Greatalk!

Jeff Vankooten

jeffvankooten.com
Out of a possible score of 5 in three
categories, (objectives, work of
presenter, & met my expectations),
Jeff scored 4.8, 4.8, and 4.7,
respectively. One person even gave
him 5+,5+, and 5+!
~ Lisa Mull, Conference Coordinator,
Meetings Industry Council
Jeff Vankooten is a professional speaker and hospice chaplain.
He focuses on the areas of Mortality, Meaning, and Mental
Health; extracting the riches of purpose, meaning and identity
from the human endeavor to make all of it, every doggone last
little bit of it, worth it.
He has decades of experience speaking from the platform and
has engaged audiences from non profit, TEDx, to Fortune 500.
His presentation style is personable and entertaining and his
content is substantive, compelling, and life affirming.
Audiences regularly remark on the conversations Jeff
stimulated long after the event was over.
ii
Introduction
Things that make you go ...umm...
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion
stars, but checks when you say the paint is wet? ...umm...

Why doesnʼt glue stick to the bottle? ...umm...

Statistics say that four out of five people suffer from diarrhea. Does that
mean one out of five actually enjoys it? ...umm...

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that

something new to eat will have materialized? ...umm...

Why is the bar high on a boyʼs bicycle and low on a girls? ...umm...

Do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same
tune? ...umm...

Why did you just try singing the two songs above? ...umm...

If corn oil comes from corn and olive oil from olives, where does baby
oil come from? ...umm...

Why is bra singular and panties plural? ...umm...

Why did I even include that one? ...umm...

iv
There are many imponderables in life that if you really thought
about them would make you scratch your head and go umm...
Unfortunately, one of the most prevalent imponderables is a
presentation. How many times have you heard a speaker give
a talk that left you scratching your head going umm...? Sure,
the supporting slides and illustrations were impressive, the
speaker was charismatic and made the audience laugh, he or
she might have had a gifted tonal quality to the voice, sooth-
ing to listen to, but in pondering what the speech was about,
you had NO CLUE ...umm...
In fact, 75 percent of audience members when asked immedi-
ately after hearing a speaker were unable to succinctly sum-
marize what the talk was about.
More astonishing is the fact that only 50 percent of speakers
could articulate precisely what their talk was about. If they
could answer you, it might be “just to get it over with.” No won-
der effective communication is so rare these days!
The National Center on Education discovered that executives
of 610 corporations with 500 or more employees stated that
oral and written skills were the number one deficiencies in
their organizations. They also discovered that most managers
were unable to clearly organize material and communicate it
cogently themselves.
As the pressure grows for companies and organizations to do
more with less, they will increasingly rely on oral communica-
tion. Why? Because a one hour talk delivers nearly 40 pages
of hardcopy. Even a shorter presentation can reach more peo-
ple quickly and persuade them 65 percent more effectively
(Write Now surveys)
There is a desperate need for clear communication. Our day
and age demands that we be clearly heard through the “ether”
of our information environment. There is so much information
out there that we have become immune to it all. We’ve be-
come narcotized; not sure what to pay attention to.
Getting Through
Itʼs easy to get all kinds of information these days. The mega-
bytes are swirling around our heads all day long. Itʼs a whole
lot tougher putting that information together and communicat-
ing it in ways that get through. The United States has far and
away the most public speakers on the planet. From circuit rid-
ers and evangelists, to presidential debates and improvisa-
tional comedy, we have been a nation of oral communicators.
Given the amount and proliferation of speakers and their mes-
sages today, itʼs amazing how many people arenʼt very good
at it.
The following pieces of advice are distillations of what Iʼve
learned over the years that make for great speakers and pre-
v
senters - dynamic communicators. Good public speaking skills
could be the difference between getting a client or losing them
to your competitor. It can make or break a political campaign.
For a teacher it can create students who will either be passion-
ate or indifferent to a subject. It depends on you.
My desire is to go beyond mere advice. It is my hope that you
will become the sort of speaker that heeds them to your advan-
tage and transcends them. My desire is that you reach and
galvanize an audience with a message that will truly get
through.
So, for those of you about to speak, I salute you!
The Value of most information has col-
lapsed to zero. The only scarce re-
source is attention.
For as long as I remember Iʼve been a public speaker. From
the first wails of a request in the open arena of my parentʼs
world, to the twenty- five hundred electrical union workers at
Ballyʼs in Las Vegas, I have attempted to communicate effec-
tively in public.
You too have spoken in public many times in your life. You
gave a school report in front of class. You asked a person out
on a date. You tried to win an argument. All those are exam-
ples of speech uttered in the presence of others. Whether you
like it or not, you are a public speaker. Get used to it and
strive for excellence.
One of my high school teachers told me that whenever I had a
microphone in my hand I came alive. I have agreed with him
ever since. Iʼm happiest when Iʼm speaking in front of an audi-
ence. In fact, I would rather speak to two thousand people
than to twenty.
Part of knowing what gifts you possess is how energized you
are when you express them. If something drains you when do-
ing it, it probably isnʼt a gift. There are many who speak who
donʼt have the gift. That doesnʼt mean they canʼt improve their
speaking in public, but they are drained each time they do so.
My hunch is that since you are reading this little tome on
speaking, that you have the gift of gab. It invigorates you.
Even if you think you donʼt have the gift, you will become
more energized in those moments of speaking by heeding
these pieces of advice. I also have a hunch thereʼs an idea
brewing deep down in the core of your soul that desperately
wants to get out. In fact, you can hardly do anything else but
talk about it. Great speakers, after all, speak.
vi
Eddy Merckx, winner of four Tour de France races and one of
the best bicyclists in the history of the sport was asked how he
became such a good rider. His simple reply was,
“Ride lots”
Great speakers speak lots. They take advantage of every op-
portunity to speak no matter how small the venue. In fact,
great speakers stretch themselves by speaking in front of audi-
ences they are uncomfortable with. For instance, you may not
feel so adept at communicating to elementary school children,
but I can guarantee you that when you do, you have just in-
creased your effectiveness with an adult audience. When you
stretch yourself, you never bounce back the same shape
again.
Wash off the mud
Public speaking is an articulated expression of the heart of a
person. Thus, who you are makes a huge difference in the ef-
fectiveness of your presentation. A shallow person will give a
shallow speech, while a deep person will give a deep speech -
the kind of speech that people yearn to listen to and be trans-
formed by. So self development is key to any discussion of ad-
vice on public speaking. The outer self must give expression
to the inner.
The first essential for any public speaker is integrity. An align-
ment of words and actions is essential. The tips, principles,
and advice for the public speaker are only secondary matters.
The sharp mind and warm heart are essential. Unless some-
one is living fully out of the overflow of who they are, every-
thing else will be like a glove with no hand-outward form but
no internal substance.
Many products are designed to imitate the real thing. There is
plastic decking that looks like real wood. Vinyl flooring that ap-
pears to be ceramic tile. You can purchase fake fur, diamonds,
breasts and other body parts. The purpose behind all of these
is pretty obvious, but what about a can of Spray on Mud?
The actual product of Spray on Mud is designed for use on
the outside of your SUV. That way it appears you use your ex-
pensive vehicle for more than taking kids to soccer practice.
Spray it on and friends might think youʼve just returned from a
wilderness adventure.
Inauthentic speakers, those who express mostly imitations of
who they are, are like spray on mud. Looks real on the outside
but is less than real on the inside. The Greek root for ʻhypo-
criteʼ means one who wears a mask. We need to take off our
masks - wash off the mud. What gets across most is who we
are rather than what we say.
vii
We are all presenters of our ideas, passion and image in front No one else can deliver what you have to deliver. No one else
of a watching and listening world. Our whole hearts need to can say what you have to say. In a nutshell, no one can do
be in it. you, and do it for real. The world needs your unique contribu-
tion and authenticity. The world needs who you are. The world
The public speaking event is one that takes place face to face.
needs to hear what you have to say. Please help me by com-
It remains vital and relevant. It is a highly relational event. The
municating it with excellence.
interaction between speaker and audience is special and
unique. Its personal. Its intimate. The bond that is created can-
not be achieved any other way. It will become ever more criti-
cal in this day and age.

Help me out, please

Iʼm tired of all the noise clamoring for my attention with half-
baked ideas communicated with half-assed preparation and
delivery. So many speakers out there think that if they say
enough stuff and throw it all out there, something is bound to
stick. If they put up enough shiny, happy powerpoint slides
with cheesy graphics and distracting, moving objects that we
as an audience will somehow ʻget itʼ. No way my friend.

Iʼm also saddened by speakers who have a message clamor-

ing to get out, but they canʼt articulate it clearly or dynamically.
I want that to cease. Their ideas deserve the best communica-
tion possible.

What you have to say matters to the world and I for one want
to hear it. You have something to say that only you can say.

