitarianism,
equality,
social progression,
nonviolence,
cost
effectiveness, self actualization, freedom of choice,
protection of the weak, human survival). Ludwig
Wittgenstein states that “Everything that can be said can
be said clearly.” Further, it a policy proposition, I must
show a significant need for change. I must show benefits
form change. They do not have to defend a specific plan-if possible it is better to simply argue that change is
desirable. Any plan I do advocate should be advocated by
someone who is credible in the real world. Of course I
should always be on the lookout for “alternative
causality.” Memorize: “Correlation does not impute
causality.”
8. Interactivity: I need to make sure the audience is doing
something with me, either singing, dancing, crying,
laughing, or saying in unison “yes”, “no”, “now”, “go”.
9. Use Wit: The ability to come back, and recover, from
sharp comments that bring out my weakness is very
important. For instance, when a reporter raised the point,
Reagan sighed, "I will not make age an issue of this
campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes,
my opponent's youth and inexperience."
“Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who
can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a
solution everybody can understand.”
-Colin Powell
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10. Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is the ability to
effectively identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments and
truth claims, to discover and overcome personal
prejudices and biases, to formulate and present
convincing reasons in support of conclusions, and to
make reasonable, intelligent decisions about what to
believe and what to do. Put differently, critical thinking is
disciplined thinking.
11. Clarity: you need to understand clearly what your
mentee is staying. This can be difficult. Sometimes your
opponents may fail to express themselves clearly,
whether from laziness, carelessness, or a lack of skill. At
other times, it may result from a misguided effort to
appear clever, learned, or profound.
12. Precision. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is a
model of critical thinking precision. Critical thinkers
recognize and understand the importance of precise
thinking in daily life.
13. Accuracy. The well known saying of “garbage in, garbage
out” applies to critical thinking accuracy. The best and
brightest of our society often make repeated failures
based on false and inadequate information. Critical
thinkers don’t merely value the truth: they have a passion
for accurate, timely information.
14. Relevance. Anyone who watches the media these days
will notice distractions of the audience from the
relevance or facts of the story.
“Everything that can be said can be said clearly.”
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
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15. Consistency. This is essential to a debator’s critical
thinking. Logic tells us that if a person holds inconsistent
belies, at least one of those beliefs must be false. Critical
thinkers love truth and detest falsehood. For that reason,
critical thinkers are constantly on the lookout for
inconsistencies, both in their own thinking and in the
arguments and assertions of others. Logical inconsistency
involves saying or believing inconsistent things and
practical inconsistency involves saying one thing and
doing another. Debaters must think logically and draw
well-founded conclusions from the beliefs we hold.
16. Completeness. We must prefer deep and complete
thinking to shallow and superficial thinking. Thus, we
condemn slipshod criminal investigations, hasty jury
deliberations, superficial news stories, and snap medical
diagnoses. Generally speaking, thinking is better when it
is deep rather than shallow, thorough rather than
superficial.
17. Fairness. Critical thinking demands that a mentor’s
thinking be fair—that is, open-minded, impartial, and
free of distorting biases and preconceptions.
18. Don’t Believe, Just Argue: Remember you do not
necessarily have to believe the side of the motion you are
on. You just have to make it appear as though you
strongly believe in it for 7 min. In competitive debates
you will have very little choice as to which side of a
motion you get.
“Everything that can be said can be said clearly.”
- Ludwig Wittgenstein
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19. Clear The Air: If you find that arguments are lost in the
fog of debate battle, remember to look to the north star to
gain your bearings. The north star is the resolution -- is
the resolution true. Is it justifiable. If you are lost, always
go back to the big picture of what the debate is about and
point the poor judge in the right direction. When your
contender goes off on a tangent, don't take the bait. Your
adversary might try to trick you this way. "Take this as a
sign that he feels threatened you'll win, and steer the
subject back to the original," “The other side of the house
seems to be focusing on issues that are irrelevant to the
main purpose of the debate -- is this resolution
justifiable.” Clear up muddled debates by offering the
other team a better case, then refuting it. If they are
vague, ask points of information to make them be
specific. If you are confused, the judge will also probably
be confused. The judge will love it when you make it clear
and vote for you.
