Everybody wants to be a speaker! That is until you are called upon to deliver a keynote address to your colleagues or to the students who have sat under your influence. That’s when you begin sweating and the desire to speak slowly moves down the list of your future goals. Speaking takes courage, commitment and a bit of creativity. When I first started speaking over 25 + years ago, I intentionally took the course by Ken Davis no less than five times in my early days entitled, “Secrets of Dynamic Communication” (KenDavis.com). It was so powerful that I had my teams take the course also. I have since read this book countless times and still use the S.C.O.R.R.E. method of communication to this day. Ken’s work has helped me do just what he said it would do: “Prepare with Focus, Deliver with Clarity and Speak with Power”.
Another one of my favorite communicators is Sam Horn. I’m a big fan of the simplicity of her work and know you will be, too. Sam’s “Ted Talks” and books are examples of her brilliance. From the pages of notes that I have taken, here are three questions to ask yourself before delivering the speech you have worked so hard on.
- Is it Relatable?
- Is it Memorable?
- Is it Actionable?
If your answer to each of these very simple questions is a ‘yes’, then you have put in the hard work of delivering a powerful speech that is memorable and have given your audience something to act on.
There are many other great communicators out there to learn from. So, pick one or two speakers you can learn from and start working on developing and personalizing your craft. The next time you are asked to speak, you can answer with a confident ‘yes’!