viii
Chapter 1

Pep with
Prep
The trouble with many speakers is they go before an audience
ill prepared and their minds a blank. Since nature abhors a
vacuum the space is filled with all kinds of thoughts unrelated
to the audience: “Howʼs my hair?” “I hope I can pull this off!”
“What am I doing up here anyway?” “I hope they like me”.
Get out of the Doldrums
With so much on the line in public speaking its amazing how
little attention we pay to our preparation. Itʼs not that we donʼt
realize its critical importance to the speech, its just that there
never seems to be enough time to truly prepare as we would
like or not quite sure how to do it. So we rush through this im-
portant piece of advice. If we do give ourselves enough time,
we arenʼt sure what to do with it. So we wallow through our
preparation. We enter what is known as the doldrums.
The doldrums are pockets in oceans where winds can be com-
pletely absent, notoriously trapping ships for days or weeks
without enough wind to power their sails.
To be in the doldrums of preparation means being in a place
that is listless, stagnant, inactive, and in a slump. There is no
pep.
Take a look at a common way you might prepare for a speech.
You sit at your desk with great anticipation ready to prepare a
talk that will really leave the audience spell bound. A blank
sheet of paper or an electronic word processor is in front of
you ladened with such potentiality that it is dripping with possi-
bilities. You can imagine the accolades now. Maybe a stand-
ing ovation is in order.
Then thirty minutes goes by with nothing to show for it, the dol-
drums have set in, and the panic begins to quickly creep in.
You know what Iʼm talking about- the blank mind and unin-
spired thoughts. What in the world are you going to talk
about? And if you did have something to say, how in the world
are you going to communicate it? So to lessen the stress of
the moment you get up and go into the kitchen and dig into a
handful of chocolate chips. Anything to mimic movement.
Then you need something salty to wash them down so you
open the bag of potato chips and begin to chow down. You
know you desperately need to get back to your preparation
and it bugs you. Itʼs time for a Coke.
You know you are cheating yourself but what are you going to
do? Do you lift somebody elseʼs talk and retrofit it for your
own? Uh uh, canʼt do that. Youʼre a speaker of integrity. Even-
tually you head back to your desk and get back to preparing
your talk.
Still, nothing. Doldrums. You might begin to aimlessly surf the
internet in hopes that something substantive will materialize
there. You begin to check your email every time the chime re-
10
minds you a new message has arrived. Every time you do that
you interrupt the task at hand. Studies say it will take twenty
five minutes before you even get back to it. Itʼs a waste of
time.
You soon realize all the other tasks that are crying out for your
attention. And they get it. Soon, time has slipped away with
very little to show for it.
The problem of resistance
What you are up against, quite simply, is resistance. It wreaks
havoc on your preparation. It is internal and self perpetuated.
It keeps us from moving ahead.
Resistance gives impetus to the doldrums. Resistance has a
knack of taking the wind out of our sails and keeping us in our
place. The more you waffle in engaging the task at the hand,
the more pronounced the doldrums become. Resistance often
arises from fear - fear of performing poorly, fear of being
judged and critiqued, fear of not getting it right, fear of actually
succeeding (why is that?).
Resistance becomes an entity that takes on a life of its own. It
can become a virus that zaps your energy. It is responsible for
many of the dysfunctions of preparation:
· A weakened motivation · Inhibited creativity
· Discarded projects, and · Diminished focus
The power of conation
The antidote to resistance is conation. Conation is an obscure
word in the English language, but itʼs definition is powerful in
confronting resistance. Conation is the mental faculty of pur-
pose, desire, or will to perform an action. In other words, it is
the purposeful movement in a desired direction. Conation is
action and speed of execution. You just need to get started.
Conation prevents waffling.
General George S. Patton said that even bad plans pursued
violently can make a difference. No plan is perfect when it is
first conceived. In fact, the talk you put on paper is probably
not the talk that develops. You just start with the talk you have
and doggedly pursue it as you make adjustments along the
way. The key is to engage.
Conation is not a quick fix but a significant part of anything
that is worth doing. It deals with being and doing. The deeper
the being the more significant the doing. We face two particu-
lar conative questions daily:
what are my intentions and goals? (Being) and
what am I going to do about them? (Doing)
How we answer those questions will make all the difference in
the world. Every talk you give, every message that comes
from your gut, through your heart and out of your mouth de-
11
serves the best that conation has to offer. Conation in prepara-
tion means you take seriously the deep purpose of your task
and give it intended direction.
So, as you are preparing, add pep to the process by conating
all over the place. Conate constantly in your prep time. Cona-
tion ought to be oozing from your pores. Here is how to co-
nate in your preparation and give it some “pep”.
Get away and get ahead.
Letʼs face it, every good presentation needs ample prep time
to be created and allowed to ferment. Go someplace where
you are very comfortable, where you will not be disturbed, and
shut off all technological contact to the outside world. Donʼt al-
low your cell phone, text messaging, facebook, twitter, or any
other type of social media take precedence during this time. If
music or coffee helps you to concentrate, then go for it. The
key is not to be interrupted and to stay as focused as possible
for at least an hour.
Then begin to answer the key conative questions:
What are my intentions and goals?:
This gets down to the purpose of your talk. What is its reason
for being? Answering this question gives your message mean-
ingful “heft” and increases your motivation for telling it. The
Gettysburg address was written and delivered by Abraham Lin-
coln and is one of the best-speeches in United States history.
It was secondary to other speeches that day but is the one
that is remembered.
Given at the dedication of the Soldierʼs National Cemetery in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania it was a well crafted speech with a
deep purpose behind it. In just over two minutes and 272
words (!) he invoked the principles of human equality and rede-
fined the Civil War as one that would unify the fragmented
country and bring true equality for all people.
Abraham Lincoln’s purpose was nothing less than a unified
country. You can hope people get your message but unless
you intend it to be so, it isnʼt gonna happen.
So, what is the reason you are really up in front speaking to
people? What are your intending to do? You should be able to
sum up your intentions for your talk with one motivational
word. For instance:
· Inspiration
· Encouragement
· Transformation
· Equality
· Disruption
12
 · Unification
Establishing these intentions requires careful planning. After
all, they become the foundation upon which your content, or-
ganization, and visual aids are built.
What am I going to say about my intentions?
After reflecting on the real reason you are giving the talk and
determining your stated intentions for it, ask yourself what it is
you are going to say about them. Answering this question gets
to the overarching subject of your talk. Deciding on the subject
you are going to talk about seems like standard procedure,
right? But youʼd be surprise how many people arenʼt sure
what theyʼre going to talk about - subject matter is so broad
and expansive. This is because they havenʼt boiled their sub-
ject matter down to a manageable amount of information.
Ask yourself what it is you want to talk about by framing it. The
right frame adds beauty to any painting and brings the proper
focus to the work of art. The same is true for the art of crafting
a speech.
For instance, letʼs say you want to talk about the subject of
“cockroaches”. Many speakers stop right there. They think
they got the subject (whew) and all they have to do is talk
about it from there. Yet there is no frame, no way of highlight-
ing the subject at hand. “Cockroaches” is very broad subject.
So you need to narrow it down more specifically. How about
framing the talk around how to get rid of cockroaches. Or you
may want to talk about the nutritional value of eating cock-
roaches (tastes like chicken). Now you got something that can
be worked with. Yum! Itʼs also the beginning step in fully clarify-
ing your message (that piece of advice to follow).
Brainstorm
Once youʼve answered the two conative questions, you now
begin to brainstorm. This is fun, because itʼs meant to be non-
judgmental and give expression to your creativity. You mustnʼt
analyze this process. It is what it is and the end result is what
was suppose to happen. Leave it at that.
Brainstorming can unlock what you want to say. This is a tech-
nique where you cognitively dump everything that is on your
mind regarding your talk and its subject manner. Quantity
counts more than quality at this stage. Take a blank piece of
paper and some colored markers and begin to go. Fire up the
digital recorder and begin to spew all the ideas into it. Donʼt
judge what comes out of your brain but rather keep going. It is
what it is and the act of doing it is what matters. You can or-
ganize your thoughts later in the clarification piece of advice.
Have fun. Doodle. Write down thoughts about your audience.
Sing. Dream about the response to your talk. Investigate all
sources on your subject. One of the best pieces of advice I
13
ever got from a mentor of mine was this: read what no one There are only two types of talks you will ever give. That
else reading. Then you sound fresh and innovative about the should give you some solace. It will be either one or the other
topic at hand. - informative or persuasive. Thatʼs it. Whether you knew it or
not every talk youʼve ever given was one or the other. Every
Brainstorming is a function of right brain operation. The left
talk youʼve ever heard was one or the other. You will either be
brain is analytical, the right brain is creative. An effective way
informing and instructing or persuading and motivating. These
to access the right brain is through the technique of mind-
are your objectives. So what will it be? Think about the speak-
mapping. What this does is take a standard, run of the mill out-
ing assignment and context of your talk. What category of
line and translates it into pictures and a flow that are the pre-
speech does it fall into, Informative or Persuasive?
ferred mode for the right brain. Google it and try it.
Plan for Success and Expect it
Organize your thoughts
We can often and easily imagine what can go wrong with our
After you have brainstormed, you need to focus. You need to
talk. Usually then it will. If your heart palpitates while thinking
scoop all of your ideas into a type of mental receptacle - a
about the talk, your heart will palpitate on the stage. If in your
place that begins to ferment the ideas and gives them direc-
mind you foresee audience boredom, then they probably will
tion and shape. Allow them into your heart. Silence your
be. Ruts in the brain are hard to get out of. If you habitually
thoughts and focus only on what you have come up with. Is
foresee what can go wrong with the talk, the more pro-
there a pattern that emerges? Is there something of sub-
nounced the ruts become. But there are ways out of them and
stance to talk about? Are there any illustrations that could be
into the grooves that really matter.
used? This is all about mindfulness. Mindfulness is being fully
present with the process by attentive engagement with the
subject at hand. Avoid bunny trails. Avoid the superfluous
You need to visualize your talk going off without a hitch.
thoughts. Get off that trail quickly and onto the avenues that
will bring you closer to what you are going to say. When visualizing, the first thing you need to do is relax. This
helps remove from the mind all the clutter and insecurities that
Choose what type of talk you will give