20. Audience Questions: I should not underestimate this
section. This lasts a long time when I am under fire from
all angles but this is a very important part of the debate. I
should tackle all the questions asked to me, being careful
not to offend or dismiss the audience, and to always leave
the audience “won” to my side. During this section, I
should start thinking about the closing summations and
really try to pick up on any particularly weak area of my
opponent's arguments. “When in doubt, just say the
opposite of what the other team said.” Any rebuttal or
question from my opponents that I do not address will
also be left in the minds of my audience / judges.
“A philosopher who is not taking part in discussions is like
a boxer who never goes into the ring.”
-Ludwig Wittgenstein
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21. Be Emotional, But Hold Your Composure: While unruly
emotions may rear their ugly heads during heated
arguments, arguing without emotion is impossible (and
kind of pointless). Instead, keep emotions under control,
or use them to sway your opponent if you think they'll
bite. Hold your composure. The goal of your speech or
presentation is to give the audience the opportunity to
hear your thoughts, comprehend your message, and act
upon them. In a highly stressful, heated setting, it is easy
to get caught up in the emotion of the moment. But
raising your voice or getting upset will not benefit your
cause. Instead, keep collected even if your opponent or
audience is trying to draw you into a shouting match. You
will earn more respect for being calm and able to express
your thoughts in a composed manner. You can use an
iron fist to maintain authority during an argument, but
don't lose your cool. Control your anger during an
argument, avoid using hurtful language, and never ever
use violence. This strategy is called Iron Fist in velvet
glove.
22. Posture: If possible avoid standing behind the table or
speaker’s stand. Stand to the side of the table--this way
you can connect with the audience non-verbally. I should
never lean on the table. Never cross my feet. And move
only to help communicate an idea. I will communicate
with my whole body. I will think of the meaning of my
words so that my facial expression will add to the total
impact of what I am saying.
“When you have no basis for an argument, abuse the
plaintiff. “
-Marcus Tullius Cicero
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24. Confidence: I need to be confident. Confidence in
defending my arguments from the criticisms made by the
judges or opposing sides is critical in the overall result. I
will not be afraid of offending them! Some of the most
successful teams pick up a lot of points in criticising the
focus of the judges' questions. I will answer them
directly, but not let them subvert or change the course of
what I am trying to say. I will tackle criticism head on,
with theories, facts, and examples. I will be Bold! Often,
people will try to interpret a debate too narrowly. The
debates are carefully selected so that there are good
arguments to be made on either side, narrowing the
debate could show a lack of understanding or confidence,
so I will grasp the debate fully and be bold in what I say.
Often a strong position can bring out the issues at the
heart of the debate, allowing me to flourish more visibly
with my coherent arguments! I need to “Look and sound
right, no matter what I am saying.” I need to fake it until I
make it. Confidence is key. Judges want to make the
“right” decision, and seeming like I am certain I am
winning is a good way to capitalize on that. The most
important thing is that you are confident about the
argument you’re giving. This can be hard, especially if
you’re asked to argue a side you don’t agree with. But
don’t let it show! If you can look confident by speaking
loudly and clearly, making eye contact, standing straight
and challenging your opponents’ points, before long
you’ll have convinced everyone – including yourself.
“People generally quarrel because they cannot debate. “
-G. K. Chesterton
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25. Singular Argument: I need to take a principled stand.
The judges will be looking for my ability to defend my
position to the extreme. I will remain focused on my
position throughout my presentation, as there is no room
for altering the intention of my motion. I should be
prepared to take on some uncomfortable and
fundamental positions – not drawing back from
defending principles which are difficult to tackle in public
debate. My ability to challenge the fundamental
assumptions and values that lie behind contemporary
debates will be rewarded. I will remember the saying,
“Think like a human, not like a debater.” Too often,
debaters freak out when they hit an unfamiliar argument,
and the round completely breaks down. This is because
they are scrambling to find “the right debate argument”
to make, instead of keying in on obvious responses. The
next time I see something new, I will take a deep breath
and think to myself “how would I respond to this if my
friend said it to me?”
26. Be Broad: Unfortunately for some of us, during the
competition we can often find ourselves arguing for
motions with which we disagree. Far too many
competitors, in realising this, seek to compromise with
their position in order to reach a more balanced, 'neutral'
sentiment. It is understandable, but fundamentally not an
effective way of winning the argument. The audience will
be looking for my ability to take my argument to its
ultimate logical conclusion, and defend the most radical
of suggestions with skill.
