Giving an Impromptu Speech

Too many people get FREAKED OUT when they hear "Impromptu Speech," but here's the deal, you give impromptu speeches all the time. Whenever someone comes up to you and starts speaking to you, you are responding with "impromptu" information.

I highly doubt that you lay awake all night scripting what you are going to say to everyone you are going to meet the following day. If you are doing that, you are someone "very special" (i.e. someone who needs very special therapy).

Here's something that will help calm your nerves. You are only going to give impromptu speeches or presentations on information that you already know. You cannot give an impromptu speech on something you don't know. Well maybe you could, and it would sound like this:

"Um, I don't know anything about that." (And that would be it)

So if you are only going to talk on information that you already know, then all you need to know is how to present in a logical, flowing manner.

Now before I tell you the system in giving an Impromptu Speech, I first want to tell you the biggest mistake people make when asked to give an impromptu speech.

Biggest Mistake: People just start talking as soon as they are asked to speak on something. For some who know the topic well and have given "the speech" numerous times, they can just start talking and the speech goes well. But for many (especially those not giving a lot of impromptu speeches), speaking as soon as they are asked to speak only leads to rambling, incoherent thoughts, ums and ahs, and discomfort for you and the listener.

Bad impromptu can best be summed up by a line given in the 1995 movie "Billy Madison," where Adam Sandler plays a spoiled rich kid that will inherit his father's empire if he can make it through all 12 grades, 2 weeks per grade, to prove that he has what it takes to run the family business. In a final trivia battle, Billy (Adam Sandler) responds to a question with some insane soliloquy.

The principals response is this (which exactly describes a bad impromptu speech, or just a bad speech in general):

"Mr. Madison, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112508/quotes)

Okay, now that you know the biggest mistake, here are the SIMPLE steps to follow to give a great impromptu speech.

1. STOP! Don't just start speaking. Stop, take a breath and move on to step 2.
2. Understand what is being asked of you. You may need to clarify what is being asked of you by restating back to whoever asked you to speak (This can also help you with step 3). 
3. Turn and face your audience.
4. Gather your thoughts. I'm talking seconds here (and even less). You need to quickly come to an analysis of what you want to say (What is most important and what does the audience want to hear). Realize that most impromptu speaking is not the time for an in-depth analysis of the topic. It is usually a brief overview or one or two specific details (with no charts or handouts to accompany it).
5. Start by giving an Intro (Tell what you are going to tell). This can be another restate of what you where asked to talk on.
6. Now tell what you said you where going to tell. Based off time and what is wanted by your audience, you can give one, two, or three main points with some supporting information on each. If you give more than three, you will more easily get sidetracked and start rambling. We work well in groups of two or three thoughts.
7. Sum it up with a conclusion (tell them what you just told them). Quickly recap what you just said.

*If appropriate ask if there are any questions, then be prepared to start the process over again.

It is extremely important to incorporate the presentations skills learned in my other posts. Remember to stand tall, use confident body language, speak clear, make eye contact, and enjoy the moment. 

Lastly, if you are wanting to practice impromptu speaking, just ask someone (who will listen) to ask you to answer or explain things that you already know. Go through the steps above and you will become a Master of Impromptu Speaking before you know it.

The Science and Art of a Persuasive Speech

I think I pooped. Change me NOW!

Persuasion is something you as public speaker will do quite frequently. In fact, persuasion has been part of your existence from the time you could communicate.

If you are lucky enough to have children you are constantly being persuaded to let them have ice cream for dinner or for you to buy that new toy that everyone else has. If you have teenagers like I do, it could be that new pair of jeans they must have, or the new iPhone, or a car (yes it appears as children get older their "persuasiveness" is for more expensive items). And if you don't have kids yet, get ready for the day you have them because they will persuade you even when you know it's not in your best interest.

Persuasion is derived from the Greek verb "to believe," and today we think of persuasion as the process of influencing attitudes, beliefs, values, and behavior.

For me, I like to look at the synonyms of persuasion to help me understand what persuasion is. Words like:

• argue
• bring around
• convert
• convince
• gain
• get
• induce
• move
• prevail (on or upon)
• satisfy
• talk into
• win over

Persuasion is everywhere, it's on every billboard we see, every magazine ad we look at, it's in our daily interactions with friends, loved ones, and "not-so-loved ones." At any given moment, someone is trying to get us to change our beliefs, thoughts, actions, and/or behavior.

