Formatting Tips: The Final Step before Your Speech

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I’d like to kick off my December blog by thanking you, my readers. I hope you’ve found my public speech hacks helpful over the last 12 months. In 2020, I’ll continue to provide speaking tips, but I’m also going to include short reviews of speeches. I’ll look at what works – what felt compelling, what moved us to action – as well as what could have been done better. I hope you’ll continue to follow me and share my posts from time to time. 

For today’s blog, I’ve decided to answer a question that I’ve been asked many times before. It’s not the sexiest topic but it’s the final step in making sure your delivery comes off smoothly. 

How Do You Format a Speech? 

The right format is the one that brings out the best in the speaker. Some people prefer Calibri 22-point font, single spaced. Others opt for larger font, double spaced. Use the format that’s right for you. 

If you’re not sure, here’s a starting point:  Verdana 24 point with 1.5 spacing and 1-inch margins.  My speech formats look like this which – to invoke the holiday spirit – is formatted to Bill Murray’s transformative moment in Scrooged, based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol:

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What Else Do You Need to Know about Formatting?

1. Number all the pages in case they get out of order on the podium or worse, you drop the speech. (I’ve seen it happen. Not pretty.)

2. Never bleed a sentence from one page to the next. Turning the page is a simple act but, when you’re nervous in front of a hundred people, it becomes oddly enough more complicated. Avoid orphans and you’ll avoid stumbling.

3. Leave the bottom third of each page blank. This prevents speakers from looking down too much (i.e., putting their forehead on the podium). The result is better eye contact.

4. The speech you write is called, “Remarks as Prepared.” The speech you actually give is called, “Remarks as Delivered.” These distinctions are helpful if you’re sharing your speech with others. The press, for example, will often request the former so they can get a jump on drafting their story before your speech. Then they’ll use Remarks as Delivered to confirm the quotes used in the speech.

5. If you don’t want anyone to scoop you, write “Embargoed Until Delivery” in the header section at the top. This will (in theory) prevent anyone from posting it until you’ve given your remarks. If this isn’t necessary, use the header to note which version of the speech it is. Example: Semi-Final Draft, 12.25. 19.

Looking for a trainer to improve your team’s communication skills? In the last 2 months, I did just that in Washington, DC, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs. I’d love to come to your city in 2020. Reach out anytime at Rose at rose@rosespeechwriter.com.

Welcome 2020! Next year, I’ll put a new spin on my blog by taking on speech reviews. See you then! [Photo Credit: Jamie Street on Unsplash.]

Welcome 2020! Next year, I’ll put a new spin on my blog by taking on speech reviews. See you then! [Photo Credit: Jamie Street on Unsplash.]

Are you Communicating in the Right Direction? Find out from TED’s Director of Speaker Coaching

Communicate in the ‘right’ direction by focusing on the audience: find out what’s on their mind before writing your content. [Photo credit: Nick Fewing]

Communicate in the ‘right’ direction by focusing on the audience: find out what’s on their mind before writing your content. [Photo credit: Nick Fewing]

Last month I was at Georgetown University speaking at a day-long Speechwriting School hosted by the Professional Speechwriting Association. I kicked off the program by talking about the importance of understanding your audience. In other words, not only exploring audience demographics, but diving deeper by asking the hard, messy questions:

  • What do they genuinely care about? 

  • What are they excited about?

  • What are their red flag issues? 

Since then, I’ve come across another great way to think about your audience, courtesy of Briar Goldberg, TED’s Director of Speaker Coaching. She emphasizes communicating in the “right” direction. What’s that? Hint: it has to do with the ABCs of public speaking, Audience Before Content. I encourage you to read her short article, “Before Your Next  Presentation or Speech, Here’s the First Thing You Must Think About.”

Want to learn more about audience analysis? Read my blog and reach out anytime. – Rose at rose@rosespeechwriter.com.

