Public Speaking For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2004103139
ISBN: 978-0-7645-5954-9
Manufactured in the United States of America
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2B/SQ/QU/QU/IN
Malcolm Kushner, “America’s Favorite Humor Consultant,” is an internationally acclaimed expert on humor and communication and a professional speaker. Since 1982, he has trained thousands of managers, executives and professionals how to gain a competitive edge with humor. His clients include IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AT&T, Chevron, Aetna, Motorola, and Bank of America.
A popular speaker, his Leading With Laughter presentation features rare video clips of U.S. presidents using humor intentionally and successfully. He has performed the speech at many corporate and association meetings, as well as at the Smithsonian Institution.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Buffalo, Kushner holds a BA in Speech-Communication. His MA in Speech-Communication is from the University of Southern California, where he taught freshman speech. He also has a JD from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. Prior to becoming a humor consultant, he practiced law with a major San Francisco law firm.
Kushner is the author of The Light Touch: How to Use Humor for Business Success and Vintage Humor for Wine Lovers. He is also a co-creator of the humor exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Frequently interviewed by the media, Kushner has been profiled in Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, and numerous other publications. His television and radio appearances include CNN, National Public Radio, CNBC, Voice of America, and The Larry King Show. His annual “Cost of Laughing Index” has been featured on The Tonight Show and the front page of The Wall Street Journal.
Need a great speaker for your next meeting or event? Contact Malcolm at P.O. Box 7509, Santa Cruz, CA 95061, call 831-425-4839, or e-mail him at mk@kushnergroup.com. Visit his Web site at www.kushnergroup.com.
This book is dedicated to my parents — Pauline, Hank and Helen. Thank you for all of your love and support
Let’s start with the people at Wiley. My thanks go to Marc Mikulich for talking me into writing this book and to Kathy Cox for making this edition happen. And to Jennifer Connolly who provided superb editing and listened to me kvetch.
Speaking of special thanks, I must shower praise upon my wife Christine Griger who looked at the pages as they came out of the printer. (Jennifer, if you think your job was tough, you should have seen what the stuff looked like before Chris’s corrections!) And I must thank my son Sam for his encouragement.
Special thanks go to the late San Francisco comedy coach John Cantu. He was a good friend and teacher. And he is greatly missed by everyone who knew him. Loyd Auerbach, Allatia Harris and N.R. Mitgang also received repeated calls to tap into their expertise — and came through every time.
I also want to thank all the other people who were interviewed for this book. They include John Austin, Neil Baron, Donna Bedford, J.E. Aeliot Boswell, Rachael Brune, Joe DiNucci, Steve Fraticelli, James Harris III, Barbara Howard, Joyce Lekas, Marcia Lemmons, Jim Luckaszewski, Chuck McCann, Jeff Raleigh, Steve Resnick, Jackie Roach, Zack Rss, David Schmidt, Ken Sereno, Allen Weiner, Bill Zachmeier, Patty White, Russell Feingold, David Bartlett, Scott Fivash, Kare Anderson, Shawn Whalen, Rich Johnson, and Martin Gonzales Bravo.
Thanks for support and encouragement go to Rich Herzfeld, Bob Reed, Jack Burkett, Stu Silverstein, Linda Mead, Debra DeCuir, Karen Kushner, Barbara Nash, Corwin and Tyler Sparks, and Arthur, Karen, Heather and Amy Tamarkin. Special thanks go to Tom Daly IV at Vital Speeches for granting permission to use so many of the quotes contained in the book.
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Title
Introduction
Why You Need This Book
About This Book
Conventions Used in This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where Do I Go from Here?
