Yes! I Want You to Write Your Speech!

I was working with a new client this week, and got the question I so often get from new clients:

Do I need to write out my speech?

This is usually followed by a set of reasons why they don't want to write it down - lack of time, a belief they are better on the fly, a concern they won't be able to memorize it, even a doubt that they are good enough writers to write a speech!

My answer is always YES! Write your speech! One big reason to write it is so you can EDIT it - which I wrote about in 2009.

One aspect of editing I didn't mention in that post is Creativity. When we write our speeches, our minds work as real-time editors, telling us even as we type that we can say something better. Our minds also have a capacity to creatively brainstorm as we write, and read what we write. To suggest better stories, better phrasings, allowing us to effectively write two or three versions of our speech as we go along, as opposed to ending up with just ONE version of the speech when we choose to wing it.

Writing the speech gives us a chance to apply mental sandpaper to our ideas - cutting unnecessary words, crafting our ideas into phrases that stick, and reducing stories from rambling diatribes to quick recollections built from dialogue instead of narrative.

Now, I have suggested an alternative to writing in the past, I admit. Wing the speech, record it, and transcribe it. Even that, ladies and gentlemen, is just another way to trick you into writing it, or at least reading what your transcriber put down to get your mind working as a creative editor.

Chances are you can cut between 25 to 50 percent of the words from any speech you don't write down once you get it on paper through transcription. That's 25 to 50 percent opportunity for you to increase your impact on your next audience, and 25 to 50 percent of oratory FAT that is wasting your last audience's time.

Don't cheat them, or yourself. YES! Write your speech. That doesn't mean memorize it, or read it (click here for my thoughts on using notes) - but buckle and and write it.


It's a basic step on your road to Speak & Deliver.

The Speakers Bureau Myth

One of the many myths about the speaking industry is that Speaking Bureaus will line your pockets with money, promote you to stardom, and remove any need for you to market yourself. Upcoming speakers like this myth. After all, it means all they have to do is come up with a message and deliver it well, with no other grunt work required. Sounds peachy, doesn't it?

If only it were true.

The hard truth is what your grandparents told you growing up: There's no such thing as a free lunch.

The even harder truth is what I'm going to tell you now: Speaker's Bureaus are not there to help you. They are there to help themselves. They are a business, after all, and if you aren't already easily bookable, they lose money with every minute they spend on you vs. a proven speakers.

The Myth is a Myth, unless...you fall into the following categories:

A. Celebrity - You're an athlete, authentic bestselling author, or have 19 Kids (and counting)
B. Important - Beyond celebrity, you were/are a U.S. President, war general, or CEO of a large company
C. Successful - In other words, you already get plenty of speaking engagements, and they can parlay your marketing efforts to line their own pockets by helping take over the marketing machine you've already built.

Sounds depressing, I know. The bottom line is this - Speaker's Bureaus won't help you until you don't need their help. New talent is a RISK for them, a LIABILITY. Known speakers give them both higher commissions and a more reliable result for their clients. In Godfather speak, it's not personal, it's business.

The above describes most large, reputable agencies, such as: ___________
(Interestingly, I put out a request for reputable agencies from my Facebook and Twitter friends and followers, and it resulted in only one actual recommendation. I'm sure reputable agencies exist - they just don't seem to be intent on marketing much.)

But the Myth goes deeper. There is a second tier of Bureaus lying in wait for beginning pros - waiting to pounce on your wallet by way of your dreams. Bureaus that, for "a small fee" will let you be featured on their website, and for "just a little more" will help you with your one-page, website, business card, and, if you act now for their "platinum package" will feature you on their front page spotlight. Oh goody!

These bureaus feast on your belief that "if I can just have the right one-sheet, I can get booked!" and "These people only make money when they book me, so they are working hard on my behalf". Umm...NO. They are making money by selling you their 'coaching and advice', their tired graphic templates and exaggerated web presence. And if, by some divine intervention, they book you, they'll still take 25% of your fee. At least.

Stay away from these folks. FAR AWAY.

Awhile ago, I mentioned on Facebook that "Friends don't let friends pay Speakers Bureaus". This isn't entirely true, of course. If a bureau actually gets you a gig you weren't on track to get without them, they've earned their commission - generally 25%. This can help you once you're already known and marketable. If you've got several agencies wanting to ride your coattails and booking you once or twice a month, the time and money you'll save in marketing efforts will make the commission worth it.

But if you're paying a bureau just for the right for them to market you, you're most likely spending good money just to feel like you're marketing. Instead of writing a check and waiting for your phone to ring, try the following tried and true methods instead.

1. Tell Your Friends. ALL your friends. You might be surprised how many people you know that don't even realize you're a speaker. We all have an average of 100 friends (of varying degrees) - and so do they. Let them know if they get you booked, you'll give THEM a commission. Even a referral reward may give them the extra incentive to get you your next event.

