Pink delivers a masterful speech which demonstrates many strong speech techniques, including:

• A powerful opening, which establishes a framework utilized throughout;
• Building of ethos and logos;
• Well-timed use of humor;
• Employing contrast and the rule of three;
• Powerful conclusion; and
• Superb delivery.

The strength of this speech isn’t surprising at all, given Pink’s former role as chief speechwriter for Al Gore.

This is the latest in a series of speech critiques here on Six Minutes.

I encourage you to:

1. Watch the video;
2. Read the analysis in this speech critique; and
3. Share your thoughts on this presentation in the comment section.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Opening – Superb and Yet Flawed

The opening of the speech is very strong. The first words of the speech — “I need to make a confession…” — create mystery and draw the audience in immediately. The humor woven into this opening invoked strong laughter from the audience, but may not have been the best choice. (see below)

The other noteworthy element of the opening is the way that Pink frames his speech as not a story, but a case [1:34 -- these are references to speech times which you can use to view specific parts of the speech]:

“I don’t want to tell you a story. I want to make a case. I want to make a hard-headed, evidence-based, dare I say lawyerly case for rethinking how we run our businesses.”

This is speechwriting genius. In just a few sentences, Pink establishes the framework around his topic. Given that his audience is likely to be skeptical (because his primary message goes against conventional business wisdom), he assures them that what he’s about to say is not a fictional story, but a solid case — a clear, truthful, logical argument.

He specifically refers to the audience as “Ladies and gentlement of the jury…” [1:51] to cement this framework. Later in the speech, he twice references this framework.

• “Let me marshall the evidence, because I’m not telling a story. I’m making a case, ladies and gentlemen of the jury…” [9:05]
• “I rest my case.” [18:28 - the final words of the speech]

But, there’s a small flaw…

In most circumstances, self-deprecating humor is a wonderful speechwriting tool. You get the audience laughing, and you risk offending nobody, because the humor is about you.

However, the self-deprecating humor in this speech pokes fun at the very thing on which Pink has hinged his argument — on his ability to demonstrate a solid, legal case. He playfully (and perhaps modestly?) points out his poor law school performance, and the fact that he’s never worked as a lawyer. This has the effect of undermining his credibility. The skeptical audience member might argue that if he isn’t a smart lawyer, then maybe he can’t put together a strong case, and if he can’t put together a strong case, then perhaps the case being presented in this speech is weak.

The lesson? When using self-deprecating humor, don’t poke fun at your expertise in a way which weakens your credibility.

Build Logos and Ethos

Aside from the self-deprecating humor, this speech is very strong in both logos (logical argument) and ethos (credibility of the speaker).

A few ways in which Pink builds strong logos include:

• “This is not a feeling… [joke] … This is not a philosophy… [joke] This is a fact… [joke]” [8:33]
  This passage was one of the most emphatic in the entire speech, and it strikes at the heart of the audience opposition.
• “Some of you may look at this and say ‘Hm. Sounds nice, but it’s utopian.’ But I say ‘nope’. I have proof.” [16:02]
  Again, Pink directly addresses the opposing point of view, and then proceeds to offer tangible, real evidence to support his claim.
• The speech is littered with references to both academic research as well as case studies taken from contemporary businesses. He specifies institutions, names, and quotations. In doing so, Pink makes it clear that his central argument is not just a theory; it is grounded in reality.

A few ways in which Pink successfully raises his ethos include:

• Through the speech, Pink cites academic research at globally recognized institutions, including Princeton [3:08], MIT [9:10], Carnegie Mellon, the University of Chicago, the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States, and the London School of Economics (“alma mater of 11 Nobel Laureates in Economics”) [10:48]. As the named institutions all have high ethos, referencing them in this way adds credibility by association to Pink.
• “I spent the last couple of years looking at the science of human motivation.” [5:07] This particular line was delivered in an understated way, but I think it boosts his credibility considerably.

Make it personal (and flattering)

About half-way through the speech, Pink makes the first explicit connection between his topic and the audience in the room. He says:

• “Think about your own work… everybody in this room is dealing with their own version of the candle problem” [7:49]

This flatters his audience, because it implies that they are all engaged in truly difficult and challenging work. (i.e. they don’t have careers doing mechanical tasks) More importantly, it makes his speech message more personal. From that moment on, every time Pink references “the candle problem”, each member of the audience hears “my problem”. Having your audience personalize your message is one powerful way to persuade them.

Use Humor

This was not a “fluff” speech by any definition. On the contrary, it is packed with thought-provoking ideas. Yet, Pink wisely injects humor throughout the presentation:

• “I need to make a confession. I did something I regret… in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I went to law school.” [0:38]
• “I graduated in the part of my law school class that made the top 90% possible.” [1:00]
• “I never practiced law a day in my life. I pretty much wasn’t allowed to.” [1:14]
• “Now this makes no sense, right. I’m an American. I believe in free markets. That’s not how it’s supposed to work…” (into the reality show joke which didn’t get much laughter) [4:00]
• Fade-in effect on slide (also with color) to add “For Dummies” to “The Candle Problem” [6:30]
• “This is not a feeling. I’m a lawyer, I don’t believe in feelings.  This is not a philosophy. I’m an American, I don’t believe in philosophy. This is a fact. Or as we say in my home town of Washington, D.C. — a true fact.” [8:33]
• “Is this some kind of touchy-feely socialist conspiracy going on here?” [10:38]
• “London School of Economics. Training ground for great economic thinkers, like George Soros, Friedrich Hayek, and Mick Jagger.” [11:10]
• Atlassian joke [13:45]
• “Fedex days” joke [14:30]

The speech is about 18 minutes long, and includes 10 (mostly successful) attempts at humor.  The timing of the humor is also noteworthy: 0:38, 1:00, 1:14, 4:00, 6:30, 8:33, 10:38, 11:10, 13:45, 14:30. Pink mixes humor every two minutes or so, with a little more in the first 90 seconds (to build a connection with the audience), and then none for the last three and a half minutes (to focus on a powerful closing argument). This humor strategy is worthy of emulation in your speeches!

