Want a preview? Here's Chapter One.
Chapter 1: Speaking in the Semiosphere: Creating a Meaningful Experience
“Winners
make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the
event.”
Brian
Tracy
What both speakers and audience members crave is
a meaningful experience. One that changes us, inspires us. But how do we do
that? Practically speaking, there are countless possibilities. But there are a
few basic principles that can help to identify the opportunities for meaningful
moments.
Get Personal
Get Personal
Put some of yourself into your speech. To an
audience, you are a strange and exotic creature with the courage to stand up
and speak. We want to know about you, who you are, and if we can relate to you.
Sharing some of yourself demonstrates trust in the audience, and they will
subconsciously reciprocate. That trust is the foundation of a meaningful
experience.
Using your personal experience is a key
technique for speaking in the semiosphere. Remember the diagram in the
introduction. The degree to which your lived-world overlaps with your audience
members’ lived-world is the degree to which you are successfully speaking in
the semiosphere and creating a meaningful experience. By sharing your personal
experience, you bring more of your lived-world to light for the audience. If
you share nothing of yourself, the audience has no basis to relate to you. But
if you share your experience, especially if you do this wisely and strategically,
you become more human. They can relate to you. And maybe they even like you.
You open up the possibility of establishing commonality, and thus, audience
engagement.
There is a vulnerability to opening up and
sharing something of yourself. It is not without risk. However, it is a risk
worth taking because the payoff is great. There is certainly a line of what is
appropriate self-disclosure and what is not, so be conscious of that boundary.
In general though, people appreciate you opening up a bit. It is interesting.
Letting us behind the facade of your public
persona to share the back stories to your life signifies an attempt at goodwill
(unless you say something extremely distasteful or inappropriate for the
occasion or audience). People like to get a glimpse behind the scenes and even
into your personal life. They can relate--or they can't. But either way, they
will have the engaged response we call a meaningful experience.
Tell Stories
Along those same lines, tell stories. People
respond to stories in an emotional and physiological manner. Stories excite our
imagination and our brains. Stories stick with us in a way that facts and
figures do not. Most importantly, they hold our attention and will be
remembered.
Chapter Nine on informative speaking is mostly
about storytelling, because that’s the best way to teach people. Stories are
all the rage in marketing, advertising, and public relations. That’s because
professionals in those fields understand that stories are the most effective
way to teach, inspire, and persuade. Storytelling is a skill you simply must
develop if you are going to be a great speaker. Some people are natural
storytellers, some need to learn how to do it effectively. The good news is
that we all do it, probably daily. When you come home and tell your spouse
about your day, you’re actually telling the story of that day. You tell
everyone about your great vacation, with stories. You can do this, and with
some work, do it very well.
And to build on the previous point, personal
stories are particularly effective. They are the best types of stories, easiest
to remember and tell well, and you get to define the the story’s meaning to
draw out the point you want to make.
Empathize with Your Audience’s Concerns
Empathize with Your Audience’s Concerns
Your audience is the reason you speak. What do
they need that you can help them with? Presumably you are there to give them
something they need. Clearly identify and address those needs. We will talk at
some length throughout this book about the importance of your audience and
connecting with them, giving them a reason to listen, and enhancing their lives
with your message. For now though, just realize that you have to give your
audience something they value. To do so, you need to think about their lives
and what they want and need to live their lives more effectively and
efficiently
If you are speaking on a work-related occasion,
for example, it is important that the audience leaves your speech thinking
their work is more important/meaningful/satisfying than they did before you
spoke. I once worked as a recruiter, a headhunter really. In brief, we were
poaching people from one company and helping them land in the next. Once, a
speaker came in to discuss some of the ways we could improve our numbers (make
more money), and I remember getting up after his talk thinking that the work I
was doing was as important as anyone’s in the world. Before the speech, I
thought I had a job as a recruiter. After it, I felt like I was changing lives.
And the expectant motivation followed.
Whatever the circumstances that brought them to
listen to you, acknowledge that their efforts are meaningful and significant.
Acknowledge the challenges they face, and offer something to help them meet and
overcome those challenges. There must be something in it for your audience,
some incentive to get them to listen closely to you.
Offer Strong Visual Support
Offer Strong Visual Support
This is the opposite of death by PowerPoint. A
photographic image can be a powerful thing. It can anger or amuse, educate or inspire.
