Interview with Jim Burns and Jack Valenti (1982)

The organization to which you belong wishes to honor one of its members by presenting a gift, representative of the good will of the entire body.

You have been chosen to make the presentation speech.

The time has arrived, the person to be honored, and all the members of the organization, are present. The moment for your speech has come. What will you say?

There are three things to do:

1. Develop a climax.

2. Develop a compliment.

3. Present a gift.

You must do this in such a way that all three purposes Will unite more or less in one effect.

To do all this follow six steps:

1. Tell how it happened that you and your associates became familiar with the person to be honored.

“Nine years ago the great J. and B. Company erected this plant. When you and I took our places here we found ourselves under the eye of a keen, active man of business. Whether or not he had a heart we did not know.”

2. Tell how the person’s worth became established.

“As time went on we found not only a master and driver, but also a friend.” (Name instances that show a sympathetic spirit.)

3. Name the immediate cause of the present feeling in the organization.

“All these things we had known. Then came the crowning event, the establishment of the free reading room, game room, and infirmary.” (Comment on this in detail.)

4. Speak of the desire to express recognition.

“Because of all his many acts of kindness, and, in particular, because of this last great benefit, the J. and B. employees here wished to do something, however slight, to show recognition.”

5. Exhibit the gift, with appropriate explanations.

“The J. and B. employees have procured this silver loving cup, which, we hope, will express for years to come, the good will and hearty appreciation of every employee here.”

6. Make the direct presentation.

“Mr. Nelson, on behalf of all the employees of the J. and B. Company, it gives me pleasure to present to you this silver loving cup as a testimonial of gratitude for kindnesses of all kinds, and, in particular, for the establishment of the free game room, reading room, and infirmary.”

Notice that not until the very end of your speech do you mention the name of the person to be honored, or the gift that you present.

Follow this summary:

1. Tell the story of the relationship to be honored.

2. Tell how worth was established.

3. Comment on the cause of present feeling.

4. Speak of the desire to express recognition.

5. Explain the nature and purpose of the gift.

6. Make a formal presentation of the gift, summarizing the immediate reasons for its presentation.

PROBLEM.

You have been appointed to present a gift to the retiring President of your Lodge. Think out the words of your speech.

by Sandra Schrift
http://www.schrift.com

The three rules for being a top presenter are: practice, practice, practice. The good news is that public speaking is a craft that can be taught and learned. Hire a
speech coach.

1. Do you love what you speak on? Develop a niche or specialty that you truly enjoy and are good at.  Have a passion for your subject(s). Be persistent in your quest to be a speaker of excellence. Have the patience to succeed.

2. Do you have something interesting, inspiring, and useful to share with audiences? Be mindful of your voice (keep it deep and low pitched), your personality and attitude (positive), your tone (soft, loud, encouraging as needed),
your style, and your vocabulary.

3. Prepare 24/7. You don’t write speeches. You find them everywhere. in hotels, from family experiences, in supermarkets and in restaurants. Retrieve them and retell them. Do your research and keep current.

4. Practice your speech out loud. Rehearse until you are a virtuoso. Record it on a tape recorder and/or video camera. Play it back to see what changes you wish to make. Also do this when giving a program to a live audience. Do it every
time!

5. Have good platform skills. Knowing your subject is not enough. You must have the ability to excite the audience and keep their interest.

6. Speak from the heart and always connect quickly with your audience. Most audiences want to laugh, be inspired, listen to your personal stories, and feel something.  The listeners want you to know more than they do.

7. To begin, practice the four D’s with the tasks in your life: Drop, Delay, Delegate, Do! Make space for taking the steps needed to pursue your speaking career.

8. Acknowledge and utilize your prime time (chronobiology). Use your peak working hours to develop and collect your material, listen to tapes, hear other speakers, view videos, etc.

9. Take one step at a time – the first step is the hardest. The do what is needed to package yourself and improve your delivery constantly.

10. When speaking, act like your favorite actor or actress. Good speakers bring many different aspects of their personality to the material they are presenting. So be  prepared to play the role of the humorist, motivator, problem solver, and even controversial thinker.

11. Go to the movies and watch actors perform theatrically. Then sprinkle some heightened reality into your speech. “Reality without theatricality is boring”.

12. To be an effective public speaker, you must persuade your audience to think, feel and/or do something differently.

13. Short is better than long. Lincoln’s Gettysburg address ran only 266 words. Always allow time for questions from the audience, as they will know better than you what is on their minds. Questions and comments will provide you with valuable feedback and wisdom from the group.

14. Create a catchy, provocative speech title. If you include a subtitle, be sure it states your speech’s benefit(s). Keep I short and clear! Titles begin with “How
to” are the number one attention getters. For example, Sandra Schrift’s audio cassette program on How to Succeed in the Speaking Business.” Use creative metaphors and alliteration. Professional speaker Eric Chester speaks on
Krafting Kreative Keynotes. Author Sam Horn created best sellers with the names Tongue Fu! And ConZentate.