The process of persuasion in public speaking is often dictated by a variety of circumstances, but what I am going to share with you is the baseline of persuasion that you can build upon (More advanced lessons later).

The science and art of persuasion can never be mastered, but you can always get better at it!

I would like to add that becoming great at persuasion is VERY POWERFUL! One who is a master at persuasion can change the world, literally, for good or for evil.

The Science and the Art of Persuasion

For me, persuasion is broken down into the science- or systematic structure of what you "do" to prepare for persuasion, and then the art- or the "how" you present the information in order to persuade.

Part I: The Science of Persuasion

Know your audience. What are their thoughts, beliefs, attitude, knowledge on the subject you are wanting to persuade them on. The further they thoughts and beliefs are from yours, the less change will occur.

Establish your credibility with your audience. Why should they believe you? What is your background in this subject area? Do you have any credentials that may be useful? You may also want to share a personal connection to the subject you are speaking on.

How much time do you have to persuade? The smaller the amount of time you have in front of an audience the less change/persuasion can occur. You may want to scale back your goal and think baby steps.

How is your message relevant to your audience? Is there a STRONG benefit for the audience to change, or is there a STRONG or painful outcome if they don't change (although pain is a strong motivator, pleasure is much more long lasting and can be easier to persuade to). Think avoid pain and gain pleasure.

Find common ground and build from it. You need to know what you have in common with your audience before you can ask them to change. Find "connectors" and build upon them.

Have you set clear and easy goals for the audience to follow in order to make the change? Again, think baby steps here- small, easy goals that have big pay-off. Sorry, but nobody is going to change if it is too hard to change.

Don't tell your audience what they "have" to do, instead show them the benefits and allow them to make up their own mind. Nobody likes to be told what to do.

Part II: The Art of Persuasion

Yes you have heard me (or your mother say it), it's not what you say, but it's how you say it that counts. The art of persuasion is HOW YOU SAY IT! 

Here are the keys to the art of persuasion:

Passion. Donald Trump once said, "With out passion you don't have energy, with out energy you have nothing." I couldn't agree more.

People follow passion, people seek out passion, people want passion.

As with all things, one must understand their passion and ALWAYS ask you yourself, is my passion enhancing the situation or distracting from it.

There is a fine line between being passionate and someone who is CRAZY!

People often display their passion with nonverbals. Their face will "light up," and their eyes will widen. Body movement and the rate of speech often becomes quicker and voice inflections will change.

A passionate person radiates an energy that others can feel- and that FEELING is one of the most powerful persuaders one can can emit. 

Use Emotion-Logic-Emotion to help persuade. Find ways to tap into the emotional side of whatever ever you are trying to persuade, then back it up with some solid facts, statistics, and logic, then add some more emotion. As humans we often decide with emotion first, then we go through a logical process to make sure we made a good decision, then we go back to emotion to feel good again.

Emotional words are words that resonate in your heart- they are feeling words, descriptive words that we can translate into pictures, feelings, memories, smells, tastes, etc.

Logical words are thinking words. They are dry, often mathematical, statistical, boring, non-emotional. These words resonate in your brain.

Ask yourself if there a difference between these two statements?

1. What do you think about that?
2. How do you feel about that?

If you can understand the difference between those two statements, you will have a greater impact on what kind of words to use in a persuasive speech.

Use words that can help the listener visualize what you are talking about. In fact, use words that can help the listener experience all five senses.

If your speech allows for it, use pictures or props to enhance your speech purpose.

Trust is a major factor in persuasion. I often say that the first and quickest way to build trust is to get someone to smile (and this means it starts with you).

Now there are different kinds of smiles out there

• there are fake smiles
• there are nervous smiles
• and there are genuine smiles. 

You want a genuine smile- a smile that is reflected in your eyes and your whole demeanor. People can often tell if you are faking a smile or not. Being prepared helps curb the nervous smile, and having a passion and a genuine care and concern for others will help you achieve a genuine smile.

Act confident (but not cocky). This also has a lot to do with being prepared and having lots of practice.

