As feel speaking coach Lisa Braithwaite said in a May blog post you never have as much time as you want, she was absolutely right. When I arrived, I had to drop sections of my workshop to try and keep to time.

Think about this in terms of your own speech or presentation. Obviously you need to time yourself giving the presentation beforehand, but there might also be times where you have to think on your feet and change things; either at the last minute or during your presentation. Remember, you need to be flexible!

What also happened was that some of the students got up and left, it wasn’t just because the workshop was over-running, as  I initially thought, as some left right at the beginning. It took me a little by surprise, and I drew attention to it the first time it happened and got some laughter, as I thought it was me. But it happened a few more times. In a situation like that you start to think that it’s you.

The problem, I think, is that University students are used to skipping out of lectures early. Not only that, it’s a little difficult if your audience doesn’t have a compelling reason to remain. If they’re interested in learning presentation skills they’ll remain, but beyond that, from my perspective, they didn’t get any credit for their courses. That means, the students didn’t have to remain if they did not want to.

The other thing was that it was a week before their final exams, which means that they’re even less inclined to stick around. If they can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and the presentation skills workshop isn’t getting them credit, why stay?

One of the most frustrating things was how some of the students reacted as though they knew everything. While some of the questions  in the Q&A section were perfectly fine, some of the questions and statements seemed to have quite a bit of attitude behind them. This was was quite surprising to me as I thought that students were like sponges and wanted to learn some techniques that they could take into the corporate environment.

While some people heckle, others don’t. They might ask you pointed questions and say things that have a slight confrontational attitude to them. The best thing to do in this situation is not to let their attitude affect you, it’s easier said than done because negativity can be easy to pick up on it, but it’s far more productive to come from an empowered place and remember that you’re a leader.

Note: I found that using some off-the-cuff humor, as well as some pre-planned humour, allowed me to connect and build rapport with my audience. As a side note if you’re interested in using humour in your presentations, you may have asked yourself  how to do so check out this link for how to create a funny presentation.

As I said earlier, it wasn’t all bad as some the students did actually enjoy themselves. I also had fun, especially when I was able to use some humour and get a few laughs. Here’s a testimonial from one of them:

“Entertaining, yet extremely informative. (Jason) Breaks down all subtle issues that need to be avoided in presentations”
~ Khurram Lakani, M.B.A student, The University of Chicago

Britain now has a new Tory Prime Minister. As a note for anyone outside the U.K., Tory is the nickname for the Conservative Party. I don’t want to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition, I’m specifically interested in the new Prime Minister’s speaking ability.

Total running time 5 mins 44secs.

After reviewing the transcript of David Cameron’s first speech as P.M. outside Number 10, it seems as though he has more of a grasp of rhetoric than his predecessor Gordon Brown. At around 2.09 Cameron says:

”I believe that is the right way to provide this country with the strong, the stable, the good and decent government that I think we need so badly.

This is a series of four clauses known as a Tetracolon climax. It is a useful way for you to build to the end of a train of thought as Cameron does in this particular example.

Another example is Winston Churchill’s “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.”

Back on the Cameron example at 3.04 he says:

”One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes that’s about cleaning up expenses, yes that is about reforming parliament, and yes it is about making sure people are in control – and that the politicians are always their servant and never their masters”.

This is known as Anaphora which is “the repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses”. This repetition at the beginning of a sentence can you help to emphasize the clauses that are being spoken.

In Cameron’s particular example it seems as though he’s looking to place emphasis on specific ideas that either his party has spoken about in the run up to the General Election, or ideas that have been mentioned in the press. In a way, attaching his ideas to that being expressed by “the people”.

He uses Anaphora again at 4.30 when he says the lines:

“I want us to build an economy that rewards work. I want us to build a society with stronger families and stronger communities. And I want a political system that people can trust and look up to once again”.

Other examples of Anaphora can be found with Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech as in:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves…”

David Cameron even made use of the Tricolon. This is “a series of three parallel words, phrases, or clauses that increase in power”. This can be seen at 4.25 when he said:

“Above all it will be a government that is built on some clear values. Values of freedom, values of fairness, and values of responsibility“.

Technically, the verbs should all be the same length, but in this case they are not. So it should be defined as a tricolon crescens, which is where the words increase in length. But to me this seems like nit-picking.

My concern with the speech, and much of the Conservatives campaigning in the past, is that it had similar flavour to President Obama’s call for change during his campaign. It’s a cause for concern because if Cameron ever rips anything off directly from Obama and doesn’t cite his source, then he will lose credibility. This is something that happened to Vice-President Joe Biden during the Presidential campaign of 1988.

He lifted direct chunks from the then Labour Leader Neil Kinnock’s speech and never credited the source. While this was a long time ago, it still stands out as a high profile incident of plagiarism that politicians need to be careful of.

Cameron also gave us the lines at 3.50:

“One where we don’t just ask what are my entitlements, but what are my responsibilities. One where we don’t ask what am I just owed, but more what can I give”.

