There’s potential for lots of things to go wrong. But at least you can console your self with the fact that it’s unlikely to be as bad as the stand up comedy gig described in this clip by Bill Hicks.
(Click here to watch this 5:43 minute video on YouTube)
I was given this book as a Christmas present from my parents. This is the third book on public speaking I have received as a gift since joining Toastmasters International. Interestingly I don’t get gifts related to my other hobbies.
High Impact Speeches is written for people who write and/or deliver speeches. Many of the examples are political or business orientated, although the concepts are universal. Richard Heller clearly and concisely describes the logistics, planning, writing and delivery of a well crafted speech (158 pages content + 30 pages of example speeches).
When I set out to review this book my plan was to write some brief chapter summaries (like I did for Teach Yourself Stand-up comedy by Logan Murray), but I found that the book was so packed with information and so succinctly written that I didn’t think summaries would do it justice. Furthermore the book provides its own summaries at the end of each chapter.
I will give you one little taster from the book. I have revisited Chapter 4 several times. In this chapter Heller proposes a simple speech plan that you can use for your high impact speech. It has puts emphasis on clarity and includes optional parts for specific events like debates or ceremonial speeches.
| 1. Introduction
Thank yous - Thank your introducer, and whoever else needs thanks (organiser, chairman etc.). Connect - Praise the organisation, Praise the location. 2. Beginning Demolish the Opposition - If your speech is part of a debate then you should begin by addressing what the opposition has said. Grabber - A joke/quotation/anecdote - something to grab attention. Main Themes - Briefly outline the three main themes of your speech (three is a magic number in public speaking. Always have three main sections to your speech). 3. Middle The bulk of your speech. Address each theme and its three sub themes. Aim to spent the same amount of time on each sub theme. 4. End Warning - Briefly indicate the end is nigh, to make the audience pay attention. E.g. “In conclusion,” Recap - As snappily as possible recap your main themes Strong Finish - End with a bang. This is the part most people will remember. Do your job - If you are proposing a toast, nominating a nominee, awarding a prize, opening a building etc. do it now. |
Simple and effective.
In the rest of the book Heller provides excellent advice about the logistics of delivering a speech, dealing with the media and constructing a press release, rhetorical techniques you should embrace or avoid, and how to avoid being embarrassed by people who disagree with you message.
My advice is to just buy this book. It’s the best book on public speaking I have read.
Book Review: Brain Rules by John Medina
We intuitively understand that there is something wrong with the way we learn and work. How much information from school has completely evaporated from your mind? How often do you feel bored or creatively stifled at work? There are hundreds of books and websites about improving productivity, but few with a scientific foundation. John Medina has written a book that examines the problems facing productivity, learning and teaching, all supported with hard science. He clearly states that every study he cites has been published, peer-reviewed and reproduced.
I discovered this book on Presentation Zen (check out the review to see the slides describing three of the rules and videos by John Medina). It’s been popping up all over the blogshpere ever since.
The book is divided into twelve chapters each describing a brain rule. All the chapters begin by describing some some neurological characteristic, and then explains its implications. Everything is explained using anecdotes and case studies, making it easy to understand and a pleasure to read.
Medina strongly advocates sleep and exercise to increase brain function, and suggests using repetition and stimulating multiple senses to improve knowledge retention (including smell).
I found Medina’s comments about Attention particularly fascinating. He points out that most people stop paying attention to teachers/presentations after about ten minutes. He suggested that every ten minutes you should plan to grab back their attention using a story or by triggering an emotion such as laughter, happiness or nostalgia. Medina uses these techniques in his lectures, which are so successful he was awarded the Hoechst Marion Roussel Teacher of the Year.
If you’re interested in maintaining audiences’ attention, creating memorable messages, and improving your capacity to learn and be productive then you should read this book. Buy it on Amazon.