00:01
In today's lecture, you'll learn speaking in
public tactics, specifically a script
that you can use when you need to speak
impromptu, as well as great opening tactics
and closing tactics.
00:13
Let's start out talking about public
speaking when you have to do it on the fly or
impromptu. I was recently reading an article
by Jack Welch, who's one of the most
famous CEOs in the world, and he was asked
what he looks for when he's
hiring a new executive.
00:28
And the thing he said was the number one
thing he looks for public speaking
skills. So when I saw that, I thought, wow,
I didn't
expect him to answer with that.
00:39
So I read the article and it was interesting
what he was talking about.
00:43
You might relate where he was saying that
when you see somebody speak in
public, especially when they're asked to
speak in public and you know, it's an on the
fly situation, we think generally one of two
things.
00:55
We'll watch people get up in public.
00:57
And if they look like they're really
confident, they look as though they're
super polished and prepared.
01:03
They tend to speak with elegance.
01:05
We look at those people and we are in awe
sometimes and we'll look at them and think,
Wow, at the end we think that was really
good.
01:13
And someplace in our minds we think, Hmm, I
could trust them to speak
in my place if I ever needed that.
01:20
They sound like a savvy, polished
professional, and it tends to be that
CEOs, powerful leaders of companies, they do
speak in public and they know how to do it.
01:29
They all kind of go to the same school.
01:30
You ever notice that. Then we see some
people who have to speak in public, and when
they get up and are asked to speak with no
warning, they're nervous.
01:38
They don't look at the audience, they look
uncomfortable.
01:42
And we look at them and we feel
uncomfortable watching them.
01:45
But it's like a train wreck that we're
watching and it's horrible, but we can't look
away. And at the same time we're thinking,
It's okay, I forgive you.
01:53
I'm just glad I'm not speaking.
01:55
But we think, Oh, you poor thing.
01:58
And those are the people who we know.
02:00
Hmm. Once I've seen that, I now know that I
could not trust you to speak in my place.
02:05
I now know that you do not speak like a
savvy, polished executive.
02:10
So how can we learn to be that person?
Now that I know, for example, it is one of
the top skills that CEOs and business leaders
look for. I want to have that skill if I
want to be in business.
02:22
Additionally, when you're asked in your
personal life, for example, to get up and say
a few words to the bride and groom at a
wedding, or say a few words for the recently
deceased at a funeral.
02:32
However, when you can get up with no notice
at a personal event, maybe a
wedding or a going away party, and you
appear as though you know what you're doing.
02:42
You appear as though you're confident
because you have the words.
02:44
People notice that, and then each time you
do it, you start to feel a little better and
better about it. People ask me all the time
what they can do to eliminate their fear
of public speaking or their anxiety.
02:57
And I've been speaking for 20 years and all
of the speakers that I know, including
myself, I've talked to them about this
issue, about eliminating anxiety or fear of
public speaking. And I have found nothing
that eliminates your fear or
anxiety. I mean, one simple tactic and I
haven't met anybody who has found a magic
tactic or pill to eliminate anxiety when it
comes to public speaking.
03:19
Because the anxiety that most of us face or
the fear that most of us have, we
experience that fear before we speak.
03:26
Once you start speaking, almost everyone
that I know calms down.
03:30
Once they start getting the words out
because they realize, Oh, this isn't the end
of the world, it's going to be okay.
03:36
And with a great script, a frame to help
you.
03:38
In any event, get the thoughts from your
brain out of your mouth and appear as though
you're making it easy.
03:44
You will be less nervous when you start
speaking and the more often you do it
each time it gets a little bit better
because you think, All right, although I'm
still nervous because that's just something
that's in us.
03:56
I know that I can get up and have the words I
won't black out that I know
this script you can use in a variety of
different circumstances, not just on the fly,
but also when you forget your words when
you're asked to speak and you don't have time
to prepare. There are so many situations in
which you can use the script and now that you
know it, you will see it being used in a
variety of different situations.