2. Pick Up the Phone! Yeah, I hate it too. But it's still a great way to meet people and let them know you're there to help them. Make five to ten calls a day to service clubs, associations, and large event planners, among others. Let them know you exist. Isn't your career worth an hour of uncomfortable calling a day? Just like speaking, you'll get better at it the more you do it!

3. Network. A great excuse to get out of the house and away from your computer screen. Chambers and Business groups are an obvious start. But you can also visit some of the very associations and service clubs you might want to call. You'll see what their meetings are like ahead of time, get connected with the right people, and gather some potential material to customize your presentation when they book you.

4. Email, Snailmail, FedEx. Somehow, get your one-sheets and videos in front of people. Even if they don't hire you, you'll be more familiar to them when you call them or meet them.

These are just 4 methods out of many (we haven't even touched on websites, video, social media...) that will be more effective than trying to convince a bureau, reputable or otherwise, to book you before you've hit it big.

We constantly read about how much money we can make as speakers. Financial success won't come without cost - it will take time and persistence to get yourself known and booked on a regular basis. The Speakers Bureau Myth will taunt and tempt you with its siren song. After all, who doesn't want a shortcut to success?

If you've had success (or have a speakers bureau horror story), please share your experiences. I would hope that someone, somewhere, has been helped by a bureau before hitting it big in their own right, and without losing their shirt in the process.

I just haven't heard of it yet...  In the meantime, go grab your next 'gig' - and then Speak & Deliver. Nothing markets you as well as you giving a great presentation that changes the future of your audience.

What is Public Speaking?

Public Speaking would seem easy to define, on the surface. My general take on this is if you are speaking and someone is going to hear it, it's public speaking.

But there are so many different shades to public speaking that I hear arguments from people all the time that sound like this "Oh, I don't do public speaking - I just ____________ (fill in 'talk to clients on the phone', 'give a report to my team', 'teach my Sunday school class') - it's not really public speaking..."

It's safe to say that Public Speaking is like an Ogre - because an Ogre, of course, is like an onion - they have layers.

These layers include, but are not limited to:

- Speaking in front of a large group
- Speaking in front of a small group
- Speaking to customers and vendors
- Speaking in a job or media interview
- Speaking in front of the water cooler
- Speaking to your children
- Speaking to your spouse
- Speaking to your friends

They also include:

- Teaching
- Training
- Preaching
- TV or Radio Announcing
- Stand Up Comedy
- Talking on the Phone
- Public Readings (bible verses, children's books, etc...)
- Webinars
- You Tube Videos
- Voiceover Work

These all require the same basic skills of speaking, in varying degrees. To say "I'm only giving a small report to my boss every week" isn't public speaking, people are selling themselves short, and often depriving themselves of a learning opportunity, by believing what they are doing isn't important enough to do better.

As a coach, I have worked with people from all walks of life, with a diverse range of goals:

- Restaurant wait staff needing better rapport with their diners
- Accountants who didn't want to be boring in front of their association
- Professionals wanting to impress at their next job interview
- Internet Marketers speaking and selling at a large, national conference
- Investment Brokers starting free seminars
- Multi-Level Marketing entrepreneurs expanding their selling skills

Last week, I worked with a company president to help him properly deliver a video voice-over to promote his company. Heck, I've even worked with an animal psychic!

No matter where you speak, who you are speaking to, or what you have to say, you are Public Speaking. When you are Public Speaking, you can always do it better. Find a coach. Join Toastmasters. Go to Dale Carnegie. Take a Community College course.

Invest in yourself. Invest in your audiences. No matter what layer of Public Speaking you are involved with, you want to Speak & Deliver. Everyone deserves it - be the best Ogre you can be!

Speechless.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Public Affairs 2nd Class Mike Hvozda.

10 Years Later...Still Speechless.

Toastmasters Friday: Where Leaders Are Made

Two new members joined my small club last night. They've both joined to gain confidence in their public speaking skills - one specifically to help with his accent and mastery of the English language. Both are assigned to positions of speaking and leadership next week - one's the timer, the other vote counter. Easy entry-level slots for new members.

Toastmasters is the preeminent organization worldwide for people to overcome their fear of public speaking and develop their skills as a speaker and communicator at a variety of levels. It also offers leadership training and leadership roles that can be directly transferable to the real world.

GASP! I know what you're thinking: "Rich, what happened to you hating 'Where Leaders Are Made'?" Don't worry, I still think it's incomplete and misleading. But - I've never said Toastmasters doesn't help create leaders.

Whether you are a timer or a vote counter, a club secretary or president, a district officer or an Int'l officer, you will have opportunities to lead. Even if all you are doing is counting votes, the fact that you took the job shows leadership to others, in that you are willing to step forward instead of sitting back and letting others run the show.