Part I : Getting Started
Chapter 1: Giving a Speech
Finding Out What You Need to Know
Developing Your Speech
Polishing It Off
Delivering a Speech
Preparing for Special Speaking Situations
The Parts of Ten
Chapter 2: Getting Ready to Speak
Making Important Preparations
Analyzing Your Audience
Relating to Your Audience
Chapter 3: Making the Most of Research
Gathering Sources
Getting Someone Else to Do Your Research — For Free
Researching on the Web
Chapter 4: Organizing Your Speech
Selecting Material to Include
Following Patterns of Organization
Creating Your Outline
Timing
Organizing Your Speech Effectively
Part II : Preparing Your Speech
Chapter 5: Body Building: Strengthening the Content of Your Speech
Making Appeals to Your Audience
Finding Solid Forms of Support
Chapter 6: Getting Off on the Right Foot: Introductions
Discovering What the Introduction Must Do
Creating the Perfect Introduction
Getting Started in Fifteen Fabulous Ways
Chapter 7: All’s Well That Ends Well: Conclusions
Making Your Conclusion Work
Creating the Perfect Conclusion
Wrapping It Up in Style
Part III : Making Your Speech Sparkle
Chapter 8: Making Sense of Your Speech
Editing Your Speech — Pain-free
Making Transitions
Chapter 9: Getting the Words Right
Honing Your Tone and Style
Creating Catch Phrases
Spicing Up Your Speech with Classic Rhetorical Devices
Chapter 10: Making Eye Contact Count: Visual Aids
Using Charts and Graphs
Making Use of Slides, Overheads, and PowerPoint
Flipping for Flipcharts
Creating Great Video (And Audio)
Making an Impact with Multimedia
Wowing Your Audience with Simple Multimedia Techniques
Hitting a Home Run with Handouts
Part IV : Delivering Your Speech
Chapter 11: Overcoming Stage Fright
Changing Your Perceptions
Transforming Terror to Terrific
Preventing and Handling Stage Fright
Chapter 12: Body Language: What’s Out, What’s In, and What’s International
Understanding Body Language
Making Eye Contact Count
Dressing to Impress
Mastering Physical Positioning and Movement
Paralanguage: What Your Voice Says about You
Chapter 13: Handling Questions
Discovering the Basics
Coming Up with a Perfect Answer
Using Question-Handling Techniques
Dealing with Common Types of Questions
Responding to Special Situations
Handling Hostile Questions
Chapter 14: Handling the Audience
Reading an Audience’s Reaction
Making the Audience Comfortable
Handling a Tough Audience
Handling a Nonresponsive Audience
Part V : Common Speaking Situations
Chapter 15: Speaking to the City Council and School Board
Remembering Some Rules
Maximizing Your Effectiveness
Avoiding the Five Biggest Turnoffs for Public Officials
Chapter 16: Small Talk: Impromptu Speaking and Introducing Other Speakers
Say a Few Words: Giving Impromptu Speeches
Introducing Other Presenters
Chapter 17: Panels and Roundtables
Being on a Panel
Participating in a Roundtable
Chapter 18: Debates
Checking Out the Basics
Arguing in the Affirmative
Arguing Against the Affirmative
Kiss My Rebuttal
Beating Your Opponent, in Six Different Ways
Chapter 19: International Speaking
Discovering the Culture of Your Audience
Crafting Your Message
Adapting Your Delivery
Chapter 20: Virtual Meetings: Phone, Video, and Web
Choosing a Type of Virtual Meeting to Hold
Preparing for a Virtual Meeting
Participating in a Virtual Meeting
Taking in Tips for Teleconferences
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 21: Ten Types of Humor That Anyone Can Use
Using Personal Anecdotes
Analogies
Quotes
Cartoons
Definitions
Abbreviations and acronyms
Signs
Laws
Greeting cards
Bumper stickers
Chapter 22: Ten Things to Check Before You Speak
Sound System
Podium
Audiovisual Equipment
Lighting
Human Equipment
Electricity
Restrooms
Seating Arrangements
Potential Distractions
How to Get There
Welcome to Public Speaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition, the book that gives a new meaning to the term “influence peddling.” No, I don’t show you anything illegal, but you do figure out how to use basic speaking skills to influence your boss, coworkers, relatives, loved ones, butcher, baker, candlestick maker, and anyone else who matters in your life. You can even influence people who don’t matter — like your senator.
This book provides all the tools you need to master public speaking. And that doesn’t mean just formal speeches. Some of the most important speeches you ever give may not involve a microphone or a podium, like an impromptu talk about your strategy to some customers; an answer that defuses a hostile question at a business meeting; an impassioned plea to a police officer not to issue the ticket. Success or failure in all of these situations, as well as in formal speeches, depends on how you speak.
Whether you’re dealing with one person or one thousand, the ability to transmit ideas in a coherent and compelling fashion is one of the most important skills you can ever develop. It’s a basic survival skill, and it always has been. From the earliest caveman who yelled “Fire!” to the latest Web surfer who flamed someone on the Internet, people have made speeches to motivate, persuade, and influence each other.
Want to get a good job? Want to get promoted? Want to command the respect of your peers? Want to get a date? The key to success is what you say. To get what you want in life, you have to present yourself forcefully, credibly, and convincingly. Sure, you can speak softly and carry a big stick, but the real winner is the person who talks you out of the stick.
In the information age, public speaking skills are even more important than ever before. We live in a society of sound bites. Communication is the currency of the realm. In survey after survey, public speaking skills are cited as a key factor in hiring and promotion decisions. The days when you could rise to the top just by being good at your job are over. Boards of directors, executive committees, and customers want more. You have to know how to get your message across.