14
can arise. Identify any troubling situations or conditions that
you can think of.
Can you see yourself freezing in front of the audience like
deer in the headlights? Stop that. Begin to imagine the talk go-
ing just as planned and you speaking at your very best. Be-
come aware of the thought patterns that you default to when
thinking about the situations or conditions of the speaking
event.
You need to challenge inaccurate thinking with the truth. You
are a good speaker. If something does go wrong, it doesnʼt
make you a failure. If nothing else, it can be tremendous learn-
ing opportunity. Change your thoughts and beliefs of failure.
That will add pep to your prep.
The trouble with many speakers is they go before an audience
ill prepared and their minds a blank. Since nature abhors a
vacuum the space is filled with all kinds of thoughts unrelated
to the audience: “Howʼs my hair?” “I hope I can pull this off!”
“What am I doing up here anyway?” “I hope they like me”.
Get out of the Doldrums
With so much on the line in public speaking its amazing how
little attention we pay to our preparation. Itʼs not that we donʼt
realize its critical importance to the speech, its just that there
never seems to be enough time to truly prepare as we would
like or not quite sure how to do it. So we rush through this im-
portant piece of advice. If we do give ourselves enough time,
we arenʼt sure what to do with it. So we wallow through our
preparation. We enter what is known as the doldrums.
The doldrums are pockets in oceans where winds can be com-
pletely absent, notoriously trapping ships for days or weeks
without enough wind to power their sails.
To be in the doldrums of preparation means being in a place
that is listless, stagnant, inactive, and in a slump. There is no
pep.
Take a look at a common way you might prepare for a speech.
You sit at your desk with great anticipation ready to prepare a
talk that will really leave the audience spell bound. A blank
sheet of paper or an electronic word processor is in front of
you ladened with such potentiality that it is dripping with possi-
bilities. You can imagine the accolades now. Maybe a stand-
ing ovation is in order.
Then thirty minutes goes by with nothing to show for it, the dol-
drums have set in, and the panic begins to quickly creep in.
You know what Iʼm talking about- the blank mind and unin-
spired thoughts. What in the world are you going to talk
about? And if you did have something to say, how in the world
are you going to communicate it? So to lessen the stress of
the moment you get up and go into the kitchen and dig into a
15
handful of chocolate chips. Anything to mimic movement.
Then you need something salty to wash them down so you
open the bag of potato chips and begin to chow down. You
know you desperately need to get back to your preparation
and it bugs you. Itʼs time for a Coke.
You know you are cheating yourself but what are you going to
do? Do you lift somebody elseʼs talk and retrofit it for your
own? Uh uh, canʼt do that. Youʼre a speaker of integrity. Even-
tually you head back to your desk and get back to preparing
your talk.
Still, nothing. Doldrums. You might begin to aimlessly surf the
internet in hopes that something substantive will materialize
there. You begin to check your email every time the chime re-
minds you a new message has arrived. Every time you do that
you interrupt the task at hand. Studies say it will take twenty
five minutes before you even get back to it. Itʼs a waste of
time.
You soon realize all the other tasks that are crying out for your
attention. And they get it. Soon, time has slipped away with
very little to show for it.
The problem of resistance
What you are up against, quite simply, is resistance. It wreaks
havoc on your preparation. It is internal and self perpetuated.
It keeps us from moving ahead.
Resistance gives impetus to the doldrums. Resistance has a
knack of taking the wind out of our sails and keeping us in our
place. The more you waffle in engaging the task at the hand,
the more pronounced the doldrums become. Resistance often
arises from fear - fear of performing poorly, fear of being
judged and critiqued, fear of not getting it right, fear of actually
succeeding (why is that?).
Resistance becomes an entity that takes on a life of its own. It
can become a virus that zaps your energy. It is responsible for
many of the dysfunctions of preparation:
· A weakened motivation · Inhibited creativity
· Discarded projects, and · Diminished focus
The power of conation
The antidote to resistance is conation. Conation is an obscure
word in the English language, but itʼs definition is powerful in
confronting resistance. Conation is the mental faculty of pur-
pose, desire, or will to perform an action. In other words, it is
the purposeful movement in a desired direction. Conation is
16
action and speed of execution. You just need to get started.
Conation prevents waffling.
General George S. Patton said that even bad plans pursued
violently can make a difference. No plan is perfect when it is
first conceived. In fact, the talk you put on paper is probably
not the talk that develops. You just start with the talk you have
and doggedly pursue it as you make adjustments along the
way. The key is to engage.
Conation is not a quick fix but a significant part of anything
that is worth doing. It deals with being and doing. The deeper
the being the more significant the doing. We face two particu-
lar conative questions daily:
what are my intentions and goals? (Being) and
what am I going to do about them? (Doing)
How we answer those questions will make all the difference in
the world. Every talk you give, every message that comes
from your gut, through your heart and out of your mouth de-
serves the best that conation has to offer. Conation in prepara-
tion means you take seriously the deep purpose of your task
and give it intended direction.
So, as you are preparing, add pep to the process by conating
all over the place. Conate constantly in your prep time. Cona-
tion ought to be oozing from your pores. Here is how to co-
nate in your preparation and give it some “pep”.
Get away and get ahead.
Letʼs face it, every good presentation needs ample prep time
to be created and allowed to ferment. Go someplace where
you are very comfortable, where you will not be disturbed, and
shut off all technological contact to the outside world. Donʼt al-
low your cell phone, text messaging, facebook, twitter, or any
other type of social media take precedence during this time. If
music or coffee helps you to concentrate, then go for it. The
key is not to be interrupted and to stay as focused as possible
for at least an hour.
Then begin to answer the key conative questions:
What are my intentions and goals?:
This gets down to the purpose of your talk. What is its reason
for being? Answering this question gives your message mean-
ingful “heft” and increases your motivation for telling it. The
Gettysburg address was written and delivered by Abraham Lin-
coln and is one of the best-speeches in United States history.
It was secondary to other speeches that day but is the one
that is remembered.
Given at the dedication of the Soldierʼs National Cemetery in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania it was a well crafted speech with a
17
deep purpose behind it. In just over two minutes and 272
words (!) he invoked the principles of human equality and rede-
fined the Civil War as one that would unify the fragmented
country and bring true equality for all people.
Abraham Lincoln’s purpose was nothing less than a unified
country. You can hope people get your message but unless
you intend it to be so, it isnʼt gonna happen.
So, what is the reason you are really up in front speaking to
people? What are your intending to do? You should be able to
sum up your intentions for your talk with one motivational
word. For instance:
· Inspiration
· Encouragement
· Transformation
· Equality
· Disruption
· Unification
Establishing these intentions requires careful planning. After
all, they become the foundation upon which your content, or-
ganization, and visual aids are built.
What are you going to say about my intentions?
After reflecting on the real reason you are giving the talk and
determining your stated intentions for it, ask yourself what it is
you are going to say about them. Answering this question gets
to the overarching subject of your talk. Deciding on the subject
you are going to talk about seems like standard procedure,
right? But youʼd be surprise how many people arenʼt sure
what theyʼre going to talk about - subject matter is so broad
and expansive. This is because they havenʼt boiled their sub-
ject matter down to a manageable amount of information.
Ask yourself what it is you want to talk about by framing it. The
right frame adds beauty to any painting and brings the proper
focus to the work of art. The same is true for the art of crafting
a speech.
For instance, letʼs say you want to talk about the subject of
“cockroaches”. Many speakers stop right there. They think
they got the subject (whew) and all they have to do is talk
about it from there. Yet there is no frame, no way of highlight-
ing the subject at hand. “Cockroaches” is very broad subject.
So you need to narrow it down more specifically. How about
framing the talk around how to get rid of cockroaches. Or you
may want to talk about the nutritional value of eating cock-
roaches (tastes like chicken). Now you got something that can
18
be worked with. Yum! Itʼs also the beginning step in fully clarify- Brainstorming is a function of right brain operation. The left
ing your message (that piece of advice to follow). brain is analytical, the right brain is creative. An effective way
to access the right brain is through the technique of mind-
Brainstorm
mapping. What this does is take a standard, run of the mill out-
Once youʼve answered the two conative questions, you now line and translates it into pictures and a flow that are the pre-
begin to brainstorm. This is fun, because itʼs meant to be non- ferred mode for the right brain. Google it and try it.
judgmental and give expression to your creativity. You mustnʼt
Organize your thoughts
analyze this process. It is what it is and the end result is what
was suppose to happen. Leave it at that. After you have brainstormed, you need to focus. You need to
scoop all of your ideas into a type of mental receptacle - a
Brainstorming can unlock what you want to say. This is a tech-
place that begins to ferment the ideas and gives them direc-
nique where you cognitively dump everything that is on your
tion and shape. Allow them into your heart. Silence your
mind regarding your talk and its subject manner. Quantity
thoughts and focus only on what you have come up with. Is
counts more than quality at this stage. Take a blank piece of
there a pattern that emerges? Is there something of sub-
paper and some colored markers and begin to go. Fire up the
stance to talk about? Are there any illustrations that could be
digital recorder and begin to spew all the ideas into it. Donʼt
used? This is all about mindfulness. Mindfulness is being fully
judge what comes out of your brain but rather keep going. It is
present with the process by attentive engagement with the
what it is and the act of doing it is what matters. You can or-
subject at hand. Avoid bunny trails. Avoid the superfluous
ganize your thoughts later in the clarification piece of advice.
thoughts. Get off that trail quickly and onto the avenues that
Have fun. Doodle. Write down thoughts about your audience.
will bring you closer to what you are going to say.
Sing. Dream about the response to your talk. Investigate all
sources on your subject. One of the best pieces of advice I Choose what type of talk you will give
ever got from a mentor of mine was this: read what no one
There are only two types of talks you will ever give. That
else reading. Then you sound fresh and innovative about the
should give you some solace. It will be either one or the other
topic at hand.
- informative or persuasive. Thatʼs it. Whether you knew it or
not every talk youʼve ever given was one or the other. Every
19
talk youʼve ever heard was one or the other. You will either be come aware of the thought patterns that you default to when
informing and instructing or persuading and motivating. These thinking about the situations or conditions of the speaking
are your objectives. So what will it be? Think about the speak- event.
ing assignment and context of your talk. What category of
You need to challenge inaccurate thinking with the truth. You
speech does it fall into, Informative or Persuasive?
are a good speaker. If something does go wrong, it doesnʼt
Plan for Success and Expect it make you a failure. If nothing else, it can be tremendous learn-
ing opportunity. Change your thoughts and beliefs of failure.
We can often and easily imagine what can go wrong with our
That will add pep to your prep.
talk. Usually then it will. If your heart palpitates while thinking
about the talk, your heart will palpitate on the stage. If in your
mind you foresee audience boredom, then they probably will
be. Ruts in the brain are hard to get out of. If you habitually
foresee what can go wrong with the talk, the more pro-
nounced the ruts become. But there are ways out of them and
into the grooves that really matter.

You need to visualize your talk going off without a hitch.

When visualizing, the first thing you need to do is relax. This

helps remove from the mind all the clutter and insecurities that
can arise. Identify any troubling situations or conditions that
you can think of.