Employ the Rule of Three

This speech is packed with rhetorical devices, the most frequent of which is the use of triads. Pink employs the rule of three in a variety of ways, including both humor and his most serious statements. A few examples include:

• “(1) This is not a feeling… [joke] … (2) This is not a philosophy… [joke] (3) This is a fact… [joke]” [8:33]
• “Too many organizations are making their decisions… based on assumptions that are (1) outdated, (2) unexamined, and (3) rooted more in folklore than in science.” [11:45]
• (1) Autonomy, (2) Mastery, and (3) Purpose [12:40]
• “(1) How they do it, (2) when they do it, (3) where they do it…” [15:40]
• “… noone gets paid (1) a cent, (2) or a euro, (3) or a yen…” [16:33]
• “If we repair this mismatch between what science knows and what business does…
  If we bring our notions of motivation into the 21st century…
  If we get past this lazy, dangerous ideology of carrots and sticks…
  we can strengthen our businesses,
  we can solve a lot of those candle problems, and maybe, maybe, maybe,
  we can change the world. ” [18:02 -- concluding argument]

Use Contrast

The most memorable catch phrase in this speech was introduced with a slide, and spoken multiple times, at 5:18, 11:35, 17:28, and 18:02. This phrase is cleverly crafted, and is far better than an awkward alternative such as: “Present-day business practices are ignoring the knowledge by scientific research.”

Other uses of contrasting terms include:

• “This is one of the most robust findings in social science [pause]… and also one of the most ignored.” [5:00]
• “That’s actually fine for many types of 20th century tasks. But for 21st century tasks…” [5:40]
• “Routine, rule-based, left-brained kind of work” [7:25] versus “Right-brained, creative, conceptual.. ” [7:45]
• “… productivity goes up, worker engagement goes up, worker satisfaction goes up, turnover goes down” [15:53]
• “This is the titanic battle between these two approaches. This is the Ali-Frasier of motivation.” “intrinsic motivators versus extrinsic motivators… autonomy, mastery, and purpose versus carrots and sticks” [17:05] — Pink amplifies the contrast between these approaches by invoking a comparison to the historic boxing match.

Make Your Conclusion a Concise Call to Action

Pink signals his conclusion with the words ”Let me wrap up” [17:23] followed a lengthy pause of four seconds. This pause is very effective in helping the audience get ready for the words which follow.

Pink then restates his signature phrase (“There’s a mismatch between what science knows and what business does…”) and adds “… and here’s what science knows.” He then follows this with three concise findings. Summarizing your arguments like this helps to aid understanding and memorability.

He concludes with an energetic call-to-action (using back-to-back triads) and a reference to his legal case framework (“I rest my case.”) I love the way that this bookends the speech.

Add Energy with Your Gestures and Vocal Variety

The majority of this review has been devoted to speechwriting techniques, but a full review of Pink’s delivery techniques could easily fill another article.

Although he could reduce the finger-wagging, his use of gestures and body language throughout the speech are superb. He matches his movements and gestures to the large venue. His energy and enthusiasm come through strong when viewing this speech.

As just one example, consider the three frames below, where Pink is indicating the low, medium, and high rewards. If this were a typical, boring PowerPoint presentation, a bar chart could have been used. On the contrary, Pink demonstrates that the most important visual is the speaker!

Similarly, the vocal variety demonstrated by Pink is worthy of emulation. His use of emphasis, pauses, and varied pace and volume are all well done. Not only does this help to convey his enthusiasm and convictions, but it aids understanding and adds drama throughout.

More About the Science of Motivation

After watching this speech, I’m eager to learn more about the science of motivation. I’m going to be checking out two books written by Dan Pink:

• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
• A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

Both are highly rated on amazon. I’m curious to hear if you have read these books and, if so, what are your impressions?

Your Thoughts?

What did you think of this speech? What are the best aspects of this speech? How could this speech have been made even better?

Please share your thought in the comments.

Similar Articles You May Like... Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007) Speech Critique: Jacqueline Novogratz (TED 2009) 5 Presentation Lessons from Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture How to Speak: 7 Speaking Tips from Patrick Henry Winston Speech Critique: Steve Jobs (Stanford, 2005) Video Critique: Al Gore (TED, 2006)

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Keith Kennedy asks:

At my Toastmasters meeting last night, one of the speech evaluators recommended that the speaker should “bookend her speech”. I’ve never heard that term before. What does it mean, and is it something you recommend?

In this article, we’ll define what it means to bookend your speech, and give a set of tips for exercising this wonderful technique.

Bookending Your Speech: A Definition

Picture a pair of bookends — that is, matched objects that are used to bound a series of books on a shelf. From a practical perspective, bookends support the books to ensure that they stay together. Aesthetically, however, they do much more. Bookends neatly (and often artistically) provide visual symmetry for the books on display. In doing so, they draw more attention to the row of books, and give the impression that these books are special and to be admired.

When you “bookend your speech”, you provide similar support for the body of your speech. By opening and concluding your speech with a common element, you neatly (and often artistically) provide cognitive symmetry for the speech which you have delivered. You draw more attention to your words, and give the impression that your message is special and to be accepted.

Bookending your speech is an elegant technique, and conveys the impression that your speech was crafted very carefully with a precise attention to detail. This boosts your credibility as your audience will be more likely to conclude that your entire speech was crafted with similar care, and therefore can be trusted.

Ways to Bookend Your Speech

There are a variety of strategies which you can adopt to bookend your speech. Choose the one which best fits your speech. Make sure that whichever strategy you use, your bookending element is closely related to your theme. Bookending your speech with random elements would be like bookending a set of classic literature novels with a pair of baseballs — functional, but not particularly meaningful.

1. Tell two halves of a story.
• Open your speech by introducing a story. You should not tell the whole story… just enough of the story to establish some conflict and introduce a character. Then, you proceed with the core of your speech.
• At the end of your speech, pick up the story where you left off, and tell it to its conclusion.
• Be sure that the story is intimately tied to your speech content. For example, if your speech is about following your dreams, you might tell a story where the main character follows her dreams. (The first half would explain that she is following her dream; the second half would tell how it turned out.)
2. Ask a question, and answer it.
• Open your speech by posing a question to the audience.
• Conclude your speech by providing the answer.
• For added effect, you can hint that the answer will come at the end.
• A twist on the question-answer theme is to issue a challenge or a puzzle, and provide the solution.
3. Use the same (or similar) quotations.
• Open your speech with a quotation.
• Close your speech with the same quotation.
• This works best if your speech message has breathed new life into the quotation. Your goal is to have the audience reinterpret the quotation in light of your speech.
4. Use contrasting quotations.
• Open your speech with a quotation.
• Close your speech with a quotation that opposes the original quotation.
• Just as when using the same quotation as bookends, you want the audience to reinterpret the opening quote. Perhaps the opening quote is a commonly held belief, while the closing quote is a disruptive idea which your audience will now be more likely to accept.
5. Use contrasting concepts.
   • Open your speech with a concept or theme.
   • Close your speech with a contrasting concept or theme.
   • For example, you might open with a story about birth, and close with a story about death.
   • Or, you might open with a story about being a student, and close with a related story about being a teacher.
   • Or, you might open with a story taken from your youth, and close with a related story about your own child.
6. Use humor.
• Open your speech with a humorous story or statement.
• Close your speech with another humorous statement which either builds on the first, or references it in some way.
• When using this bookending strategy (and the others too), be sure to use the same keywords both times so your audience “gets” the humorous reference. (e.g. if you open with a joke about a “red handbag”, don’t close with a joke about a “ruby purse”)
7. Use a prop.
• Open your speech with a prop.
• Close your speech by using the prop a second time.
• This strategy works best if you combine it with other strategies. For example, when introducing the prop, you might pose a question about it. Then, in your conclusion, you can answer that question.
8. Use a slide.
• Open your speech with a visual slide.
• Close your speech with the same slide, or perhaps a slightly modified version of the first.
• This works if the the picture you are displaying can be reinterpreted by your audience as a result of your speech message.
• As a twist, your opening slide can be cropped to hide part of the image, while the concluding slide can reveal the full image. Again, this allows your audience to reinterpret the original image.
9. Use any other common element.
• Open your speech by referencing a fact, a word, a phrase, a movie title, etc.
• Close your speech by referring back to the same fact, word, phrase, movie title, etc. in a meaningful way.

