CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JANUARY 1, 2021 (PT.1)
4 Powerful Public Speaking Tips
Public Speaking Tip #1: Phrasing
When you think about it, 93% of all communication is nonverbal.
While amateurs are out there focusing on what to say, it’s the professionals that are focusing on how to say it.
A large part of this is something that we refer to as “phrasing” – where you put different inflections and tonal patterns on specific words to reinforce the point you’re attempting to make.
For instance, if I was to say the sentence “I didn’t say he stole the money”, just phrasing one word differently can actually change the entire meaning of the sentence.
If you say the sentence in your head or out loud emphasising just the first word, “I didn’t say he stole the money.” What does that mean? It means that I didn’t say it. It means he may have stolen the money, but I just didn’t say it.
An effective speaking technique is to emphasise the third word to see if it makes a difference. “I didn’t say he stole the money.” Well, what does that mean? It means that he may have stolen the money, but I didn’t say it. Maybe I wrote it, maybe I emailed it, or maybe I mimed it, etc.
If you keep doing this with each of the words, you will soon see that it changes the entire meaning of the sentence.
This is important because people feel your intention when you speak, way more than they actually listen to the words you’re using.
So a good exercise is to practice this out loud, or even record yourself, and say the sentence multiple ways until you can clearly hear the difference between the phrasing of the different words.
Public Speaking Tip #2: Tell Stories
The second of our best public speaking tips and one of the most important is this…
Amateurs share facts while professionals tell stories.
Every civilization since the dawn of time has passed down information using stories.
Why do they do this? It’s pretty simple. It’s because it actually works.
The great thing about stories is they’re visual, they’re emotional, and they’re much more powerful than just facts and figures alone.
There is something special that happens when you begin telling a story.
It’s like people go into a trance-like state, and they start to enjoy themselves, and they are certainly way more focused on what you have to say.
In fact, you have their full attention when you begin telling a story.
If you’ve ever told a story to a young child before, you’ll know that as soon as you finish the story the kids say, “Tell it again”, “Say it again”, or “I want to hear the story again!”
Your audience is just a bunch of little kids dressed up in adult bodies. Unless of course, you’re speaking to schools, well then they ARE just a bunch of kids!
I want you to think about a personal story that you have, or a client’s story, or someone else’s story that relates to your topic. A story is easier to remember than a bunch of abstract logical points.
The trick is instead of trying to remember a story, relive it. That’s what the best speakers do.
They’re inside the story imagining that it’s happening either to you right now, or that you’re witnessing it right now.
Then basically all you got to do is describe what’s actually going on.
END OF PART ONE
MAKE IT A CHAMPION DAY!