Can you see yourself freezing in front of the audience like

deer in the headlights? Stop that. Begin to imagine the talk go-
ing just as planned and you speaking at your very best. Be-
20
Chapter 2

Clarity is your
Guarantee
“I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I
am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I
meant."
You may have conated your way to a subject and reason for
your talk but unless it is crystal clear, itʼs not going to make
much difference and will dissipate in the space between you
and your audience.
Check out the following statistics on our information day and
age. They are astonishing, and my guess is they will only in-
crease until every minute of every twenty four hours of the day
are bloated with info (even while we sleep):
According to a study by the University of California, San Diego
our consumption of data in one day is 3.6 Zettabytes. How
large is that anyway (it boggles the mind)? It is the amount of
information if you tweeted every second of every day non-stop
for a hundred years.
The nature of being opaque
I can remember taking my grandma to the eye doctor. She
called me with the complaint that her right eye was cloudy and
she was having a hard time seeing clearly through it.
When we arrived there, the doctor tested her sight with a vari-
ety of contraptions to diagnose her condition. One test asked
her to read the letters on a chart if front of her.
No matter how large the letters were she could not make them
out through her cloudy eye. They were hazy and ill defined.
Her vision was opaque and she couldnʼt see clearly at all.
With out clarity, information is hard or impossible to under-
stand and make sense of clearly. It becomes opaque. Being
opaque creates a veil that is very difficult to see through. Be-
ing opaque clouds the picture of your communication intent.
Being opaque prevents the light of your talk from shining
through. Quite simply being opaque is being unclear. It also
diminishes your authenticity because it is seen as being less
than transparent and honest with your audience. Are you hid-
ing something?
What makes a talk opaque? First and foremost itʼs being un-
certain as to what you are talking about. In other words itʼs a
function of clarity. Unless you are intentional about being
clear, certain as to what you are going to communicate, then
you will be opaque.
The most effective people erase opacity from their communica-
tion by intentionally being crystal clear. There was no mistak-
ing the clarity of Martin Luther Kingʼs I have a dream speech
delivered at the Lincoln Memorial on the 28th of August 1963.
Similar to Lincolnʼs Gettysburg Address, Dr. King used a modi-
cum of words and time (a little over seventeen minutes) to
22
make a very clear point: Equality for all. Even the venue
helped to clarify his message. No opacity at all.
Clarity around your subject matter reduces its opaqueness
and increases its value and its importance for you and your re-
cipients.
The benefits of clarity
Being crystal clear has benefits that put you way ahead of the
competition.
Clarity captures attention:
With all the information flying around these days, the only real
resource for communicators today is attention. Clarity garners
it. Clarity focuses attention on a single objective, the purpose
of your talk.
If you remember the James Bond movie, “Goldfinger” James
Bond is bound to a flat table and a laser is pointed to burn be-
tween his legs reaching its final destination of, well, you
know...that part. Itʼs one of the few times in the Bond series
that I really saw him sweat. Why? Because a focused laser
beam made it very clear to Bond what the intent was. It got his
attention.
Clarity brings much needed attention to your message.
Clarity attracts affinity:
Clarity aligns people to your vision and mission. It creates and
garners synergy. Every time you speak you want to create
some sort of alignment with an idea or action and instill it in
your audience. Clarity does that.
Think of the movie “Braveheart” starring Mel Gibson. The
movie focuses on William Wallace, the Scot warrior who,
through guerilla warfare resists the tyranny of England. His
ability to rouse the common people of Scotland to confront the
professional military of the King of England was his ability to
communicate a clear message that gathered followers. He in-
spired warriors to follow him because his mission was incredi-
bly clear: “Free Scotland, No Compromise”- period. A clear pre-
cise mission does wonders in attracting allies to change the
world (or at least your little corner of it). The Scots aligned to
the clear mission went on to earned their freedom.
Clarity inspires action:
Without clarity, communication fails. Clarity inspires action in
your audience because they know precisely what you are moti-
vating them for or asking them to do.
Youʼve heard the cliched movie directive of “Lights, Camera,
Action”. That is the directorʼs way of announcing that the ac-
tors are clear on their parts and their scenes. If they are not,
he/she will go back to rehearsal and give directions until he/
23
she feels they know exactly what they need to do and say. All
of that leads up to the precise action of the scene.
Clarity reduces anxiety:
Itʼs visceral.
You feel it in your bones.
The quivering of the minute hairs on the back of your neck
hearken itʼs arrival. The superficial muscles embedded be-
neath your skin begin to quiver. The skin itself is affected, with
sweat easily oozing from its pores. The rush of adrenaline
courses through even the smallest capillaries, causing the
heart to beat violently, palpitating its reaction against the ribs.
Your breathing becomes frantic. Your mouth becomes dry and
your senses crackle with every stimuli. You can't sleep. Or if
you do, you're dreams are uneasy, disconcerting. You are on
high alert and on watch. It shows in your performance.
Fear has arrived...
The Book of Lists accumulated and ranked an assortment of
fascinating topics. One is a list of mankindʼs worst fear. Is
death our greatest fear? No. Thatʼs tied for sixth place along-
side sickness. In fifth place, above death is our fear of deep
water. In fourth place is our fear of financial problems. Third
highlights our fear of insects and bugs, and second place is
our fear of heights.
The number one fear of people today, surpassing death, is
speaking before people. Public speaking is so disconcerting
that the comedian Jerry Seinfeld quipped that
“most people would rather be in the cas-
ket than give the eulogy”
Many of us are unsure of ourselves, our message, and our
ability to speak in public. We are too self conscious. We are
afraid that we are going to be found out on stage; that we
really donʼt know what we are talking about and appear to be
a fool. This is insecurity. Insecurity arises from a disconnect
between our outer and inner selves. Fear arises from a lack of
clarity in our message. Sweaty palms, dry mouth, and intesti-
nal gas are the result. Fear often can and does render us inef-
fective, stealing our confidence and emotional resources.
We need to change that. We need to be communicators that
know exactly what we are going to say and have the confi-
dence to say it with clarity and integrity. Clarity and Integrity
are both antidotes to anxiety.
The ability to be clear and compelling as well as honest and
authentic will set you apart from the rest of the riff-raff clogging
24
the airwaves, and believe me there are MANY out there. They
are speaker wanna beʼs - theyʼre not real but they sure are
earnest.
The torpedo effect
Submarine commanders use periscopes to hone in on a tar-
get on the surface of the water. The cross hairs calibrate the
precise location the torpedo is going to hit. The same is true in
creating an objective. You hone in on your targeted purpose
with the torpedo of clarity. Calibrations take place that focus
your attention precisely on the target you have in mind. The
torpedo of public speaking is a one sentence objective.
Author, Ron Hoff ("I Can See You Naked") reminds us that
your presentation should be able to pass the David Belasco
test while you're in the planning stages. David Belasco was a
producer who insisted that the core idea for every successful
play he produced could be written as a simple sentence on
the back of a business card.
Try it. Can you crystallize the essence of your content and
write it on the back of a business card? Itʼs essential. Itʼs your
torpedo. Clarity is your guarantee that your message will be
heard and that your intent for the talk is precisely what is deliv-
ered. Being clear about what you want to say in one sentence
is the bedrock of all other speech advice.
“I have a conviction that no talk is ready
for presenting, not ready for writing out,
until we can express its theme in a short,
pregnant sentence as clear as a crystal. I
find the getting of that sentence is the
hardest, the most exacting, and the most
fruitful labor in my study.”
- J.H. Jowett
An objective sentence is critical. It tells you where you are go-
ing, keeps you from meandering, and captivates the attention
of the audience.
You can determine the objective of your talk by following the
SCORRE™ process of preparation. Developed by Ken Davis
and Dynamic Communicators International, SCORRE™ leads
you through stages that force you to be clear as a speaker.
The most important stage is to determine an objective. If you
don’t determine your objective an unconscious one, like “I
hope they like me” will take over and your talk will be less than
effective.
25
The objective is a sentence that contains a proposition (what Each proposition conjures a question in the mind of the audi-
you are putting before your audience to consider or accept). ence. If you don’t answer it in your speech you are dead in the
One well known example of a proposition is the young man water and you’re clarity is shot.
proposing to his girlfriend. “Will you marry me?” It is put be-
If you go with a persuasive proposition that uses the word
fore the young lady for her to consider, accept, or, heaven for-
“should”, the obvious question in the mind of your hearers is
bid, decline.
“why?”
There are only two kinds of propositions to choose from: Ena-
Likewise if you go with an enabling proposition using the word
bling or Persuasive. You are either going to inform and instruct
“can” the logical question that is asked by your audience is
your audience or you are going to persuade and motivate
“how?”
them.
It is essential you answer the question posed by each proposi-
From the example above, the proposition is persuasive, “you
tion. You audience is going to be asking it.
should marry me”.
From our examples it looks something like this:
The subsequent proposition from wedding planners to a bride
to be is enabling, “you can have a beautiful wedding” “My girlfriend should marry me” - Why? “because of all the
ways we are compatible”
Here’s how we sketch out the two propositions from our exam-
ples. “Every bride can have a beautiful wedding” - How? “by hiring
our services.”
Persuasive: My girlfriend should marry me.
From there you need to list the ways you are compatible or
Enabling: Every bride can have a beautiful wedding.
the services you provide brides to be.
Notice the word “should” (for persuasive) and “can” (for ena-
For much more detail on putting this all together as well as im-
bling). Each word makes the proposition what it is. Makes
proving your skill set as a speaker plan to attend the
sense.
SCORREconference.com . It’s the best out there.