Want to meet leading minds from the business world? Subscribe to a great newsletter, “Rebel Yell.” http://www.rebelbusiness.com/?af=69

You are present at a social gathering at which a large number of people are present.

There is no formal list of speakers, nor is any one expected “to make a speech.”

Some reason or other brings it about that you are asked to address the assemblage.

You therefore have no topic on which to speak, and no particular purpose in speaking other than to make an announcement, or an explanation, or to fill time until preparations for something else are completed.

It is a most embarrassing moment.

Are there any rules that will be of service at such a time?

Imagine, for example, that there are to be amateur theatricals. One of the principal actors has not arrived. The audience is assembled, and has been entertained by music until the long wait becomes annoying. You are called upon to go before the audience and talk for a time to put it in good humor.

In all such eases, follow these suggestions:

1. Without in any way naming any person as blameworthy tell the general reason for your appearance.

“Ladies and Gentlemen: You have come to see a comedy. Most astonishing, you and I are all playing parts in a very comic comedy. The name of the comedy in which we are acting is ‘The Lost Actors, or the Play without Players.’ Some of our leading characters have not arrived.”

You have now satisfied the curiosity of the assemblage, and, by your words, have somewhat restored good humor. You have not even intimated that anyone is to blame.

2. Continue with fantastic or humorous explanations adapted to the occasion.

“Is it possible that the leading theatrical managers of the country have made a conspiracy and abducted our extraordinary amateurs? Has the love making of the play proved so effective that our characters have eloped ? Or has stage fright overcome our bashful ladies and gentlemen?” (Carry foolery of this sort to any length that you please, but do not blame anyone, and, above all, do not cast ridicule upon any one.

3. Tell whatever humorous anecdotes may be appropriate.

4. If you have to speak at length, in order to fill time, turn the subject to some theme that is in no sense controversial, and speak on that theme.

“Now you see why it is that we are playing parts in a comedy. We still have some minutes to wait. Let me take this time to speak of the work our people have done in the past year. (Follow with details that will compliment the audience.)

5. If you do not have to speak at length, end your speech with a simple announcement.

“In the meanwhile the orchestra has agreed to play some special music, to which I invite your attention.”

PROBLEM.

Think out the words of a speech in which you announce that the club dinner will be served after a delay of about fifteen minutes.

The best man traditionally offers the first toast at a wedding. His toast can offer a thought provoking look at married life, honor his friendship with the groom or reveal intimate and often embarrassing details of the couple’s courtship. The traditional toast is simply a short speech given verbally but best men are free to try other approaches to the toast such as a slideshow or a video presentation. The best man could also choose to give a verbal toast with a few new twists.

The traditional best man’s toast is a verbal speech that is given early in the reception. Although it is unoriginal, this type of toast is widely accepted and popular. If the best man is married himself, he may want to take this opportunity to offer the couple some sage advice for enjoying a happy and peaceful marriage. He may also wish to simply state why he admires the bride and the groom and offer his best wishes. Still another popular option for this traditional version of a best man’s toast is to regale the guests with a slew of stories from the groom’s wilder days. This, however, is not recommended at a wedding attended by mostly conservative guests as this can be embarrassing to both the couple and the guests.

A slideshow is on increasingly popular way for the best man to toast the new couple. You could take the opportunity to display various pictures of the bride and groom separately and as a couple. One option is to interview both parents prior to the wedding and ask them to contribute pictures of their child from when they were a baby until now. You would ask the parents a series of questions about the bride or grooms childhood, adolescence and adult life. Then you could take the pictures and arrange them in a slideshow presentation that you could narrate with information gleaned from your interviews. This type of toast is especially popular with the older generation in attendance at the wedding because many of them knew the bride or groom as children and will enjoy reminiscing about those times through the pictures and stories.

If the best man is linguistically inclined he may also wish to write a short poem or song about the couple. This poem or song could either be sweet and sentimental or funny and potentially embarrassing to the couple. Although the best man may be making the same points that he would in giving a traditional speech, the use of a poem or song to convey the sentiment makes it more original and amusing for the guests.

A video presentation is another unique way to make the best man’s toast. One way to do this is to arrange meetings with close friends and family members and ask them a series of questions about love and relationships and videotape their answers. You could then videotape yourself giving a short toast and introducing the other members on the tape. This is an excellent idea for the best man who is afraid that he will forget what he wants to say on the wedding day. The video allows him to practice his speech and record it over and over again until it is perfect.

Another original toast idea is the idea of memory boxes. The best man could talk to the parents of the bride and groom ahead of time and obtain a few objects from their pasts such a photos, childhood security blankets and special gifts from loved ones. The bet man would put each of these items into one of the boxes and leave the other one empty. When it comes time for the toast the best man could present the couple with the filled box. He would then open the box and explain the story behind each of the memory items. When he is done with the first box, he could present the couple with the second box and explain that this box is for the couple to fill up with keepsakes of the memories that they will share together.