“Anyone who conducts an argument by appealing to
authority is not using his intelligence; he is just using
his memory.”
-Leonardo DaVinci
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27. Use A Story, Quote, Proverb: Life is a story. We are
always telling a story. In debating, the same is true. I will
always be telling the judge a story. I need to make sure it
is one they want to believe in. The winner is usually
whoever told the most salient, believable story. I will not
forget to tie everything together into one neat little
package, and never underestimate the power of a good
story. Catch the attention of the judge verbally or nonverbally. Tell a brief story, vivid image or refer to a value
or theme. Try to illustrate your case with a story, famous
quotation, folk saying or proverb, classical myth, personal
anecdote, a current event, film, commercial, ad, or
startling statistic. DON’T simply state facts: This is the
path to being a dull speaker.
28. Use Fire & Ice Strategy: This will make my team more
memorable.
To make your team appear more
memorable and dynamic. One student assumes a cool,
professorial, logical and restrained style. The other
debater takes on an emphatic style of delivery that is
aggressive and energetic. The contrast will make your
team stand out and be more persuasive.
29. Achilles Heel: Find your rival's weakness to tip him/her
off balance. Try asking questions in quick succession, the
video above suggests. You can even make your opponent
sweat by asking them to prove their claims or answer
hypothetical questions -- just make sure you stay in
control.
“Nothing is as frustrating as debating with someone who
knows what he's talking about.”
-Sam Ewig
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30. Dress Smart: Appearance has a powerful effect,
especially in a close round. I must appear conservative
and clean cut. Solid or near solid color ties--avoid browns
and yellows or cartoon character ties. As a woman, high
heels must be avoided for their distracting noise. Further,
I should not wear pins or jewelry, they can distract. As a
man, I should not decide to grow a beard the week before
a big tournament.
31. Debate Your Way, not the Right Way: Debating my way
will work better than debating the ‘right’ way.” I will
always do better when I keep the debate in my
wheelhouse. If I am just not a fast-talking, technical
person, I will do better by tailoring my arguments to suit
that style than by trying to transform myself into
someone who runs 12-off. The reverse is also true. I will
do an honest self-assessment of my strengths and
weaknesses, and then work on emphasizing my
strengths, while downplaying my weaknesses.
32. Eye Contact: I will make sure I maintain eye contact with
the people around the room, especially the adjudicators.
After all, they are the ones I am trying to persuade to my
side; my team is already on my side. Of course, I will look
at the adjudicators when introducing and concluding my
speech, and also at the guests - they are part of the
audience. I will remember: every point, one eye. One
person per point, or sentence.
“When a thing ceases to be a subject of controversy, it ceases to
be a subject of interest.”
-William Hazlitt
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33. Persuade, Persuade, persuade: I will remember that
debating is sales. I am selling my ideas to the judges, and
the audience. I do not need to fight a customer, I need to
convince a customer, and agree with the customer. I need
to persuade the judges. As the Americans say, “If you
don’t win the ballot, you didn’t win the round.”
Fundamentally, all debate is a persuasive communication
activity. If I did not win the round, even if I am sure I was
going to, it is because I messed up somewhere. Most good
debates are ties. I need to give the judge a reason to
break the tie. I need to tell them why they should pick me,
and explain that to them clearly, early and often. The
judges and audiences are never wrong. their work is to
judge me harshly. With any debate or presentation, keep
in mind that your goal is to persuade your audience that
you, or your company and its products and services, are
the right choice. Mastering your subject to cogently
formulate your thoughts and arguments will help you
communicate your value statements and position in
contrast to the competition. When the audience
understands your message, they are more likely to accept
and retain your position, leading them to take action. My
work is to convince them to judge me kindly. I will stop
whining. Sulking and blaming others for my losses will
never help me grow. Not stating sources or not backing
up statements can lead to heavy rebuttal from your
opponents.
“Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause. “
-Victor Hugo
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34. Use Gestures: Point, clap, wave, mouth words, pocket,
fist, etc. I need to use gestures. With my face, my eyes, my
hands, and my body. These account for over 80% of the
communication. I will always use positive, proactive
gestures to reinforce a point. No matter how analytic and
academic a debate is, the way I present it verbally will
have an effect on my adjudicator. There is a little bit of
drama involved. For example, if the topic is comical
(which they never usually are) then one should generally
put on a happy act, and adopt a really cheerful voice. I
will match the 'mood' in which I am speaking with the
topic I am arguing about. I will use hand gestures that
illustrate my argument. This way, the audience have a
visual and they will not get bored. At any speaking event
or meeting, all eyes are on you. You are not only being
judged on what you say but also on your demeanor. Be
mindful of your composure, avoid slouching or leaning.
Pay attention to non-verbal reactions to your opponent’s
statement ‒ an eye roll or pursed lips could come across
as rude or antagonistic. And be aware that even when
you are not speaking, you are still being watched!
35. Make Them Laugh, Make them Cry. In every debate, I
must do, both, or either of the two, never neither. I need
to make the audience to either laugh, or cry, or both.
Emotions is everything, and I get it by describing the sad
situations very well, or by using a joke, humour, or self
deprecating comment.
“When in doubt, just say the opposite of what the other team
said.”
-Ojijo
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36. Use Logic: Prove your arguments by explaining your
ideas and backing them up with reasoning and commonly
known evidence. Ready: Wait until you have eye contact
with the judge. “Society should help each person maximize
-- not cut short -- their potential. Each week, my
grandmother used to go swimming at our home town pool
late into her eighties and she wouldn’t be happy to hear the
arguments my opponent made in that last speech.” “In the
first contention they said that assisted suicide promotes
freedom of choice for the individual. I will respond by
saying that freedom of choice is an illusion for two
reasons.” “First, most terminally ill patients experience
clinical depression which causes an irrational desire for
death. When the depression is treated with drugs or
counseling, the patients say they don’t want to commit
suicide. Second, patients will not freely choose but will feel
pressured into choosing death in order to spare their
families or they may be coerced by greedy family members
(a leading motive for murder), so Flag: “The impact is that
the Opposition wins when it comes to personal choice.
Assisted suicide is a threat to the individual and should not
be given the blessing of the law.” Using examples helps
illustrate your position, and uses an argument of
precedence.
37. Keep Character: Above all else, I will not sacrifice my
integrity for a win. I need to be able to live with myself at
the end of the day. We do suggest you debate with class
and keep your relationship with the opponent top of
mind, but apart from that, you have to do what it takes to
win.
“I never vote for anybody, I always vote against.”
~W.C. Fields
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38. Think like a judge, think like the audience: Think as if
you were your judge, not yourself. Remember, the only
person whose opinion matters at the end of the round is
the judge’s, not yours! A common mistake everyone in
public speaking makes is assuming that because you
understand the argument that your audience does as
well. Take into account the judge’s or audiences
perspectives. This will both reinforce your argument
because of the eye contact you will make, and it will allow
you to look for signals from the judge (ie, shaking her
head) that she understands you.
39. Teamwork: Debate is a team activity. Even if you are
stronger than your partner, you shouldn’t take over their
speech or answer all of their questions in crossexamination. When that happens, your judge is more
inclined to give both of the members lower speaker
points, and one debater does not learn the skills
necessary to get better. Instead, make sure that you and
your partner are going over arguments together so that
you can teach each other the best arguments to make.
40. Arguments, not Claims or Statements. I should
remember to make arguments, not statements. An
argument has a claim, supported by evidence. Arguments,
not statements. Arguments, not claims. Arguments.
41. Speak Within Time: DO be aware of time constraints, if
there are any. Practice your initial speech so you will be
“on top” of the situation. Know what it feels like to speak
for the allotted length of time, speaking too much or not
enough weakens your position.
“In order to become the master, the politician poses as the
servant.”
~Charles de Gaulle
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42. Think and Talk Comparatively: Always think
comparatively. Every argument that you make, at the
end of the round, will be compared against something the
other team said. If you’re affirmative, for example, you
should always be thinking in the mindset of “how does
my plan compare to the status quo?” [i.e., doing nothing,
what the negative frequently advocates]. For both sides,
the most effective way to do this is through impact
calculus. You should always be weighing the relative
importance of arguments, especially ultimate impact
claims against each other. A nuclear attack by terrorists
because of the collapse of the Pakistani state is
undoubtedly extremely bad, but is the spread of nuclear
weapons to many more states even worse? If you make
comparative claims about why your arguments matter
more than the other teams, you can win the debate round
even if the other team wins their arguments! A good flow
will help you keep track of the arguments.