04:19
This is the good as we all know we've all
I've so let's all
this is one of those scripts that as I told
you I like to practice things by taking
flashcards, having this tactic or the script
or whatever it is that I'm learning on that
card. And then when I have time, I will, for
example, be waiting for an elevator, pull the
card out and practice.
04:39
Good, as we all know, we've all, I've, so
let's all.
04:41
Good, as we all know, we've all, I've, so
let's all.
04:44
By the way, there's something about
practicing things in the shower that has both
been scientifically proven to be more
effective.
04:50
But I've noticed it as well.
04:52
When I'm in the shower and I'm listening to
something or saying something out loud, such
as the good, as we all know, we've all,
I've, so let's all.
05:00
If you do that for three days, I will
guarantee you it'll soak into your brain.
05:04
And the next time you have to get up and
speak in public, you'll remember, just like a
soldier who has to practice taking apart and
putting back together his or her gun, you
will be able to do it on the fly with no
notice, and you will sound eloquent
delivering the good, as we all know, we've
all, I've, so let's all.
05:21
Here's how it goes. Number one, the good if
you have to get up and speak in public
and you were given no notice or it's even
better if somebody asks you to speak in
public in 20 minutes or half an hour or
tomorrow and just say a few words for some
event. If you have notice, you can go
through this script and prepare a little bit
more. But even if you don't have notice, you
will notice that people who speak in
public on the fly start off with something
such as well.
05:48
Good morning, everybody. Good evening.
05:49
Happy holidays.
05:51
All the good is is a lead in line reminding
you here's where you say your
greeting. But I do want to give you a
caveat.
05:59
You will notice that in other lessons I tell
people when you open, never say good
morning. And there is a reason why you,
generally speaking, want to avoid
saying good morning.
06:10
And that reason is because you've probably
been to different seminars or lectures, and
the speaker will get up and they'll start
off by saying, Good morning,
everybody. And then you'll hear a couple
people in the audience say Good
morning. And then the speaker will say, Oh,
come on, you can do better than that.
06:28
Good morning, everybody.
06:30
And then people will say good morning.
06:32
And what you're doing if you do that is
you're setting up every single person in that
room to believe, Oh, okay, this is going to
be exactly like every other speech I've ever
seen, and you don't want to do that.
06:43
But again, if you're on the fly, you need
some words.
06:47
And if you're going to say good morning,
happy holidays, good evening, say it with
confidence and just say it once.
06:53
Then you move on to step number two and
you're going to say, as we all know and the
as we all know is very simple.
07:00
All you have to do is state the obvious
event.
07:04
So, for example, if you're at a company
holiday party and your boss says, could you
get up and say a few words for your
department, please?
And you say, Oh, sure, I can say it
confidently because you get up and while
you're starting, you can think about what
you're going to say.
07:17
Because at the beginning, all you have to do
is say something such as, well, happy
holidays, everybody.
07:22
As we all know, we're here to celebrate this
season together as a team and as a family,
you know, what are you there to do if you're
saying goodbye to Mark after 25 years with
the company? Well, good afternoon,
everybody.
07:32
As we all know, we're here to say goodbye to
Mark as he goes off to find greener pastures.
07:36
All you have to do is state the event.
07:39
Then you move on to step number three.
07:41
We've all step number three is important
because
if you read about public speaking and what
you're supposed to be doing, theoretically,
you're supposed to be including everybody or
establishing what we call common
ground. Because if you talk and talk and
talk and never include your audience, people
will start to feel disconnected.
08:00
You can cover the whole common ground
principle like that just by saying
we've all phrase and lead in lines again to
help you get the words out.
08:09
And it also forces you to do what we are
supposed to be doing during these types of
situations. For example, we've all enjoyed
working with Mark these past 25 years and are
going to miss him as he moves on.
08:19
Or we've all worked really hard this past
year to bring this company to where it is.
08:24
What have you all done that you have in
common?
We all are going to miss so and so.
08:28
We've all really enjoyed watching the
couple's love grow from a puppy love to a
more mature love. And here they are,
starting a family together.
08:36
What is it that you all share stated?
Once you've done that, you can move along to
step number four.