Bookending your speech is a master technique that is easy to apply, whether you are a professional speaker or a novice. Just today, I attended a Toastmasters meeting where a new member was delivering his first speech. He opened his speech humorously by “confessing” that he detested umbrellas. He then closed his speech by declaring his dream that umbrellas be banned by legislation. (The overall speech was humorous, and this particular humor fit well.)

[Did you catch the bookends to this article?]

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) Toastmasters Speech 2: Organize Your Speech 5 Presentation Lessons from Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture How to Speak: 7 Speaking Tips from Patrick Henry Winston Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007) How to Ace the Short, Impromptu Speech

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

And yet, speech introductions are critical to the success of a speech.

While a strong speech opening is vital, nothing helps establish a speaker’s credibility more than a carefully-crafted and well-delivered introduction.

This article gives you a series of practical tips for how to introduce a speaker to position them with the best possible chance to succeed.

1. Answer three core questions.

When you are introducing a speaker, your primary goal is to prepare the audience and get them excited for what they are about to hear.

To do this, you must answer these three core questions:

• What is the topic?
• Why is this topic important for this audience?
• Why is the speaker qualified to deliver this talk?

By addressing these three questions, you’ve given the audience a motivation for listening (the topic is important to them), and you’ve reinforced the speaker’s credibility.

2. Prepare and practice adequately.

At all costs, avoid thoughts such as “Oh, I don’t need to prepare… I’m just introducing a speaker.”

Thoughts like that lead to stumbling, bumbling, off-the-cuff introductions which undermine your credibility and the credibility of the speaker.

You should write out (and edit) the full introduction, check it with the speaker, and practice it several times.

3. Memorize it, or minimize your notes.

Try to memorize the introduction; speaking without notes will add to your authority, and the audience will put more weight in your recommendation (that is, to listen to this speaker).

If you are unable to memorize the entire introduction, then use as few notes as you can. Be sure you can you deliver the last sentence of your introduction without notes as this will maximize momentum for the speaker.

4. Be positive and enthusiastic.

The audience takes cues from you. If you seem disinterested, they will be disinterested. If you are (genuinely) positive and enthusiastic, they will be too. Your choice of words, voice, gestures, and facial expressions should all convey enthusiasm.

So, how do you ensure you are enthusiastic?

5. Get to know the speaker.

It is difficult to get the audience excited about the speaker if you aren’t excited yourself.

If the speaker is previously unknown to you — for example, suppose you’ve volunteered to introduce speakers at a large industry event — your introduction may lack sincerity. So, get to know the speaker. Google them. Talk with them. Ask others about them. Research the speaker and their expertise until you are excited by the opportunity to introduce them.

6. Eliminate pronunciation gaffs.

A sure way to undermine your own credibility and that of the speaker is to mispronounce their name, the title of their presentation, or any other key terms.

Luckily, this is easily avoided through practice and by confirming the correct pronunciation with the speaker well before the presentation. (Don’t wait until you are delivering the introduction to ask them — this looks amateurish.)

7. Be accurate.

Being accurate is as important as correct pronunciation, perhaps more so. Make sure you know the precise years, facts, or details.

If you make factual errors, many speakers will feel an irresistible compulsion to correct you. This is a lousy way for them to begin their speech, and will almost certainly kill their momentum.

8. Don’t alter the speech title.

Many speakers craft their presentation title very carefully, and the words matter to them. The title may be a phrase they want the audience to remember, it may reflect language used on accompanying slides, or it may be a humorous play on words.

Don’t change it under any circumstances. (And, of course, know how to pronounce it.)

9.Should you attempt humor?

In most circumstances, no. Your objective is to get the audience excited about the topic and the speaker, and this is not the time to tell humorous anecdotes about the speaker. Save those for a roast!

There are exceptions (as there are to all public speaking advice), and you’ll have to use your judgment. If this speech is part of a longer event, and the preceding talk has been particularly sad or low on energy, then it may help to lift the spirits of the audience. If you need to do this, do it early in your introduction, and then move on to the more thought-provoking content leading to your climax.

10. Don’t give an outline of the speech.

I was once introduced by someone who had seen a longer presentation I gave on the same topic two years prior. Not only did they ignore the introduction I had written for them, but they gave a detailed outline of my whole talk, including which parts were their favorites! Unfortunately, my outline had changed substantially, and they had created unreasonable expectations and sabotaged my talk.

Avoid undermining the speaker by giving too many details about the speech, telling anecdotes from their speech, or making promises about details in their presentation. It is the speaker’s job to decide how and when they reveal their outline. Keep your introduction at a high level, unless they have specifically asked you to do otherwise.

11. Stick to relevant expertise of the speaker.

One very common mistake is to recite a lengthy list of biographical details (education, awards, former job titles, publications, etc.) which may or may not be relevant to the topic being presented. This is especially common at academic conferences.

For example, avoid introductions such as:

Our speaker grew up in Seattle and graduated at the top of her mechanical engineering class at Carnegie Mellon University. She went on to earn a Master’s Degree from Duke University, and a Ph.D.  in Computer Science from Harvard. She is a member of the Automotive Engineers Association, and a two-time recipient of the Stone Award for Distinguished Linguistics Research. She was previously the Director of Research at Hasbro, and is currently the CEO for the Miami Dolphins.

Her talk today is entitled “How to Build Authentic Shaker Furniture.”

A much better introduction would touch on how many years the speaker had been building shaker furniture, whether they had been trained or self-taught, and that they had written a book on this topic.

Okay, maybe that example was a bit extreme. But, even if the speaker has a lengthy list of biographical details that are related to her talk, there’s no need to recite them all. Pick a small number (about three) that are most relevant — usually the most recent details.

Why not give all the details?

