Poets are born, orators are made: 27 pieces of advice for industrious ones

I know three categories of orators: ones can be listened, others cannot be listened, the third ones MUST be listened. The difference among them is small, but considerable: the first ones exhaust patience, the second ones abuse trust, the third ones improve themselves, give pleasure and create impressions.

Brilliant speakers start like mediocre ones, learn to speak about complex things simply and achieve high performance when mastery and efforts are discreetly sloppy. Reading lists is suitable for books’ authors, reporter can speak from the heart. An audience praises speaker even if they do not hear anything smart or useful.

To say a lot and say enough is not the same. One who shoots is not a shooter yet, one who speaks is not a speaker. Occupying a territory is easier than holding an audience hostage. You need to have accurate sights and ripe ideas. There is no better compliment than an enthusiastic shout from the audience: “Thought same, but you have said earlier!”

Turn passion into understanding, speaking into impulse, thoughts into reality. Follow bumps of doubts, rely on the mind, transfer structures of judgement and fear of meaningless conversation.

 1. Crystallize the topic. You do not always choose the subject – sometimes it is dictated. However, even a cube is endowed with lines: snowy North, beach South, rotting West, mysterious East, inaccessible top, simple bottom.

 2. Create the structure. Take a walk in parks, roam around alleys, stare at the wall and think about the structure of the presentation: 5-7 main ideas important to understand and worth speaking.

 3. Think through the conclusion. The aim should be the audience’s reaction: “What must listeners feel, decide and do?”. A short, inclusive, substantive answer provides right guidance.

 4. Compose the introduction. The room will be filled by people with concerns, tasks, issues. Tune in with a pitch pipe of phrases, leave baits for ears, achieve the audience’s commitment.

 5. Welcome the auditorium. Do not start with “it is an honor”, do not flatter the audience, forget about speech clichés. Start simply and warmly, genuinely and kindly.

 6. Introduce yourself. It is better if the owner of the event introduces you – it will add weight and legitimacy. However, do not afraid of starting without support – say a few words about yourself without praises.

 7. Build relationships. Think in advance how to break the ice of indifference, create a contact, start heart conversation: “How to inspire confidence, network and increase commonality?”

 8. Cause a smile. Think through the “withdrawal” of prejudices, appropriate compliments, spontaneous admiration. Tautness turns into convergence with a slight joke of the highest quality. Not an anecdote.

 9. Be grateful. Presentation is a privilege probably you are not the wisest among the attendants. Value the time for the microphones, respect the crowd, speak up to the point.

10. Create the reason. Do not rush “right off the bat”, use comparisons, experience, stories to connect “now” with the topic of the speech and the expected reaction.

11. Ask a question. Rhetorical. To cause a silence in the room, make them stunned and confused. Arouse reflection, state problems, trigger inertia of self-determination.

12. State your position. Do not beat around the bush, declare your side. Let further go through allies’ profit and angry rumble of enemies. Recruit not hiding and do not take hostages.

13. Do not retreat. Kill a slave in yourself and “if” in your speech. “When” is your word. Be rational, cold and straightforward. Speak expressively without playing games, be careful of fake politeness.

14. Repeat. A chorus is recalled better than words of a song. The refrain should be logical: what exactly you mean. Vagueness is quicksand of frustration. Broadcast multiple clarity.

15. Divide units. Provide listeners with privileges – to follow “the page you are on”. Give hints, imply, keep the maze of the plan, encourage the growth of understanding.

16. Draft examples. Oral illustrations help to understand the material deeply. Ingenious passages and tricky hints will be forgotten in an hour, stories will outlive you in memories of listeners.

17. Time travelling. Appeal to the past, use the present, project the future. Invoke fantasies, think about aspirations.

18. Turn up the heat. The fire of the speech is burning with inspiring phrases, inclusive messages, unexpected attacks. Heat up the situation, strike sparks, share the light and enchant it.

19. Beware of pathos. The period of passionate statements has gone, culminations should be appropriate. Use the ”cardiogram” trick, do not show off demagogic whimpers.

20. Do not excess. Want to underline importance – do not crawl, want to introduce – do not overstate, want to praise – do not overshadow skies.

21. Be superstitious. Do not take photos before presenting focus and repeat your speech, put the smug smile away, make up your mind, watch out looking at the clocks.

22. Catch the mood. “Heard yesterday” does not mean attention for today, think: “What did people cause to gather here?” Guess feelings, but do not tremble in fear saying nonsense wasting pauses.

23. Aim at the target. Give directions and keep updated, motivate and encourage, criticize, but remember the way. A unique speech is a matter of honor, but resources should not overshadow the design.

24. Use the arsenal. Vary phrases and intonations, power and the pitch of sound, timbre and pauses. Sing like a canary, cling in echo, splash in the meaning, surf on attention.

25. Do not drag this out. The best compliment for a master orator – finish the talk till the deadline. The destiny of damaged selfish people – fill time with the fake web of vanity.

26. End the speech. Unexpected end of a conversation triggers an attempt to get a smartphone saying: “Hello?” Long farewell causes discomfort, unexpected one – irritation.

27. Leave. The speech should hang in the air, ring in ears after applause. Moor did the task, Moor can leave.

Have interesting topics, grateful audiences, flashy presentations and let everything work out.

Author: Oleg Braginsky

Translation: Marina Alexandrova

Source: New Retail