It was  interesting that Cameron gave us a similar sentiment that JFK gave in his inaugural speech, when he said “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. Similar ideas and sentiment, but not an issue of plagiarism.

Now compare that speech with the one by Gordon Brown when he assumed the role of Prime  Minister in 2007. During his speech he only gave us a brief example of rhetoric when he said:

“As I have travelled around the country and as I have listened and I have learned from the British people – and as Prime Minister I will continue to listen and learn from the British people – I have heard the need for change: change in our NHS; change in our schools; change with affordable housing; change to build trust in government; change to protect and extend the British way of life”.

As you can see, he went for five uses of the word change at the start of successive clauses. This feels a little too much given that the tetracolon is four.

It’s all about you

Neither Cameron nor Brown made particular use of the words “you”, “you’re” or “your”. This is important in speeches because it makes the centre of the speech the listener rather than the speaker. As audience members we all want to know, “what’s in it for me”. By using these words, it may have helped them connect more with the people in the audience.

There is also the potential use of the words “we”, “us” or “our” as Obama used quite frequently. This is another technique that can help with identification and helps to make everyone in the room feel part of the same group and in a way on the same level as the person speaking. Kind of like we’re all in this together and I cannot achieve this goal without your help.

The danger with using the word “we” is that not only can it be used in an inclusive way, but also in an exclusive, sometimes, patronizing way. Such as when a doctor might ask “how are we feeling today?” or even with the Royal “we”, which is derived from the “divine right of kings” way of thinking and the word “we” would often mean “God and I”.

Obviously, then, care has to be taken with how you use these words. But I feel that both Brown and Cameron can learn a lot from American orators of the past.

Over the years, rhetoric has been given a bad name mostly because it has been misused, or people didn’t really know how to use it. It seems to have become synonymous with spin and broken promises.

But political speakers and orators need to be able to effectively use rhetoric I feel. Not only because it’s been used successfully for over two thousand years, but because  it can inspire and persuade people to your message. We need to be able to believe that the people in charge are going to deliver on their promises that they make when they campaign.

One of the other benefits of using rhetoric is that it helps you to easily and succinctly get your ideas across and can potentially save you from being repetitive about certain ideas, but without building your ideas and message to a logical conclusion.

I don’t think David Cameron did too badly with this speech in 636 words. But it will be interesting to see if he can deliver on the ideas and vision that he has laid down. If he can’t it doesn’t mean that the rhetoric has failed. So I think that British Prime Ministers can definitely still learn from Aristotle and rhetoric.

The great thing about Toastmasters is that essentially you can pretty much go to any meeting around the world and find like-minded people. Not only that, but there is also a lot of familiarity as the vast majority of roles are the same. So if you do go to a Toastmasters event in another city or country, like I did, then there is a sense of comfort in that public speaking culture.

That said, I think Toastmasters in the U.S. can learn a few things from Toastmasters in the U.K. and vice versa. The picture I paint of Toastmasters here in Chicago, is based upon three different clubs that I’ve been to and about half a dozen meetings accumulatively across those clubs.

What the U.S. clubs can learn from the U.K. is to tighten up some of the roles slightly. Here’s what I mean; most of the meetings I’ve been to, the Table Topics Master doesn’t recruit potential speakers before the meeting begins. As a result the TT Master is often left at the front of the room asking for volunteers and people aren’t forthcoming.

There are numerous reason why volunteers aren’t forthcoming, some members have speaking roles already in that meeting. While others in the room are guests and so their fear of public speaking could take over and prevent them from going up. Or they may just not be overly familiar with how Toastmasters operates and want to wait to see what the others do.

It always seems a struggle to get people to go up and speak.

So the first thing the Toasties clubs in the U.S., specifically in Chicago, can learn is to have their table TT Masters speak to people BEFORE the meeting starts and encourage them to participate. That way not only will they have people to call upon, but that part of the meeting will flow more smoothly.

Also, here in the U.S. the role of The General Evaluator often runs the second half of the meeting and it’s taken by a member of the club.

In the U.K. the G.E. role is taken  by a member from another club. When I first got to Chicago, I assumed that all the clubs work in the same way. So I tried to be a G.E. at a number of different clubs in order to evaluate them so that I can find the best one that I want to be a member of.

Unfortunately, most of the clubs I contacted didn’t use the G.E. role in the way that I was used to. Not only does the role not occur at the end of the meeting, but often they don’t really provide feedback on the meeting.

The G.E. roles in the U.S. seem to be there simply to introduce the prepared speech evaluators. I was G.E. at a club recently and discovered that evaluating the meeting is actually part of the role, as I thought it was, but often it doesn’t seem to happen. I get the impression from the different clubs I’ve been to, that they aren’t that in love with receiving constructive criticism and moving forward in the development of the club.

As a result, how can a club improve and develop?

I mean as far as I’m aware they all use the points system as set down by Toasties International whereby a club can achieve a certain distinction based upon the amount of speaking manuals completed, etc. There’s development in that respect, but it doesn’t seem to be there in the development of the meeting and the effective use of the roles.