12. Don’t overdo it.

Long introductions filled with biographical details are bad for two main reasons:

• Long introductions are boring. Nobody attends an event to listen to the introducer go on and on.
• Long introductions are pompous. Reciting dozens of professional accolades gives the impression that the speaker cares only about himself and his ego.

Keep your introduction just long enough to accomplish your goals: [1] what’s the topic, [2] why does it matter, and [3] why is the speaker credible?

I’m a big fan of short introductions in just about all situations. Sixty or ninety seconds is usually ample time. For really long presentations (e.g. keynote addresses lasting an hour or more), then two or three minutes may be warranted.

13. Avoid cliches.

How many times have you heard: “This speaker needs no introduction…” ? While the speaker may indeed be well-known to the audience, nearly every speech benefits from a brief introduction.

14. Avoid exaggerated hype.

Your introduction should get the audience excited about the presentation, but don’t take it too far.

For example, it is reasonable to claim that the presentation will help the audience solve a business problem, save time, or understand the complexities of tax policy.

But, it doesn’t help anyone to claim that “this presentation will solve all your problems“, or that it is “the best presentation you’ll ever hear“, or even that “you’ll be amazed by what you are about to hear“. Lofty expectations will actually have a detrimental effect, because the audience will feel challenged to prove you wrong.

15. Build to a climax.

Your vocal delivery (strength and volume) should build toward the end of your introduction. (Keep it reasonable… there’s no need to yell.) By doing so, the audience will be compelled to welcome the speaker with loud applause.

One effective way to do this is to end with the speaker’s name and explicitly encourage applause:

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming our guest speaker, Donna Primeau!

16. Ensure a smooth transition.

Know where the speaker will be as you speak your last words so that you can turn in that direction to greet them.

Etiquette dictates that you should wait for them to come to you (e.g. on the stage, or at the lectern) and then shake hands before you leave. Shaking hands is a symbolic gesture that indicates you are “handing the floor” to them.

Occasionally, the speaker may have a special entrance planned. (e.g. entrance music, a staged stunt, something with a prop) Make sure you ask the speaker about this, and do whatever you can to support them in a successful entrance.

Your Thoughts?

What tips can you share for great introductions?

What introduction gaffs drive you crazy?

How long should introductions be?

Please share your thoughts in the article comments.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique How to Deliver Group Presentations: The Unified Team Approach Book Review: Better Beginnings by Carmen Taran TEASE ‘em: 5 Ways to Start Your Speech Toastmasters Speech 2: Organize Your Speech

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

But do you know how to develop a mindset that will enable you to devise effective speech openings?

Carmen Taran’s Better Beginnings: How to capture your audience in 30 seconds is a one-of-a-kind book entirely dedicated to helping you master this critical speaking skill.

This article is the latest of a series of public speaking book reviews here on Six Minutes.

• What’s Inside?
• The Price
• What I Loved
• How could it be better?
• About the Author
• Verdict

What’s Inside? A Coffee Table Book about Speaking?

The format of the book is unique relative to other books reviewed on Six Minutes — it’s a coffee table book! On every other page, you will find a full-page photograph to complement the writing and further spark your creativity.

Because of all the images, Better Beginnings is a quick read. Most books that I review take me two weeks to read through. I finished Better Beginnings in just two relaxing evenings before bed.

Visually, this book will stand out from every other one on your bookshelf, your coffee table, or your bedside table.

The Price

At the time of writing this review, you can get this hardcover book for $23.95 through amazon.com.

Given that the book is filled with full-color photographs, that price seems low to me, simply from a cost-of-printing perspective.

Most readers seem to like the value.

What’s the best thing about Better Beginnings?

Most speech opening advice begins by telling you the types of openings you can try. For example, you might open with a personal story, a startling statistic, or a quotation. However, none of these types of openings are inherently focused on your audience. (A story or statistic can be focused on the audience, but it might not be.)

I really like the approach taken in Better Beginnings because it is organized not around types of openings, but according to the emotional or cognitive response you would like to trigger in your audience. Audience-focused!

Better Beginnings guides you to spark the desired response in your audience, with the following chapters:

• Anticipation
• Specificity
• Inquiry
• Incongruity
• Novelty
• Uncertainty
• Complexity
• Ease of Comprehension
• Indulgence
• Staging

Each chapter includes numerous examples to illustrate how you can generate the desired response in your audience. This includes not only what to say, but how to say it and stage it. Consider these examples:

Incongruity (conflict between what your audience expects and what is actually said)

Like many of the great blues and jazz artists of our time, I found myself onstage at Carnegie Hall high on drugs.”

Novelty (new ideas competing with existing norms)

Our customers have been used to square tea bags. What if we made them round?

How could it be better?

Simply, I’d like a bit more depth. Though I love the fact that this has a coffee table book format and was a quick read, I would like to see more depth offered. A more diverse set of speech examples would make it easier for readers to apply the lessons to their own speeches.

Also, how about a companion book like Better Endings? Speech openings and conclusions are intimately tied, and I would love to see similar treatment for speech endings.

About the Author – Carmen Taran

Carmen Taran has a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Design, a Master’s degree in Multimedia Design, and a Doctorate in Instructional Technology. She is a co-founder of Rexi Media, a presentation skills consulting firm.

In the brief video below, she pitches the key strengths of Better Beginnings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Verdict

I think every speaker will benefit from reading Better Beginnings, whether you speak with visuals or off the cuff, to investors or children.

It is the most thorough treatment I’ve ever seen for starting your speech.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique Gifts for Every Speaker… from Zero to Eighty Dollars You are Invited to the Outstanding Presentations Workshop Speeches that Changed the World Christmas Resources for Public Speaking

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Defer the customary “nice-to-be-here” platitudes.

Direct your audience more into fawning than yawning over your speech opening. How?

Start your speech better by diving in! Instead of gingerly dipping your toes into the proverbial speaking pool, open with a splash! Pattern your platform performance after the TEASE opening which Saturday Night Live has made famous for more than 25 years.

Learning from Saturday Night Live to Start Your Speech

The opening of Saturday Night Live is much anticipated and always engaging. Consider the formula they use:

1. First, a “cold” open. There’s no warm up. No toes in the water. They just jump in with the opening skit (usually one of the most memorable of the night).
2. Then, following the catchy “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”, the host introduces herself and the musical guest, and sets the agenda for the show.

Can you apply this formula to start your speech?

First, TEASE your audience from the second you open your mouth. And open their eyes to something new, different, and even entertaining. Pique their interest. Immerse your audience into the action from the opening second with a verbal splash of cold water. With a powerful 30- to 60-second opening, your audience will be engaged to stay tuned for more.

Then, you can then formally introduce yourself, and give your audience an overview of your speech. It’s important they know up front why your speech is important to them.