There are a variety of toasting options available to the best man. Whether he chooses to speak from the heart with an unprepared speech or invest time prior to the wedding to put together an elaborate presentation, the toast is sure to be appreciated as long as the best man is speaking from his heart.

Nearly as dreaded as snakes and spiders, public speaking ranks high in causing fear in many of us.
Whether your motivation is a desire to learn or simple necessity, here is a really simple guide to writing and giving a speech.

Topic:

A great speech starts with a great topic. It is so important that you select a topic that interests you, and you believe will interest your audience. Is this speech about something already know? Then take a blank piece of paper and write down as many facts as you can think about this subject. Put them randomly around the page with circles or boxes drawn around each thought. Then draw lines to link the thoughts together in a meaningful way. An excellent website for this type of brainstorming can be found at www.mindmap.com.

Careful consideration of each kind of audience analysis will help you gain a better understanding of your audience so that you can select a topic and prepare a speech that will appeal to your listeners’ interests while still respecting their uniqueness and diversity.

Introduction:

Now take your sheet of ideas and write a 3-sentence introduction. If you were going to describe this to me over a cup of coffee what would you say? A key to giving a speech is a conversational tone. In the introduction tell your audience what you’re about to say.

The first thirty seconds of your speech are probably the most important. In that period of time you must grab the attention of the audience, and engage their interest in what you have to say in your speech.
Once you have won the attention of the audience, your speech should move seamlessly to the middle of your speech.

Body:

In three subsections (A, B, C or I, II, III) expand on your introduction. What is the first most important thing you want your audience to know? The second most important? The third? Make each section about 2 or 3 paragraphs long. Keep referring back to your brainstorm page.

Most good writing, we are told over and over again, must have structure. A good speech is no exception. By providing your speech with a beginning, middle, and an end, you will have laid the foundations for a successful speech that fulfils all of your aspirations.

Conclusion:

In the introduction you told them what you were going to say. In the body, you told them again in detail. In the conclusion now tell them again. Tell them what you’re going to say, tell them, and then tell them what you said. Make the conclusion about 2 times as long as your introduction.

Do you want action with that? A speech is made to inform, to persuade, or to move to action. Finish off your speech with a statement that meets one of those purposes.

Along with the opening two minutes of a speech, the final part of a speech, known as a ‘closer’ is equally important. Research shows most people remember the closing remarks most.

Nick Morgan in his book ‘Working the Room’ believes ‘the only reason to give a speech is to change the world’.
He’s right as the essence of speech making is to move people to action.

So how can you have a closer that moves people to action?

To help you get started here are my Top 5 ‘Closers’ from US history and Culture that Inspire Others To Take Action.

1. JOHN F. KENNEDY, INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

2. MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. “I HAVE A DREAM” SPEECH.
“Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”

3. RICHARD NIXON, “AU REVOIR” SPEECH
“But the greatness comes and you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.”

4. EDWARD KENNEDY, WITHDRAWAL SPEECH AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
“For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”

5. HOPPERS SPEECH TO HIS GRASSHOPPER SWARM IN THE DISNEY/PIXAR CLASSIC “A BUG’S LIFE”.
“You let one ant stand up to us – then they all might stand up. Those puny little ants outnumber us a 100 to one. And if they ever figure that out, they’re goes our way of life. It’s not about food, it’s about keeping those ants in line. That’s why we’re going back – does anyone want to stay? Let’s ride.”

Good Practice:

Do NOT read your speech to your audience; either from 5X8 cards or from a typed sheet. To give a good speech you must sound familiar with the material; to become familiar with the material requires repetition. Repetition means reading the material aloud up to 50 times if necessary until you are totally familiar with it.
A good speech also involves feedback. During practice sessions you must recruit family or friends or coworkers to listen to you. Don’t ask them if it’s “good” or not; rather ask if it sounds conversational. Rewrite as needed to make your sentences sound like a normal conversation.

Fear:

Since speech making often causes fear it must be dealt with beforehand. First, familiarity with your content will reduce fear. Repetition causes familiarity so practice, practice, practice. Ultimately, if you need notes for fear you’ll forget, you are not familiar enough with the material. If you MUST use notes, keep them to a minimum – perhaps your outline points (introduction, ABC, conclusion).

While giving the speech do not READ, do not look down, do not go too fast. Some tricks – if you wear glasses, take them off. You’ll be less nervous if you can’t see the audience so clearly. Instead of making eye contact, look at each individual’s forehead. To your audience it looks as if you are making eye contact without actually having to.

One of the pressures of giving a speech is thinking that you have to write it word for word and rehearse it that way. Only very formal speeches such as the State of the Union address have to be prepared in this fashion. If you’ll think out and organize what you want to say, if you’ll practice until you sound conversational, and if you’ll deal with fear up front, then you’re speech will be well received.

As a final incentive, remember that your audience is not out there to ridicule or belittle you. They are actually rooting for you to give an interesting talk.