43. Listen: By perking up your ears to your fellow debater's
argument, you can refine your own. Also, those who take
the time to listen before they speak appear in control,
according to psychiatrists. "The less invasive you are, the
more potent you are."
44. Outline Points: I should speak in outline form. I must
number my points “I will have two responses. The first
point is.... The second point is....” DON’T try to “juggle” too
many points at once. State your ideas in a logical order.
“Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by
being governed by those who are dumber.”
~Plato
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45. Summarize: Summarize your arguments and proclaim
them established. A flag statement is a vivid phrase
stating that your points taken together confirm that the
resolution is true. The question is settled. You win. Do
this by repeating your main points and state the impact
for deciding the debate. “For these three reasons, we can
see that capital punishment is a form of barbarism that
has outlived its time -- we should ban it.”
46. Network, Build Friendships. I need to chat to people,
make new friends and throw myself into every debate,
whether I am watching or taking part. “Winning is
important, but it isn’t everything.” The skills I learn and
the friends I make will stick with me a lot longer than my
record will. The people I meet in debate will probably
become my best friends, so I should start treating them
that way now. Building friendships with these bright,
future leaders is one of the most satisfying parts of this
activity. By building friendships you will always be a
winner.
47. Enjoy: Last, and the most important-I need to enjoy
myself and to have fun, which sounds clichéd and tedious,
but I must love every minute of the debate As the saying
goes, “it is not the destination, but the journey, that
matters.” I need to enjoy the research, the preparation,
the memorization, the trials, the practical, etc. The final
debate is but a culmination of all these.
“I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a
matter to be left to the politicians. “
~Charles de Gaulle
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Debate Judging
Debating, like public speaking, is judged on what, and how.
The what refers to the content, or matter, and is comprised of:
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
Subject Knowledge
Relevance
Logical Reasoning
Quoted Authorities
Definition
Refutation/Rebuttal
The how is the method, or style, of delivery, and comprises of:
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
¯
Personality
Persuasiveness
Language
Rhetoric (Poems, Sayings, Metaphor, Alliteration, Etc)
Appearance
Stance/Poise
Gesture
Use of Visual Aids
Collective Presentation Of Case
Continuity Of Argument
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Debate Mark Sheet
AFFIRMATIVE OR NEGATIVE
Team
1st Speaker
2nd Speaker
PART 1: Speeches
Team
Content
25
Form
25
Total Score
50 points
1st Speaker
2nd Speaker
PART 2: Question and Answer Session
Content
Presentation
Role
5 @ Question
5 @ Question
1st Question
Total Score
30 points
2nd Question
3rd Question
PART 3: Summary Speeches
Role
Content
10
Form
10
Total Score
20 points
Content
50
Form
50
Total Score
100 points
Total Scores
Role
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Grand Total
Judge’s Name and Signature: ………………. ………………
……………
Date: ………/………/……….
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Debate Rules
The following are common and standard rules applicable to
most debates:
1. Teams: A debate round has two teams with two or three
debaters each and a Judge(s). One team represents the
Government, while the other represents the Opposition.
The Government proposes a specific case statement,
which the government team must demonstrate to be
correct. The Opposition does not have to propose
anything, but must demonstrate that the case statement
is not correct.
2. The Judge, sometimes referred to as Speaker, serves as
both the judge and arbiter of the rules during the round.
3. Speeches: There are two types of arguments,
constructive (new) arguments, and rebuttal (nonoriginal) arguments. The affirmative has both the first
and last speeches of the debate. Each speaker gives a
constructive speech. Each speaker gives one rebuttal
speech to counter the opponent’s speech. The affirmative
gives the first constructive speech, and the rebuttals
alternate: negative, affirmative, negative, affirmative. No
new constructive arguments may be introduced in the
rebuttal period. The affirmative must reply to the major
negative arguments before the last rebuttal.
4. Definition of Terms: The affirmative has the right to
make any reasonable definition of each of the terms of
the proposition. If the negative challenges the
reasonableness of a definition by the affirmative, the
judge must accept the definition of the team that shows
better grounds for its interpretation of the term.