Let’s examine those first thirty to sixty seconds. What’s a TEASE?

What is a TEASE Speech Opening?

TEASE is an acronym for five ways to gain and retain your audience’s attention:

• Testimonial
• Evidence
• Anecdote
• Statement
• Example

Example: How to Start a Speech About Speaking

Let’s say you wanted to design, develop, and deliver a speech on the importance of public speaking. Here are five TEASE techniques you might use:

1. Testimonial
   Cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential person the audience will know of or respect.
2. Evidence
   On the impact of public speaking in your career success.
3. Anecdote
   Of someone benefiting directly from their public speaking expertise.
4. Statement
   On the significance of public speaking to the quality of life.
5. Example
   Of a person whose career really took off because of public speaking.

Let’s look at examples of each of these TEASE techniques for a great speech opening.

1. Start Your Speech With… a Testimonial

Cite the behavior of a celebrity and/or quote an influential person the audience will know of or respect.

“If all my possessions were taken away from me with one exception, I would choose the power of speech. For by it, I would regain all the rest of my possessions.” That’s what former Senator and Secretary of State Daniel Webster once observed of the significance of effective public speaking. Likewise, Pericles, the Greek orator, also understood the significance of public speaking when he said: “The person who can think and does not know how to express what he thinks is at a level of him who cannot think.”

2. Start Your Speech With… Evidence

Present statistics or other data on the importance of public speaking.

The University of Michigan conducted a survey of 1,290 business school alumni who were recently promoted. They were asked what specific subject area prepared them the most for their business success. More than 70 percent cited effective communications as the top business skill — ahead of financial and business acumen!

3. Start Your Speech With… an Anecdote

Tell a story of someone directly affected by the benefits of public speaking.

Isabelle lived alone for the first six years of her life. Very alone in her silent world. She lived only with her reclusive mother who also could not speak. She was a deaf mute. Isabelle was so isolated from other people she had no chance to learn or practice speaking.

When authorities finally rescued her from her silent and isolated world, she seemed ineducable. But after being around people who could speak, Isabelle broke out of her silent world. In one week, she vocalized sounds. In two months, she spoke in full sentences. In 16 months she learned 2,000 words. And in 56 months her IQ tripled, in part due to the power of being around people who could speak.

4. Start Your Speech With… a Statement

Make a bold observation on the importance of public speaking.

Public speaking is the sine qua non* of leadership. Without it, you cannot lead. With it, you can “lead nations, raise armies, inspire victories and blow fresh courage into the hearts of men” as Adlai Stevenson eulogized Sir Winston Churchill.

[* Ed. sine qua non: Latin for "essential element".]

5. Start Your Speech With… an Example

Cite a person whose career really took off because of public speaking.

After graduating from college with degrees in chemistry and microbiology, Wilma Subra figured she’d spend more time with a microscope than a microphone. But that was before she found out how many families were being exposed to high levels of chemicals and other toxins as part of her field work for a company in Louisiana. Her employer did not want to release the polluting information. So Wilma decided to start her own company, conducting environmental tests and reporting her results to government authorities and the media.

Wilma soon found herself in a variety of public speaking platforms. Her work directly cleaned up dozens of toxic sites across the country and saved thousands of lives in more than 800 communities over the last 20 years. Wilma credits her public speaking ability for much of her environmental campaign success. She says public speaking is the best way to “engage people and get them involved.”

Your Assignment to Start Your Next Speech

TEASE ‘em to please ‘em. Think Testimonial, Example, Anecdote, Statement, and Evidence for the next speech you write. And dive in!

Note: You may also be interested in Peter Jeff’s companion article: 10 Ways to End Your Speech with a Bang.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique How to Weave Statistics Into Your Speech How to Introduce a Speaker: 16 Essential Tips for Success Toastmasters Speech 7: Research Your Topic Book Review: Better Beginnings by Carmen Taran

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Peter Jeff has served an adjunct public speaking instructor at Grand Valley State University for the last 10 years. He is a former leadership development consultant with more than 20 years experience in corporate public relations. Mr. Jeff is also the author of a personal leadership book -- Get a Grip on Your Dream: 12 Ways to Squeeze More Success Out of Your Goals -- and can be reached at jeffp@gvsu.edu.

When you speak, does your audience get it?

If your audience doesn’t grasp your message (even though your topic is one you know they are interested in), you need to rethink the way you present it. You need to organize your ideas to promote understanding.

The second Toastmasters speech project addresses organizing your speech. This article of the Toastmasters Speech Series examines the primary goals of this project, provides tips and techniques, and links to numerous sample speeches.

Why is This Speech Important?

There are four aims for this speech:

• Use an outline which aids understanding.
  I previously discussed several speech outline examples in detail.
• Transition smoothly from one point to the next.
• Craft an effective speech opening.
• Craft an effective speech conclusion.

These are fundamental skills that you apply to every speech you’ll ever deliver, whether it is a 2 minute off-the-cuff speech, a 15 minute business proposal, or a 60 minute keynote.

Transitions are the Key

Of the four elements, appropriate transitions are most lacking in the majority of presentations that I have seen. Most speakers have an introduction and conclusion, with supporting material arranged in some form of outline. But, there is often little in the way of transition phrases that link the speech together in a cohesive unit.

• In a written piece (like this article), headings, bullets, and punctuation provide cues to the reader that help them understand the macro-organization.
• In a verbal speech, use pauses and transition phrases to achieve this effect so that the audience knows when one point ends, and the next begins.

What I Did for Speech 2

For my second speech topic, I chose The Open Directory Project (ODP). Here’s a brief outline and the key transitions I used:

1. Opening – State topic: the what, who, and why of ODP.
2. What is ODP?
   1. Large – 4.5 million sites
   2. Internet Directory (compared to a telephone book to aid understanding)
   3. Transition: “Something this large doesn’t just spring out of the earth. Someone has to build it.” (this leads naturally into the “who”)
3. Who builds ODP? 67,000 volunteers!
   1. Volunteer demographics
   2. Volunteer roles
   3. Transition: “What inspires 67,000 people to volunteer their time?” (this leads naturally into the “why”)
4. Why is ODP important?
   1. Anyone can join
   2. Data is free
   3. Data complements results of Google and other search engines
5. Conclusion – Summary of 3 main points, and a call-to-action to check it out.
   1. “I hope this talk has whet your appetite to find out more.” This was a reference back to the speech title: A Taste of ODP.

Topic Ideas for Toastmasters Speech 2

Select a straightforward outline to organize your speech:

1. The Classic “Three Supporting Points”
2. Chronological
3. Geographical

Idea #1: The Classic “Three Supporting Points”

In this outline, you begin by stating a premise in your introduction, support it with three reasons or three supporting points in your body, and then summarize in your conclusion. It doesn’t need to be 3 points, but this is a convenient number that fits well with a five to seven minute speech.

