Written by Robyn T. Braley
If you are a Rotarian, the ability to communicate well is an important skill.
I've had the opportunity to help incoming Presidents and a few District Governors who were unsettled by the idea of speaking in front of an audience. With a few pointers, they were able to calm their nerves and face the challenge head-on.
The goal of this post is to help you as well. If you are a strong speaker, there may be tips that will help you be even stronger.
Every speaker wants to be clearly understood. Whether you need to write a 1-hr. speech, a 2-minute announcement, or compose a project announcement for your club bulletin, this content will help improve the engagement level of your audience.
Who Is This For
If you’re a Rotarian, you are a leader in the club and your community. Developing your communication skills is a necessity! Whether speaking to a live audience, one to one on a video call, connecting and moving people to action is part of your job description.
- Business owner
- Teacher
- Leader of industry, community, or faith groups
- MC weddings, concerts, or other events
- Chair meetings, boards, or A.G.Ms.
- Serve on committees
- Do politics at any level
Know Thy Audience
Knowing your audience will help you include relevant content. If you are speaking at a conference or a service club two towns away and don’t know who will be there, call someone who does. Understanding who they are will help you be relevant.
Ask 10 key questions
- What is the average age?
- What is the male/female mix?
- What is their level of education?
- What do they do professionally?
- What is their average income level?
- Where do they live? (if speaking at a conference)
- What is the ethnic and cultural mix?
- What do they care about?
- What problem do they need to solve?
- What qualifies you to offer solutions to their problem?
What is Your Goal?
Defining your goals will bring clarity and frame your talk. Write them down and refer to them as you progress.
When finished creating your talk ask the obvious question! Did you meet your goals?
Even with a 2-minute announcement at your place of worship or community organization, keep your purpose in mind. What do you want people to do?
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| Identify your goals and take a giant leap toward the finish line. |
Setting the Stage
How do you transform your idea into story form? Whether your style is to take days to prepare it or to sit in a Tim Horton’s or Starbucks madly sketching out your speech on a napkin an hour before you have to give it, the process is the same.
Five Script Options
- Wing it
- Memorize it
- Use talking points
- Speak from a written script
- Use visuals (slides) as cues
Winging it is highly discouraged. It often leads to personal disappointment and audience ridicule. Any of the other options are good choices depending on your comfort level and speaking style.
Boredom Kills
Have you been forced to sit through a report showing the results of a survey? Was the audience shown slide after slide of bad news? I have, and it’s usually not a time of great joy.
A talk filled with raw data, statistics, graphs, and charts often causes audiences to zone out around the 5th slide. When relative stories, illustrations, and interpretations of the survey are sprinkled throughout the data, the content comes alive.
Tell Your Story
People identify with stories which activate eight regions of the brain including five that govern the senses. When your audience becomes absorbed into a story, it causes them to ask, “What happened next?”
Stories trigger the imagination and connect at an emotional level. In the same way, anecdotes and illustrations can create common ground with the audience.
Appealing to the senses by describing sights, sounds, colours, smells, shapes, textures, and feelings helps listeners paint a picture in their minds. Supporting your story with photos, images, or video takes them deeper into your topic.
Mary Had a Lamb
Beware! Sometimes an illustration can backfire. Get your facts straight!
I’m ecstatic when audience members share how I helped them see things differently. They usually mention, in passing, how my presentation helped them by causing them to see alternatives.
I recently gave a keynote to a sold-out crowd in Edmonton, Alberta. Unfortunately, it was over-sold, and latecomers were ushered onto the stage and seated off to the side. (I say, unfortunately - that's for the facilities people who were worried about safety! For me, it was an adrenalin rush!)
I use nursery rhymes like ‘Mary had a Little Lamb’ to demonstrate how effective pauses can be or how changing the emphasis on one word can shift the meaning.
After my keynote, a line formed in front of me. I was stoked and felt smug!
In a moment of carelessness, I had said, ‘Its FACE was white as snow.’ Buddy informed me that ‘face’ was actually ‘fleece.’ Its FLEECE was white as snow! He was troubled that I didn’t understand that.
To quote Homer Simpson, “DOH!’
Offer Solutions
Offer solutions to the common problems associated with your topic. Whether delivering a serious message about safety protocols or what to bring and when to arrive for the company barbecue, provide information about how to solve their problem.
A solution may be as simple as telling the date, time, and place, of the barbecue or it may be more serious and involved. Tell them what they need to do and how they can do it. (See Power Words below). By offering solutions, you come across as an authoritative and caring person who is interested in the well-being of the audience.
Speech Structure
Every story has a beginning, middle, and end. Create a one-page outline by writing these words on a blank sheet of paper.
Write ‘Beginning’ at the top and ‘Middle’ about 15% of the way down. Leave a large area, and then write ‘End’ near the bottom.
Begin your talk by telling the audience what you’re going to tell them and why it is important in a 3-4 sentence intro. In the middle, fill in the blanks with phrases or short sentences as your story progresses. Tell your story in sequence. Keep asking, “What happens next?”
