Five Star Speaking Strategies by Communication Innovation

FIVE star Speaking

skills Your guide to All - star PRESENTATIONs

“Say what you mean, mean what you say and shine when you say it!” The ability to speak effectively is an asset in any public or professional setting. This handbook contains an easy to apply “STAR” formula for delivering successful presentations. Develop five star speaking skills as you learn how to Start with a solid structure, Target your topic, Appeal with authority and Realize your rapport. Learn to connect and direct your audience. Review the presentation “points to ponder” to fine tune your delivery and illuminate the room during your next speaking engagement.

Star Start with a Solid Structure

“Keep Your Eyes on the Stars and Your Feet on the Ground”

~Theodore Roosevelt

Listeners get one chance to grasp your message. A solid speaking format is the foundation for an effective presentation. The better your presentation flows, the easier your material will be to present and the higher your credibility. When planning your talk, keep in mind that your presentation is not about you, the speaker, but rather, it is intended for your audience. Listeners demand coherence and if they cannot follow your message, your speech 5 will not be effective. Simply put, good content organization lowers frustration for everyone. The presentation format offered in this section can be used for most speaking events you encounter. You will want to think about organizing your content like you would build a sandwich. Your introduction and conclusion are the two “slices of bread” that hold the “meat” [the body of your presentation] together. Therefore, they need to sound somewhat alike. As you review the format for your introduction and conclusion on the following pages, you will also notice symbols, which are there to indicate what pieces of the introduction and conclusion should go together. You will want to “sandwich” these pieces together so they match and your presentation flows well from beginning to end. A solid introduction gains your listeners’

attention and/or interest, reveals the topic, establishes your credibility, creates goodwill for the speaker and previews the body of your talk. A strong conclusion cues the audience to reflect on your introduction, to hear that the end is in sight, to review your key presentation points and to know when you are done speaking or applaud when appropriate. For now let’s consider the middle of your presentation a “muddle” and we will address how to format it 6 later.

SPEECH

INTRODUCTION

S P E A K

• Start with: a question, a general welcome, a quotation, a fact or statistic, or do something dramatic. • Point to your audience first: like many of you, we can all agree, most of us, our main concern today is, etc. • Establish credibility: mention your title, position, skill, history, experience, education level, age, work role, intention, past efforts, personal connections or group membership. • Assign a goal/purpose for your presentation: to inform, to persuade or to entertain. • Keep your speech to a few main points: you will literally list/state your main points [1-5 points] here.

SPEECH CONCLUSION

• Explain what your main purpose was [restate your goal in the past tense and match what you said in step “A” of the introduction].

• Note each of the main points you just covered [restate each point in the past tense and match what you said in step “K” of the introduction].

• Directly refer and relate back to your attention catcher to end your talk and match what you said in the “S” step of the introduction.

SANDWICH IT

Match the ◊Ω * Symbols/Content in the Introduction with the Matching ◊Ω * Symbols/Content in the Conclusion

INTRODUCTION ◊S

Start with: a question, a general welcome, a quotation, a fact or statistic, or do something dramatic.

Point to your audience first: like many of you, we can all agree, most of us, our main concern today is, etc.

ΩA *K

Establish credibility: mention your title, position, skills, history, experience, education level, age, work role, intention, past efforts, personal connections or group membership. Assign a goal/purpose for your presentation: to inform, to persuade or to entertain. Keep your speech to a few main points: you will literally list/state your main points [1-5 points] here.

CONCLUSION ΩE

Explain what your main purpose was [restate your goal in the past tense – match what you said in step “A” of the introduction].

Note each of the main points you just covered [restate each point in the past tense and match what you said in step “K” of the introduction].

◊D

Directly refer and relate back to your attention catcher to end your talk and match what you said in the “S” step of the introduction.

