| A conversation, a sales meeting, a board | | | | what is going on that day. |
| meeting, an interview, a courtroom case... | | | | |
| all are special situations which require you | | | | 5.Speak to the level of the audience. Your |
| to communicate clearly, drive the action and | | | | script should be like a conversation you |
| create the result you want. You can learn | | | | would have with a member of your audience one |
| skills to engineer the outcome, make the most | | | | on one. Use terminology they are used to, |
| of your opportunities, gain respect, and | | | | fond of, or wishing to know more about. Learn |
| advance your career. | | | | the parlance of the field you are addressing. |
| | | | Keep away from words they are not likely to |
| Here are eleven tips to practice that will | | | | know. Use accessible language. |
| help you feel powerful and authentic, and | | | | |
| will help you be perceived as a person of | | | | 6.Use eye contact! This helps you and them, |
| authority and trust: | | | | especially when you wish to deliver |
| | | | information with an emotional impact. So |
| 1.Create a shared point of view. It is very | | | | often speakers look down at their papers or |
| important when addressing an individual or a | | | | the floor to say the most important things! |
| group of people that you establish an | | | | This is a natural impulse, it is one way we |
| immediate connection between you and them by | | | | check our own emotions and feelings. Do the |
| leading with your shared point of view. Why | | | | opposite when you are presenting. Even when |
| are you all in the same room together? What | | | | it is bad news. Use eye contact and a neutral |
| unites you? Speak to this by using "I-YOU-WE" | | | | gaze, allowing you and your audience to |
| words and phrases as much as you can. | | | | connect. |
| | | | |
| 2.Don't speak until you have taken one full | | | | 7.Use the 5 Hollywood script techniques: |
| deep breath. During that time, look out at | | | | Drama, Humor, Wisdom, Poignancy, and Surprise |
| your audience and find a face to connect with | | | | Ending. Find moments in your speech for these |
| for four seconds. Then broaden your gaze to | | | | elements and it will make you unforgettable. |
| include everyone, take a second breath and | | | | |
| begin. | | | | 8.Use your own experiences and life stories |
| | | | as examples and metaphors. Search your life |
| 3.Create a powerful opening. The first 30 | | | | for times of conflict and identify the |
| seconds are the most important to the success | | | | lessons and opportunities that came out of |
| of your talk. Use a quote, such as: "When you | | | | that conflict. This is a powerful tool known |
| are going through hell, keep going" (Winston | | | | as transferable metaphor. Your audience has |
| Churchill); "They were the best of times, | | | | come to see you, not what you have borrowed |
| they were the worst of times. They were the | | | | from somebody else. |
| times that tried men's souls" (Charles | | | | |
| Dickens). Use the words of a song. Ask a | | | | 9.Know your opening and closing by heart. |
| question. State a startling fact. Your job at | | | | These are the most important times you |
| the top of the speech or conversation is to | | | | connect with your audience. It's important to |
| get their attention. | | | | recap your dominant thoughts, tell a final |
| | | | joke or important motivational ending, but |
| 4.Before you give your speech, get an amusing | | | | know it cold! |
| anecdote from your audience. "Folks, I looked | | | | |
| at the bowling scores from your event last | | | | 10.Give time for questions. Always end with, |
| night. Where's Bob Carruthers, is he here? | | | | "Before I close, what questions do you have?" |
| Bob, do you really work here or did they | | | | |
| bring you in as a ringer? I'm scared of you!" | | | | 11.Plan your ending strategy. You can go over |
| When you incorporate this into your speech it | | | | time if the situation allows, or conversely, |
| is another "I -YOU- WE" moment and creates | | | | you can end your talk a bit sooner and finish |
| trust that you care enough about them to know | | | | with questions and answers. |