08:42
And step number four is you're simply going
to say, who are you and why are you
speaking? People will be thinking, Who is
that person?
Why are they saying something?
Right? So you want to explain that?
Because that will answer people's question,
who are you?
Why? Why are you speaking?
And so you might say something such as?
I enjoyed working with Mark these past 25
years, and I'm so grateful for every lesson
that he gave me, both professionally and
personally.
09:06
By the way, when you're giving a speech
professionally, if you're at a company event,
if it's a going away party for an employee
at some time, you're going to be at a loss
for words. Throw in something that has to do
with both professionally and
personally, and it helps you find a few
extra words and make it more personable.
09:25
I really enjoyed working with Mark and I'm
grateful for all of the lessons that he
taught me, not just professionally but
personally as well.
09:30
Things like that. It's a great way for you
to get more words out and add some emotional
element. Or, for example, I'm really going
to miss Joe.
09:39
I'm so grateful that I could watch this love
as it grew not from far away, but up
close. I'm so grateful for the new sister
that's now going to be in my life.
09:48
Whatever is personal to you.
09:50
What brought you to speak?
What you have experienced up until this day?
Something that connects you to the event or
the speech or the person.
09:57
That's all you have to do.
09:59
And then you move along to the end the.
10:01
So that's all.
10:03
Usually by this point, people get to the so
let's all because we'll practice this live
and it's incredible how easily people can
find the words even when asked impromptu in a
course. Usually when they get to the end,
they're so relieved.
10:15
But if you don't have the right closing
line, if you're a speech was good up until
this point, not having a closing line
prepared can ruin the entire speech
that came before it. I met my nephew Aemon's
wedding, and someone says, Dan, you're
speaker, get up and say a few words and I do
it okay until the end.
10:33
And then having a closing line.
10:34
Here's what it might sound like using the
good, as we all know, we've all, I've, so
let's all. Well, good afternoon, everybody.
10:42
As we all know, we are here to celebrate the
marriage of Aemon and Anna.
10:47
We've all enjoyed watching these two as they
grew to know one another, experienced
puppy love. And here they are, starting a
family together.
10:55
I am so proud of Aemon and all of the
decisions he's made up until this point,
especially this one, to choose this fine
young lady to be his bride.
11:02
So let's all wish them well as they go off
in the world together and do that
starting a family. And it's going to be
great.
11:10
So, Aemon, way to go.
11:12
That's it. Ha ha.
11:16
We've seen that, right?
You've seen people who do that.
11:18
They get up, they sound okay, they get to
the end and then they trail off and then
they'll say, Well, that's it.
11:26
And when you watch them, you think, Oh,
okay, you didn't have a closing line.
11:30
You might not consciously think that, but
there's something in it that leaves us
hanging, and we don't like that when you
feel good during a speech and then you just
don't know where to end.
11:40
Remember, in any situation, if you're at
work giving a
delivering a little talk to an employee, if
you're at home having one of those
talks with your spouse at the end of a
powerful message, if you ever say
that's it, that is one of the top danger
phrases for a savvy communicator
when you say that's it at the end, well,
that's it.
12:03
It takes the message that came before it and
takes all of the power out of it.
12:07
You should never have to tell somebody.
12:09
Well, that's that's the end of my message
there.
12:12
There won't be any more words coming out of
my mouth.
12:13
Now, that's that's it.
12:15
A good closing line does that for you.
12:18
And if you're giving a public speech, the
good news is there are only three closing
lines that you need to learn that work for
99% of occasions in which you will find
yourself speaking in public on the fly.
12:29
Those three closing lines are, let's all
raise a glass, let's all give
a round of applause or let's all bow our
heads.
12:38
Remember that in a public forum when you
have a group of people.
12:42
A good closing line should be a call for
action, but specifically physical
action. Meaning sometimes you will be at an
event where somebody will say, okay, let's
all say goodbye to John as he goes off into
the world and
wish him well and keep him in our hearts and
prayers.
13:00
And if you listen to that, you're thinking,
Oh, that's nice.
13:03
What am I supposed to do now?
Are we are we done? Are we done?