Confidence also has a lot to do with a belief in what you are talking (persuading) about. I am amazed at many of our political leaders who live by the credo of "do what I say, not as I do." Confidence doesn't mean you have to come across as condescending or rude to others. Another great example is Vice President Joe Biden in his debate against Paul Ryan. Mr. Biden is a great example of what NOT to do.
(Click to YouTube Link)

Look for the nonverbal's of your audience to gauge how you are doing. Remember, public speaking is not about standing in front of a crowd and talking. Public Speaking is about making a difference, creating value, and the context of this lesson, persuading.

Be accountable for every word that comes out of your mouth, because somebody is listening and just might take it to heart.

Question:

1. What are some of your personal strengths and weaknesses when it come to giving a persuasive speech? What can you do to ensure that you are "wildly successful" during your next persuasive speech?

Using Language "Style" for Your Speech

The purpose of this lesson is to help you understand and learn how language style influences your speech. Style refers to both the specific words choices and the rhetorical devices (techniques of language) used to express your ideas and achieve your speech purpose.

Of course rhetoric doesn't doesn't move mountains, but it is the catalyst of action.

To quote one of my favorite authors Thomas Sowell, he states, “The big divide in this country is not between Democrats and Republicans, or women and men, but between talkers and doers.”

Good use of rhetoric creates action and results! 

(Quote by me, Professor Brendan Dalley)

Here's a quote from your mother:

"It's not what you say, it's how you say it." 
(This was usually said to me after getting in trouble for back-talking or teasing a younger sibling)

FYI: Giving a speech is not like reading out of a textbook. I have often said to my students that if you were to write like I talk then you would get an "F" on your paper. When giving a speech we can often get away with some run-sentences and grammatical errors, but don't think that writing well doesn't affect your speech. Understanding how language and grammar is used correctly will help you be a better speaker.

Effective speeches:

• Use familiar words, easy-to-follow sentences, and straight forward syntax. (Again, know your audience)
• Make frequent use of repetition and often have more transitions than written text.
• Are clearly organized and have a specific pattern to help listeners follow along.
• Are interactive and can be changed/altered by the feedback (verbals/nonverbals) of the audience.

Here's a Helpful Hint: Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS)

Which is easier to understand?

1. It is of utmost preponderance that the the assemblage apprehends your exposition; do endeavor for elementariness of your elocution. 

Or

2. Make sure your audience understands you. Strive for simplicity of expression in your speeches.

Here are some more Tips on using "Language Style" in your speech:

1. Be Concise in Your Speech

• Use fewer words words to express your thoughts.
• Use contractions
  (I'm instead of I am, he's instead of he is, Dalley's the best instead of Dalley is the best, etc.).

*Being concise in your speech is more easily understood and allows for better flow.

2. Use some Sentence Fragments
It's okay to use sentence fragments and short phrases when giving a speech (but not in written language). Just don't make all your sentences fragments. Actually, I dare you to try and make all your sentences fragments or even simple sentences (you'll sound pretty stupid).

Often sentence fragments coupled with tone and body movement can enhance the "feeling" of your speech and it can give your speech some personality (your personality).

3. Remember that Repetition is the Mother of Skill 
Good speeches often repeat key words and phrases. 
Repetition adds emphasis to main ideas, helps listeners follow the speaker's logic, creates a style to the speech.

4. Use Transitions
Transitional statements help the audience follow along with the flow and intent of the speech. The use of good transitions helps to connect main ideas to supporting details to other main ideas to other supporting details. 
Think of transitions as street signs that are telling you where you are going (or in my case a GPS that talks in a sexy computer voice).

5. Use Personal Pronouns
Personal pronouns in speech (I, you, me, we, us) are great to use when speaking because it personalizes the speech and can help audience members connect to you as the speaker and to the message.

6. Use Culturally Sensitive Language (you Hippy!)
As a public speaker it's critical to be sensitive to cultural variations.
Here are some things to be aware of:
Biased Language. This refers to language that relies on unfounded assumptions, negative descriptions, or stereotypes a given group's age, class, gender, disability, geographic, ethnic, racial, or religious characteristics.
Colloquial Language. Refers to language/sayings that are specific to a certain region or group of people. Use of colloquial language can help you "hit the nail on the head" with your speech, or just might make you look as "dumb as a load of coal." If you're not getting what I'm saying than there's a good chance you are "as slow as mud" or just "too dumb to pound sand in a rat hole."
Need some enLightenment, Click Here 

7. Don't be Sexist. Steer clear from referring to everyone as "he" or being generic when referring to stereotypical jobs. All nurses are not females, and not all construction workers are males. No longer is there such thing as "chairmen" it's now "chairperson." If you're struggling with this, then go ahead and struggle, but it's not going to change. 