A Tremendous Whack: Hitting the Key Message of Your Next Talk

Churchill said, “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit again. Then hit a third time – a tremendous whack.” [Photo Credit: Arthur Osipyan]

Churchill said, “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit again. Then hit a third time – a tremendous whack.” [Photo Credit: Arthur Osipyan]

I love this quote by Churchill: “If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit again. Then hit a third time – a tremendous whack.” 

As a speechwriter, I often think of this quote when I’m talking with a client. The speaker, often a CEO, VP, or Executive Director, and I are usually sitting around a small, wooden table in his office. We’re discussing an upcoming speech and the conversation frequently ping pongs in a thousand directions – with at least as many ideas. 

As the meeting begins to wrap up, I know my big moment is coming. I usually say something like this: 

“All that’s great material. I’ll sort through it and figure out how to structure it, so we can build a persuasive argument. But just so I understand … what do you actually want them to remember? After you finish talking and the audience applauds, what is the single most important idea that you’re trying to convey here?”

I keep asking this same question in different ways. Pushing for a clear one-liner because the reality is this. It’s the only thing the audience is going to remember. At dinner that night, people aren’t going to recall the four points he made or the three stats he shared. If the speech was decent, they’ll remember one key idea.

What big speeches do we remember? There’s Churchill in 1940 saying, “we shall never surrender” and JFK in 1962 with, “we choose to go to the moon.” There’s Nixon’s Checkers speech about keeping his dog and Carter’s 1977 speech about the energy crisis (yo, put on a sweater). More recent examples? Who can forget Michelle Obama’s line, “When they go low, we go high” and Greta Thunberg’s shaming for the climate mess we’re leaving the next generation.

In the end, I believe every great speech is driven by a single, governing idea. So what does that mean for us?

The Take Away

The next time you’re preparing to give a talk, figure out the “money line.” I won’t kid you – it’s tough to capture in a few words. But once you do, you’ll have a governing principle that will organize the rest of the speech. You’ll preview the main message in the intro. You’ll gather different types of evidence to address it in the body of the speech. And if all goes well, you’ll restate it with conviction in the conclusion, driving it home, as Churchill suggests, with “a tremendous whack.” 

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Looking for more info on how to identify the main idea? Check out this blog on the “headline test” and reach out anytime. – Rose at rose@rosespeechwriter.com.

So, Do I, Like, Sound Bad? Practical Tips to Eliminate Verbal Pauses

We all use verbal pauses when we speak: um, ah, like, and you know. Filler words like these become more pronounced during interviews or presentations. Why does this happen, even to the best speakers? In some cases, we’re nervous speaking to an audience. In others, we may be so passionate about the topic that we’re concerned we won’t do it justice. Whatever the reason, our hearts race. We talk faster than normal. And we often use bridge words to hold our place, while we think of the next thing we’re trying to say.

You don’t have to fill every silence with noise. [Photo Credit: Nycholas Benaia]

You don’t have to fill every silence with noise. [Photo Credit: Nycholas Benaia]

 Unfortunately, verbal pauses make us sound less professional at the very time we want to be at our best. Making matters worse, they are also distracting. Instead of your future boss keying in on your skill set, she may be noticing how many filler words you use.

 How can you prune um and ah from your vocabulary? By far, the best solution is to stop talking all together. In other words, use a pause instead of a filler word. You can also try speaking more slowly. Fully finish a thought and then take a deep breath. My point is that you don’t have to fill every silence with noise. Let the power of your idea sink in without further distraction.

 Here are two other ways to break this habit.

 Find an Accountability Partner – Maybe you’ve heard of Toastmasters infamous “Ah-Counter.” That’s someone who tabulates how many times you use verbal pauses. While this method is no doubt embarrassing, it gets right to the core of the problem: self- awareness. We have to recognize how many times we are using um or ah before we can fix the problem. If you don’t want to join Toastmasters, find a supportive accountability partner who can give you candid feedback next time you speak at the office staff meeting. 

 Record Yourself – Most smart phones today have a free mic app. (I often use QuickVoice or VoiceMemos.) Next time you’re giving a short presentation, ask the people in the room if it’s okay to record yourself. Then play back your remarks to see how you did. The next step is to work on trimming these from your vocabulary and, when you’re ready, record yourself again to see whether you’ve improved.