You know how that feeling of being left
hanging is an uncomfortable feeling.
13:10
Don't do that to your audience.
13:12
If you simply say so, let's all raise the
glass to the bride and groom.
13:15
That action is going to let everybody know,
hooray, this is the end.
13:19
If you, for example, tell everybody, let's
all give a round of applause, people will
know, okay, I'm comfortable now I know what
to do.
13:25
Or Let's all bow our heads in a moment of
silence.
13:28
People then know what to do and people feel
comfortable when they know what to do in a
group and speakers feel comfortable when
they know what to do in front of the group.
13:37
It's so simple.
13:38
If you practice at home using the good, as
we all know, we've all, I've, so
let's all. I mean, literally practice using
those lead in lines all together.
13:47
What will happen is you will notice as you
go through the day, if I were asked
to speak here, I could use the good, as we
all know, we've all, I've, so let's all that
way. Oh, that would sound all right if I was
asked to speak there.
13:59
If you're watching television, for example,
and something comes on, you could think, if I
were to speak there, what would I say?
The good as we all know.
14:05
Oh, yeah, that would work.
14:06
And if you practice doing it enough, you
will notice there are certain lines I can use
in any situation.
14:12
Then will come the moment where someone will
ask you to speak in public.
14:16
You know, it could be your boss, it could be
a manager, it could be the CEO, could be a
friend. But people will see you do that and
they will be astonished when you can get up
at any event. Like think right now, if I
were to ask you to get up at
a wedding and say a few words, what could
you say?
Using the good as we all know, we have our
lives.
14:34
So let's all if I were to ask you to get up
and speak at the opening of a new
branch of your company, and you're about to
be named possibly the new
manager, but someone asks you to get up and
say a few words.
14:46
We're here celebrating the opening of a new
wing.
14:48
What would you say? There are so many
different ways we can use this one.
14:53
The point is use it because someday when you
have the opportunity to speak in public
and you do it and you're prepared, people
will notice and they will notice you as a
savvy, polished communicator.
15:05
But let's talk a little bit about when you
can plan a speech.
15:08
You know, you might be giving a presentation
to a group of prospects.
15:12
You might be giving a presentation to a
group of colleagues.
15:16
But there are times when we have plenty of
time to prepare for a presentation and
when we do. Many of us have not really
focused on the opening.
15:25
Now, I realize a few moments ago I said,
Hey, if you have to deliver an
impromptu speech, you can use the opener.
15:32
Good morning. Good afternoon.
15:33
Good evening. That's really just reserved
for those situations in
which you are speaking impromptu on the fly.
15:41
If you have any time to prepare, prepare a
different opener and here's how you do it.
15:47
There are three ways that you can stun the
audience when you open.
15:52
Number one, use the statistic and don't say
good
morning, good afternoon or anything like
that.
16:00
For example, if someone introduces you, you
should always have someone introduce you.
16:04
Don't introduce yourself.
16:06
If you can have somebody, even if it's an
administrative assistant, get up and
say, All right, everybody, turn off your
cell phones.
16:13
Here's the schedule.
16:14
There are the bathrooms.
16:15
Now, I'm introducing Dan O'Connor for this,
that or the other.
16:18
Anybody who introduces you, even if they're
not skilled to public speaking, that's
going to make your opening more effective,
easier, and it's going to set you up as the
speaker and you won't have to do that.
16:29
Uncomfortable. All right, everybody, we're
getting started.
16:32
The speaker shouldn't be doing that.
16:34
So I'm going to assume someone just
introduced me.
16:38
I walk up to the podium, plant myself, look
out into the audience, and this is
how you would start by using a statistic.
16:45
There are no words that come before this.
16:47
At this moment, over 36% of the young people
in the
United States under the age of 14 have a
cell phone in their hand and are
looking up a local business.
16:59
That's starting with a statistic.
17:02
You do not say good morning.
17:03
You don't say hello, everybody, and you
don't set it up.
17:07
If you start speaking as if you're right in
the middle of your speech, you will notice
that the audience immediately stops and
says, Oh, what's going on here?
Hold on. I think we've started.
