Speaking Tips from the Speaking School

I just finished up the four day Speaking School with Fred Gleeck. While the memory is still fresh, I thought I would compile a list of just a few of the speaking tips we shared there:

Go to 11

One of the main reasons we use improv comedy to train presentation skills is that because improv can be quite silly, it is easy to get people to go way over the top. Once people are comfortable doing that with improv comedy, it is easier to get them to do that with their speeches.

Practicing “over the top” (or, in Spinal Tap parlance, “going to 11”) is a great way to develop material. You may never actually perform your speech at that extreme, but by practicing that way you push your limits and see what is possible. Once you have gone that far it is easy to scale it back to the appropriate level for your presentation.

Feelings, Nothing More then Feelings…

Speeches and stories should have emotional variance. The best way to add that is not to describe the emotions, but rather to show them. Don’t just say, “I was so mad,” but rather let us hear your anger in your voice and see the anger in your face and body. You don’t need to be a spaz about it (see the first point about scaling it back), but a little emotion will engage your audience and make your presentation much more entertaining.

Practice in the Moment

There are two reasons to “practice” your speech:

1. To memorize the words and delivery so you know what to say and do
2. To develop new material

Most people focus on the first reason. Very few do the second at all.

What we found during the “live coaching” segments of the Speaking School was that if and when we could get the speakers to work their material with high energy while they stayed “in the moment,” they would spontaneously come up with new (and often quite funny) material.

It was basically applying the improv comedy mindset to practicing scripted work. The results were awesome! People came up with some great additions to their speeches simply by practicing in the moment and letting their creativity flow.

Try this the next time you are working new material – especially if you feel that a segment of your program is boring or needs punching up.

Use Nonsense

A great way to add energy and interest in your presentation is to move. Move your arms, move your hands, move your body, and move around the stage. The key is to do this naturally, not like you were coached. The problem is, when you are focusing very heavily on the exact words you want to say, it gets very easy to forget to move.

To get around this, we use a technique called “gibberish.” Gibberish is simply a made up language of nonsensical words. At the Speaking School, we would periodically have people retell their speeches in gibberish. When they had to convey their stories and points without language, the participants were forced to use their bodies, faces, and vocal tones to convey meaning. As a result, they did things they never had when using just their words.

Obviously, they would never do anything so manic in a real presentation, but by practicing in gibberish they were able to come up with ideas for physicalization that they never would have if they just tried to sit there and think of creative things to do.

Identify and Play to Your Strengths

The primary lesson of the Speaking School was authenticity. The goal was not for us to mold the attendees into little “Fred and Avish speaking clones” (my God that’s a scary thought) but rather to help them be as much themselves on stage as possible. By the second day, we started to get a real sense of what each person’s strength was going to be, and how they could best use that.

One attendee was great at being physical. One seemed to use characters very well. One had a combination of quick wit and high energy. And one was able to use emotion to create stories and connect with the audience. They all got good at all the things we did, but these were their strengths. Rather than try to have everyone incorporate every lesson into their speaking, we encouraged each person to use more of what worked for them.

This seems like such an obvious idea, but it gets missed so many times. Not every great technique or idea is going to be great for you. Find what works, apply it, and let go of the rest.

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For more great resources on being a better speaker, check out The Speaking School or the Improv For Speakers DVD now!
 

About

By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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