How do public speakers go from good to great to awesome? They attend the NYC chapter of the National Speakers Association. The guest speaker for November was executive speech coach, Patricia Fripp. The speaker covered five areas every professional speaker must master in order to be great on the platform:
- Strong Structure - Fripp shared the importance of knowing your premise and telling the audience the why and how of your message.
- Compelling Openings - The audience received a page with one liners such as "It never ceases to amaze me...", " The year was... ", "What would the world be like without...?"
- Emotional Connection - To create an emotional opening start with something emotional or heartfelt and back it up with logical reasons.
- Memorable Stories - Stories are powerful and can be any length as long as the audience remains engaged.
- Laser Sharp Specificity - Generalities weaken a presentation. Words like "stuff" dilute the message and confuse the listeners. Remove empty words and use specific language.
After the morning lecture, Fripp spent the afternoon doing quick laser coaching with volunteers. Each speaker spoke no more than two or three lines before the coaching began. It was evident how a powerful opening sets the stage for the rest of the presentation.
To go from good to great to awesome public speaking, remember the five tips: strong structure, compelling openings, emotional connection, memorable stories, and laser sharp specificity.