Now let’s admit it. Many people get nervous about giving speeches, particularly in a formal setting. My goal in writing this book is to rid you of those fears forever. If you simply apply the techniques described in Public Speaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition, you’ll be able to give a talk more competently than many Oscar-winning performers. (You don’t believe me? Just watch the Academy Awards and listen to the acceptance speeches.) I’m not saying you’ll be the next Cicero, but you will see how to deliver a speech in an organized and engaging manner.
And don’t fall for the big myth that you have to be “a born speaker.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Some of the greatest orators in history were anything but “naturals.” Demosthenes — the famous speaker of ancient Greece — was a shy, stammering introvert when he decided to become a successful orator. He taught himself to speak by rehearsing with rocks in his mouth. If all you have in your mouth is your foot, then you’re way ahead of the game.
If you already have the “gift of gab,” you can still pick up many tips and tricks from Public Speaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition. For example, you wouldn’t believe how often experienced speakers completely undermine their entire speech with poorly designed slides and overheads. If you read nothing more than the chapter on how to correct this common mistake (Chapter 10, by the way), this book is well worth what you paid for it.
Let’s talk straight. There are lots of books about public speaking, and they’re written by people who have various credentials. But how many of them taught speech at the University of Southern California, practiced law with an international law firm, ghost-wrote speeches for leading business executives, traveled the lecture circuit as a keynote speaker at major corporate and association meetings, and appeared on The Gong Show — without being gonged?
I’ve done all that stuff and more, and that’s what’s unique about this book. It contains a treasure trove of nuts-and-bolts information based on real-life experience. You see what really works and what doesn’t. Because if there are mistakes to be made, I’ve already made them. Now you don’t have to repeat them.
If you want to improve the full range of your public speaking skills, then read the entire book. You will become an expert communicator.
Too busy to read a whole book? Don’t worry. Public Speaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition is designed with your time constraints in mind. The book is divided into easy-to-read segments that cover very specific topics. Choose an area of interest, such as dealing with hecklers, and turn directly to it.
You can also use the book to accent the design of your home or office. Just put it on a bookshelf in full view. The bold yellow and black of the cover contrast nicely with the muted brown tones of many bookcases. (And anyone seeing the book on your shelf will assume you read it and will think you’re smart.)
So you can navigate through this book better, I use the following conventions:
Italic is used for emphasis and to highlight new words or terms that are defined.
Boldfaced text is used to indicate keywords in bulleted lists.
Monofont is used for Web addresses.
Sidebars, which are shaded gray boxes with text enclosed in them, consist of information that is interesting to know but not necessarily critical to your understanding of the chapter or section’s topic.
While writing this book, I’ve made some assumptions about you and your knowledge of public speaking. Here are the assumptions I’ve made about you:
You may be fretting about your next speaking engagement because you don’t understand how to engage the audience.
You may know nothing about public speaking but would like to be prepared in case you’re ever asked to speak — impromptu or otherwise.
You may know quite a bit about public speaking and have a lot of experience, but you may want to polish your speech development and delivery more.
You may know how to give a formal speech but you would like to improve your speaking skills in special situations — question-and-answer sessions, panels, roundtables or debates.
You may know the basics of public speaking but you want to learn some advanced techniques like using humor successfully or adding some style.
You may know that there’s no reason to fear public speaking, but you fear it anyway and you want to know how to overcome your anxiety.
Public Speaking For Dummies, 2nd Edition has six major parts, each of which is divided into chapters covering specific topics. The chapters are self-contained units of brilliant insight, so you don’t have to plow through them in sequence. You can read them separately or together in any order you wish. Don’t worry about missing any gems of wisdom. The book is thoroughly cross-referenced and guides you to related items of information.
Each part covers a major area of public speaking skills. The following is brief tour of what you can find.
You’ve been asked to give a speech, now what? How do you decide what to talk about? What if you’ve been given a topic you don’t like? Can you change it? How do you find out detailed information about your audience? Where can you get interesting material for your speech? These are some of the questions that I address in this section. Discover how to get your speech research off to a fast, productive start.
In today’s fast-paced, competitive environment, fortunes can rise or fall on the basis of a single speech. So it better be good. That means informative, to the point, attention grabbing, and memorable. And your speech doesn’t get that way by luck or accident. Careful preparation — from topic selection to outline structure to choice of material to writing the actual speech — is the key. In this section, I show you how to develop a speech that commands an audience’s attention, influences their thinking, and achieves your goals.