Below is an example, which demonstrates the application & conversational flow of a closely knit introduction and conclusion. Remember the goal is to match the ◊Ω * symbols/content in the introduction with the matching ◊Ω * symbols/content in the conclusion. 10

TOPIC: Safe Driving Pitch INTRODUCTION

◊S P E

ΩA *K

“How many of you ‘buckled up’ on your way here today?” “Like many of you, I care about my safety each time I get into my car.” “I lost a good friend to a car crash in high school because he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt.” “Today I will convince you that each time you get into your vehicle, you need to buckle up!” “I’ll be discussing the seat belt laws in the state of MN, what your role is to be a safe driver and how to protect your friends and family.”

CONCLUSION ΩE

“Today I convinced you that each time you get into your vehicle, you need to buckle up!”

“I talked about the seat belt laws in the state 11 of MN, what your role is to be a safe driver and how to protect your friends and family.”

◊D

“So now I’ll ask you, how many of you are planning to buckle up on your way home today?”

SPEECH BODY

Now that your introduction and conclusion are complete, you can focus on the “meat” of your sandwich. In other words, it is time to turn your “muddle” into the middle section of your presentation. As you might assume, the body of your speech will be formatted directly from the main points you listed in step “K” of your introduction. You will also restate these main points in step “N” of your conclusion; therefore you will see a star symbol before each main point on the outline template. The stars found in the body of the outline are there to remind you that your main points should match the star symbols in both your introduction and conclusion. On the following page is a worksheet that will help you further develop each of your main points and ensure you have a smooth transition between your

SPEECH BODY thoughts. Keep in mind that a transition is like a verbal signpost where you tell your audience what they just heard, as well as what they will hear next. Much like a road sign, the function of a verbal transition statement clearly directs the listeners to review where they have been and where your presentation is about to take them, “Leaving Wyoming; Entering Montana.” [NOTE: when creating the body of your speech, be sure to match the * symbols/content from the “K” in your introduction with the matching * symbols/content in each main point of your body]

BODY *1. First Main Point: [insert a main point from step “K” of your introduction]. A. B. C. Transition: “Now that you understand [restate 1st point], let’s move onto [restate 2nd point]:” 14

*2. Second Main Point: [insert a main point from step “K” of your introduction]. A. B. C. Transition: “Now that you understand [restate 1st point], let’s move onto [restate 2nd point]:” *3. Third Main Point: [insert a main point from step “K” of your introduction]. A. B. C. Transition: [this transition comes right before the conclusion and is optional, depending on your inductive or deductive thinking pattern].

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER SAMPLE PRESENTATION Now that you understand the three main sections required to outline a five star presentation, I would like to demonstrate how the format can adapt to almost any occasion. I lost my grandpa 15 in 2000; he was my greatest confidant and friend. The two of us were able to enjoy a trip across Alaska together in a rented RV just five years prior to his passing. Consciously taking time to enjoy my grandpa during this moment in my life is one of my greatest personal accomplishments to date. On the following pages is an outline structuring the story of our trip together. The outline of our trip will demonstrate how the presentation format allows you to organize any subject into an effective message that your audience can easily grasp. It will also show you what a complete outline looks like when you follow the template you have just learned, how to incorporate transitions between your main speaking points and how to further develop your overall content by adding sub-points under each of your key thoughts.

INTRODUCTION

◊S

“The most important things in life aren’t things.”

Most of us are able to identify someone who is, or 16of our lives. has been a significant part

I was able to maintain a close relationship with my grandpa Bob for 26 years of my life.

ΩA *K

It can be personally rewarding to understand and develop relationships with the people closest to us. I will relive details of a trip I took to Alaska with my grandfather, the life lessons he taught me along the way and the impact our trip has had on me personally.

* 1.

BODY

My grandpa and I traveled around Alaska throughout the June of 1995. A. We flew into Anchorage and rented a motor home. B. We visited a lot of places and met a lot of interesting people. C. We drove 3500 miles of the Alaskan highway.