Carefully selected visual support can leave a lasting memory in the audience’s
mind, and being memorable is essential to being meaningful.
We have devoted Chapter Twelve to how to use
visual aids effectively. If you are able to do this, you will immediately
distinguish yourself from the myriad presenters who use PowerPoint poorly.
You’ll send a sign early on that your talk is something special. It’s not the
same old, same old with slides filled with text and data that no one really
cares about or is meaningfully connected to. You will quickly stand out as
someone who gets it, and audiences will know they’re in for something unique
and special because you are maximizing the visual potential of your topic.
Highlight Values or an Ethical Dimension
Highlight Values or an Ethical Dimension
In our world of increasing moral ambiguity,
political correctness, and blurred lines between right and wrong, people have a
hunger for ethical discourse. We bring this up not to lecture to you about what
constitutes ethical rhetoric, but to encourage you develop a rhetorical ethic.
This is a distinction Professor Richard L. Lanigan points out in his book Semiotic
Phenomenology of Rhetoric. It’s about embodying an informed understanding
of one’s ethical value system, not preaching what others should believe. It’s
about being ethical yourself in your consideration of issues and how your share
them.
So when we say to highlight values or an ethical
dimension, we are not encouraging you to preach with moral certitude as to how
others should live their lives. Rather, we are suggesting that you not shy away
from ethical issues. In fact, you can highlight the ethical dilemma in question
for your audience. As you tell the story, call attention to the ethical
quandary the subject of the story faces. When a choice is framed with an
ethical dimension, most people will opt for the right interpretation and do the
right thing. Some may disagree as to what the right choice is, but if you
anticipate such disagreement you can include it as a consideration for their
deliberation.
All people have values, relatively stable
long-term beliefs about right and wrong, as well as what is important in life.
Tying your message to things that people value is a key to creating a
meaningful experience. We will talk more about values in Chapter Ten on
persuasion. At this point simply recognize that people will find things they
value meaningful to listen to and think about.
Furthermore, people like to be reminded that
they are doing the right thing, not necessarily doing things the easy way. When
you have the opportunity recognize those in your audience who have done
exceptional things, do so. Applaud their strong moral compass. We all want and
need to be inspired, to do better and to be better people. It is the nature of
all living things to grow and progress. Appeal to your audience’s ideals,
appeal to the best within them. You will see the lights go on in their eyes
because you are creating a meaningful experience.
Don’t Take Your Audience’s Time Lightly
No matter how wonderful your presentation, if
you fail to meet audience expectation, particularly in regard to time, they can
leave the room disappointed. Maybe even angry.
A number of years ago I attended a presentation
by a speaker who was one of the country’s foremost experts on his particular topic,
so I was incredibly excited to hear his ideas. After 35 minutes of his
presentation, which was scheduled for 45 minutes, he wasn’t disappointing. He
was truly an incredible speaker. And so when he said, “in conclusion,” anyone
listening understood his presentation was about to come to an end.
Another 30 minutes later, he finally stopped
talking. I can’t tell you what he said in the last 20 minutes or so. I had
stopped listening. So had the rest of the audience. The speaker even noticed we
had. He acknowledged that it had been a long day that we were losing steam.
Little did he know that he was making our long day so much longer.
One of the best speeches I had ever heard turned
into one of the worst just because the speaker ignored time. He made the terrible
mistake of thinking he was so great that we no longer cared about our time. He
was wrong.
When you have to deliver a speech, make sure you
know how much time you’re allotted. And make sure you speak within that time
frame.
Speak Extemporaneously
Extemporaneous speech is natural, conversational
speech. It’s real, it’s direct, it’s you speaking in your own voice. When you
write a script, you read your message. When you speak extemporaneously, the
message originates from you, in that moment, with that particular audience in
mind. This is an essential prerequisite to authenticity. Your audience will not
connect in a meaningful way to you or your message if they feel it is
inauthentic. Speaking extemporaneously is a must for meaningful authentic
public communication.
The suggestions in this chapter are just
capsules of the kind of analysis a good speaker conducts. They can be taken in
countless directions to suit the needs of most anyone and most any audience.
Employ them, and you will be on your way to transforming your communication and
creating a meaningful experience for both yourself and your audience.
