8 Master Strategies

For Public Speaking

The best speeches may seem effortless, but they aren't. Here's what it
takes to make them feel that way.
[Photo: Michael Goldenkov/Strelka Institute]

 C A M ILLE S W E E N E Y A N D J O S H G O S F IE LD 0 8 . 0 5 . 1 5 5 : 0 0 A M
Your legs wobble as you approach the podium. Your hands tremble as you
adjust the microphone. Your head throbs. A wail builds deep inside you and
threatens to escape.

Its showtimeand the feelings are primal.

Evolutionary biologists tell us that in the presence of a presumed threat, we go

into fight-or-flight mode, kicking off a millennia-old chain-reaction that starts in
the brains fear centers and ends with our muscles pumped with blood and
oxygen, prepared for battle or escape.

If you experience this, don't worry. Youre in good company. In a

recent story for the New Yorker, Joan Acocella writes that some of the
greatest performersDaniel-Day Lewis, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Barbra
Streisand and Sir Laurence Olivierhave all faced symptoms of extreme
stage fright.
As panicked as the thought of presenting in front of a group can make us,
whether were delivering a speech before hundreds, doing a business pitch,
attending a job interview, or introducing a report in a meeting, our careers may
depend doing it well.

So how can we get better?

A good place to start is over two thousand years ago. The ancient Greeks
believed that every citizen should study public speaking and the art of
persuasion. In hisArt Of Rhetoric, Aristotle broke it down like this:
Ethoshow we earn the respect of our listeners
Logoshow we support our message with solid facts
Pathoshow we appeal to our audiences emotions and persuade them
of our argument
Master all three pieces, and youre most of the way there. Master the methods
of the masters, and youre even closer.

A great speech should seem effortless, authentic, even spontaneous.

Here are eight ways to help you convey your ideas forcefully and persuasively
in any public-speaking situation.

1. PRACTICE
Practice is key to mastering virtually every skill, and effective speaking is no
exception. For every minute of delivery, Winston Churchill spent an hour
preparing. A 45-minute speech meant 45 hours of prep (or the average
workers workweek). In the meantime, Churchill had a country and war to run.
A great speech should seem effortless, authentic, even spontaneous. Perhaps
Mark Twain put it best: "It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare
a good impromptu speech."
2. HAVE A HOOK
Like all the great songs we can never forget, your talk should have a great
hook. Take the three most-watched TED Talks of all time. Within the first two
minutes of each one, the speaker delivers his or her Big Idea. "Its education
thats meant to take us into the future that we cant grasp," says creativity-in-
learning crusaderSir Ken Robinson. "I want to start by offering you a free, no-
tech life hack . . . [that] could significantly change the way your life unfolds,"
says psychologist Amy Cuddy. "All the great and inspiring leaders and
organizations in the world think, act, and communicate the same way. And its
the complete opposite to everyone else," author and consultant Simon
Sinek declares.
Hooked? You bet! Not a bad tactic, since studies have shown that, on
average, listeners' heart rates begin to decline the moment the speaker steps
on stage. Scott Berkun warns about this in his book Confessions Of A Public
Speaker: "Something is wrong if 60 seconds goes by and you arent already
into your first point."
3. SHUT UP
Napoleon Bonaparte was masterful at rallying his troops. But to compensate
for his small stature and crude, Corsican-inflected French, Napoleon didnt
wow them with an impressive war cry. He used the power of silence. Before a
battle, hed stand silently in front of his troops for up to nearly a full minute
before addressing them.

David Hume, a speechwriter for four presidents and author of Speak Like
Lincoln, Stand Like Churchill, calls this the "strategic delay," which "adds weight
and wisdom" to your audiences perception of both you and your speech.
Although none of us is likely to torture our colleagues with 60 seconds of
silence, the artful pause can be equally effective in a sales pitch, power
meeting, or negotiation. Hume advises, "Before you speak, lock your eyes on
each of your soon-to-be listeners. Every second you wait will strengthen the
impact of your words. Stand, stare, and command your audience, and they
will bend their ears to listen."
4. KEEP IT REAL
When Ronald Reagan wrote about public speaking, he shared "a little secret that
dates back over 50 years to my first stint at a microphone." On his first day as
a radio broadcaster, Reagan was nervous. He wondered how he would
"connect with all these people listening to the radio." The secret? Instead of
talking to a "group of unknown listeners," he imagined he was speaking to the
"fellows in the local barbershop." Reagan wanted to replicate that banter
where everyone would swap jokes, talk sports, and tell stories:
Every second you wait will strengthen the impact of your words.