26
Chapter 3

M o v e to
Prove
Words and actions must align. This is more than just moving
around on the stage. It is in service to a clear message.
Gestures
Gestures are the primary mode of body language that speakers
utilize. They refer to all bodily movement except walking. De-
tailed studies taking advantage of audio-visual recording technol-
ogy have shown that gesture and speech are so intimately con-
nected that they appear to be governed by a single process. In
fact, it is widely believed that gestures were the first forms of lan-
guage with which humans communicated, and that vocalization
came about not as a replacement for manual gestures, but
rather to augment them.
Gestures will come as a natural part of your speaking manner;
they should arise spontaneously from enthusiasm and convic-
tion. There doesnʼt have to be complicated rehearsals for ges-
tures. They naturally occur from the fullness of your message.
They happen when your descriptive gestures portray an object
or illustrate an action. Describe the size, shape, or movement of
an object by imitation. Show a vigorous punch by striking with
your fist; show height by holding your hand at the desired level;
show speed by a quick sweep of your arm. Pantomime a com-
plicated or humorous movement as you describe it.
Remember that when it comes to gestures, less is more. Do not
smother ideas with a floor exercise. The message needs to be
bigger than the gesture. The basic rule in movement is modera-
tion.
One extreme are those speakers who are hyper-kinetic and
bounce around the stage like a pinball in an arcade game. They
often spray the audience with spittle, their veins will pop out of
their neck and temples, and they begin to sweat profusely. They
seem to be exuding pure animal instincts.
A great example of this is the late Chris Farleyʼs comedy routine
on Saturday Night Live. He played the part of Matt Foley a fre-
netic motivational speaker. His movements were so large and
over the top he would crash onto tables and bust through walls.
The other class of speakers cower behind the podium afraid of
the limelight, and unable to move during their talk. They seem to
want nothing more than to slink away unnoticed.
A great example of this is the late Don Knotts, best known as
Barney Fife from the “Andy Griffith Show”. As part of his schtick
early in his career he played the part of a nervous presenter who
never moved from behind the security of the podium. He would
rattle his papers and physically and verbally tremble. He sheep-
ishly tried to make his points and it garnered many laughs as a
result.
Between these two extremes lies appropriate movement.
As your skill and experience increase, your movement will be-
come less obvious and more meaningful. Learn to modify the
28
degree of movement to make it natural and meaningful. Plan Using space effectively is much more than simply walking back
your movement so that you are at the proper place at the and forth across the stage. It is utilizing it as a strategic ally. You
proper time. Remember whenever a shirt or a pair of shoes calls should pick one or two people on both sides of the auditorium
attention to itself, its bad. The same goes for gestures. moving to them periodically and looking them in the eye. The
rest of the audience will perceive that you are including them in
Home base
your talk.
It is important to discover your “home base”, that natural resting
If you can, get up on the stage before you speak and get a feel
position we default to with our hands. For some it’s in their pock-
for its environment. Determine the spots you are going to utilize
ets. Others lace the fingers of their two hands in front of them.
in the space on stage. That way you arenʼt surprised the mo-
You may find your home base is with hands crossed behind
ment you get up there by itʼs dynamic or your orientation to the
your back. The best way to discover this is to have someone
audience.
you know spectate one of your talks with the intention of analyz-
ing your gestures. Have him or her pay close attention to the
gesture that seems to be the common default for you. Another
way is to watch a video of your talk and discover home base for “It's a rather rude gesture, but at least it's clear
yourself. From there all other hand gestures should originate. what you mean.”
And don't forget the most important gesture: to SMILE. It -Katherine Hepburn, american actress
makes you look more comfortable and less like a victim with
bad case of diarrhea.

Space

Space on stage is an important component of any presentation.

Actors on a stage have certain marks taped on the floor to help
them know where they need to be at any particular time in the
play. A director during rehearsal will ask the thespians to take
their “places”.

29
Chapter 4

Transition is
you Mission
Think of the best books youʼve ever read. The kind that you
couldnʼt put down, keeping you awake until the wee hours of
the morning to finish it. What do all those stories have in com-
mon? The ability of the author to make it a page turner. Every
sentence led to the next in such a compelling way that you were
inspired to keep going and follow the narrative to its conclusion.
Or think of the old fashion bucket brigade. That is where people
lined up to pass a bucket of water from one to the other so the
person at the end of the line can throw it on the fire. Each move-
ment of the bucket is critical to the next movement toward its
final outcome.
Often the longest lines at amusement parks are for the sharp
twist and turns of a roller coaster. Why? The transitions are crisp
and exhilarating, leaving the rider wanting more. Coasters are so
popular in our imaginations, that even the design of the curves
and over all movement of the car from section to section has be-
come a creative and innovative engineering feat.
Transitions in presentations are very much like all that. They are
crisp and intriguing, leaving the listener wanting more. It is your
compelling ability both physically and verbally to move an audi-
ence along in your talk to its desired outcome.
The most basic transitions in any talk involve moving your audi-
ence through three main components: the beginning, middle,
and end, also known as the opening, the body, and the close of
the talk.
How to use transitions
You can craft transitions by changing stage position, pausing,
using visual aids, giving out a handout, picking up a prop, using
transitional words; ʻalsoʼ, ʻin additionʼ, ʻto sum upʼ, ʻon the other
handʼ etc. You can also sharply vary the sound you make com-
ing out microphone. Do anything that breaks the pattern of what
you were doing in the previous segment and introduces what
you plan to do. Likewise, few things can distract an audience
faster than a speaker who jumps physically from one point to an-
other with out any apparent reason.
Transitions must be designed and deliberately rehearsed. For in-
stance, you can practice the use of physical transitions such as
a different location on the stage to highlight each point, or a
sweep of the hand at the appropriate time can work as a useful
transition.
For verbal transitions, one-liners, anecdotes, and questions
work well. Also, people seem to like and need recaps. Recaps
are one of the most effective ways to move from point to point.
The average attention span of most people when listening to a
presentation is about twenty minutes. You can test that out by
looking over the audience at around 25 minutes and see how
many people are doing other things, such as doodling, looking
at laptops, reading papers, or dozing.
31
Given the hyper accelerated immediacy of our culture, experts All that is to say, transitions are crucial enough to the perform-
are saying our attention span will become even less than that. ance of your talk that you should always be on the lookout for
That means you need to vary your pace and movement, transi- ways to move your audience through the elements of your pres-
tioning strategically to bring the audiences attention back to you entation as well as relentlessly perfecting them at each and
and to the flow of your speech. every stage. It will help to cement your quality status as a bril-
liant presenter.
Filmmakers use the "Whammo chart" which specifies that every
ten pages or so of a script there must be a real whammo, a real
shot of action. This transitions the narrative of the movie back to
the main plotline. So if your speech is longer than twenty min-
utes you need to plan some sort of whammo every twenty min-
utes to bring your audience back to your presentation.

A critical element is pacing.

If you are old enough to have watched Michael Jacksonʼs break-

through performance on the Motown television special of his
song “Billy Jean” on March 25, 1983, youʼll recall how Jackson
sealed his status as a pop phenomenon when he performed the
song “Billie Jean.” It was a dance move that mesmerized the
audience. In a visual illusion, Jackson walked forward while mov-
ing back. He dubbed it the “moonwalk” and purportedly paid a
performer he had seen accomplish it a thousand dollars to
learn.

In that move, it was the smoothness of Jacksonʼs transitions

and his determination to perfect it that cemented his legend as
“King of Pop”.

32
Chapter 5

Grabm,
Holdm,
Leavm
Your speech consists of three dynamics. Each must be ampli- Other things to avoid that establish a weak rapport and introduc-
fied to make the most of your talk tion are saying things like,

GRABM: The opening “Whew, Iʼm really nervous so bear with me...”

One of the primary purposes of an opening is to establish rap- “I really donʼt have that much to say...”
port with your audience. This can be done before you even step
Rather, you should tell the reasons why you are the best person
on stage. I consider what I do before the speech as an impor-
to present on a particular topic and why the topic is so close to
tant component of establishing rapport. I will shake hands and
your heart. In the opening you are telling them simply what to ex-
learn names. I will hand out supporting material and say “hi” to
pect from the core of the speech.
those who receive it.
Openings garner the attention of the audience. You can do that
Be creative in the opening. Most every one on the planet is famil-
through surprise, statistics, humor, a personal anecdote, or cur-
iar with the “Star Wars” series of movies. I was a part of the gen-
rent news item. Anything that will endear you to the audience is
eration that saw the original “Star Wars” for the first time when it
critical in the opening
arrived in theaters. I was hooked the moment the opening
scene hearkened the promise of film making never seen before. HOLDM: The body
The small rebel ship flew across the screen chased by a ship
The body is the heart of your talk. It unpacks the clear objective
that was so large it seemed to go on forever. And who could for-
you created in your preparation. It is here you must engage the
get the music that defined it. It opened up the context of the
audience. If they miss the reason you are speaking to them
movie and began a cultural phenomenon that lasts to this day. I
you’re wasting your time and theirs.
ended up seeing the movie twice in one day.
You Holdm by clearly leading them through the rationale (points)
You can squelch rapport with a weak introduction. I canʼt stand
of your talk. Remember, Clarity is you Guarantee. Fortify each
speakers who patronize the audience in their introduction. How
point of your talk with illustrations and other information relevant
many of you have heard a speaker begin by intoning “Good
to it.
Morning!” in order to raise the energy level, only to chide the
audience for their lack of enthusiasm by having them respond
again with forced gusto.

34
LEAVM: The closing

Some experts on communication state that the closing is the

most critical component of the speech. It is usually what the
audience remembers and will walk away with. You can often
make up for a weak opening but you donʼt have such luxury for
the closing.You can give a wonderful presentation, but if your
conclusion is weak and ineffectual it might let the air out the
whole thing.

Closings have much in common with openings in that they can

use statistics, stories, rhetorical questions, and the like.

In my presentation on age diversity I end by telling the story of

the death of my grandfather, my mentor and friend. As the ma-
chines monitoring his strength of existence on this planet
showed he was faltering, I went over to his bedside and whis-
pered in his ear... “big guy, itʼs time to go home”. As soon as the
resonance of the letter “m” was out of my mouth and into the
atmosphere, he was gone.

I share the profundity of that moment by stating that my grandfa-

ther cradled me in his arms when I came into the world, and
how I was privileged to cradle him in mine as he went out. Let
me tell you, there is rarely a dry eye in the audience and the pow-
erful impact it makes is evident by the feedback I get from em-
ployers and employees alike. I have left them with something to
remember.