17:16
Oh, my gosh. And when you do that, you can
grab attention immediately
because people aren't used to that.
17:23
And it's kind of like when we're talking
about dealing with difficult people, when you
give something other than the expected
pattern of behavior, when you speak the way
most people don't speak, people pay
attention because they're not used to it.
17:33
But most people who are effective speakers,
I mean, who really
captivate an audience, that is how they
start.
17:40
So watch that, take that from them.
17:41
And the next time you're wondering, how
should I open?
How should I open? If you start with a
statistic, any statistic but start it like
that. 55% of marriages in the United
States fail. What are you doing to ensure
that yours isn't one of them?
That's a way to start with a statistic.
18:01
And when you just start in, people will
listen.
18:04
The second most effective way that I have
found to start speeches is by using the
stealth story.
18:10
And the stealth story is you are telling a
story right at the beginning,
but it doesn't start with once upon a time.
18:18
It doesn't start with good morning.
18:19
It starts with the middle of your story.
18:22
You just start speaking again.
18:24
I'm going to assume that someone has
introduced me.
18:27
I'm standing up in front of the room.
18:28
It could be in front of a podium.
18:30
It could be sitting in a chair.
18:31
Whatever it is, I'm going to start as if
someone has introduced me.
18:36
Looking out over the forest.
18:39
The sun was shining so brightly that it
looked as if each tree was covered with
diamonds. And I remember the way.
18:46
Now, if you start out like that, you just
start out as if you're right in the middle of
a story. Watch how people will stop and do
one of these.
18:53
Oh, oh, oh, wow.
18:55
And you will captivate the audience because
you're starting in the middle of a
captivating story.
19:01
And you may have noticed storytelling is a
big business these days.
19:05
And if you can say that you have
storytelling skills, it increases your value
even at work. The third thing that you can
use to open with a bang
and captivate your audience's attention is
the captivating question.
19:18
And the captivating question sounds
something like this.
19:21
You ready? Who are you?
If you were to be asked to fill in the
blank.
19:28
I am blank.
19:31
What would you say?
You are what? Mary.
19:36
Mary? Yes, lady there in the red dress.
19:37
Mary? Who are you?
If you start like that.
19:42
I mean, you literally you ask a question to
the group.
19:44
Hey, everybody, what's your phone number at
work?
You lady in the red dress.
19:49
What's your phone number at work?
That's the captivating question.
19:52
If you do that, it puts everybody on alert.
19:55
Oh, my goodness. First of all, you start out
with a question and everybody hears it and
everybody thinks, what are we being asked a
question?
And then you put everyone on the alert by
saying you there.
20:04
If you don't know somebody's name, that's
fine.
20:07
Say, man in the yellow sweater.
20:09
Hey, you in the blue suit.
20:11
What that will do is puts the entire group
on alert that I could be called on at any
moment and watch how they will all focus in
on you because they're not sure if they're
going to be the one to be called on in a
moment.
20:24
If you use one of those three strategies,
you can start with a statistic.
20:28
You could start with a story or you could
start with a question.
20:32
Those three things are unusual.
20:34
People generally don't do that.
20:35
But you know who does do that?
The speakers who are effective and captivate
the audience from the beginning.
20:40
And remember that one of the keys is just
start in.
20:43
And once you've done that, once you've
opened effectively giving your speech, it's
time to close. So let's talk about how you
can effectively end a speech.
20:52
Again, this is one of those things where if
you have a great opener and have a great
speech, but don't close it, well, it can
really let all of the air out of your
balloon. What I'm about to tell you is just
one simple strategy for
closing that you can use in almost any
situation.
21:09
Closing is a little different from ending.
21:12
One of the things you always want to ensure
you're covering if you need to, is your call
for action. Now I'm going to talk about the
call for action before I get into the
specifics of how to close without saying
that's it.
21:26
It might be that before you say your final
words, before you actually close, you
might have to encourage the audience to do
something.
21:33
For example, if you're at a meeting for your
local community watch
program and you want to ensure that before
your group that you're speaking to
leaves, they all sign up on a form to
volunteer a couple of hours a week
to the community watch program.