God please give me patience, if you give me strength I will just
punch them in the face. ~Anonymous
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5. Winning: The Speaker decides at the end of the round,
based on the arguments made in the round, whether the
Government has proved its case or whether the
Opposition has disproved it. The team which met its
burden more convincingly wins. The judge must base his
decision entirely on the material presented, without
regard for other material which he may happen to
possess.
6. Order of Speeches: First Proposer speaks longer than
other proposers, and both opens and closes the speech.
First Opposer also speaks longer than other proposers,
and both opens and closes the speech.
7. Grace Period: Each speech has a thirty second grace
period.
8. Address: In referring to another member, a speaker
should, as much as possible, avoid using his name, rather
referring to him as "the member who spoke last," or in
some other way describing him. The officers of the
assembly should always be referred to by their official
titles.
9. Asking Questions: Each speaker is questioned as soon as
he concludes his constructive speech. The speaker must
answer the questions without consulting his colleagues. If
one desires to ask a question of the member speaking, he
should rise, and having been allowed to speak, say, "Mr.
Chairman, I should like to ask the gentleman a question."
The chair then asks the speaker if he is willing to yield, or
to be interrupted, or the speaker may at once consent or
decline, addressing, however, the chair, through whom
the conversation must be carried on, as members cannot
directly address one another in a deliberative assembly.
If the speaker consents to the question, the time
consumed by the interruption comes out of the time of
the speaker.
You can trust your dog to guard your house but never trust your
dog to guard your sandwich. ~Anonymous
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10. Point of Clarification means that a debater does not
understand the case or a particular argument. If possible,
the speaker should try to answer the clarification to
ensure a confusion-free debate round. Do not abuse the
idea of clarification by asking too many clarification
questions or disguising arguments as clarification.
11. Points of Order: A point of order is raised when a
competitor believes that one of the rules of debate is
being broken. There are two circumstances during a
debate round under which a debater should raise a point
of order. The first is when the debater who is speaking
has exceeded her/his grace period. The second is when a
debater introduces a new argument during one of the
two rebuttal speeches. The judge will rule the point
"Accepted” or "Rejected." The judge may also rule the
point "under consideration," which means that the
speaker will determine whether the point is true at a
later time. "Under consideration" only applies to new
arguments in rebuttal, not to time limits. They can be
brought at any time and take priority over all other
speeches.
12. Points of Personal Privilege: Do not rise on a point of
personal privilege unless you have been deeply insulted
on a personal level by an intentional attack on your
person. Speakers will take into consideration extremely
rude behavior without any debater raising a point.
13. Duration: Speeches should be three to seven minutes in
duration. At the last minute, the speaker gets warning
bell. Ideally stay on your feet until you hear the 2 min 30
second bell and then finish (i.e. Mr. Speaker sir, I beg
to........) and be in your seat by 3 minutes. Time is recorded
by the timekeeper.
If people are talking behind your back, be happy that you are the
one in front. ~Anonymous
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15. Debate Language: The speaker will determine the
language of the debate.
16. Maiden speakers (i.e. speakers making a speech for the
first time) have the protection of the chair. Other
speakers may not ask or offer them points of information
without permission of the chair.
17. Point of Information: In competitive debates only the
competitors may offer points of information however in
non-competitive debates points will often be accepted
from the audience. Once you have accepted a point of
information you can't just ignore it and carry on. You
must deal with it. The debater who is speaking may
choose to recognize the point or not. If the debater does
not want to recognize the point, he or she simply says
"No thank you," or waves the questioner off. The
questioner then sits down. A debater may not simply
interrupt if his or her point is not taken. If the debater
who is speaking recognizes the point, then he or she says
"On that point" and allows the questioner to give their
point. At any time, the debater whose speech it is may
stop the POI and tell the questioner to sit down.
18. No amendment to the motion is permitted. You must
debate the motion as presented and interpret it as best
you can.
19. Summary: The last speaker on each side is expected to
sum up his/her side's argument and rebutt or refute the
arguments of the other side. Generally this speaker will
not add a great deal of new information to the debate.