8. Be Sensitive to Disabilities. A disability does not define a person. There are many different types of mental and physical disabilities, so be aware of language that will accord dignity, respect, and fairness.

9. Choose Concrete over Abstract
Use concrete words that are specific, tangible, and definite. Use a Thesaurus and Dictionary to help you understand and use this.
The opposite of concrete is abstract. Abstract words are general and nonspecific. The problem with using abstract words is these words can be left to the interpretation of individual audience members, which may confuse and frustrate listeners. 

If audience members start of ask questions in their head like, "What did he mean by that?", then they are not listening to what you just said.

Examples of Abstract Words:

• old
• bad
• a lot
• short
• good
• thing
• big
• long
• new
• late

Let me add some clarity by looking at Abstract vs. Concrete phrase.
Abstract: The road was rough.
Concrete: The road was pitted with muddy craters and basketball size boulders.

10. Paint a Picture with Words
Using vivid images to paint a mental picture for the audience will get their imaginations involved. Key words to help you do this: (taken from Dictionary.com)
Similes: a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.”
Metaphors: a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”
Analogy: a similarity between like features of two things, on which a comparison may be based: the analogy between the heart and a pump.

Side Note-Stay away from overly used similes, metaphors, or analogies. These are also known as Cliches.

Select words that are colorful and concrete.

Here are some other words you may want to understand:

Personification 
Understatement 
Irony 
Allusion  
Hyperbole  
Onomatopoeia  

A good rule is to use words that appeal to the 5 senses

11. Use Appropriate Language
Enough said with this. Don't be using language that offends others.
NO *#$%#! SWEARING!

12. Ewes Language Correctly
Credibility can be lost when you use words incorrectly. 
A malapropism occurs when one uses a word or phrase in the place of one that sounds similar but has a different meaning. "It's a strange receptacle" is wrong. It should say, "It's a strange spectacle."

Be careful of connotative meaning of words. A connotative word is a word that will have different associations or feelings when used. For example, you may consider yourself big-boned or husky, but not fat.

13. Be Confident and Convincing
This has a lot to do with how you say it as much as what you say. Be prepared, act like you belong in front speaking, be passionate about what you are speaking on, and convince by connecting with the audience. 

14. Us an Active Voice
Use and active voice not a passive voice. An active voice is when the subject performs the action. An example would be:
Passive: A test was announced by Professor Dalley for Monday.
Active: Professor Dalley announced a test for Monday.

15. Use I, Me, My
The "I" language will often create an impression of conviction and ownership. Remember, act credible, and by using "I" in an active voice, can show confidence. People follow confident people. People believe confident people.

16. Avoid Wimpy Speech
Avoid phrases that show lack of decision, confidence or understanding, such as:
I'm not sure, but…
I may not be right, but…
I think….
This might….
...kind of...
….or at least I thought.
….wasn't it?
….is that okay?

16. Leave a Lasting Impression
This ties into the last lesson on Developing a Conclusion that is Memorable, but it also has a lot to do with how well you have connected with your audience. People will remember how they felt more than they will remember what was said.

17. Use Repetition, Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
As stated earlier, repetition is the mother of skill and remembering. A form of repetition called anaphora, is when you repeat a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences. An example of this is Dr. Martin Luther King's speech, "I Have a Dream" where he repeats the phrase "I have a dream" numerous times.

Repetition reinforces key ideas and can be used to create a thematic focus of your speech.

18. Use Alliteration (Similar to Repetition)  
Alliteration occurs when a series of words in a row (or close to a row) have the same first consonant sound. For example, “She sells sea-shells down by the sea-short” or “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers” are both alliterative phrases.

Word of Caution- when alliteration is poorly crafted, it can distract from from a message.

19. Use Parallelism
Parallelism is not just a mathematical expression. In language it refers to the arrangement of words, phrases, or sentences in a similar form.
For more information on parallelism Click Here  

In conclusion, a well crafted speech that uses appropriate language style and rhetorical devices will help you to convey a message that will be considered unforgettable. 

Rhetoric can be the seed of hope that just may blossom into action and produce the fruit of results! - Brendan Dalley