Interestingly to note, reviewing the “About your Club” section in the CC manual, the role of the G.E. does introduce the leadership roles. Which means that in the main the Brits have this wrong too, as the G.E. often appears, God-Like, at the end of the meeting for their appraisal.

But rarely, in the U.S., have I seen the role come from outside, or provide feedback on how the meeting runs. But by not utilizing the role of G.E. to its fullest extent, I really think that clubs miss out on being able to really develop and progress.

Both the U.K. and U.S. can learn a valuable lesson here.

So what specifically, can Toastmasters in the U.K. learn from their U.S. counterparts?

Meeting length!!

This is a really important factor I think. In the U.K. Toasties meetings frequently hit the two-hour mark. Some clubs go for two-and-a-quarter hours whilst others hit two-and-a-half hours.

This always puzzled me as I would look at the back of my Competent Communication manual and on p.63 (of my copy anyway) there’s a sample meeting agenda that lasts for an hour!

Now granted it only has room for two prepared speeches, but the club in Chicago I’ve just joined, Lakeview Toastmasters, has 3 prepared speeches and still comes in at an hour and a half. It’s much more acceptable. I think in the U.K. where we failed is by having a break. Sometimes we like to have a 10 minute break, which can stretch over to 15 minutes. In the U.S. they have no breaks.

One thing I will say is that a lot of clubs here in Chicago are business clubs. So members have to get their meeting over with during their lunch breaks. Which means a shorter time-frame makes sense. But Lakeview is one of the few evening clubs and it manages 90 minutes. There was another evening club I went to that was on the shorter side too.

The U.K. meetings really could do with speeding up. Two-and-a-quarter hours is just a bit ridiculous if I’m honest as it beigns to encroach on your evening. With an hour-and-a-half you can still go home early and eat. Or go to the pub and socialise like I do.

For my new U.S. Toasties colleagues we really need to sort out the role of the Table Topics Master. For both the U.S. and the U.K you should take another look at the role of G.E. The U.S. needs to use more outside members and evaluate the meeting more and the U.K. needs to introduce the other leadership roles. The U.K. Toasties by itself needs to whip it’s meeting length into shape!

I’m sure there will be other things that come up on my Toastmasters adventures here in the U.S.

I can’t believe that it’s been eight months
since I’ve written a post on here. Wowsers
trousers. A LOT has changed! As some of my friends and regular readers know in September 2009 I emigrated to the United States of America to marry my long term American girlfriend.

I’m going to catch you up on the things that I’ve been involved with and I provide you with ten tips and food for thought along the way. They’re not all focused on techniques for using humour in presentations. They’re  more goal setting and getting work oriented.

This blog has been offline ever since because, in the past, I have made some commission off affiliate products that I have promoted. In December 2009 new FTC rules came in to force stating that all bloggers and other affiliate marketers have to be explicit about the products that they promote to their readers.

So you will probably notice a few disclaimers now as I try to adhere to these new rules. The thing is the commissions, while small, have helped contribute towards paying bills. The goal being that I am able to supplement my speaking and coaching income via this blog.

Due to the restrictions of my K1 fiance visa I’ve not been able to make an income since September 2009. Oh yes, it’s been a while and it’s been very tough. And I’ve not been able to leave without special permissions, more forms and more money. But now my green card allows me to get back to it and visit my family in the U.K. too.

During my time off from blogging,  and making an income, I have been absorbed in the new culture and trying to meet new people. There are certain similarities and differences between the U.S. and the U.K.

As John Travolta said in Pulp Fiction: “it’s the little differences”.

I’ve met some really cool people since I’ve been here and one or two… interesting people. For instance, I had a receptionist panic over the fact that I described myself as foreign. Mental note, don’t confuse the natives.

It turns out that you have to carry I.D. with you everywhere. Which was wildly inconvenient for me for the first six months as I didn’t have anything other than my passport. So I tried to avoid going places that involved security and paranoid people.

Finally, though, at the end of March I got my work permit and THEN my green card. I applied for both and didn’t expect the green card to be processed as quickly as it was. The powers of the green card supersede the need for my work permit. But I can’t quite let myself leave it home filed away yet. I worked so hard and filled in so many forms to get it and it became invalid in less than a week later with the arrival of the green card.

And just to be clear, the green card does NOT make me a citizen, there has been some confusion with people I’ve spoken to about this. It makes me a resident only, as it’s official name is the Permanent Resident Card. This allows me to live, and work in the U.S. and go on vacation whenever time and money allow.

Tip 1: When you set a goal, sometimes it doesn’t happen immediately. There are often other factors BEYOND your control. In my case I couldn’t control how long it would take the USCIS to process my Permanent Resident Card. It takes as long as it takes. they can tell you estimated time-frames only. You have to focus on the things that ARE within your control. Like your patience and belief that you will achieve your goal eventually.

Tip 2: Also, take into consideration the time-frame. With something like my green card I had no idea how long it would realistically take. So I set my goal on July 27th 2008, around he time my wife first petitioned, and I put down a ballpark figure of achievement on the 27th November 2010; two years and four months later. I figured if I achieved it earlier than that then it’s something to celebrate. And I did, and it was.