I learned then the fundamental rule of public speaking. Whether on the radio, on
television, or to a live crowd, talk to your audience, not over their heads or through
them. Just use normal everyday words. I have never lost that vision of the fellows in the
barbershop sitting around and listening to the radio.
Which is why in his fateful message to Americas superpower rival, instead of
saying, "We forcefully demand that the leaders of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics at the soonest opportunity disassemble the barrier that separates
East and West Germany," Reagan simply said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down
this wall!"

5. KEEP THEM WISHING ON A STAR

Just like a story has a narrative arc, a presentation has a structure that can
move an audience to embrace an idea. In her brilliant TED Talk, Nancy
Duarte uses that structure masterfullya series of starkly contrasted shifts
from what is to whatcould be. In fact, its a square waveform pattern that can be
found in the structures of heroic myths, classical music, and the speeches of
some of the greatest communicators of modern times, including Martin Luther
King and Steve Jobs. Duarte explains:
When you say, Heres a problem. What happens if we solve it?,' Heres a roadblock.
Lets annihilate the roadblock, you make the status quo unappealing and the audience
ask themselves, Wow, do I want to agree and align with this or not? That contrast
between what is and what could be builds tension in the minds of the audience. And just
like a sailboat tacking in the wind, that tension draws the audience forward ever faster,
toward what could be in the future with your idea adopted.

6. SPEAK WITH YOUR BODY

Sean Stephenson, author of Get Off Your "But": How To End Self-Sabotage
And Stand Up For Yourself, was a White House intern for President Bill
Clinton. Stephenson saw Clinton up close, and marveled at his ability to
connect with people through an extensive repertoire of physical gestures. The
effect? Everyone was "laughing, hugging, and listening closely to him,"
Stephenson says. He catalogs some of Clintons patented people-pleaser
moves:
Touching: Clinton would place his hand on your shoulder, back, or forearm as
he spoke, "passing his energy on to you kinetically."
Eye contact: "Once President Clintons eyes locked on to yours, they didnt
leave until the interaction was complete."
Facial expressions: Hed greet people with smiles in moments of joy and with
expressions of empathy in times of sadness. "He never seemed false around
mehe was always successful in conveying the emotion he wanted to show."
"People say that Clintons greatest skill is his ability to communicate," says
Stephenson. "I believe his strongest suit is being able to connect."

7. GET MOVING
Whenever Chris Rock performed as a young comedian, he would stand stock
still in front of the microphone. After the veteran Eddie Murphy caught Rocks
act one night, Murphy gave Rock some solid advice. To keep the audiences
attention, Murphy said, get moving. Rock has been stalking the stage ever
since. Amy Jen Su and Muriel Maignan Wilkins, who report this anecdote in
their book Own The Room: Discover Your Signature Voice To Master Your
Leadership Presence, write: "Movement arouses the central nervous system.
Our eyes follow movement. [When you move on stage] the audience cant
help but watch. Conversely, when you stop, the sudden absence of movement
is compelling and creates emphasis."
Move toward your audience and lower your voice to create intimacy.

You should make your movements emphasize your words, the authors
suggest. Block out your talk as if youre an actor taking advantage of the
space. Move toward your audience and lower your voice to create intimacy.
Approach your audience at an angle and include a gesture for emphasis.
Return to center stage when you return to the theme of your talk.

8. GET ON STAGE
Martin McDermott, author of Speak With Courage, who has taught
communication skills for over 25 years, has noticed that people with
performance experienceno matter at what leveltypically take to public
speaking more naturally. You dont have to have been the star of your high
school musical, but just "six months of comedy improvisation bolstered my
presentation skills far more than any professional development course I've
taken," Martin says.
Many other public speaking gurus recommend improv classes to sharpen your
instincts and your ability to think on your feet. Get up on stage, Martin advises,
whether youre in a band, a play, or an athletic contest, till you get to the point
where you can say to yourself, "I am in front of people, but I'm relaxed and I'm
having a good time."