 Awareness and practice are the dual keys to getting rid of ums and ahs. For better or worse, we have dozens of opportunities every day to monitor ourselves: on the phone, talking at dinner, in meetings. Eliminating filler words will, in the end, make you a more confident, powerful speaker.

 Want to read more on this topic? Check out this article in the New York Times, then email me at rose@rosespeechwriter.com.

One Hundred Beats Per Minute

Three weeks ago, some friends mentioned they’d attended a workshop by Drs. John and Julie Gottman, the famous couples counselors.  I’d heard about the Gottman Institute over the years but was surprised by something they said that night. Basically, that when your heart races, you can’t communicate clearly – or sometimes at all.

What’s the threshold for effective communication? Turns out it’s 100 beats per min. [Photo credit: Daniel Canibano]

What’s the threshold for effective communication? Turns out it’s 100 beats per min. [Photo credit: Daniel Canibano]

I saw a connection to public speaking and did what we all do when we hear something interesting. I googled it. I learned that, according the Gottman’s research, “if your heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, you won’t be able to hear what your spouse is trying to tell you no matter how hard you try.”  The Gotmmans call this “flooding,” being overwhelmed by a barrage of emotions, which makes communication with other human beings all but impossible.

As my friends spoke, I realized I’d heard about flooding before: by clients who felt paralyzed by nerves right before a speech. Looking back, I’m guessing their heart rate was likely over 100 beats per minute.

Now, in the world of couple’s counseling, Gottman recommends taking a time out. Nothing good can be achieved when you or your spouse has been flooded by emotions. That’s not an option, however, when you’re about to step onto the stage, take the microphone, and deliver a 20-minute presentation.

My recommendation for speakers is first and above all, to be proactive. In other words, be hyper-aware of how your body is dealing with stress. Are your cheeks flushed? Hands sweaty? Heart racing? If they are, do a quick self-assessment. You can check your Fitbit, Apple Watch, or other tracker. But you don’t need fancy technology – just find a quiet spot to take your pulse. Count your heart beats for ten seconds and multiple the number by 6. This will give you objective data that can serve as a kind of early warning system. If your heart rate is, in fact, creeping up toward 100 beats per minute, it’s time to act.

The next step is figuring out what works for you. Some people benefit by taking a brisk walk around the venue before they speak or working out the morning of the event. This helps them shake off excess nervous energy (cutting down on pacing and verbal pauses like “um,” “like,” or “you know”) Other people use affect labeling to quell their anxieties. This involves naming the emotion that they’re experiencing, which can help take the sting out of it.

But by far, the most effective means I’ve found to calm nerves has been mindful breathing. I wrote about this in one of my first blogs, which you can read here. In short, regulate each breath by inhaling through your nose to a count of 4 and exhaling to a count of 4. Keep it up until you feel more composed. What I love about this process is that it interrupts the sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for high alert “fight or flight” responses. When done correctly, it will help you tap into the parasympathetic nervous system that’s responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” functions. (For a quick overview of both, check out this article.)

In the end, public speaking is about communicating but that’s tough to do when your heart rate surges over 100 beats per minute. So check in with yourself before the next speech. Then use the right techniques to keep your nerves in check and ensure you’re at your best as you walk up to the podium.

How have you managed your fear of public speaking? Let’s talk!  – Rose (rose@rosespeechwriter.com)

Be Clear Upfront: A Speech Isn't a Mystery Novel

Here’s a 15-second challenge for you. What process is described in the paragraph below? 

Begin by sorting items into piles by color. At the same time, set aside individual pieces that require specialized care. Leave these items until later. Load one pile at a time into the machine, add cleanser, and hit “start.” Now begins the waiting game.

The answer is doing laundry. If you’re like most people, you probably didn’t ‘get it’ until near the end of the paragraph.  

Now, what if I add a new sentence at the beginning?