I have to carry the green card with me at all times ever since the immigration rules changed in this post-9/11 world. So there’s really not much point to me getting a State I.D. It’s not too bad for me as I never had an I.D. in the U.K. I didn’t passed my driving test (failing spectacularly just before moving to the London) and they haven’t rolled out I.D. cards Nationwide yet. So right now, it’s a nice novelty.

During all the free time that I’ve had I’ve spent time putting together workshops, working on speeches and attending Toastmasters meetings. I have also spent time updating my main website and trying to deal with the fact that I need to get a .com, but the owner of jasonpeck.com isn’t willing to communicate with me as I would like to buy it. (At time of writing a website doesn’t exist on that domain). That means I will have to get an alternative, which will cost money. Which is not in abundance right now.

I’ve also spent time hustling trying to get work lined up so I can slide smoothly into paid gigs once I am legally allowed. Now I am legally allowed, it’s not exactly a smooth transition. There’s a lot of negotiating going on and I just need to be a little tenacious about things.

For instance, I have a just completed a voice-over consultant contract. It’s with a local branch of the insurance firm, Northwestern Mutual. They’re in the process of re-vamping their website and have expanded a lot of the training modules. As they create new modules and continue to expand their training website there could be additional work in the future.

More as I know it.

Tip 3: I got this opportunity because I hustled and got a meeting with my wife’s boss. My wife currently works for the company. I made an impression and got offered the job. Do you know anyone where you might be able to get an opportunity yourself? Your partner, your friend, your current work colleagues, your sibling, your parents? Who do you know, and who do those people know, that you might be able to find an opportunity through? How can you effectively network?

I have also tried to get a weekend presentation skills bootcamp off the ground, but this seems to be a large uphill struggle, for a number of different reasons. The easiest thing for me at this juncture seems to be that I should just focus on smaller things that involve only me. It sounds a little selfish, but sometimes involving other people, when they aren’t familiar with your work can be problematic. Especially when there are multiple components to consider.

Tip 4: When setting goals, allow for lag-time. Sometimes the big goal-setting gurus gloss over this aspect, but I think it’s really important. You have to remember that life’s delays are not always life’s denials. You have to deal with the variables and control what you can. You cannot always control forces outside of yourself, i.e.: other people.

I am also in negotiations with The University of Chicago to go and teach a presentation skills workshop for them. The details are yet to be finalised, but it’s definitely in the pipeline for the next month or so. This is a pretty big gig as the U of C is a private, coeducational research University. It is affiliated with 46 Rhodes scholars and 85 Nobel Prize winners, as of 2009. It’s one of the top 3 Universities in Chicago. So it’s something that I’m really looking forward to doing. Expect a post to appear here.

Tip 5: Sometimes the old-fashioned route works. I’ve never been a big fan of cold calling, I prefer to network and meet people. There are a number of business gurus that are against cold calling, while others support doing it in a unique way. This opportunity, is proof that it can work. Although it might not always be the most effective solution.

I also guested on a comedy podcast a couple of times called Playing in Peoria. PiP is based on the old vaudeville concept that if a show could work in a small town like Peoria, Illinois then it would play in any middle American town. It’s fun as I get on well with the other comedy performers who are quickly establishing themselves on the Chicago comedy scene. We generally just sit down and chat for 45 minutes to an hour about different topics. It’s actually fairly edgy and frequently distasteful in the humour. Not at all corporate appropriate, but funny and enjoyable nonetheless.

There may be a couple of opportunities on the horizon with some of these guys. I’ll have to see how things develop and I’ll let you know.

Tip 6: While everything you’re focused on might be geared towards your business or your job, are you doing things just for fun too? You never know what may come from the times when you’re just letting loose and enjoying yourself.

I recently went along as a guest to a Junior Chamber of Commerce meeting. They’re interested in me running a workshop a bit later on this year. The only thing is their main focus is on community projects. This is a great notion, but right now my energies need to be focused on my business and generating an income. So right now, I’m holding off on joining them until I’m in a better position income-wise.

Tip 7: While contribution is a great thing in life, are you taking on too many things that are distracting you from the goals and the things you really want to achieve? Contribution will always be there, but take care of yourself first then you won’t end up feeling guilty about having a diluted focus.

I also took classes at iO, Chicago’s famed improvisation training centre, for two terms. I wanted to take classes there ever since I read Charna Halpern’s book Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisationback in drama school in 1998. Charna is the co-founder of the training center and co-writer, along with the late Del Close.

The other reason I wanted to get involved in doing the classes was so that I would be able to work with other people again. I’ve spent the best part of four years or so mainly doing solo work. So it was good to work on stage with others again.

I only did the two terms, because again money has been tight and really we can only afford to the essential things at the moment. Once I have a more regular and consistent income I will go back and complete the training.

Taking improv classes has been good for my public speaking skills and it gets to me to access my spontaneity on a more regular basis as well as giving me valuable stage time.

