Session Date: August 18, 2005
Annual Meeting Session Summary: Power Public Speaking
By James Paribello
Communications Specialist, Washington House Democratic Caucus
This summary is provided for information purposes only. NCSL does not endorse any views it contains.
SEATTLE – A packed room of legislators and staff learned how to polish their public speaking skills at the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2005 Annual Meeting. Curt Stedron, of DAIS Consulting in Colorado, shared the keys to getting a point across successfully and making that message stick.
Giving a good speech starts before well before one steps up to the lectern. There is much prep work to be done. The first step, explained Stedron, is defining the purpose as well as the position of your speech. It should be easily summed up in one sentence. Then you’ll need the research and evidence to back up your argument.
Next comes the bare bones outline containing your thesis or position, the problem, how it must be solved, and the “call to action,” or what you want the audience to do. It’s best to choose some engaging devices to illustrate your point; a metaphor, quote, or some compelling statistics to draw your audience in.
Now it’s time to get to writing. Stedron calls this step “putting the meat on the bones.” Contrary to popular belief, Stedron teaches his audience to start with the main body of the speech.
“Beginning at the beginning,” he claims, “is a recipe for writer’s block.”
The body of the speech should contain three main parts: 1. the background information, where the problem is defined; 2. the solution you propose and why it’s better than the alternative; and 3. the call to action and how the audience will benefit by supporting your cause.
Once the body is finished, it’s time to write the introduction, again in three parts. First, you want to gain the audience’s attention – that’s where the snappy quote or shocking statistic comes in. Follow that with a link to your thesis and then clearly and succinctly state your position.
The conclusion is much like the introduction in reverse: state your position; review briefly your main body (the problem, proposal, and call to action); then, if possible, return to your pithy quote or metaphor to wrap it up nicely.
Once your speech is done on paper, it’s time to focus on delivery, which Stedron says can be just as important as the content itself. By making examples of a few nervous audience members, Stedron illustrated the importance of eye contact, movement, volume and energy, and varying pitch, pace, and volume. These actions gain and keep the audience’s attention.
To maximize the audience’s comprehension of the subject matter, Stedron has a couple of ideas. Gestures and visual aids emphasize main points and reinforce the “big picture,” while repetition and a question-and-answer session can hammer the message home if there is still any doubt left in the minds of the audience. It’s also important to remember who you’re speaking to; an elementary school won’t grasp the intricacies of health care policy, and a group of seniors won’t likely understand your reference to the Olsen twins.
Stedron ended his presentation by discussing some of the keys to managing the fear most feel when speaking publicly. Gone is the notion of imagining your audience in their underwear – that’s neither a pretty picture nor very helpful. Same with the “avoid-eyes-by-looking-at-foreheads” trick; it does nothing but lose the audience who can certainly tell you’re not looking them in the eye.
A few helpful tips to reducing that nervousness are:
- Move. Whether you use your hands or walk out from behind the lectern, it burns off nervous energy;
- Change your mindset. You’re “talking with” your audience, rather than “talking to’ them;
- Be brief. Keep it short. Punch it home. Get it over with.
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
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