I've heard folks say we don't train leaders well, making the tagline a lie.  I disagree. While our leadership training is not as prevalent or obvious at the lower levels as the speaker training, at the higher levels the leadership training is, in some ways, MORE comprehensive than our speaking training. Once you become a District Public Relations Officer, Lt. Governor of Marketing or Education, and District Governor, training becomes frequent and robust.

Others say we don't have enough material to say we have a leadership program worth marketing. Yes and No. Certainly we have more information available about speaking than leading. More speaking awards that are measured and attainable. But leadership material exists. Those who actually read their CC and CL basic manuals will find plenty of information on how to be involved in leadership roles. The Successful Club series offers leadership training modules at the club level. We offer manuals for the club officers. And we can even talk to a mentor!

There is also a contingent who insist we have bad training and create bad leaders. Yes and No. Training can always improve, and we do have some bad leaders. But the training that exists is pretty strong as it is, and we have plenty of great leaders. In fact, the very act of leading will often create a polarizing atmosphere, with people coming down on both sides of the fence, one side saying "You're doing great", the other saying just the opposite. Welcome to leadership.

Toastmasters is, in large part, an exercise in self-direction. The information and opportunities to become great speakers exists, but not everyone leaves Toastmasters a great speaker. Some speakers who have been in Toastmasters for decades still might not have achieved a competence level as high as some who have been in a year and gone on to win a World Championship. Leadership is the same way.

In the same way, there are some lousy officers from the club level on up - folks that get by on doing as little as possible and get the credit anyway. And there are some amazing officers. Both have the same access to information and opportunity. If we don't create 100% great speakers and leaders, is it wholly on TM? Of course not.

Leadership comes in many forms. It will lead to disagreements. It will occasionally lead to taking a stand that divides the thoughts of others. It can also lead to compromise and common ground. Yes, Toastmasters is where leaders are made, even if they usually become speakers first.

If you are looking for an opportunity to lead, to practice leading, to learn leadership skills, to practice banging your head occasionally against brick walls, like leaders often do, Toastmasters is a great sandbox to do that in. Along the way, you'll most likely become a much better speaker than you are today, because you'll be forced to speak consistently throughout your leadership journey, even if you never give a manual speech (good luck becoming an officer without at least giving an Icebreaker...).

No, fellow Toastmasters, I don't disagree with the statement that Toastmasters is where leaders are made. And I still stand by my earlier posts and actions - marketing ourselves as leadership only isn't a great strategy, in my opinion. But I'm willing to find common ground, and least in my own little world.

Both new members started their journey the same way: visiting the club, introducing themselves, doing table topics once or twice, watching speeches and evaluations, and deciding to join. Speaking is the entry point to our organization 99% of the time, even if its just for people to come have a place TO speak, and they no longer fear the process. Leadership happens along the way, and often in gangbusters.

Toastmasters. Speak Today, Lead Tomorrow. Before you lead someone, your voice must be heard. 

Speak & Connect - It Goes Both Ways

Connection is a vital part of public speaking, yet it is often one of the last aspects of a presentation speakers think about. We can get caught up in our content, our slides, our gestures, our humor, our performance - and forget our audience is not there to watch us, they are there to listen to us.

In other words, you are not their as an actor - you are not separated by a fourth wall, be it the movie screen, television screen, or even the invisible screen between Broadway performers and their audiences.

Because they are there to listen, we need to make sure we connect to them by identifying with them. Notice I didn't say connecting with them by getting them to identify with US. Before they will identify with you and what you have to say, before you can bring them into YOUR presentation and message, they must know you understand them, that you know the message THEY have brought in the room.

What are you doing in the first few minutes of your presentation to let your audience know you 'get' them? That you aren't just some speaker brought in to spout off a few platitudes and sell some books?

An easy answer is 'Know Your Audience' - but it goes beyond interviewing employees and reading up on the company. It means grasping their pain and their joy, and sharing it with them enough that they know that you know that they know. You know?

Use humor, use a recent event they'll recognize, use a conversation you had with the CEO. Stop performing long enough to actually look into the audience and speak directly to them. Say something that signals to them that you are, if only for the next hour, a part of their organization, a part of their mindset.

Once you are part of them, they will be more willing to be a part of you, your presentation, and your message. Once you are a part of them, you are poised to Speak, & Deliver!

Toastmasters Thursday: Revisiting the Rebrand - and YES, I Still Love Toastmasters

This week I created a bit of a stir on my Facebook wall after announcing that I have stepped down from President from my home club and chosen to switch membership to a smaller club where I will not have an official leadership role - and that it was my feelings on the re-brand that led me to this decision.

A little background. Over the last few years, Toastmasters upper leadership has put in a new strategic plan, which included a re-brand of our organization. This re-brand was more than changing colors and updating a logo. This re-brand is designed to change the way our organization is perceived in the world.