Tip 8: See if you can find an improv class near you that you can take. You don’t have to completely commit to becoming an improviser. By taking a class you can free yourself up, gain some confidence about standing in front of a group of people with nothing and think a little differently. If you’re involved with Toastmasters participate in Table Topics more.

I’m also about to start rehearsals for a series of short comic plays written by David Ives. The pieces will be directed by my wife for her newly established theatre company. The goal is to try and make enough money so that the company can file for not-for-profit status. So the show will mark my Chicago theatrical debut. Again, it will be a nice departure for me working and playing with others. There’s only four of us in the cast, so that’s nice and manageable.

Right now I am Managing Producer as well as company member. Please check out the Focal Point Theatre Company’s website here: Focal Point Theatre Company.

Tip 9: if you’re feeling a bit creatively stagnant work with a different “brush”. Do you always work with other people? Try doing something by yourself, or vice versa. Do you always work on your computer? Can you go analog for a bit and use a pen and paper instead? It might just help you break through and create something really interesting.

I also have ideas for other comedy projects bubbling away. It’s amazing how a change of scenery, or in my case country, can completely jump-start the creative process. However, the “planets need to align” a little more for these projects to get off the ground.

Tip 10: alternatively, take a break and see if you can get a change of scenery. You don’t have to emigrate anywhere like I did, but a holiday or even a city-break somewhere might help change things up.

What do I want to achieve now I have my green card that isn’t actually green (disappointing really, it hasn’t been fully green since at least the 1940s)? Well, to essentially keep doing the things I’ve started doing, but to get paid handsomely for doing them. Is that too much to ask? I’ll let you know if it is.

“Studies show that during interpersonal communication 7% of the message is verbally communicated. While 93% is non-verbally transmitted. Of the 93% non-verbal communication: 38% is through vocal tones, 55% is through facial expressions.”

This particular quote was taken from the website Select, Assess & Train. (Please note I am in no way disparaging this company I am only citing a source for the above quote).

However, as Professor Max Atkinson says in his book Lend Me Your Ears:

“if only 7% is verbally communicated there would be no need for anyone to learn foreign languages as we would already be able to understand 93% of them any one of them without any formal instruction at all”.

Fellow speaker and blogger Lisa Braithwaite has written on this subject before The truth about 7% – 38% – 55% and debunked a few myths as has Olivia Mitchell whose series of articles, including Why the stickiest idea in presenting is just plain wrong, about this very subject not only exposes some of the myths surrounding the blatant manipulation of these statistics, but also provides some alternative findings.

I remember when I first did a bit of my own research to discover more about  Dr Mehrabian I saw that his findings did not relate to all forms of communication, or specifically public speaking at all. But I thought that seeing as there are many resources such as books, blogs and so on that reference these statistics, then I must be missing something.

He even says on his website about the research that appears in his book “Silent Messages” that:

“Please note that this and other equations regarding relative importance of verbal and nonverbal messages were derived from experiments dealing with communications of feelings and attitudes (i.e., like-dislike). Unless a communicator is talking about their feelings or attitudes, these equations are not applicable”.

Studies Show…

Upon reflection it turned out that all I was missing was talking about it on here as well as realising there was also a large problem of people not citing their sources. You’ll see in the above quote it says “studies show…” regular readers will know that this is one of my my pet peeves; which studies? Where’s your proof?

However, I do think that there is a danger in all of this. The danger being that new and established speakers alike don’t place the same emphasis on non-verbal communication as much as they did before and as a result they just become “talking heads” not using any movement at all.

Now, whilst the three aforementioned speakers have taken these findings apart piece by piece I do feel that there is a small element missing that needs to be addressed.

What’s that you ask?

Well, although the verbal and on-verbal communication statistics are inaccurate and are misused, what’s missing is the effect of the two different modes of communication when it comes to delivering humour.

Perhaps there needs to be new research conducted into this, but from experience at least, I know that when delivering humour (whether of the stand-up variety or a funny presentation) there is a proportion of non-verbal communication going on.

Yes, the majority of what occurs in these circumstances is verbally-driven, but what about those aspects of delivery that are non-verbal? I have gotten a laugh out of something I have done on stage as well as something I have said. There are also many other comedians and humorous speakers who have done the same.

Unfortunately, I have only experience to go on at the moment. No scientific studies to cite.

Little Humour Exercise

Not only that, but the other element of communication unaccounted for is the how. How is the verbal humour communicated? Try this:

- transcribe 2 minutes of your favourite comedian’s act, either from a DVD or from You Tube
- and then get a friend to read those words out loud.

Now, unless your have indicated who that comedian is or the reader is acutely aware of the material you have given them, so much of the humour will be lost as the original comedian’s attitude is not there.

Spoken humour is created for the ear and not just for the eye. Many, many times I have seen a comedian perform their act, which when quoted in the cold light of day by a critic is decidedly less funny. That’s the quickest way for someone to criticise a comedian’s act.

