It’s speech season 2019, kid. We’re looking ahead to another summer of farewells and changes of command.
Review last year’s advice, and a couple additions for the new year:
The best scripts are still shitty old scripts. Scripted speeches are third-person experiences disguised as first-person experiences. No one showed up at the event to hear a dude read off a piece of paper. So don’t read a script, even at the cost of stutters and stumbles. These prove authenticity. Ever hear someone say, “that could’ve been an e-mail” after a meeting or talk? Well, your scripted speech is literally a copy-and-paste away from an e-mail.
Speeches are performances. A soloist can hit all the right notes and still fall flat with the audience. Eye contact, tone, pacing and gestures matter more than is logical. Don’t ham it up, but don’t deny what feels natural to the audience. Play the role of a person people listen to.
Pause and breathe – during the speech, even when it feels awkward. Breath as you start, in the middle, and during your conclusion. Take a deep breath and slowly survey the people before you. Process the looks on their faces, make eye contact, and appreciate their presence.
Hearts over minds. Don’t fool yourself into thinking the audience will remember any of the speech’s content. Nobody in your audience is taking notes or identifying next steps. Make three solid points to tell a story, inspire and entertain, but don’t expect long-term impact. Instead, focus on giving your audience a great feeling in their jellies. They won’t know specifically why, but your audience should walk away ready to be better.
Cancel You-Fest 2019, because it’s not about you. The audience already came out to your speech, what more do you want from them? The least you can do is make them feel great about themselves and their mission. When everyone is the hero of their own story, you aren’t the hero in any of theirs.
Practice. Don’t wait for big speeches to get your reps in. Every team stand-up meeting, every comment, every useless pleasantry, and every time you key the mic is a chance to practice lifting people up, focusing on mission and connecting with their souls. Think that sounds way too cheesy? Our best leaders do it instinctively. Because they’ve practiced.
More than anything: Be Real.
(Photo by Cpl. Harrison Rakhshani, DVIDS)