Transition: Although the actual adventure in Alaska was amazing, it did not compare to the life lessons I absorbed from my grandpa during the trip. 17 *2. My grandpa taught me many life lessons as we talked our way around the Alaskan frontier. A. Gramps taught me about friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. B. He always demonstrated patience coupled with a positive attitude. C. He proved that age and gender are not significant when making a true connection with another person. Transition: The life lessons my grandpa shared with me in Alaska have stayed with me. *3.

My grandpa’s life lessons have had a significant impact on my life. A. I have learned to be more aware of people’s personal perceptions. B. I have tried to look beyond labels and stereotypes to get to the essence of an individual. C. I have come to understand that anyone is capable of having an impact on another person and can make a difference in someone’s life.

CONCLUSION

ΩE *N ◊D

As discussed in this presentation, the relationship I had with my grandpa Bob was personally 18 rewarding for a number of reasons. I enjoyed gramp’s company in Alaska, he taught me a number of life lessons and he has left a lasting impression on me. I think it is fair to say that Gramps has definitely been one of the most important “things” in my life.

Star Target Your Topic

“Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say & Shine When You Say It”

Section one offered an outlining structure that will work for most of your presentational needs. There are a number of special occasion speaking events for which you may find yourself needing to prepare. This section offers “nuggets of wisdom” that best capture the tone of these diverse topics to ensure your message will appropriately suit the specific occasion. The guidelines listed below each topic heading will allow you to fine 21 tune your message and capture the significance of the specific program, occasion or event you need to facilitate.

INTRODUCING A SPEAKER GOAL: To present someone to an audience before they speak These presentations:  build enthusiasm for the upcoming speaker by showing excitement and offering positive descriptions of them/their work  generate interest in the upcoming speaker’s topic/purpose by asking a question the speaker can later address or answer  reference the reason for the speaking occasion; how will the speaker add value for the group  tell us about the speaker’s credibility related to the event  create a sense of anticipation or drama and pique audience curiosity [state their name last or even “their” gender rather than “his/her” gender if they are not up there with you]

SPEECH OF PRESENTATION GOAL: These are delivered when someone is about to receive a gift or an award These presentations:  be fairly brief and accurate and mention the name of the award  discuss the history of the award and what it stands for/means within the context of the occasion  explain why the recipient is receiving the award  point out the achievements of the recipient  talk about the recipient in a meaningful way, demonstrating why s/he deserved to get this award  consider praising the “other competitors” when an award is won in competition

SPEECH OF ACCEPTANCE GOAL: To give thanks for a gift, a prize or an award you’ve received These presentations:  thank the person or people who are bestowing the gift or award upon you  thank the person who actually hands the award to you  acknowledge the people who helped you win the award you are receiving  explain what the award “means” to you  reflect upon what your life was like before winning the award [“I can remember when I was new here and didn’t know anyone…”]

COMMEMORATIVE SPEECH GOAL: To praise, celebrate or pay tribute to a person, group, institution, event or idea These presentations:  pay tribute to a person, a group of people, an institution or an idea  express feelings to arouse sentiments within the audience towards the topic  use eloquent expressions to demonstrate you are holding the person/place/thing in high regards [say “she was a fine lady” rather than “she was a cool chick”]  explain what it is or was like to experience the person/place/thing  offer examples of the noteworthy past accomplishments of the person, place or thing you are discussing  remind listeners why it is important to gather as a group at this moment in time

DELIVERING THE EULOGY GOAL: To celebrate someone’s life while also consoling those who have been left behind These presentations:  describe what it was like to experience the person  capture a reflection of what makes one’s life meaningful in general  share a memory of the departed  acknowledge the mourners and their feelings  help the listeners make sense of the person’s life, by mentioning some of their accomplishments  focus on who they were, not on your feelings  highlight their values by talking about what they stood for and represented during their lifetime

Sample Written Eulogy Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including 27 Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours. Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he wasn't the crusty old man some thought, but was considered a positive “roll” model for millions. Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was set at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