35
Chapter 6

Projection is
your
Connection
One of my favorite movies is the faux documentary, “This is Spi-
nal Tap”. In it, one member of the band, showing his guitar col-
lection to the film maker, had an amplifier with a volume knob
that went to eleven; when the film maker asks, "Why not just
make ten louder and make that the top?" The rock star can only
reply, with some pride, "Ours goes to eleven."
How many of us use some arbitrary standard for volume when
we speak. That is, we donʼt know the various settings of our
voice or how to use them appropriately.
We use speech every day and, for the most part, we take it for
granted. But when we think of words as sounds with a range of
amplitudes and frequencies, then we might wonder what
speech sounds actually are. Speech consists of complex acous-
tical waveforms that rapidly vary in frequency and amplitude. Ef-
fective speakers use these dynamics to their advantage.
When it comes to voice projection and articulation, participants
who have been speaking for years and, presumably being
heard, may wonder why it is more than just volume that is impor-
tant. However, presentations are not like ordinary face-to-face
conversations and require a different set of skills.
Projection is a technique which can be employed to demand re-
spect and attention, such as when a teacher is talking to the
class, or simply to be heard clearly, as an actor in a theatre.
Breath technique is essential for proper voice projection.
Whereas in normal talking one may use air from the top of the
lungs, a properly projected voice uses air properly flowing from
the expansion of the diaphragm.
There is often a strong psychological component to voice difficul-
ties as well. Soft speakers may unconsciously be trying to hold
themselves back, inhibit their self-expression, or stifle them-
selves. I was spectating at one of my sonʼs basketball games.
One of the referees must have been new, because his whistle to
call a foul could barely be heard. It became a running joke
among us in the stands as to whether he really made a call or
not. We could barely hear it, if at all. He was unsure of himself
and it reflected poorly in his projection.
Subsequently loud speakers are driven by nerves, lack of voice
control, or an inability to rely on the amplification technology that
is available to them.
Mental fortitude and confidence in what you say is a major hur-
dle in overcoming projection issues that distract. A confident
speaker who knows that what he/she has to say and is worth
listening to will use projection techniques naturally in ways that
audiences hear.
The key is to get a handle on your natural range of volume and
intonation so you can use it confidently when needed and pro-
ject appropriately to audience members in the back of the room.
More often than not you are going to have some kind of elec-
tronic amplification for your voice. This is where cozying up to
the sound person is so critical. Make sure he/she and you are
37
on the same page as far as amplification and clarity are con- The following is the dialogue that takes place after Jerry found
cerned and make sure you do a “test”. out what he really agreed to:

Rock musicians often use the word “check”, “check”, or “one, KRAMER: You're not going to believe whatʼs happening with
two” “one, two” to measure proper sound amplification. My test Leslie. You know, ever since you agreed to wear the puffy shirt
is always the phrase “Attention Kmart shoppers, there is a blue on the Today show, she's been getting all these orders from bou-
light special in the back of the store. Boys underwear is now tiques and department stores..
buy one get one free.” The point is you need to have a long
JERRY: Uh-huh.. (Finally realizes what Kramer said, he looks up)
enough phrase for an audio technician to get a handle on your
Since I said what?
range as well as maybe providing a few laughs for those in the
room. KRAMER: Agreed to wear the puffy shirt. (Starts unzipping the
suit cover)
Professional technicians can make you look like heroes on stage
by being unnoticed. That is, sound people are at their best JERRY: What are you talking about?
when no one knows they are around doing their job so thank KRAMER: When you said that you'd agree to wear the puffy
them often. Be grateful there wasn’t anything (feedback or shirt on the Today show. (Takes the ridiculous puffy shirt out of
screeches) that stole attention away from you the speaker. the cover)
An hilarious illustration of the importance of speaking with JERRY: (Goes up to it) This?
proper vocal projection is from the 90ʼs comedy sitcom “Sein- KRAMER: Yes!
feld”. Kramerʼs current girlfriend, a designer, was known as a
low talker - You couldnʼt understand a word she was saying be-
JERRY: I agreed to wear this?!
cause her projection was so weak. After a particular conversa-
KRAMER: Yeah, yeah.
tion with her, Jerry, unable to hear what she said, nodded in
JERRY: But, when did I do that?
agreement out of courtesy.
KRAMER: When we went to dinner the other night.
Unbeknownst to him, he agreed to wear a silly looking “puffy
shirt” that she designed for him to wear during his interview on JERRY: What are you, crazy?!
the Today Show.

38
KRAMER: What were you talking about when I went to the bath-
room?
JERRY: I don't know! I couldn't understand a word she was say-
ing! I was just nodding!
KRAMER: There you go.
JERRY: Where I go? You mean she was asking me to wear this
ridiculous shirt on national TV, and I said 'Yes'?!
KRAMER: Yes, yes! You said it!
JERRY: But, I - I didn't know what she was talking about. I
couldn't hear her!
-Seinfeld, Season 5, Episode 2 “The Puffy Shirt”
Articulation
There is a difference between not being heard (being inaudible)
and not being understood (being inarticulate). Sometimes peo-
ple confuse the two. Being inarticulate may be caused by prob-
lems with volume and pronunciation. It can be caused by a
piercing through the tongue. People with poor articulation can
sound throaty because their tongue is pulled too far back, or
they may sound muffled because they don't move their tongue
enough when they speak.
Many of us are inflicted with sloppy mouth disease. We stumble
over words, we slur them and fail to articulate them properly and
our volume is inadequate for the listener. This can be perfectly
acceptable in close social circles in conversations, but it just
wonʼt do when speaking in public.
Diction is the clear annunciation and articulation of the words
we are saying. Good diction is NOT about changing your accent
or making you 'talk posh'.
Often when I preach I fail to rehearse the proper articulation of
words. Iʼll read the name of some obscure Jewish tribe and then
get caught up front with an uneasy pronunciation and slaughter-
ing of the name. I come off looking less than knowledgeable on
the passage I am preaching from.
You can practice articulation and pronunciation by overtly form-
ing your words with large, slow motion movement of your
mouth and lips. Also tongue twisters are great to practice your
diction and articulation of words.
Here is an exercise. Try saying this with deliberation.
“Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining
managing an imaginary menagerie?”
Or try this one. This comes from Gilbert and Sullivan's light op-
era 'The Pirates of Penzance'.
It's guaranteed to make you work. It includes many difficult com-
binations impossible to get right unless you articulate clearly.
Have fun with it.
'I am the very pattern of a modern Major-General;
I've information vegetable, animal, and mineral;
39
I know the Kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;
I'm very well acquainted too with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.
I'm very good at integral and differential calculus,
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous,
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of a modern Major-General.'
Pace
The most common critique of my public speaking is the speed
at which I talk. I can really race through a presentation. This can
come from nerves and insecurity. If we speak fast enough
maybe the audience wonʼt notice. However, they will notice and
have a heck of time keeping up with you. Even if they do, there
is no time to process or catch oneʼs breath as a listener. You
have given them no time to truly process what you are saying.
You need to allow your audience time to have aural breathers.
Give them some time to absorb all your useful content through
strategic pauses in you speech. Though pause can seem like an
eternity when you are on stage, the reality is much different. Itʼs
never as long as you think. A pause usually never inhibits the ef-
fectiveness of a talk but enhances it.
I was conducting a wedding when there came a time in the cere-
mony to recite the Lordʼs Prayer. It is a very common prayer and
one that I have prayed many times before. But when it came
time for me to the lead the guests in the recitation of the prayer,
I froze. I could not remember how it started.
After a few moments the groom looked at me and mouthed,
“You donʼt remember it do you?”. I communicated through my
non-verbal facial expression that I didnʼt. Then the bride caught
my eye and kindly mouthed the first line of the prayer, “Our Fa-
ther...” That was all I needed to complete that portion of the serv-
ice.
Afterwards, word got out (from the wedding party) that I forgot-
ten the prayer. However, every attender stated that they had no
idea. They assumed I was using a brief pause to lend to the pro-
fundity of the moment. I could have had them all fooled. But
noooo....
Pauses are those moments when meaning happens and com-
mon ground is realized. They arenʼt as horrible as you might
think.
Take care of your voice
My sister is a speech pathologist and audiologist. That means
she specializes in the aural aspects of the human body. She
knows I am a public speaker by trade and she has one piece of
advice for me:
40
 “Pee Pale”
It is evidence that I am well hydrated. Thatʼs critical to speaking
as your vocal cords must remain moist to be effective. They
must also remain spry. That is, donʼt drink milk or eat chocolate
before you speak. They goop up your cords. You need to keep
your vocal cords in as pristine a shape as you possibly can be-
fore speaking. Even caffeine can cause problems as it is a diu-
retic, taking water out of your system. In addition, it can jitter
your nerves and often makes it hard to speak without the strain
of tension coming through.