Example: Maile provides an excellent example of clear and parallel structure for a speech with How Dance has Helped Me In the Real Estate Business (video). Her basic structure is:

• Opening: “20 pounds and nine years ago, I was a dancer…” which leads into stating 3 dance principles which help in real estate.
• Principle 1: Practice Perfect Performance
• Principle 2: Visualize the Result You Desire
• Principle 3: Get Out and See the People
• Conclusion: restate three principles

This speech was especially strong because of a consistent pattern that was used for each of the three points, along with a parallel structure. The pattern applied was:

• Transition: “the second principle I’d like to share…[name principle]“
• Lesson from dance: “… as a dancer… [explain principle in dancing context]“
• Relate to real estate: “… this technique has also served me well in the real estate arena… [explain principle in real estate context]“

Maile used this parallel pattern for all three points, and the speech is very easy to understand. The Toastmaster evaluation of this speech (video) is also available.

Example: Tanya Huang also demonstrates this classic method in a speech titled Cougarlicious (written). Her basic structure is:

• Open with a surprising revelation: she wants to be a “cougar” when she grows up.
• Definition of a cougar.
• Reason 1: Fashion.
  • Transition: “So, why do I want to be a cougar when I grow old? My first reason is…”
• Reason 2: Confidence
  • Transition: “Confidence is another quality …”
• Reason 3: Aggression
  • Transition: “Aggression is another cougar characteristic…”
• Conclusion: Sums up speech by reiterating the three reasons, and explicitly saying “These are the cougar qualities and the reason I want to be a cougar.”

Idea #2: Chronological

A chronological outline is appropriate for many speeches that describe a sequence of events. It is also appropriate for describing a process or a step-by-step technique.

Example: Brian demonstrates this technique with a speech about Six Sigma (video).

• Introduction to Jack Welch and origins of Six Sigma
• Definition: What is six sigma?
• List the 5 Stages: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (and then stepped through each stage with explanation)
• Conclusion to reinforce importance of Six Sigma

Note his transition phrases which give a direction or imply a sequence (“… from there, we…” or “… after analyzing, we…”).

Idea #3: Geographical

A geographical outline is a convenient method to organize a speech about travels, or where you are contrasting your topic (e.g. pastries) across many locations (e.g. French pastries vs. German pastries vs. Dutch pastries).

Example: Elizabeth Mitchell uses this method in Seven Lessons from Seven Continents.

Of note, the introductory words for each segment (“My first continent…”, “My second continent…”) clearly mark the boundaries for each of the seven segments of the speech.

More Examples of Organize Your Speech

Here are a few more sample written and video speeches which may provide inspiration for you.

Written Speech Examples

• Scotch by Chris Lee
• Democracy! God help us by Seamus McInerney
• What’s in a Name? by Amit Bhatnagar

Video Speech Examples

• Videoblogging by Stephanie Bryant
• 37.5 Hours by an unknown speaker

Next in the Toastmasters Speech Series

The next article in this series examines Speech 3: Get to the Point.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) 5 Presentation Lessons from Randy Pausch in The Last Lecture How to Speak: 7 Speaking Tips from Patrick Henry Winston Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007) Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique Speech Analysis: Gettysburg Address – Abraham Lincoln

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

The “elephant in the room” — Pausch’s diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer — serves as an emotional backdrop for this memorable lecture.

In addition to illuminating many of life’s important lessons, Randy Pausch’s last lecture also provides five lessons which can help you connect with your audience.

Randy Pausch and the Famous Last Lecture

Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in September 2006. Pausch delivered his last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University (where he is a Professor) on September 18, 2007. In the seminar series (aptly titled “The Last Lecture”), professors were challenged to deliver the message of a lifetime as if it was their last lecture. The irony makes his words that much more poignant.

The Last Lecture has become one of the most viewed lectures on the Internet. Its popularity is increased by appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show and an appearance on ABC with Diane Sawyer titled The Last Lecture – A Love Story For Your Life.

Watch it now…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Five Presentation Techniques Taught by Randy Pausch

When I first viewed the Last Lecture months ago, I hesitated to review it because of the emotional impact. However, on the encouragement of several friends and Six Minutes readers, I asked myself: “Is the speech memorable because of the context, his delivery, or both?”

There is no denying that the context makes the speech memorable, but that quality is enhanced by five timeless presentation techniques exhibited by Randy Pausch. Each of these helps you connect with your audience and helps them remember your words into the future:

1. Introduce the elephant in the room.
2. Define the scope.
3. Conclude strong.
4. Show enthusiasm. Immerse yourself.
5. Get personal.

1. Introduce the Elephant in the Room

Randy Pausch opens his lecture in the best way possible for this lecture, this audience, and this venue — by relieving stress.

Following an easy joke about the title of the lecture series, he introduces the elephant in the room; that is, he spends a minute discussing his pancreatic cancer. Then, he raises the emotion in the room by doing a series of pushups. If he had not opened this way, the audience would have been distracted for the entire lecture, and unable to fully immerse themselves in the powerful lessons to come.

Key Lesson: If there are issues distracting your audience, address them sooner rather than later.

2. Define the Scope

Pausch then proceeds to define the scope of his lecture. He outlines what he will talk about and, more importantly, what he will not talk about. This is a classic speech outline technique.

Declaring the scope is important because it establishes the starting point and the boundaries for your presentation. It brings your audience to the starting point with you, and ensures they are in the right frame of mind to receive the message you are about to deliver.

Ideally, the scope for your presentation will be conveyed to the audience via pre-talk advertising or by your introduction. If this isn’t the case, however, it is worth addressing early in your presentation.

Key Lesson: Before you get into the heart of your talk, frame your speech for the audience.

3. Conclude Strong

As strong as the opening was, I suspect that the conclusion is far more memorable for most people who view this lecture.

Pausch follows conventional advice for a conclusion by summarizing his key points. It is a good practice for any length of speech, but especially so for longer speeches like this one (~75 minutes). He actually provides several “recaps” throughout the speech.

In addition, he reaches back to one of the concepts introduced earlier — the head fake — and reveals that his entire speech has been a pair of head fakes. It makes the audience replay the entire lecture in their heads in the context of this new revelation.

Key Lesson: Finish strong. Leave your audience thinking.

4. Show Enthusiasm. Immerse Yourself.

Randy Pausch smiles and laughs many times in this lecture. Okay, fair enough. That’s not too unusual. However, he also:

• Wears an Alice in Wonderland hat.
• Dons a football jacket.
• Does pushups.
• Gives away stuffed animals.

He could have assumed a very reserved, somber tone for this speech. He could have treated every word as if it were a matter of life or death. But that would have drawn more attention to his condition instead of his core message.