For over 80 years, Toastmasters has been viewed as a place to overcome your fear of public speaking. If you wanted to speak at work, in church, or just in general, Toastmasters would get you over your fears - help your 'butterflies fly in formation' so to speak. TM does a spectacularly good job at this mission, and members join specifically for this benefit.

As people become more and more involved in the organization, they find themselves in a position to take leadership roles - a club officer, a district officer, even International Board positions. Because of the need for leadership in a worldwide organization, leadership became a co-existing, if somewhat secondary, aspect of Toastmasters. A formal leadership track was introduced, and over the years has continued to transform. It's still not as complete or comprehensive as the speaking track, but they are committed to continuing to 'beef it up'.

So committed in fact, that the re-brand has essentially changed the direction of the organization from a 'Speaking Organization that offers Leadership Training" to a "Leadership Organization that offers Speaking Training". The new tagline changes our first impression to the world from "come learn to speak" to "Toastmasters: Where Leaders Are Made".

This strikes me as a poor move for our organization for a few reasons:

1. After 80 years of marketing ourselves as a place to learn to speak, we are now marketing as a place to become a leader. This is a confusing message. If I want to be a speaker, does this mean Toastmasters is no longer the place to go? If I want to be a leader, and then go to a club where all I really see is speaking, am I the victim of a bait and switch?

2. The re-brand comes with no change in our leadership program. No new manuals, awards, programs. People keep saying "Rich, nothing has changed, your club won't feel a thing" essentially. Well, yeah, that's part of the problem. If the organization really wants to shift gears, then launch more than lip service. Launch an actual program. When people ask me what the re-brand means to them, and my only answer is "nothing yet, we just need to update our banner, lectern and website, and start telling people Toastmasters is Where Leaders are Made, it feels more than a little empty.

3. I don't think the organization is really intending to make speaking secondary - even if the marketing makes it look that way. If this is the case, then the marketing campaign needs to reflect the facts - that speaking and leadership training exist in Toastmasters on a level plane. Don't toss aside our speaking message just to push leadership. Push them together. To use a very tired cliche - don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

4. IF, and this is a BIG IF, Toastmasters really does want to make leadership the primary component of our organization, then our programs and clubs and culture will be changing drastically over the next 5-10 years. We will essentially go from building cars to building planes. And, IF this is what they want to do, so be it - but it won't be an organization I want to belong to any longer. But again, that's a BIG IF, and I tend to think #3 is closer to reality.

So, why did I step down as a president and switch clubs? Did I do it to 'stick it to the organization'? Uh, no. Don't think they would really care anyway. Did I do it to 'stick it to our local Brand Ambassador'? Uh, no. He's a friend of mine - and we agree to disagree.

I did it because I disagree with the move to the point that I couldn't be a good little footsoldier/mouthpiece for the organization in a leadership role. That's just not my personality, for good or bad. For the good of the club, they needed a leader willing to buy in to the new direction.

Did I need to leave the club? Probably not. But there's another club closer to my location that is rebuilding, and they need some experienced members. I don't need to officially 'lead' as a TM leader, but I can lead as a speaker, and experienced TM, without getting mixed up in what TM wants me to say or think about the organization.

I still recommend Toastmasters for those who want to overcome their fear of public speaking, or get feedback on speaking they already do. I owe a lot to Toastmasters for leading me to my current avocation as a speaker and coach. If TM changes to the degree I mention in Scenario #4, I probably won't be around for it - because it won't be the organization I knew, or owe the debt to. Until that doomsday scenario plays out, I'm still a Toastmaster - a speaker and a mentor to the best of my ability.

Many of you will disagree with my viewpoint on the branding, my choice to step down and switch clubs so that I can change my role in the organization. I've been called out as a quitter in public by a few. That's fine. Many of you will agree with me as well. Perhaps a Board Member or two will run across this post, and revisit the plan. Perhaps not. In the end, I did what I felt was right for my club, for me, and even for the good of Toastmasters. We all are entitled to our opinions - and if you disagree with me, that's OK. It's also OK that I disagree with YOU - and hopefully we can all be friends anyway.

My long-term hope for Toastmasters is that this over-correction in course comes back to center - and that our marketing message again reflects who we are and what we do. Speaking AND Leadership vs. Leadership which includes Speaking. It's Marketing 101 - sell to your strength, then up-sell. Even McDonald's, which has been working on going upscale with its coffeehouse branding continues to sell its core - consistent fast food at a low price. Toastmasters offers inexpensive speaking training, and if you want a leadership latte, we have that too.

Toastmasters: Where Leaders Are Made? Yeah, sort of. Truthfully, I believe its: Toastmasters, Where Speakers are Made, and Given the Chance to Be Leaders - If They Are So Inclined.