Powerful public speakers are not that different from run-of-the-mill speakers. Both use words. Both use visual aids. And both stand in front of an audience. But really good speakers use really good words. They polish their speech until it’s a gem. They also make sure that their visual aids communicate not confound. And when they stand in front of an audience, they appear confident and in control. This part of the book tells you how to give your speech that “something extra” that transforms it into an exciting event.
There’s more to think about when it comes to giving a speech than just your topic. You have to make decisions about whether you should use a podium; what you should wear; what gestures you should use; how fast you should speak; how you should handle the audience and their questions. And these are just a few of the issues involved in transforming your written message into a masterful oral performance. In this section, I show you how to deliver a presentation that wows your audience. Simple, proven techniques guarantee your success. If you’re nervous, shy, or disorganized, don’t worry. I also explain how to handle any fears you have about public speaking.
Even if you’re not a professional speaker, the odds are that you’ll have to give a speech every so often. You may have to speak to a meeting of your city council or address a group of businesspeople from another country. Or you may serve as a panelist at an event sponsored by your club, association, or religious organization. And in this age of technology and globalism, this part is essential to discover how to speak internationally as well as over a variety of different mediums in the virtual world. In this section, I address these types of common speaking situations, and I tell you how to anticipate them and prepare for them. You even discover how to give a speech “off the top of your head.”
In this part, you can find simple types of humor that anyone can use to polish off a speech. And I give you a list of things to check before you speak so you don’t leave out any of those important details that can stunt the effectiveness of your speech.
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You hold in your hands a powerful tool — a guide to increasing your influence through the sheer force of your speeches. This tool can be used for good or evil. That’s up to you. Consider yourself warned. To begin your journey, turn to the Table of Contents or Index, pick a topic of interest, and turn to the page indicated. Good luck in your travels. You’re now ready to dive into this book, unless you plan to wait for the movie version.
In this part . . .
The toughest part of preparing a speech, or doing anything, is getting started. In these chapters, I show you how to take the first steps toward doing what has to be done. You can also find out what information you need to know about your audience to craft a successful speech. I even cover how to get started researching what you’re going to say.
Examining the contents of this book
Exploring what you need to know
Whether you’re giving your first speech or your five hundredth, this book can show you how to improve your speaking skills. Crammed full of nuts-and-bolts ideas, techniques, and suggestions, beginners can benefit just from discovering and avoiding basic mistakes, and experienced speakers may appreciate the expert tips and techniques sprinkled throughout these pages. Because this book isn’t designed to be read from cover to cover (of course, you can if you want to), you can skip chapters and even sections within chapters, focusing only on the material that suits your needs. So if you’re looking for an idea of where to start or an idea of what chapters may benefit you the most, just check out the sections that follow to find out what each chapter has to offer.
Before you give your speech, or even write it, there’s a lot of basic information that you need to know. Chapters 2 and 3 tell you how to get started researching the basics.
Getting asked to speak begins the process of making a lot of decisions. The first decision is exactly what to talk about. Even when you’re assigned a topic, there’s usually still room for you to shape it. How you do this depends on the audience — not just their age and sex, but also their education, attitudes, and much more. Chapter 2 tells you what you need to know and how to find it out.
No matter what you talk about, you can improve it by doing a little research. I don’t mean just locating facts and statistics. You can also find quotes, jokes, and stories to spice up your remarks. Chapter 3 puts a wealth of research tools and techniques at your disposal, such as using traditional library sleuthing, logging onto cool Web sites, and getting other people to do your research for you — for free.
After you’ve got a topic and you’ve done some research, it’s time to get organized. To make your speech flow, you can choose from several patterns: problem and solution; past, present, and future; and cause and effect. Chapter 4 gives you lots of ideas for organizational patterns and shows you how to create a speech outline that’s actually useful and conforms to your time limits.
Giving a speech scares a lot of people. Writing one is just perceived as a hassle. And doing it right can take a lot of time. But calm down. This part of the book will show you everything you need to know to write a speech quickly and effectively.
You’ve done research and you’ve got an outline. Now it’s time to put some meat on those bones. (Or leaves on those branches if you’re a vegetarian.) If you’re looking for the key to captivating an audience with statistics quotes, stories, and examples, you’re in luck. I unlock all kinds of potential speech material in Chapter 5.
Many people believe that you have to open with a joke, but you can get the audience involved better by asking a rhetorical question or by using a quotation for the opening — or the conclusion. In Chapters 6 and 7, I discuss cool ways to open and close your speech, and I give you great ideas to make sure you and your audience reach your conclusion at the same time.