Funny on Page vs. Funny on Stage

A lot of humour teachers say that spoken word humour should read funny on the page. We should be able to see the joke that adheres to the three-line rule, or the one that conforms to the reverse doing its job on the page. But what about all those comedians and humorous speakers, past and present, who have no idea about that? They get on stage and just deliver the goods and if you were to read what they said, it wouldn’t be nearly as funny.

I agree that we shouldn’t hijack studies and research to manipulate for our own needs, as Braithwaite, Mitchell and Atkinson et al have been at pains to point out. We need to understand the statistics that we use and not “bend the rules”.

But I also think that some actual research needs to be conducted into the effect of personality and delivery to make speeches come alive. Words are very necessary, but we cannot rely on them at the detriment to delivery, especially when it comes to humour.  There needs to be solid evidence and an explanation why both forms of communication are necessary.

Note: There are affiliate links on this page. That means that if you make a purchase via my link I get paid a commission. It helps me pay the bills.

1.    Read the book Presentation Zen by  Garr Reynolds.

2.    Really Bad PowerPoint by Seth Godin  (link to download the PDF)

3.    Grab the book Speech-Making and Presentations Made Easy by Dr Max Atkinson. Check out my review on Amazon.

4.    Read Presentation Zen, the blog of the book by Garr Reynolds

5.     More than PowerPoint, the blog by Laura Bergells makes you think about your presentations and shakes you up with a bit of humour.

6.    Check out Speak Schmeak, by Lisa Braithwaite. Some great contrary views to received wisdom

7.    Pick up a copy of Top Comedy Secrets by Steve Roye

8.    Go to the Six Minutes blog by Andrew Dlugan as he has some solid advice on speaking and presentation skills

9.    Speaking about Presenting, is the blog of  Olivia Mitchell, who provides great insight and is fun to have pizza with too.

10.  A great supporting blog to this one – The Stand-up Comedy Professional. It’s by Steve Roye author of Top Comedy Secrets. Some brilliantly radical views on the art and craft of comedy and my comedy mentor.

11.    Read a book or four on writing screenplays. They have fantastic advice on creating great stories. I recommend Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler and Story by Robert McKee. I own both.

12.    Read comics (you know Batman, Spiderman and so on) and study how they use image and text. How can you apply those lessons?

13.    Grab a book on how to storyboard, which is a technique that they use when making a film. Think about designing your message and slides in unison like this.

14.    Go and speak somewhere. Toastmasters is pretty much recommended by everybody including myself. However, as a small caveat I would make sure that you keep your movements and body language natural and fluid. Some Toastmasters have a tendency to “over egg the pudding” and go overboard with the gestures. It’s probably because in contests that’s one area that carries a lot of points.

15.    More audience time – where else can you give speeches or presentations? A local Scout group, Rotary club, the local PTA, and so on. The more you speak, the better you’ll be.

16.    Do stand-up comedy. Toastmasters magazine once described stand-up comedy as “extreme sports for speakers”. I guarantee one thing, if you do a few regular gigs any public speaking fear you might have will rapidly diminish. Doing stand-up raised the bar of fear for me.

17.    Exercise your right brain. Do some paintings, doodle, and draw some still life or portraits.

18.    Play some music. If you can’t play and instrument, pick up one you’ve always fancied learning and start. Here’s a link to an online piano to get you started:

19.    Write poetry. Read some books on poetry and by poets and give it a shot. It will help you use words more concisely and create images through your words. What better way to connect to an audience than by creating the presentation slides in their minds?

20.    Read comedy books and attend comedy classes, but be careful. Many of them teach comedy writing techniques such as the rule of three, which is like teaching you how to do the icing but without teaching you how to prepare and bake the cake!

21.    Take an improv class. Being able to think on your feet to get yourself out of mistakes or other tight spots is a must. It will also allow you to tap into your own creativity and sense of humour.

22.    Go to the theatre and watch a play. You might get inspired by the use of the stage set and the piece you watch.

23.    Watch a movie, either on DVD or preferably at the cinema. Take note of how it opens and how fast you get to learn who the main characters are and what the story will entail. Your presentation needs to set up all it’s main ideas relatively quickly.

24.    Go to a concert or to the Opera. Enjoy the whole spectacle of the event and work out if there’s a way to harness those ideas in your presentation. Not that you’re a performer like that, but sometimes a little theatricality wouldn’t go amiss.

Note: There are affiliate links on this page. That means that if you make a purchase, via my link, I get paid a commission. It helps me pay the bills.

If you’re not too wedded to winning awards, then progessing your learning curve through taking part can be immense. Here’s an article I previously wrote on the subject, when I competed in the contest in 2008 -  How to win a speech contest even if you lose.

You show up to your speaking engagement only to realize that your PowerPoint presentation isn’t opening, the A/V system is down, and there’s a car alarm blaring right outside the window.  There’s a full room of people eagerly waiting for you to begin and there is no turning back now. So what are you going to do?