Key Lesson: The audience is more apt to have fun and cherish life if they see you doing so in your speeches.

5. Get Personal

This may seem obvious, but the last lesson I’d like to highlight is to get personal with your audience. Or, phrased in the opposite way, don’t hide your personal side from the audience.

To some extent, this entire speech is personal. Fair enough. The content of the speech are the personal lessons Randy Pausch has learned through life, and he illuminates these through personal stories.

Still, there is a way to tell personal stories while still remaining distant and somewhat clinical. You can tell a story about visiting Disneyland, but if you don’t show a glint in your eye, you’re holding something back.

Randy Pausch holds nothing back. He conveys the personal emotions in his stories. One of the most memorable moments in the lecture is when he has the audience sing Happy Birthday to his wife.

Key Lesson: Let your guard down. Showing emotion is one of the best ways to connect with an audience.

The Last Lecture: Video, Transcript, and Book

• Download the entire video. You can then watch it offline or schedule a viewing with your family, colleagues, Toastmasters club, etc.
• Download the speech transcript.
• Read The Last Lecture book, on which Randy Pausch comments:

A book allows me to cover many, many more stories from my life and the attendant lessons I hope my kids can take from them. … The book is a far more personal look at my childhood dreams and all the lessons I’ve learned. Putting words on paper, I’ve found, was a better way for me to share all the yearnings I have regarding my wife, children and other loved ones.

Thank you, Randy, for sharing these lessons with us.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) How to Speak: 7 Speaking Tips from Patrick Henry Winston Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007) Speech Critique: Steve Jobs (Stanford, 2005) Video Critique: Al Gore (TED, 2006) Critique: Lessig Method Presentation Style (Dick Hardt, Identity 2.0, OSCON 2005)

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Positive word of mouth spread over the years, and the event now draws a beyond capacity crowd with people sitting uncomfortably on steps and the floor to listen to Winston. You can learn from the master teacher from the comfort of your web browser by viewing the lecture video.

In the 45-minute lecture, Winston delivers dozens of practical tips for speaking effectively, particularly when teaching. This article highlights seven of the best.

Seven Speaking Tips from Patrick Winston

1. Use Stories and Analogies

Winston explicitly advises his audience to use stories, and he does so himself.

One example is in the introduction. Winston skis better than gymnast Mary Lou Retton not because he is more athletic, but because he has some knowledge and he practices. This story reinforces his key message: knowledge and practice are critical to speaking success.

2. Open Your Speech Strong

Winston advises against a humorous opening, and instead recommends making a promise (stating your core message) and providing a speech outline.

He does this himself in his introduction. In addition, he opens with a great analogy between the military and educational institutions. His first words — “The uniform code of military justice states…” — grab the attention of his academic audience.

3. Use Rhetorical Devices

Winston doesn’t explicitly advise using rhetorical devices (aside from rhetorical questions), but he provides several memorable examples.

For example, here is a memorable triad which invokes the Rule of Three:

Your careers will be determined largely by how well you speak, by how well you write, and by the quality of your ideas… in that order.

Another memorable line uses contrast to achieve its effect:

What I hope to accomplish is to transmit to you [...] something that will make the difference between a career-busting tragedy and a career-launching triumph.

4. Find Your Style

Winston reveals the big four around which he crafts his lectures: cycle, verbal punctuation, near miss, and rhetorical questions. More importantly, he emphasizes that these are his big four, but every speaker needs to find their own public speaking structure.

5. Use the Blackboard to Pace Your Delivery

Winston gives several reasons to use the blackboard (or whiteboard or flip chart), but the most compelling reason is to pace your delivery. The act of writing or drawing introduces delays which allow your audience to catch up and absorb the information.

6. Salute the Audience Rather than Thanking Them

Many speakers I respect take a very strong position in the debate over whether you should thank or not thank your audience. Winston takes the position that you should not thank the audience, because doing so conveys a lack of confidence that you have just delivered something valuable. Instead, he suggests that you should salute the audience.

7. Handle the Q&A Skillfully

Winston delivers several nuggets of advice for question and answer sessions. Be prepared to ask yourself the first question. Repeat the question so that the rest of the audience can hear it. Aim for a conversation, not a lecture. Stay in control. This advice agrees with a previous Six Minutes article: Leading the Perfect Q&A.

More Resources on How to Speak…

Cal Newport provides a detailed play-by-play of the 2008 Winston talk which he attended.

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Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

Suppose you were delivering a speech to raise awareness in your community about school security. How would you open your speech?

• “I’m going to talk to you today about security in our schools…“
• “School security is an important issue that we must deal with…“

Both openings are direct, to-the-point, and boring! What if there was a better way?

A Better Speech Opening

Great speakers know how to open a speech in a way that hooks the audience into the presentation immediately. (Opening strong is one of the 25 essential skills for public speakers.) There are many ways to do this, including the use of drama and misdirection.

Imagine opening your speech with the following lines:

Tobacco. [long pause]
Alcohol. [long pause]
Guns. [long pause]
Criminal items seized in a search [slight pause] of a 6th grade locker in a bad school district.

Why does this speech opening work?

Beginning the speech in this way generates interest for several reasons:

• Employs a classical technique: the Rule of Three.
• “Seized in a search of a sixth…” uses alliteration.
• Pauses after the three opening words add drama.
• Drama also created because the danger increases with each item (i.e. guns are more dangerous than alcohol and tobacco)
• Mid-sentence pause after “search” signals an important statement coming up.
• Audience thinks these items were seized from some criminal hideout, and then surprised to learn they were found in a school locker.
• All this in just 19 words.

If these items really were seized from a nearby school district, then you’ve got a “ripped from the headlines” opening. Otherwise, you might transition into the rest of your speech with “We must act decisively to prevent this from becoming reality in our schools.”

Try adding drama and surprise to grab the audience early in your next speech! Begin strong and keep going…

This article is inspired by index card wisdom from Jessica Hagy.

Similar Articles You May Like... Speech Critique: Steve Jobs (Stanford, 2005) Speech Critique: Dan Pink (TED 2009) How to Speak: 7 Speaking Tips from Patrick Henry Winston Video Critique: J.A. Gamache (Toastmasters, 2007) Bookending Your Speech: A Master Technique 3 Common Ways Speakers Sabotage Themselves

Have a Question? Contact me anytime, or find me on Twitter: @6minutes

Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.

This video critique analyzes many noteworthy elements of the presentation, including:

• a memorable speech opening and closing which feature the same prop;
• the callback technique for repetitive humor;
• emotionally charged writing; and
• a series of wonderfully choreographed gestures.