Anyone can throw a speech together, but you do need to make it memorable. If you need to find just that right turn of phrase, develop the winning argument, come up with the perfect example or anecdote that an audience will never forget, or get ideas on how to deliver your speech flawlessly even if you’re nervous, Chapters 8 through 10 make polishing your speech and delivery much easier.
Sure, your speech makes perfect sense to you, but the test is whether it makes sense to your audience. If you’d rather not find that out as you deliver your speech, visit Chapter 8 and find out how to put a little spit shine on your speech to make it stand out from the crowd.
You don’t have to be a poet or literary type to give a little zip to your speech. Just remember that certain words and phrases can make more powerful statements than others — you just have to pick the right ones. Chapter 9 shows you how to use rhetorical techniques to create some colorful lines and phrases to spice up your speech.
If you need eye candy to dress up your next speech, find out everything you need to know to make your graphics look good and to avoid common mistakes in Chapter 10. From PowerPoint to overheads to good old-fashioned flip charts, you can find several great choices for displaying information during your speech.
After you’ve written a brilliant, witty speech that captures your message exactly, you still have to perform it in front of an audience. So, if your goal is to receive a standing ovation, Chapters 11 to 14 may give you a chance for one.
If you’ve gone to all the trouble to create a brilliant speech, you don’t want to ruin it by fainting at the podium. If you need to squelch anxiety at the outset or find some stress-busting techniques used by professional speakers, check out Chapter 11.
The way you move and make eye contact affects how your audience receives your message. To ensure that your verbal and non-verbal messages match, check out Chapter 12 and find out all the details on how to move, dress, make eye contact, deal with your hands and habits, and get your other body-language questions answered.
Answering audience questions is an art unto itself. What do you do if you don’t know the answer? How do you respond to hostile questions? What if the questioners have no idea what they’re talking about? Chapter 13 addresses all these issues and shows you how to anticipate questions, design perfect answers, and get an audience to ask questions.
Your speech is fantastic but your audience is not: They’re heckling you; they’re falling asleep; they’re leaving! Understanding how to read an audience is an essential skill for anyone who has to give a speech. You have to adapt quickly and know what you’re adapting to. If you want to discover how to deal with tough audiences, keep their attention, and get them involved, then Chapter 14 is for you.
Speaking in front of public bodies, informal speeches, introductions, panels, debates, international meetings, and virtual meetings are all common speaking situations, but they don’t fit into the normal speech you may give at a convention or meeting. Special meetings require special preparation, and Chapters 15 through 20 tell you how to handle all these situations.
Concerned citizens have lots of opportunities to give speeches: city council meetings, school board meetings, board of supervisor meetings, planning commission meetings, and the list goes on. But these types of forums have special rules, such as speaker sign-up procedures, time limits, requirements regarding handouts, and basic rules of courtesy that are strictly enforced. Chapter 15 provides the inside scoop on all these rules and describes effective strategies for persuading public officials.
One of the most common, yet feared, speaking situations is when someone asks you to get up and say a few words about something off-the-cuff. The good news is that you didn’t have to spend a lot of time preparing your speech. Of course, that’s also the bad news. Chapter 16 tells you how to anticipate those situations, plan for them, and give fabulous impromptu speeches.
If you have to introduce a speaker at a meeting, conference, or convention, you probably wonder how big a deal you should make of it: should the introduction be long and flowery, should you just recite the speaker’s resume, or should you do a lot of research and find some “inside” stories about the speaker. Find out how to handle your next introduction in Chapter 16.
Some people figure it’s easy to serve on a panel or roundtable. They think they can just wing it because the other panelists can always pick up the slack. If you happen to be more of a slacker than a pick-up-the-slacker, just remember that the audience is going to compare you to those other panelists, so you’d better be good. Chapter 17 shows you how to stand out from the crowd when you’re speaking on a panel or roundtable.
If you have to deal with kids, teachers, neighbors, parking enforcement officers, liberals, conservatives, extremists of any stripe, or the manager of a store where you want to return something, then you already know something about debate. Chapter 18 shows you some formal techniques so your next debate can be a sure bet.
Today’s global economy has increased the number of business-people who speak before international audiences. While language differences are a big challenge, cultural differences can be even bigger. Use Chapter 19 to prepare for your next international meeting so you can avoid embarrassing gaffes.
Meetings are commonly held in virtual locations, so you may be more used to attending face-to-space rather than face-to-face meetings. Before your next virtual meeting, check out the techniques in Chapter 20 to maximize the effectiveness of your participation.
In this section, I show you how to make your speech sparkle with humor — even if you can’t tell a joke. The techniques are so simple that you’ll wonder why you didn’t use them before. I also point out what to check just before you speak.