GREAT SPEAKERS ARE MADE NOT BORN After a recent seminar a fellow participant asked me what I thought makes a great speaker and whether great speakers are born or made. To answer the first question I suggested we consider three of the best – Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and John Kennedy; in my view three of the greatest speakers of the 20th century. https://youtube/watch?v=HRIF4_WzU1w https://youtube/watch?v=ZzZZyJEiUgw https://youtube/watch?v=TuW4oGKzVKc What qualities do these three speakers have in common? What made speeches featuring - ‘I have a dream..’; ‘We will fight them on the beaches…’ and ‘We go to the moon not because it is easy…’, as astounding as they were? Then there is the other question I was asked – are great speakers born or made? It might well be argued that great speakers are born, at least to the extent that they have a voice that lends itself to motivating public speaking. It is certainly the case King, Churchill and Kennedy had voices ideally suited to public speaking. At the same time, I would argue strongly that far more important was the extent to which these three men learned how to use their voices. It might be argues that all three of these men had a presence that was innate, and there is no doubt that at least two of them did. King and Kennedy certainly had a natural presence. I would argue however that Churchill had to learn what ever presence he had, and all three understood and exploited the science behind ‘presence’. I am very strongly of the view that whilst some people may have genetic advantages or may win what Warren Buffet called the ‘lottery of the womb’, in the main great speakers are made not born. Certainly, the history books suggest that all three of the speakers cited here put a lot of work into developing their speaking skills. So what did they have in common? Well here is my assessment: - They all understood that presentation is more important than content - They all communicated well packed simple messages - They were all very deliberate and measured, allowing time to feel - They were all authentic and real. They were thenmselves. - They all understood the power of pause – silence - They all spoke to every individual listener - They all understood that feeling is as important as fact - They all painted pictures that captured the imagination Listen carefully to the three speeches and you will notice all of these features and many others you might embrace. Note how they said a lot without saying much at all. It is certainly not the case that a great speech is born and not made. A great speech is the outcome of careful crafting. Someone smarter than me once commented that it takes 10 minutes to write a two hour speech and 2 hours to write a 10 minute speech. Certainly, the shorter the speech the more work that is required, but I would argue strongly that all speeches require work. The content and presentation both need to be thought through, and the truly great speeches were drafted by a great speech writer, given many hours of preparation or both. Now, you might argue that the speeches featured above were not every day speeches, and clearly they were not. They were political not business and motivational not informational. But I would argue strongly that the very same principles apply in all of these circumstances. Other features of great speeches that you might take into account include: - A simple core message - Embrace the audience - 3-5 core facts for the audience to take away - Using stories to make points - Using facts to prove points - Embracing controversy to grab attention - Using humour with care and not for its own sake - Opening strongly with a clear point - Closing strongly with a clear conclusion Oh and one other thing – don’t run away with the idea that the likes of King, Churchill and Kennedy did not sweat over the content of their speeches and practice then relentlessly before delivery. History would suggest that they did both. King, Churchill and Kennedy may have had some small gifts, but all three understood the importance of public speaking and all three understood the craft of public speaking. They, all three of them worked at becoming great public speakers. As great speakers, King, Churchill and king were made not born. They were all three of them a joy to listen to and remain so. You too can be a joy to listen to if you understand what is involved and work on it. Just a Thought
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 04:01:53 +0000
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