AFTER DINNER SPEECH GOAL: To entertain an audience These presentations:  maintain a relaxed tone and strive to speak in a lighthearted manner; your audience expects to laugh and get in touch with “feel good” emotions  choose your content for its entertainment value and your supporting material to merely add to the overall entertainment of the experience  carefully prepare and practice before you present; these are well thought out presentations  use humor to maintain a light tone; in-group humor works well as you can play off of incidents from which the audience can all relate

TOAST GOAL: To briefly honor a person, group, place or event These presentations:  keep your tone light; listeners are expecting to laugh, smile and get

in touch with pleasant, “good feeling” emotions  consider using a theme [love, commitment, bravery, victory, persistence, sacrifice, endurance, luck, hard work, etc.] as it will give the listeners a clear context to follow  incorporate quotations and/or humor that fits within your theme to keep your message clear and easy to follow

INFORMATIVE SPEAKING GOAL: To explain or describe facts, principles or truths in a way that facilitates understanding, stimulates listening and Increases the likelihood of remembering These presentations:  offer facts, statistics and direct quotations to reinforce what you are     

saying tell a story or do a demonstration that captures your main points use definitions to develop your thoughts and elaborate on your content compare and contrast what you are saying through examples and descriptions think of yourself as a newscaster who is reporting the news with no hint of a personal opinion address diverse learning styles by including elements that are visual, verbal and hands on

PERSUASIVE SPEAKING GOAL: To create, reinforce, change or influence people’s beliefs or actions These presentations:  act as an agent to defend something with a tone to match  state a specific outcome goal by asking the audience to do one of

the following: discontinue something, start something, continue something or avoid something  use facts to persuade: demonstrate your topic is true or false, can be disproven or proven, exists or doesn’t, happened or didn’t happen  use opinions to persuade: prove the worth, rightness, value, or morality of an idea or action  use persuasive language to guide audience action: “should; must; do; shouldn’t; ought to; need to; stop; don’t”

DELIVERING A REPORT GOAL: To explain a situation from a concise point of view/action STAR responses incorporate the following four elements: Situation: Set up the situation by describing the context [be brief and address who, where, what, when, why and how] Task: Describe the task you had to accomplish or the problem you had to solve Action: Explain the action/s you took to complete the task or solve the problem Result: Identify and quantify the result of your efforts; explain the outcome NOTE: The STAR method works well for answering job interview questions and delivering “bad news”

Star Appeal with Authority

“As We Let Our Own Light Shine, We Unconsciously Give Others Permission to Do the Same”

~Marianne Williamson

ETHOS – SPEAKER CREDIBILITY A speaker’s credibility allows him/her to speak from a position of authority. Most people want to understand why they should listen to you and your message and once you have established your ethos, they are more likely to ease into listening to you speak. Competence Your messages regarding your overall speaker “competence” 35 inform listener’s how much knowledge you have on the topic. You might offer statements that discuss your title, position, experience, education level, history, past or present work roles, age, skills, personal connections, abilities, group membership, and/or past or present efforts. Character Verbally addressing your “character” is another speaking trait that gives you authority. Listeners want to understand how trustworthy you are and how honestly you communicate; they want to understand your intentions. Consider sharing your core values, what inspires you or motivates you, offer a personal life perspective, belief or boundary to which you subscribe and/or outwardly state your intentions to the group.

Verbal Citations Another method to enhance your credibility on a topic is to readily make use of verbal citations during your presentation. The basic rule for using a verbal citation is to offer your audience enough information about your source so they can actually find it 36 without having to request the information from you once you’ve completed your talk. For example, if you say, “A researcher at the University of MN discovered…” you can see that there is a lot of key information missing. Who is the instructor/researcher? What department conducted the research? When was the study done? However if you say, “The Mall of America’s main website states…” you will provide the audience with enough information to easily find that source on their own. The next couple of pages offer examples of how you can successfully incorporate verbal citations into your presentation.