41
Chapter 7

Illustrate to
Illuminate
We are bombarded by visual missiles all the time. Ours is par
excellence the Age of Illustrations, an age when people are
habituated to picture thinking. If you hear “eiffel tower”, the
visual picture of it pops into your head before you thought of the
word.
Recent research supports the idea that visual communication
can be more powerful than verbal communication. In many
instances people learn and retain information that is presented
to them visually much better than that which is only provided
verbally.
Training materials used by the federal government cite studies
indicating that the retention of information three days after a
meeting or other event is six times greater when information is
presented by visual and oral means together than when the
information is presented by the spoken word alone. The same
materials also cite studies by educational researchers
suggesting that 83% of human learning occurs visually.
These are welcome findings to anyone whose work involves
using visual presentations to persuade or instruct others. All
speakers need to do the same.
Visuals that surprise people, touch them, delight them, and
support your story are best because they affect people in an
emotional way. People are more likely to remember your content
in the form of stories and examples, and they are also more
likely to remember your content if your visuals are unique,
powerful and of the highest quality.
Illustrations give light, color, and clarity to your presentation.
They warm the heart and embed themselves in memory like
nothing else can. Mental images help us retain information.
Imagination is the formation of images that create a new
perception, a new way of seeing. We navigate the world visually
taking in cues about it through the sense of imagination. When it
comes to illustrations, keep the imagination at the forefront as it
will capture the hearts of your listeners like nothing else can.
You can do that by filtering your illustrations through the three
conduits of imagination. Moral, Mystical, and Missional
The Moral Imagination
The Moral Imagination is anything that enriches the mind.
Whether they admit it or not, people want to think on a higher
plane than just the surface of our cultural veneer. Pop culture is
very much the air we collectively breath as far as entertainment
is concerned. But there is much more behind popular culture
that lends itself to a moral imagination. You can ask why
something is so popular. What makes that particular product,
movie, or song so endearing to our collective imagination?
Begin by filtering your illustration through the moral conduit.
Make people think about it.
For instance, I use an illustration in my generational
presentations in describing the unique personality of the Xers.
43
Around the late sixties and early seventies there was a very
popular comedy on television called “Get Smart”. I donʼt know if
you remember the show but it entailed a bumbling secret agent
named Maxwell Smart. We laughed at his ineptitude.
The name of the organization that Maxwell was committed to
bringing down, the organization that was the nemesis for him
was named “Chaos”. The heroic organization on the other hand,
the one that Maxwell worked for was named “Control”. It is
interesting that at a time in our history we were mired in chaos.
We were bogged down in Vietnam War. The Watergate scandal
was exposing the unethical dimensions of Washington. Chaos.
Yet, we were used to being in control. Particularly the Boomer
generation who had such large numbers in their demographic
that they were in control. They needed control back even if they
had to bumble their way to get it.
Xers learned from the get go that Chaos was the only real
certainty in life and that control was merely an illusion. We arenʼt
really in control. Chaos shaped the particular personality of the
Xers as they were coming of age. Control, which molded the
Boomerʼs collective personality was under attack. I tell them
that the biggest clashes among generations today is between
the Control of the Boomers and the Chaos of the Xers.
It brought the thinking of the audience (hopefully) to a new way
of thinking, leading to new insights into the personalities of each
generation.
The Mystical Imagination
Any illustration that enlarges the heart of your audience filters
through the mystical imagination. Anything that moves you
emotionally will more than likely move your audience
emotionally. What we are talking about here is aesthetics, the
sphere of beauty that gives our lives depth, meaning, and
movement. With out it the world becomes bland and one
dimensional.
Beauty gives depth to our lives through touching us in very
visceral ways. I have been moved by the grandeur of the night
time sky. The vast array of stars shining through the deep dark
canvas of night is one of the more profound experiences I’ve
had in life. I am a sucker for the beauty in the laugh of a baby.
Beauty gives meaning to our lives by focusing our attention on
matters that take the mundane and infuses it with wonder. That
is, beauty makes life seem grand and exciting. Even the
mundane elements of life can take on an aesthetic if we just
have the eyes to see it. Washing the dishes, for instance,
reminds me of the work that went into the meal, the sustenance
it provided, the gratitude of my actions, even the movements of
my hands as I scrub can add to the wonder of it all.
Beauty brings movement to our lives by prodding us to create
more beauty which in turn gives impetus to life. When people
believe that they are creators in the world, who through their
44
unique gifts and talents can provide an act of creation, they are
inspired.
Beauty then is emotional depth. Even in bittersweet moments,
beauty can emerge. Beauty can be agonizing. It explores the
depth of our souls (ala poetry) and asks us to respond with
emotional vibrancy.
For me, an illustration filtered through the conduit of the Mystical
Imagination is the movie, “Father of the Bride” starring Steve
Martin. I facetiously tell my audiences that I hate that movie.
Why? Because I have two daughters and it makes me realize
how swift life is and how they cannot stay little girls forever. The
movie moves me emotionally.
There is a montage in the film where Steve Martin is lying in bed
pondering the impending marriage of his daughter. He is running
through his mind the life cycle of his relationship with her, from
infant to bride. He might have just as well been viewing it in fast
motion. Ah, the swiftness of it all. Iʼm usually a blubbering idiot
by the end of it. I use that in my talks to highlight the bittersweet
nature of change and the beauty of a life well- lived.
Disney/Pixarʼs movie “UP” has a progression of scenes with no
dialogue whatsoever that follows the maturation of a young
couple in love. It shows them in the throws of wedded bliss as
they fixed up their house and dreamed of an adventure in their
lives that would take them overseas. But circumstances kept
getting in the way. With no dialogue and only beautiful music in
the background, the scenes take us from a miscarriage, to
financial obligations, and into old age and death. It is a beautiful
moment.
I show that clip during communication workshops and most
everyone in the room is wiping away the tears with the back of
their hands.
The Missional Imagination
The Missional Imagination is any element of life that causes us
to engage our world in substantive ways. It is a conduit that
entails action, a doing of life that makes a difference. We
engage our world every time we wake up. For it is in that simple
task we begin a day of movement and interaction with our
surroundings. We are not docile creatures but are intended to
be in active relationship not only with the world, but with others,
and with God.
I have filtered my life as a husband through the illustrative
conduit of the missional imagination.
When I took my vows many years ago, my wife created a
couple never before seen on the face of the planet. We were
now going to chart our lives together as one, making a
difference together that we couldn’t do alone. Through the act
of love we gave life to three wonderful children. Our children in
turn engage us and the world in ways we could never imagine
before. Together as a family we navigate and engage life as fully
as possible.
45
 I am always amazed by how many supposedly insignificant
people can accomplish such significant works. More often than
not, they go unrecognized. It still doesnʼt lessen their impact on
the world.
The Christian evangelist Billy Graham was being interviewed by
Katie Couric on the Today Show. She pointed out that he had
interacted with some of the most important people in the world,
spent private time with presidents and spoken to more people
than anyone else in the history of the world. She then asked
him, “Dr. Graham, who are your heroes in life?” Without
hesitation Billy answered, “Katie, you wouldnʼt know any of
them. They are the people who are working in the poverty of the
inner city, who are battling disease deep in the jungles of Africa,
even the mothers and fathers who work so diligently so their
children can have a better life are true heros.” The missional
imagination inspires engagement with the world, even if it isnʼt
very sensational.
The creative potential
Illustrations can be as varied as your creativity takes you. Once
you know the objective of your talk and you are crystal clear as
to its intention then you can “plug in” just the right imaginative
conduit to suit your audiences needs.
The whole idea of visual aids is to enhance your presentation,
not to be the purpose of it.
The benefits of visuals in talks are significant:
·Visuals make complex ideas clear and simple ·Visuals make
abstract ideas concrete
·Visuals help the audience remember the speech ·Visuals help
clarify the presentation
·Visuals point the audience to action.
Vary your visual aids. Talk about the information before you
actually show it. You lose 90 percent of an audienceʼs attention
if you put the visual up first. Allow them to switch between the
left brain and right brain. Donʼt read points on the slide, that
patronizes and wastes time.The less information you put on a
slide, the more you say, the more believable you will be. The
best visual aids are a kind of shorthand. In general, with audio-
visuals less is usually best.
With all the technological tools available to speakers to highlight
visuals in a talk, you must remember that the most important
visual in your talk is YOU. More often people will believe your
body language, not your spoken language. You are your own
best visual aid - or worst.
The successful speaker participates in the speechmaking
process as an active, artistic, imaginative agent. That being
said, take initiative in using the finest and simplest of illustrations
possible that align with the over all purpose of the talk.
46
General Guidelines for Illustrations

1. Each piece should be clearly relevant and to the point

2. Use different forms of support (video, audio, interactive, etc.)
throughout the presentation

3. Use no more, no less.

4. Plan that the audience can both understand and see its
relevancy.

5. Display them where ALL can see.

6. Keep them simple and clear. Not cluttered.

7. Wait until after the speech to hand out

8. Talk to the audience, not to the visual aid.

9. Explain visual aids clearly and concisely.

10. Be appropriate. Know your audience.

When you look at this picture close up it looks like Albert Einstein.
But look at if from a distance (or squint your eyes) and it becomes
Marilyn Monroe.

47
Chapter 8

Filler is Killer
In linguistics, fillers are sounds or words that are spoken to fill up
gaps in utterances and are strongly criticized by all teachers of
public discourse as promoting an image of uncertainty and
vagueness. The most common are “umm” and “ahhh”.
Fillers can also be illustrations or stories that have absolutely
nothing to do with the purpose of the presentation.
During lean times, bread crumbs were added to meat loaf to
make the meal go much further. People got so used to the filling
that in most cases, crumbs make up around 50% of the whole.
Most speeches are a substitute of the whole due to the inability
of the speakers to eliminate fillers.
Verbally, everyone has at least one. The big problem with fillers is
that if you use them frequently, they tend to chip away at your
credibility and can make you sound unsure and unprepared
(which might be the truth!)
If youʼre a person that uses fillers, you may not even be aware of
the speech problem yourself. Fillers tend to become so
embedded into our speech patterns that even when youʼre
aware that youʼre using them, youʼll have a very hard time trying
not to say them.
Filler can also extend to the content of the presentation itself.
When you donʼt know what you want to say, it shows in the
dumping of all kinds of superfluous information in the talk and
on the screen. All poor substitutes for the real thing- the
objective you want to convey.
Poor movies, those that fail to reach an audience and are
panned by the critics, are those that rely on filler. The script is not
tight and the plot hasnʼt been carefully thought out. The end
result is a film with a flimsy story line full of images and words
that donʼt take us anywhere. To make up for this deficit many
movie makers will pack the movie with special effects. The more
special the effects are, the more the belief is the movie will be a
good one. But they are just filler.
Poor presentations are the same way. They are filled with all
kinds of fluff in an attempt to bring fullness to the content. Your
audience will leave feeling unfulfilled and still hungry.
Here are some suggestions to move beyond the umms... and
ahhs...and content fillers
1. Consciously substitute a pause...yes, silence...for each filler
word. This not only eliminates the offending fillers, it helps the
audience absorb your message. To you it might seem the
silence is an hour in length when in reality it is only a few mere
seconds.
2. Be sure you have prepared with a focused objective and align
every illustration, and design every slide around it. Nothing is
wasted because it is all used in the service of the objective. If
you find yourself putting a piece of content in a talk only
because you like it, you are using it as filler; unless of course,
it clearly makes your point.
49
This page left intentionally blank (for filler)

50
Chapter 9

Seize the B’s

Here they are, the five Bʼs of effective presenters:
BE BRIEF BABY, BE BRIEF
A key to success in speaking is not just having something
worthwhile to say, but also saying it briefly. We need to follow
the speaking axiom, "Have a powerful, captivating opening and
a strong, memorable close, and put the two of them as close
together as possible."
Remember your audiences brains can endure only what their
butts can bear.
The art of brevity and choosing the right words is a fine one; it is
also becoming increasingly important as our information
overload continues. Those who master the art of brevity hold
great power.
Keep it short. Make your point. Don't take more time than you
need to tell the story. Taking more time than is needed to make
your point will find your listeners making excuses to get away.
The principle is to be kind to your audience. Audience
appreciation is a skill we must all learn if we hope to please
those who listen to our talks.
If you know the time limit on your speech is 20 minutes, stop a
minute short; don't go overtime. Audiences will appreciate your
respect of their time and will think more highly of you as a
speaker because of that. Remember, no one ever complained
that a speaker went too short!
Too much information or TMI is another way of telling someone
that they have gone above and beyond what is acceptable to
tell about themselves. The same holds true for a talk. To be
profoundly brief requires that a presenter become frugal. The
dictionary tells us that “frugal” shares a Latin root with ʻfrugʼ
(meaning virtue), ʻfruxʼ (meaning fruit or value) and ʻfruiʼ
(meaning or enjoying the use of). So in the realm of public
speaking, frugality is enjoying the virtue of getting good value for
every minute of your speech and from all the skills you have at
your disposal.
Thereʼs a word in Spanish that encompasses being brief in a
speech: aprovechar. It means to use something wisely - be they
old tools to planning a picnic in the park. Speakers who take the
time to simplify their message in order to say only what needs to
be said are using the art and craft of speech wisely.
Remember the pithy piece of advice that Clarity is your
Guarantee? That will bring to fruition your ability to seize the Bʼs.
Thatʼs all I have to say about that.
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
-Hamlet
52
Here is a story from India on being brief

When Vijay opened his store he put up a sign that said "We Sell
Fresh Fish Here." His father stopped by and said that the word
"We" suggests an emphasis on the seller rather than the
customer, and is really not needed. So the sign was changed to
"Fresh Fish Sold Here." His brother came by and suggested that
the word "here" could be done away with -- it was superfluous.
Later, his neighbor stopped by to congratulate him. Then he
mentioned that all passers-by could easily tell that the fish was
really fresh. Mentioning the word fresh actually made it sound
defensive as though there was room for doubt about the
freshness. Now the sign just read: "FISH." As Vijay was walking
back to his shop after a break he noticed that one could identify
the fish from its smell He knew there was no need for the word
"FISH."

