“There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave”. Dale Carnegie

«Всегда есть три варианта сказанной вами речи. Первый тот, что вы отрепетировали, второй – это то, что у вас на самом деле вышло, и третий вариант – это как вам хотелось бы,чтобы вы выступили». Д. Карнеги  

If you search the Internet for the information related to SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC SPEAKING, in a few seconds the machine will provide you with more than 50 mln links on the topic. Giving credit to many useful tips, we decided to draw your attention to one which importance is hard to overestimate. 

This is STORYTELLING.    

We offer you seven valuable attributes of Storytelling. Match them to the tips below.  

1. Stories are _______________. People would rather believe in facts proved by personal experience. Anything of importance that you have learned, you can tell via story.  
2. Stories are _______________. If you expect your facts to convince, hang them on a story. This way your message will stick. Remember, facts tell, but stories sell.
3. Stories are  _______________. The speaker who has a good story does not need notes, does not feel nervous about forgetting facts, does not fear facing an audience that might be bored with lifeless slides.
4. Stories are ________________. If you find an angle that is unique or that illuminates your talk in a way people haven’t heard before, you are on the way to success. Look for the hook that will grab your listeners.
5. Stories are ________________. If you want to be remembered, you need to find a place for the emotion in your presentation. It’s the emotion that makes your message stick; it’s the emotion that makes people part with their money; it’s the emotion that helps people see the world through a new lens; and it’s the emotion that creates a call to action.
6. Stories are ________________. If the speaker is engaged, passionate, having fun when telling a story he/she will never put the audience to sleep. Boredom is an inside job. When you cannot relate to your own words, you can lose the audience.
7. Stories are ________________. There is no point in working on your words when you are not in touch with your values. When your values are embedded in your story, when you care deeply about them, then and only then you can offer the audience a thing of value.

Best Questions

To make sure your story will relate to your audience, take your time to answer the following questions:

• Who is my audience? How much do they know about my subject? How much do they want to know?
• Are they decision makers? Technical folks? Do they want details or just the big picture?
• How will they act upon my message? Am I offering action steps?
• What is the purpose of my speech? To inspire? To lead?  To change? To entertain? To inform?
• What is my role? To be neutral—just laying out the facts? To persuade—perhaps to change minds and hearts? To engage, so that they will have a new perspective?

Based on the book «More Than Words Can Say” by Saskia Shakin

Words of wisdom

Here are two more quotes related to public speaking and not only. We leave them without comments for you to think over.

• “He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise”. Lao Tzu
• “Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But certainty is an absurd one”.  Voltaire