Examples of Verbal Citations Books “In their book, Communicating with Credibility and Confidence from 1998, Lumsden and Lumsden state that…” 37

Journal Articles “According to Duggar, Lowe, and Jones in their 2010 article in the Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry…” Interviews “In an interview conducted on June 22nd of this year, head coach [name] of the [team’s name] stated that…” Brochures “A brochure entitled 101 Ways to Deal with Difficult Interactions distributed by Communication Innovation in 2020 says…”

Magazine Articles “In an article from the August 2010 issue of Outdoor Life, Edwards defines…” Newspaper Articles 38 “Walters explains in an article from The Michigan Monitor, 2019 that…”

Music Recording “In the 1992 [actual name/title] CD, Lewis depicts how…” Film or Movie “In Walt Disney Pictures 1994 hit film, The Lion King …” On – Line “As stated by Dawson in 2020 on the Department of Natural Resource’s website”

Star Realize Your Rapport

“A Smile is a Curve that Sets Everything Straight”

~ Phyllis Diller

Now that you have secured your structure, topic and credibility, it is time to work on your personal appeal. Who do you want to be when you are standing in front of a room full of people? Your interpersonal rapport allows you to appeal to your audience through human emotion, which helps them relate to you and this can directly influence them. “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” You can 41 communicate your intentions by appealing to core values, thus creating an emotional response from your audience. Visual descriptions also capture emotion, tone and your speaking style, as they offer imagery that might elicit sympathy, excitement, curiosity, etc. When a speaker displays emotion it shows depth and connects listeners to their common feelings and needs. Therefore, emotive language can help your presentation maintain the tone for which you are striving. Nonverbal cues such as your physical appearance, tone of voice, eye contact, facial expressions, etc. help you express emotion, convey your interpersonal attitude, present your personality to others and accompany your speech in the form of mannerisms and personal speaking style.

Your facial expressions say a lot about the rapport you are intending to develop with your audience. Be mindful of your nonverbal tone and delivery, in addition to your verbal message. You can also use intellectual stimulation to better engage your listeners. Involve your listeners in your topic by adapting to different learning styles and include content that is visual, verbal and/or hands on. Consider how you might make something 42 memorable for your audience; this could be accomplished through the use of an acronym for example. Identify how you can make the information relevant and useful to the audience right now. Package the information in a new way; use a diagram of a hand to introduce five new policies and write one policy per finger on the diagram. Using a story to highlight and capture your speaking style is also very powerful. An effective story strives to describe an incident or moment in time by recounting it from your personal point of view. There are numerous benefits of storytelling within a presentation. Stories create images to connect key concepts. They evoke emotion from the audience and create emotional appeal for you as the presenter. Stories both instruct and inspire while entertaining listeners. Stories help to create a

“human face” who adds value to an abstract thought. They can inspire, encourage, motivate, revive and rouse listeners. The functional concepts found within a story can stimulate critical thinking through the application of a concept. Of course humor, of all kinds, helps people to relate. I have always believed, “if they are laughing, they must be listening and if they are listening they just might be learning” and that within itself, is a good thing when 43 you are a speaker!

“Reach for the Stars”

five star speaking skills Final Points to Ponder

“This Little Light of Mine, I’m Going to Let it Shine”

ALL STAR DELIVERY TIPS The final section of this workbook offers a number of all-star delivery tips intended to help you shine during your presentation. Allow them to help you maintain a positive attitude and guide you through any dim moments of self-doubt. 47

How Do I Overcome My Nervousness? Nervousness is normal; it shows you care! Simply view it as an asset to a well prepared and practiced presentation. What is Confidence? Confidence develops from doing, so “be a verb” and go for it. In other words, what is confidence; do you buy it at Walmart? No. So just act “as if” you have “it” until it comes more naturally for you. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Courage is having done it before.” Put yourself out there; this is where the significance of practice comes into play.

How Do I Make Eye Contact with the Entire Audience? Think of yourself as a rake and your audience as leaves. You will then “rake all of the leaves” with your eyes as you speak, always coming back to your notes/the base of the rake. You can rake in 48 any order, it looks very natural and it is easy to accomplish while speaking.