I encourage you to:

1. Watch the video;
2. Read the analysis in this speech critique; and
3. Share your thoughts on this presentation.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Effective Prop for Strong Opening

J.A. opens his speech by blowing a train whistle and yelling “All aboard!” [0:30] This may be the greatest impact in the opening four seconds of a speech I’ve ever seen. It is simple and quick, but it transports the audience out of their chairs in a ballroom and onto a train.

Also note how J.A. expertly conceals the prop before its use (in his left hand, so that he could shake hands with his right), and then immediately pockets it afterwards. This is a good lesson: display the prop only when you are specifically using it. You don’t want the audience’s attention on the prop anymore, so don’t hold onto it, fidget with it, or leave it anywhere in view.

(Effective Prop for) Strong Closing

J.A. closes the speech exactly as he opened it: blowing the train whistle and yelling “All aboard!” This is wonderfully circular, and symbolically tells the audience not only that the speech is complete, but that we have neatly returned back to where we started.

Immediately preceding the whistle, J.A. says: “In the train of life, the world needs more Mr. and Mrs. G’s like you.” This is a well-crafted call to action for several reasons:

• metaphor (“train of life“)
• simile (“like“)
• personalized for audience (“you”)

“Mr. G.” – A Contemporary Hero

When first used in the speech title, “Mr. G.” creates mystery in the minds of the audience. Who is Mr. G.? The use of “mister” implies that it is someone J.A. respects (i.e. Mr. G. rather than simply G.), but that is a subtle clue.

Later, after the true identity is revealed, J.A. continues to use “Mr. G.” I think this gives the hero a more contemporary quality. This makes Gandhi seem more like a next-door neighbour than a great man who (to the audience) lived around the world in a faraway land sixty years ago. The word choice is an effective way to bridge the distance – in time, geography, culture, context – between the life of the hero and the lives of the audience members.

Repetition of Key Phrases

“Awww. How sweeeeet.”

• Three repetitions. J.A. first uses this phrase following the story of Gandhi and the two sandals [1:51]. He repeats it during the stories of giving shoes to a homeless person [2:33] and dancing with the hearing impaired crowd [5:00].
• J.A. uses virtually the same vocal variety and gesture every time.
• He gets a little laughter on the first use, and much more laughter on subsequent uses. This is not accidental. The callback technique creates a psychological connection between each use. Essentially, G.A. created a lightweight conditioned response for the audience to laugh whenever he used that phrase and that gesture.

“Dare to care.”

• Five repetitions. First used with “Gandhi dared to care.” [2:08] Used again at 2:43, 2:48, 5:05, and in the conclusion at 7:28.
• In all cases, this phrase is followed by a longer-than-average pause to indicate its importance.
• This is the signature phrase of the speech. “Dare to care” would have been a suitable title for the speech, although I prefer the title J.A. used for the mystery it created.

Emotionally Powerful

“Dance with me.
And we danced.
At last we understood each other.
Not a word was spoken.
Yet we were not silent anymore.
Our joy roared louder than a thousand voices.
Some words erupted from my heart.
I couldn’t hold them anymore.
I yelled.” [4:22]

These words and the complementary gestures – the foot beating the stage and dancing around – combine to create the most emotional moment in the speech. J.A. is marvelous in this segment:

• His dance and gestures draw the audience in.
• The vocal variety creates building excitement.
• Note the short sentences in this segment: nine sentences with just 44 words (less than 5 words/sentence). The short, simple sentences complement the up-tempo rhythmic beat of his feet.

Rich Figures of Speech

There are many other examples of clever speechwriting as well:

• Double meaning. “Just chatting…[pause] So to speak.” [3:24]
  The latter phrase – So to speak – has a double meaning here:
  1. Its usual meaning – to draw attention to the understatement preceding it. (To say that hearing impaired people just chat is an understatement.)
  2. In this case, the understatement is about speaking. This double meaning is apt to be particularly appreciated in an audience of public speakers.
• Simile. “My brain started melting like ice cream in a heat wave.” [5:32]
• Vivid exaggeration. “Sweat … pooled in my shoes.” [5:34] Later, this is followed by “I slushed back to my seat.” [5:52]
• Repeated word.
  • “Confused… Confused…” [5:39]
  • “Thank you. Yes, you. You. You. All of you!” [6:58] Audiences like to be complimented, as long as you are sincere as J.A. is in this segment.
  • “You.” J.A. uses this word 38 times (including derivatives “your” and “yourself”). The entire speech has 718 words. Over 5% of the words in the speech are explicitly audience-focused. The concentration of “you” words is especially high in the opening and conclusion.
• Anaphora and the Rule of Three.
  “A sandal of hope when you reach out.
  A sandal of joy when you listen to your heart.
  A sandal of courage when you dare to care.” [7:13]
  The first two are accompanied by great gestures. The third gesture is interesting, though I’m not certain what it is meant to represent.

Expressive Gestures

J.A.’s use of body language in this speech was masterful. He demonstrates that gestures should not be random, or an afterthought. Gestures should be carefully crafted to complement and punctuate the words being spoken (or, occasionally, to express ideas in the absence of words). With gestures, he is able to express numerous emotions and ideas throughout his speech. In addition to those already mentioned, there are several more:

• Pride. “You are wearing a pair of sandals you proudly made yourself” complemented by glancing down at sandals with pride. [0:50]
• Motion. “The train starts to pull away” complemented by backwards walking (to the left). His movement makes it seem as though the stage is moving off to the right. [1:02]
• Displeasure. “I would have cursed my bad luck…” complemented by stomping around on stage and “sour puss” facial features. [1:09]
• Recalling a memory. “Big deal. It’s just a pair of sandals.” complemented by a gesture to the stage location where the sandals were removed earlier. [2:15]
• Bravery. “I jumped on the loudspeaker” complemented by a lateral jump to the left. [3:50]
• (Lack of) Physical fitness. “Well, actually, I climbed on the loudspeaker” complemented by cradling his stomach. [3:55]
• Yelling. Waving arms above his head. [4:00]
• Slow motion. Compare the waving of arms @ 4:15 to the earlier waving of arms @ 4:00. The latter gesture is much slower. This contrast shows that that latter waves were more deliberate, more heartfelt.
• Drum vibrations. Tapping of foot on stage to mimic the beating of a drum was masterful. [4:22]
• Sign language. “We love you too.” complemented by sign language. This is far more effective than simply saying “They signed back that they loved me too” without actions. [4:50]
• Nervous and confused. “Boy! Was I nervous! My heart was pounding…” complemented by various nervous gestures. [5:21]

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Andrew Dlugan is the editor and founder of Six Minutes. He teaches courses, leads seminars, coaches speakers, and strives to avoid Suicide by PowerPoint. He is an award-winning public speaker and speech evaluator. Andrew is a father and husband who resides in British Columbia, Canada.