20. Rebuttal is vital in any competitive speech. Any
argument left unchallenged is allowed to stand. Rebuttal
basically involves ripping the opposing side's argument
apart and exposing its weak points. All the key points of
opponents’ argument must be knocked down
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated
-Confucius
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21. Justify Statements: Be careful to avoid leaving
statements hanging in mid-air. If you say something
important back it up. Just because you know something is
true and where it came from that doesn't mean the
audience/adjudicators know where it came from and
why it's true. To a certain degree the safest bet is to
assume that the audience know little or nothing about
the subject.
22. Open Floor: Just because you may not be competing this
does not mean that you can take no part in the debate. All
debates are usually opened up to the floor after the last
speaker and once the adjudicators have retired. Often
there is a prize for the best speaker here, but time
allowed is usually no more than 1 min. to allow as many
people take part as possible.
23. Private Members Time, PMT, is a period of time at the
start of each debate where members may bring up a
motion or issue that they wish to see debated. Speeches
here are limited to 3 min. This is often a part of the
debate, which is not only used to raise issues but also
where many speakers show off their wit and humour.
24. Use Your Time: No matter how bad you think your
speech is try to stay up for the full seven minutes. If the
audience is giving you a hard time just remember that
they probably want you to walk off so don't give them the
pleasure. If the chair doesn't control the audience ask
him to. Of course you have to be able to handle a
reasonable amount of heckling.
25. Use Humour. If you can use humour it can be extremely
effective in a debate. You can ridicule and destroy an
opponent's whole speech with a one-line joke attacking
it. But don't go over the top, while humour helps,
adjudicators may not be impressed by standup routine
with little substance.
You can't change how people treat you or what they say about
you. All you can do is change how you react to it.
~Mahatma Gandhi
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Public Speaking Judging
Duo-Rule of Judging Public Speakers
For my audience to be moved to act, they will judge me based on
the duo-rule, the rule of what I said, and how I said it.
The ‘what‟ is the content, which must be relevant and simple. For
my message to be relevant, it needs to address a problem
affecting my audience. After all,
‘people will not care how much I know, until they know how much
I care.’
In debates and other firms of public speaking, people may come
up with the most stunning content for their argument, but
the fact is one-half of the judging and or marking criteria will
go to 'performance' and 'manner of speaking'.
“If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.”
~Emma Goldman
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Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Public Speaking Judging Sheet
Speaker’s Name:__________________________________________
Speech Topic/Title: _______________________________________________
Item
Score
3 2 1
1.
2.
Attire (neatly dressed, well-groomed, appropriate clothing)
Shock Factor/Attention (captures and retains attention; uses shock
factor; “bang!” entry/exit)
3. Time (Adheres to time limits)
4. Logical (points introduced, explained with evidence, concluded, facts
and figures)
5. Rhetorical Styles (figures of speech, e.g. idioms, proverbs, metaphors,
quotes)
6. Subject Mastery/Memory (No long pauses, no um, uh, you know, no
reading)
7. Interactive (questions, eye contact, gestures, signal, walk)
8. Confidence (Calm, authority, subject mastery, vocabulary, pleasant,
confident, at ease posture)
9. Humour (used jokes, funny body moves, etc)
10. Energy/Passion (enthusiasm, verve, passions)
11. Voice (Pitch, volume, speed, tone, and rhythm)
12. Story (personal viewpoint, emotional, sad, happy, experience)
13. Speaking Aids (podium, microphone, power-point, pictures, etc)
14. Call To Action (clear message, to all stakeholders)
TOTAL POINTS
Important Comments
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………
Judge Name & Signature: _____________________________________________
Page | 221
Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
…cause action!
Page | 222
Cause Action: Public Speaking Handbook (Nigro Blak)
Cause Action:
Public Speaking Handbook
Is public speaking terrifying? Of
course! Are there people who wish they
could speak better? Hell yes! Indeed,
there are people who wonder: how can I
make the audience laugh? How can I
make them cry? How can I make them
believe me? The question really is-how
can I make them to act? This is the
main and real purpose of public
speaking. To cause action. This book,
written by a public speaker, coach, and
author, who is both talented and skilled
in speaking, and running a public
speaking
network,
allpublicspeakers.com, will answer
these questions, and more, with
practical skills, phrases, and lines to
use. Let us cause action!
Page | 223