Beginning
• I want to tell you about …
• It is important because …
Middle
• Get to the heart of the matter quickly
• Use illustrations and stories to emphasize key points
• Describe what action can be taken
• Outline the benefits of taking that action
End
• Sum up what you just told them
• Challenge them with an unmistakable call to action
• Finish with a strong statement focusing on outcomes and benefits
Titles That Inspire
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| Strong titles attract attention and intrigue the audience. |
A strong headline demands attention and creates anticipation. It also makes the promotion of your talk easier. I usually create a draft title and finalize it after I’ve finished my speech. At that point, the title is generally apparent and the meaning clear.
Find a hook. Songwriters search for hooks in their song titles. It is often the first line of the chorus.
Early in his career, Mac Davis wrote and recorded songs that went nowhere. His producer kept telling him to find hooks! Mac was angry that anyone would dare interfere with his creative process. So he stormed off to write the protest song, ‘Baby, Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me!’ It was his first colossal hit.
Write and rewrite headlines until they feel right.
Use Plain Language
The rule of thumb is to use plain language when writing your speech. Big words don’t always make you sound smart. Instead, they can make you sound aloof or disconnected.
Never use a $1,000 word when a $100 or even a $10 word will do. Speak to the lowest level of understanding in the room.
A favourite TV news commentator of mine recently wrote a fascinating book about an important era in U.S. history just before WW II. As a history nerd, I found it annoying that she used uncommon words about every 3rd page. I was not about to disrupt my absorption into her compelling story to google the meaning of a single word.
There are exceptions to the rule. For example, if you are speaking to a crowd of lawyers, engineers, or scientists, using terms they identify with will boost their engagement. However, never, never, ever use any word unless you know what it means.
General Rules
Some principles of online writing also apply to speech writing. Remember, your speech is meant to be spoken.
- Start each paragraph with a strong statement about the main topic
- Sentences should not include more than 10 - 15 words
- Paragraphs should be 2-4 sentences as a guide
- Start a new paragraph for each new idea
- When possible, resist starting sentences with a clause
Clarity
Cut out irrelevant clutter. Trips down rabbit holes will muddy your message. You want people to remember what you want them to remember. Make sure the main thing remains the main thing.
Acronyms Can be Deadly
My advice is to avoid acronyms if at all possible. Know that someone in the room will not understand what they mean and makes them feel like an outsider!
I belong to a Rotary Club, which is part of Rotary International Rotary is a worldwide service organization that has many layers. The work of Rotarians enriches and even saves the lives of thousands of people around the world.
However, many Rotarians are addicted to Acronyms. The frustration of many Rotarians is to bring a guest to a meeting when there are announcements or talks filled with acronyms. Visitors, new club members, and even many long-time members will have no idea what was being said.
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| Beware the sinking sand of acronyms! |
Keep it Positive
Use a positive tone even when you deliver a serious message. Find ways to offer hope even when there doesn't seem to be any. For example, if talking about a natural disaster, tell people where they can volunteer to help or how they can donate money.
However, offering hope may not be easy if you’ve just announced a company layoff. You won’t score points on the empathy scale if you finish with, “At least some of you still have a job!” Show compassion to those whose lives have just been upended.
Use of Contractions
Use contractions where possible so you don't sound stilted. For example, 'it is not grey' sounds stodgy. 'It isn't grey' is more conversational. However, in certain situations if you need to make a strong point, raise your voice and say, 'IT ... IS ... NOT ... GREY!'
Use of Slang
Don't use slang unless you know for sure people will understand what it means. Know all the nuances of the word as well.
Power Words
Power Words trigger psychological or emotional responses. They are persuasive and, when used strategically, make it hard for listeners to resist being influenced They add energy and passion to your speech. Google power words and thousands will come up.
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| Careful use of authority words adds credibility to your speech. |
Great political speech writers are masters at choosing the right word to evoke the right emotion. For example, Canadian political writer David Fromm created the term ‘Axis of Evil’ to describe the groups responsible for attacking the World Trade Centre on 9/11.
Use Power Words
- You can ACHIEVE great SUCCESS!
- Join me on a JOURNEY into the PAST!
- TOGETHER we can …
Action Words
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| Action words add energy to your speech. |
Action Words challenge listeners to do something. They close the loop by motivating them to buy, sell, donate, sign up, go, sit, stand, support, be kinder, or just make a difference.
Key - Power Word: BOLD - Action word: UPPER CASE
Together, we can MAKE a difference. JOIN me today by GIVING your financial gift to
HELP destitute children SURVIVE this devastating crisis.
Practical Application
I write television and radio commercials. It often takes more time to write a 30-second commercial than a 500-word blog post.
I love writing story commercials like Santa and the Elf, Count Dracula’s Sleep Problem, The Grandson’s Big Fish, and The Sleep Detective or sitting by a crackling fire while smelling coffee and bacon and listening to bacon sizzling in the pan. Each must include descriptive as well as action words to motivate people to buy the advertised product.
Google action words. You’ll find thousands of lists used by advertising copywriters. The words on the graphic above provides a start.
Wrapping it Up
Has this post helped you with shortcuts for writing speeches? Do you have others? Please let me know in the comment section below.
The End
CONTACT INFO
Robyn T. Braley is a Rotarian in District 5360. He has served on numerous Club and District committees, including as the P.R. Chair his District He has also produced major events like Rotary Remembers, a multi-club event honoring those who served or were lost in Canada's conflicts. He is a brand specialist, writer, and speaker. You may contact him at robyn@robyntbraley.com
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