21:48
Or you might want the people who you're
speaking to to buy your product or service,
you might want something.
21:54
And if that's the case, remember to deliver
your call for action right
before you close.
22:01
There are two specific components in a call
for action that's done well.
22:06
Number one, you tell the audience members
what the specific time frame
is. Number two, you give a specific action
meaning
instead of saying something such as.
22:17
So, I hope everybody signs up for the
neighborhood watch program.
22:21
I'm Dan. Thank you very much.
22:23
If you have a specific call for action, it
would be something more along the lines of.
22:28
So before you leave, you will see some blue
forms next to the door, fill one of those out
and put it in the box next to the door
before you walk out.
22:37
Then people have it in their mind, okay, I'm
supposed to fill that out and put it in a box
before I walk out the door.
22:43
Or it might be.
22:44
So in a couple of minutes, we're going to be
taking a break.
22:46
And during that break, you'll notice some
resources at the back of the room that have
been put there for your benefit.
22:51
So before you go to break and have your
coffee, make sure to check those out and grab
an order form and start filling that out
during break so that when you come back, I
can serve you more quickly.
23:01
I'm going to tell people what to do and
when.
23:04
Grab a form, fill it out at this time or do
this at this time.
23:09
That's a specific call for action.
23:10
So don't simply leave it at.
23:13
So I hope to hear from you all in the
future, even if it's something like that.
23:17
So I look forward to receiving your email.
23:19
Remember, that's Dan at PowerDiversity.com
In the future, something like that.
23:23
Give people a specific and a specific time
frame.
23:26
And once you've done that, all you have to
do is close.
23:30
There's one phrase that you can always use
to close if you use it
correctly, and that phrase is simply, Thank
you.
23:38
It sounds easy, but you can use it in a way
that makes it so profound
and the way that you would use the actual
words.
23:45
Thank you to close, because this, by the
way, is one of the hottest topics.
23:48
If you look on web boards and watch people
as they ask questions about public speaking,
the one of the top questions is, how can I
close and is it okay to say thank
you? And there's a lot of discussion about
it.
24:00
You can always say thank you.
24:01
It's a terrific way to close and you don't
need to think too much about it.
24:04
But the way you want to do it is you're
telling your story.
24:08
You're talking about your product or
service.
24:10
You're talking as if you're right in the
middle of your speech.
24:15
Then you pause a pregnant pause.
24:17
By the way, remember that a pregnant pause
is a pause that's a little bit bigger than a
regular pause. So you pause and then say
thank you.
24:25
For example, let's say that I am wrapping up
a communication seminar and I'm
thanking everybody for being there, and I'm
going to use the simple pause and thank you
to close. It would sound something like
this.
24:37
So thank you, everybody, for being here.
24:39
I hope that you got a lot out of this.
24:40
Every time I give one of these, I get a lot
out of it as well.
24:44
Thank you. Or you could be saying, for
example, more about the story that you
started out with, you know.
24:52
And every time I look out that window, I
still can't help but think of my
grandmother. And all of the time that we
spend together.
24:59
Having tea and sharing wisdom.
25:03
Looking out over the forest.
25:06
Thank you. When you pause, you seem as
though you're talking right in the middle of
of a speech and then say thank you.
25:14
People will be left.
25:16
Almost breathless, waiting for more.
25:18
And they'll think, Oh, that's the end.
25:19
Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.
25:20
But if you set people up too much, you know,
if you say, all right, now that I'm coming to
the end, I'd like to thank everybody for
being here.
25:27
And you start to set them up.
25:29
You know set the tone as if you're closing.
25:30
Then when you close, people are expecting it
and it's kind of everyday protocol.
25:35
But remember, it's true.
25:37
You want to leave people wanting more.
25:39
And if you have the right tactics, the right
scripts, you can always leave them wanting
more of you.
25:46
Thank you. In this lecture, we learned a
simple script to
deliver a speech impromptu at any occasion.
25:54
You learned how to open a speech with power
and finesse and how to close a speech
effectively so that you leave people wanting
more.