53
Chapter 10

Learn to
Discern
t goes without saying that the audience is paramount to any
public speaking event. According to a Yale University study, the
single most persuasive word in English is...ʻyouʼ. So keep a
ʻyouʼ focus in your talks by constantly focusing on the audience.
Your ability to reach them must always be foremost in your
mind.
Remember, though your talk may be yours to prepare, it really
belongs to your audience. Where really, does the success of
your talk lie? In your mind or your audiences? Clearly the results
that matter most occur in the thoughts and reception of your
audience.
As a public speaker, you are not simply a transmitter of
messages; you also put your individual self in contact with an
audience. If your goal is to guide your audience to where you
want them to be, you first need to understand where they are.
Knowing your audience is an ongoing process. Not all sizes fit
all. Audiences vary from venue to venue. As a presenter or
speaker, you need to consider the different characteristics of the
audience, the communication channels to reach them, and the
diversity of the groups
Obviously, the same talk will be delivered differently to an
elementary school audience than to a rotary. In fact, what went
over well with one audience can land with a thud with another.
The same talk is not necessarily interpreted the same from
audience to audience.
So it is critical to understand the spectrum of your audience
each time you speak. One way to do that is to use
Demographics and Psychographics. Demographics are the
statistical characteristics such as sex, age, race, educational
attainment, socioeconomic status etc. Psychographics show us
what the audience has in common. It describes the audiences
opinion on certain matters.
So, a Democrat will have much different view than a Republican.
A child will have a different world view than an adult.
Understanding the demographic make-up of the audience will
help in formulating a presentation that allows for communication
of the data in the most effective manner. Their age, gender, and
education are the key demographics to consider points of view.
Determine the audienceʼs attitude toward your topic. Is it
controversial, partisan, or just not well known? Is your audience
friendly to your ideas or hostile to an opposite point of view?
This is of vast importance for a speaker. When an audience is in
opposition to your point of view, studies in social psychology
have proven that it is of primary importance to address the
oppositions arguments. If your audience agrees with your point
of view then it is alright to focus or concentrate on the topic to
the exclusion of opposing views.
Anticipate your audienceʼs expectations by gathering details
about the specific speech situation. Are you during lunch? Who
55
is speaking before and after you, if any, and what are their
topics? Are you the keynote or a breakout?
When building the content of your presentation always put
yourself in the shoes of the audience and ask "so what?". Really
ask yourself the tough questions of what is in it for the audience
throughout the planning process. Even though you think it’s
interesting that doesnʼt guarantee the audience will see it that
same way.
Is your objective relevant to the audience? It may be cool, but is
it important, does it help your story...or is it fluff? Surely you have
been in an audience and wondered how what the presenter
was talking about was relevant to his point. "So what?". If you
can't really answer that question, then cut that bit of content out
of your talk
Be what the audience wants
Since they have gathered to hear from you, an expert on a
particular topic, reflect that. Dress as someone who is a
dynamic communicator of the message. Make sure the sound
and lighting are right and your visuals are compelling. Anything
done with excellence will convey a dynamism in your speaking.
Avoid accepting public speaking engagements where the
audiences needs are clearly out of sync with your abilities, likes
and dislikes. You will end up playing the fool and be less than
dynamic. Learn to just say no.
Adults expect that what they are learning from you is
immediately useful. Always refer to the relevancy of your
material. They need to know why they should listen to you for
direction. This rapport takes place within minutes of beginning
your presentation. Adults learn in order to cope with real-life
tasks and want application today.
For them, they need to be convinced that what you have to offer
is part of their continuing procurement of competencies to
achieve full potential in life.
When I was teaching high school, I was introduced to the eight
types of learning styles present in every classroom. The
challenge was for us to tailor each lesson plan with the eight
styles in mind. The same holds true for any speaker. There are
four types of listening styles present in any audience. Be aware
of, and plan, to touch every listener on some level in your talk.
Analytical
They will have puzzled looks while listening. They will be
questioning, and skeptical during the talk. Body language will
include rubbing chin and or brow. They will be evaluating and
critiquing the information and delivery.
Driven
These are the results oriented men and women of action. They
are also impatient. They will be the ones usually sitting at the
front of the audience. They ask, “How can I use this information
now.” “How is this practical?” They donʼt need to know when or
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why if these are self evident. That will be self evident. Their need
is for what, and how that is new. Their listening style is, "Get to
the point."

Amiable
These are the audiences that care for you as the speaker. They
also care for the audience. Those new to public speaking will “I knew this was going to be a good audience when I
enjoy the kudos they receive from this group. However, they noticed all the tacky ones sat at the back.”
may not give the critical assessment that will be helpful (they’re
too doggone nice).
“[small crowd] I forgot to bring something with me—my
audience.”
Expressive
“And if anybody out there doesn't know what I'm talking
This listener likes to be involved and be a part of what is going
on. The expressive likes involvement. This listener will become about, then you must know how I feel!”
easily bored with technical data. They will become fidgety or
“Youʼve been a wonderful audience. So ... weʼre even.”
even leave if they aren’t engaged. Things like giving a show of
hands is appreciated with this group. “Youʼve been a great audience. I donʼt really mind a few
Any presentation that does not give the people in the audience coffee slurpers.”
something they can take out of the door with them and use is a
failure and a waste of their time.

57
Chapter 11

Concluding
Thoughts
Time
Time is a wiggy concept. I really donʼt get it. Aristotle speculated
that time is movement and unlike the present we see past and
future as measurable durations of hours, days, months, and
years. The present however is an infinitesimal moment that is im-
measurable. It is the persistent now and always on the move.
One second it is there, the next second it is gone. Time is rela-
tive. In fact Albert Einstein proved that time is not a constant.
Itʼs duration changes as our perception of it varies. For example
my friend was in the hospital waiting to pass a kidney stone. Iʼve
never had one, but Iʼm told it is excruciatingly painful. He told
me that the pain was so intense that every second ticking away
on the clock seemed like an hour.
Conversely, when youʼre involved in an activity that has your full
attention and is extremely enjoyable, it can seem as if time really
does fly. One hour of an enjoyable activity can seem like min-
utes.
Think of your audiences perception of time during your speech.
If it is an enjoyable event they will wonder where the time went.
Conversely, if your speech is less than engaging theyʼll keep
looking at their watches wondering why youʼre wasting their
time. You owe it to your audienceʼs time to be as effective a
communicator as possible.
If you have 300 people in the audience for a one hour presenta-
tion you are monopolizing 3000 hours of time. 3000! That is one
of the reasons speaking can be such a powerful event - it holds
great potential to change many lives at once. The converse is
also true. It can zap the energy out of 3000 hours of peopleʼs
precious time.
Speaking takes place in a precise moment of time. It occurs in
the present tense and will never occur the same way ever again.
What you have to say, then, is historic. Think about that. It
should motivate you to make the most of every speaking mo-
ment.
Take advantage of each moment of time by taking every talk, no
matter how inconsequential it might seem, seriously. Prepare
every talk with pep and clarity, giving heed to your movement
and give it all the attention that something historic deserves.
Iʼm a romantic at heart. I approach public speaking as a
romantic endeavor between the speaker and the audience.
Each talk ought to be given the time and energy that any
romance needs and deserves.
Before you go on stage, think hard about the relationship with
your audience. Who are they? Where do they come from? What
makes the tick? These are questions every young suitor asks
when considering the dynamics of a relationship. Each date is
tailored to answer them.
As you are on stage, make an emotional bond with your
audience. Look them in the eye, include them, tell stories and
use illustrations with a compelling conviction. Be yourself and
59
refuse to be somebody you are not. Authenticity will garner the
respect of the audience every single time.

After the talk, ask yourself the hard questions of how well the
relational encounter went. Be brutally honest with yourself. Is
there anything you can do next time that might woo the
audience in a more significant way? Is the topic something that
you both can talk about? Does it hold the attention of your
audience and does it inspire them to respond in significant ways
to all the other relationships in their life?

Go. Speak. Change the world!

60
 The Greatalk! Workshop

All the essentials of crafting a masterful speech will be covered. This workshop is available to
those who want to take their speaking to the next level, whatever your present experience or
ability might be. Itʼs for serious speakers who want to make greater impact. If youʼre only good -
you will get great. If youʼre already great - youʼll break through to the level of extraordinary
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There is simply no substitute for attending this workshop. You will have the opportunity to ask
questions and to be on the Hot Seat, where your talk will be focused upon and refined in a way
that will be invaluable to you. If youʼre really serious about getting your message out and
impacting the world, this is the most important workshop you can attend. Really.

https://jeffvankooten.com/training/greatalk/

II want to thank you for your expert coaching, support, and encouragement on this talk. Your
patience, process, availability, expertise, hints, ideas, affirmation, guidance…and more, made
for the combination I needed to really make this speaking opportunity all that it could be and
was. I was ready with a well-organized talk, prepared and able to present myself and my
content in a professional manner, and I was VERY WELL RECEIVED as a result.

-doug gertner, president, Emu Consulting