Situations like this one happen all too often, and they require quick thinking and creative problem solving with little or no guidance.  Improvisation is a must-have tool in the public speaker’s repertoire. Without it, speakers often find themselves in what I call “The Big Freeze”—that paralyzing moment of fear, physical immobility and mental shut down that leaves them unable to act.  But if speakers utilize the teachings and techniques of improv, they can learn to overcome this fear and actually enjoy flying by the seat of their pants.

In his book Blink, author Malcom Gladwell explains that improv requires split-second, spontaneous decisions and hours of highly repetitive, structured practice. Think of a play in basketball. The players on the court all have defined positions, and they’ve spent hours practicing in order to execute properly. But often the play breaks down. Maybe the defense switched a match-up or there is an injury.

Do they just stand there, paralyzed? Of course not! Now the play becomes an adaptation. Because they’ve practiced so much, they’ve experienced the variables and can alter the play. The point-guard thinks on his toes, makes an extra pass, and the team ends up with a jump shot instead of a layup. As Gladwell puts it, “How good people’s decisions are [made] under the fast-moving, high-stress conditions of rapid cognition is a function of training and rules and rehearsal.”

The paramount improv rule, according to Gladwell, is the notion of agreement. As you can see in the video above, the comedians accept everything that comes their way.  The key to their hilarity is the speed at which they “go with the flow.” There is a full commitment to agreement. All of a sudden, the issues that would normally hold a situation hostage due to incompatibility are accepted and incorporated. The answer is always “yes.” Gladwell notes, “Bad improvisers block action…Good improvisers develop action.”

So envision yourself as a basketball team or comedy troupe of one.  When you find yourself presented with a public speaking distraction, limitation or challenge, think of it as just one more tool to make your presentation stand out.

With these lessons in mind, what would you do if the PowerPoint is down for the count, the microphone is on the fritz, and the Jeep outside your window just won’t quit?

Thanks a lot Angela for a great and thought-provoking article. If you want to swot up on improvisation there’s a good little book by the co-founder of iO (formerly ImprovOlympic) which is based in Chicago. The book’s called: Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation

About the Guest Author: Angela DeFinis is an industry expert in professional public speaking. As an author, speaker, consultant, and founder of DeFinis Communications, she has spent over twenty years helping business professionals communicate with greater poise, power, and passion. Angela reveals her coaching secrets in a chapter in the compendium, Roadmap to Success, published in the fall of 2008. Check out her DeFinis Communications blog and her main site DeFinis Communications.

Note: There are affiliate links on this page. That means if you make a purchase via my link, I get paid a commission. It helps me pay the bills.

A pill has been released that claims to be a public speaking cure. Bravina is a combination of 9 different herbal ingredients including Gingko Biloba and St. John’s Wort. The website says that it aides with relaxation and concentration. Ultimately to help you overcome the fears of public speaking.

While it’s all well and good that people have attempted to create a public speaking cure, I don’t believe that there is a “magic pill” that you can take to alleviate your public speaking fears.

You might be able to pop a pill 1 to 2 hours before you’re due to speak and face the crowd in a relaxed manner, but what if you’re using a microphone and it breaks? Then what? Can the pill help you then?

What about if your PowerPoint crashes, the pill can help you out then can it? What happens if you go blank? You’ll have no fear, but no speech as well? Lack of a speech will create its own problems.

How do you overcome the fears of public speaking then?

I was also actually quite surprised that on the FAQs page there isn’t any mention of any potential side effects to taking the drug. Even though it’s a combination of herbal ingredients one or a combination may cause a problem.

I think that much of your public speaking fear can be dealt with through prior preparation. You have to know what to do in those scenarios where things go wrong, so that you can truly overcome the fears of public speaking. It’s not having a lack of fear, it’s having confidence. The confidence to be able to think on your feet and find a solution to any problems that may arise. That comes through preparation and experience.

How do you get experience? Well, I’m afraid that ultimately you have to get up in front of an audience no matter how small. So you could start with a couple of family members or friends. It’s the sheer fact of getting in front of people and practising that can help your experience and confidence level soar.

The more you get in front of a crowd, any crowd at all, the more your stage comfort will improve. I think that’s the best and most lasting public speaking cure that you can find.

Here are 5 confidence tips that can set you on the path so that you can overcome the fears of public speaking without pills:

1. Memorise your Opening – knowing how you’re going to open your presentation will allow you to start strong and confidently without you fumbling around not knowing how to begin.

2. Know Your Equipment – find out how it all works and know what to do in the event of a system failure. There are a few basic quirks that you can absolutely handle yourself without involving the I.T. Department.

3. Meet Your Audience – is it possible for you to mix and mingle with members of your audience prior to speaking to them? Once you’ve found out a little bit about them and shaken some hands, you can then look for those familiar faces when you present.

4. Act as if you are Confident – be clear on what confidence looks like to you. Make sure that you don’t confuse confidence with arrogance, that can come about through youth for example. Once you know how a confidence person acts, act as if you are that person or act as if you are confident. The more you fake it, the sooner you’ll make it. Eventually it will become real for you.