What Should I Do with My Hands? Practice holding your hands together in front of you, up high, down low, behind your back and you will discover an interesting fact… “Hands that come together have to come apart!” It is really difficult to speak with your hands clasped, so when in doubt, put them together and let them naturally come apart. They will easily integrate with your other personal mannerisms.

What Subjects Might I Develop for a Presentation? People [anyone] Processes [things that are done short term] Places [anywhere] 49 Things [anything] Events [groups of people] Concepts [subjective/personal perspectives] Problems [with anything] Solutions [to anything] Values [personal or core values] Influences [what motivates you] Natural phenomena [they occur in nature] Plans [things that are done long term] Policies [actions we should/shouldn’t do] Beliefs [anything] Past/Present/Future

How Do I Prepare for My Presentation? Ask yourself some key questions: What is the purpose of my talk? When will the speech be given? 50 Where will the speech be given? How large is the audience? Where in the event will the speech occur? What is the time limit for the speech? What is the layout of the room? What equipment is available for my use? What is the dress code? Will I need handouts? Will I have a podium/table for notes? Who does my audience consist of? Will I use visual aids to add to my message?

How Do I Best Use Speaking Notes? Speak from key words and phrases only. The use of full sentence notes will cause you to read full sentences to your audience and you will sound monotone and/or robotic and use less eye contact overall. Write on only one side of your notecards and number the 51 notecards in case you drop them; this will allow you to easily regroup. Consider punching a hole in the corner of your notecards and putting them on a ring that spins around your thumb; you’ll be able to gesture with them and if you toss them, they are easy to quickly retrieve.

How Do I Effectively Use Visual Aids? ● Don’t pass things out while you are speaking because it will distract both you and your listeners. Deliver handouts before or after you speak. 52

● Be mindful not to cover yourself with a visual aid or position yourself where no one can see you [i.e. sitting down while presenting with your power point slides]. ● Limit your content to a few key points and make your font large enough to ensure the audience in the back of the room can see your information.

● Only display your visual aids when you are referring to them or they will become distracting and less interesting. ● Look at and speak to your audience, rather than speaking to your visual aids directly.

● Be

sure to explain to your audience what they are looking at when displaying your visual aid; don’t assume they know. ● Practice speaking with your visual aid in advance; it’s not as easy as it may seem. 53

● Be aware of any potential for “dead air” during your presentation. This usually occurs during the down time it takes to demonstrate something such as when you are stirring, drawing or disassembling something and you will want to “talk through” these gaps to avoid the drawn out and awkward silence they invite.

● If you plan to use an audience participant, ask someone to comply before you speak rather than asking someone spontaneously during your talk. Most people feel more comfortable participating when they clearly know what is expected of them and have time to settle into the role.

What are Some Effective Audience Engagement Techniques? ● Use “shout outs” that the audience repeats after you say them, such as, “Together we can,” as you hold your thumb in the air. 54 “Remember when...” ● Ask a rhetorical question, “What if…” “Ask yourself...” “Have you ever...”

● Let listeners “experience” part of the presentation by using sample exercises, application activities, role plays, or simply ask them to do something like “run their tongue over their teeth” to feel the plaque. ● Use extended eye contact by replacing a darting glance across listeners with a more personal 2 to 5 second gaze per person. Strive to visually connect with as many people in your audience as possible.

● Pose a hypothetical situation which includes your listeners: “What if we...” “Suppose you are in a…” ● Use motivated movement to regain audience attention, yet avoid distracting repetitive nervous gestures. Your movement should be purposeful, 55 like taking a step at the transition statement between two of your main talking points.

● Take a visual poll: “Raise your hand if you have ever ... felt that way... done that... have gone to a particular state… saw it happen...” ● Ask audience members to provide material for your illustrations. For example you might request they share a favorite restaurant or movie, dream vacation or an object such as a dollar bill, a company badges/I.D., calculator, watch, etc.

TIME TO “ROCK IT”

You are “Response-Able.”

Dr. Jody Janati 651.210.2246 jodyjanati@yahoo.com www.findyourconversationpeace.com