Doing laundry is easy. Begin by sorting items into piles by color. At the same time, set aside individual pieces that require specialized care. Leave these items until later. Load one pile at a time into the machine, add cleanser, and hit “start.” Now begins the waiting game.

Notice how much easier it is to understand. Not only do you ‘get it’ right away, you know what’ll come after this topic sentence: details to reinforce it.

I came across a paragraph similar to this one when I was a young Captain teaching at the Air Force Academy. And today I still love how it underscores the importance of leading with your main idea. This holds true in both written and spoken communication. (By the way, some folks in the military summarize this idea with “BLUF” or bottom line up front.)

This paragraph also shows us what can happen if, as a speaker, you’re unclear in your intro.  Imagine the audience seated before you. If you fail to mention ‘doing laundry’ upfront, they are probably sitting there trying to figure out what you’re talking about. If you’re lucky, some of them may lean forward and strain to understand you. In most cases, however, folks will simply check out. Their social media feeds and Words with Friends are simply too tempting.

As humans, we need to know the main idea first, the details second. It’s how we’re wired. Just ask John Medina, a bioengineer from the University of Washington. In Brain Rules, he writes, “If you want to get the particulars correct, don’t start with the details. Start with the key ideas and, in hierarchical fashion, form the details around these larger notions.”

This explains why, in part, newspaper articles traditionally begin with a lede that includes key info: who, what, when, where, why. Details follow the opening paragraph in order of their importance. Small nuances that the journalist found fascinating but didn’t really fit into her article? They go at the end. The big, critical details of the story? They go at the beginning so the reader isn’t wondering what the story is about. (This is also why headline writers play a critical role. They’re trying to grab our attention and sell papers.)

Be clear upfront: a speech isn't a mystery novel. [Photo Credit: Chrisin Hume]

Be clear upfront: a speech isn't a mystery novel. [Photo Credit: Chrisin Hume]

In sum, don’t string us along. Don’t make us guess the topic. And don’t think of a speech as a Dan Brown novel.  Avoid this kind of confusion at all costs. It’s a senseless waste of your audience’s energy and tells them you haven’t prepared well enough. Instead tell us in the intro that you’ll be talking about ‘doing laundry’ (or whatever the topic), then enthrall the audience in your remarks that follow.

There are many other tricks like this one to writing a successful intro. Let's chat. Email me at rose@rosespeechwriter.com. 

 

 

Attention Audience

Grab your audience's attention from the get-go & don't let go! [Photo credit: rawpixel]

Grab your audience's attention from the get-go & don't let go! [Photo credit: rawpixel]

Every speech or presentation should start by grabbing the audience’s attention. If you don’t, then you’re speaking to an empty room. You’ve lost your listeners right out of the gate. Here are a few of my favorite ways to get (and keep) their attention:

  • A compelling story. Start with an anecdote or story that will underscore your key message. It might be about a trip to Africa or that chess match you lost in 9th grade. Well-told stories are memorable and create an emotional connection with people. (They also trigger mirror neurons, as I explained in my previous blog.)

  • A moving image. A picture is, in fact, worth a thousand words. Find an image that will draw your listener into your talk. Maybe it’s a family picture of grandma’s garden or a yearbook photo (showing off your 1970s hair style). Or you can download high-resolution photos from sites that offer copyright free images. (I often use Unsplash.)

  • A killer stat. Share a single fact that will shock your audience. For example, you might tell them that 1 in 6 children in America is food insecure, according to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. That’s hard to believe in a nation as prosperous as ours, right? That's an outrage ... and now your audience is with you.

Other ways to grab the audience’s attention? Ask an actual or rhetorical question. Use a prop like Bill Gates. When he talks about the Gates Foundation’s work on malaria, he opens a jar of mosquitos. (That definitely wakes people up!)

In the end, find a technique that feels right for you and makes sense given the subject matter. Grab your listener’s attention the moment you start speaking and don’t let go until you’re done.

 Have a big speech coming up & need a compelling intro? Email me at rose@rosespeechwriter.com.