5. Avoid Caffeine – caffeine, found in tea, coffee and a umber of soft drinks, makes you agitated and increases any anxiety you might have. Eat bananas, the provide energy and the potassium helps relax muscles. Drink plenty of water to keep you hydrated, but make sure you go to the bathroom before you start!

(Please note: I have provided a link to Bravina’s website not because I advocate taking it, but to provide with the information that inspired this post)

Here’s some additional insight to stage fright by my comedy mentor Steve Roye. Check out his post Do You Constantly Battle With Stage Fright?

When you do funny best man speeches, or with any kind of social speech or presentation, you have to have an equal balance of humour as well as making any point or message that you want to convey. It’s definitely worth remembering this for your best man speech.

How to Give a Funny Presentation – Laughs Per Minute

From a humorous speech perspective you should aim for an overall Positive Audience Response (PAR) of 45 for every 5 minutes. This means that 15% of each minute should be filled with laughter, which is approximately 9 seconds.

This should give you an indication of what you should be shooting for when it comes to using humour when you do a best man speech or give a presentation. To learn more about PAR scores check out this post on how to learn stand-up comedy.

With regards to this clip, Simon managed to achieve a PAR of 48 which means, technically speaking, he “rocked the sh*t”.

During the first minute he manages to achieve a whopping 29 seconds of laughter, which any headline comedy club comedian would be proud of. It’s obvious from the clip that the audience connection was very strong.

How did he manage to achieve this?

Clearly he knows the Groom very well which you can tell by the nature of the speech as a whole. I would also suspect that he has done his homework and gained an understanding of who is in his audience.

Researching your audience is a damned sight easier in a wedding environment than it is in, say, a comedy club environment. You can find out the age range, the ethnicity, who they are and how well they know the aspects of the Groom that you need to draw attention to.

Simon had already set up that the Groom’s behaviour was similar to that of a child, so the obvious step was to then point out that the Bride worked with children. This would’ve worked even if it was a lie, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as funny. This shows the importance of uncovering the humour latent within a speech.

From that point on he manages to attain between 14-16 seconds of laughter a minute, so comfortably achieving an above average PAR score. This is a good level if you have to do a best man speech.

How to Provide a Funny Presentation – Crisis Management

Something very interesting happens at nearly 6 minutes – Simon’s microphone dies. (Dramatic chord) Dun, dun, durrrrrrrrrrrn.

Now, ordinarily, this would have thrown the average speaker, but Simon isn’t your average speaker. He downs the mic and carries on speaking, using vocal projection. This is something that I would’ve done as well and an option that you need to consider in similar circumstances. As a speaker you have to be adaptable to your circumstances.

If your equipment fails you, what’s your back-up plan? What would you do for your best man speech?

In Simon’s case it may seem fairly obvious to you now that I’ve pointed it out. But what would you do if your laptop dies, or your PowerPoint presentation crashes? Would you end the session early? Or would you be confident and well versed in your material enough to carry on? What’s your “get out of jail free card”?

There was also indication of a letter from an old school teacher. We get teased by its existence when Simon reveals that it’s in his inside jacket pocket, only to be put away again. Personally, I wanted him to bring the letter out and read it to us.

If you make reference to a prop and then don’t fulfil your promise your audience could feel cheated. Like those comedians who say “I’m going to go now” and then proceed to stay for another 5 minutes.

If you have a prop that may assist your presentation and you’ve already made reference to it, bring it out. Even if it’s a fake, like the letter could have been. What would you do if you had to do a best man speech?

It’s not the length of the barrel… it’s the shot of the gun

My other small quibble with this speech is that I feel that it’s a little on the long side. From the research that I’ve done and the wedding speeches I’ve seen speeches in this context work better if they are on the shorter side; somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes. This speech borders 10 minutes and clearly has a little edit towards the end so that it would fits YouTube’s 10 minute limit.

If you’re giving a social speech of this nature, or any presentation for that matter I would lean more towards finishing early. Audience’s love it if they can go to their coffee or lunch break that little bit sooner.

How long is your best man speech or presentation? Is there a way for you to trim it?

Given the nature of funny Best Man speeches the focus, generally, is on ridiculing the Groom. As a result we often don’t get to learn what the Best Man genuinely thinks of his comedy target. I felt that perhaps, in this case, there could have been a little more of an honest opinion about the Groom, more so than just what we gain from Simon’s conclusion.

What’s the ending of your presentation or your best man speech like? Do you adequately summarise or your points and end with a bang? Or do you fade away into mumbles and hope that you don’t get asked any questions?

Laughter, in a speech of this nature, has come to be expected at weddings in Western society, so it is still important that they are there.

A useful point for us all to remember though,  is that while we want to get big laughs during a speech we have to make sure that we are still able to get out point across. Humour is the means by which we deliver our message; it’s not the message in itself. You can certainly see that in this clip.

To learn more about Simon and the workshops that he offers in the U.K., check out his website The Art of Connection.

Wanna discover more about PAR scores and the lessons we, as speakers, can take from stand-up comedy? Wanna add humour to your best man speech? Check out my post that reviews a crucial product learn stand-up comedy.