Express to Impress

Citation preview

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

Dedication To my lovely family members who have stood by me through thick and thin all these years, I would not have made it this far without you. My Dad, Albert Tay My Mum, Elaine Seow And my Brother, Derrick Tay

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

Disclaimer All the information, techniques, skills and concepts contained within this publication are based on the experiences of the author and of the nature of general comment only; and are not in any way recommended as individual advice. The intent is to offer a variety of information to provide a wider spectrum of choices now and in the future. Should any reader choose to make use of the information contained herein, the contributors, authors and publishers do not assume any responsibilities whatsoever under any conditions or circumstances. It is recommended that the reader obtain their own independent advice as we all have widely diverse circumstances and viewpoints. This book includes hypertext links to other sites on the World Wide Web that are neither owned by, controlled by, sponsored by, nor endorsed by the Author and the Publisher. These links are provided for reference and education purposes only and they are nothing more than just a simple text link. The Author and Publisher take no responsibility for the availability, views, content, or accuracy of this information, nor endorse any content or products that may be advertised or noted on these hyperlinked websites. By using the hypertext links in this book, the user acknowledges and accepts that the Author and Publisher are not responsible for any materials stored on hyperlinked sites, nor are liable for any inaccurate, defamatory, offensive, or illegal materials found on hyperlinked websites. By using these hypertext links, the user assumes all risks associated with the use of the linked sites, including any risk to his or her computer, software or data being damaged by any virus, software, or any other file which might be transmitted or activated via a web page on the sites the user has access to it. The Author and the Publisher shall not be liable for any special, incidental 4

Disclaimer

or consequential damages, including, without limitation, lost revenues or lost profits, resulting from the use or misuse of the information contained in the linked sites. The Author and Publisher expressly disclaim liability to any person for the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whether whole or partial upon any part of the contents of this publication.

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

Kudos to Express to Impress Darren is a highly motivated, charismatic and focused individual who have won numerous public speaking and debating awards and accolades. I am really excited about “Express to Impress” – an embodiment of Darren’s speaking experiences accumulated over the years. I highly encourage you to pick up this book, whether you are learning more about public speaking or are seeking to perfect your public speaking techniques. All the best, Darren! Bryan Ong Motivational Speaker, It’s I’MPOSSIBLE Group Bestselling Author of “It’s I’MPOSSIBLE” Founder, ToGather.Asia

Once in a while you meet someone with tremendous talents in all aspects of his life. I first met Darren when he joined the Punggol Toastmasters club in which I was the Chartered President. I found him to be charismatic, charming and articulate with a maturity beyond his age. Not only is he a brilliant student, he is also a very capable leader and a great orator. In the last few years, he has won many contests in the speaking arena. As in everything that he undertakes, he has written this book infused with

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Kudos to Express to Impress

considerable passion and talents. I wish him well. Patricia Lum, DTM Founder of The Style Factor Image Consultancy Toastmasters International President Citation Award 2011

Darren is a great speaker, his book “Express to Impress” is valuable to a range of readers, from those who seek to improve office presentation to those who are competing in public speaking contests. The book’s language skills section allows readers to instantly improve grammatical accuracy and build vocabulary. A solid book! Vincent LIM Boon Seng, CPA Singapore, FCCA, MBA, DTM Regional Financial Controller of Motorola Solutions, Author of “Common Sense Service Measurement”, Champion of 2009 People’s Association Humorous Speech Challenge Cup.

Looking for ways to enhance your public speaking skills? “Express to Impress” is all you need. Award winning speaker, Darren Tay, has revealed his trade secret on delivering effective speeches for optimal impact. Read it, apply it & unleash your potential! Mavis Lai President, Punggol Toastmasters Club Term 2012-2013 Toastmasters International

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

Darren is to public speaking as Mozart is to music. An experienced speaker and debater, with sharp observation, clear thinking, and concise speaking, Darren had won numerous awards in Toastmasters speeches contests as well as accolades from participants of his language workshops and motivational seminars. He has developed proven, thoughtful communication techniques and skills that will give you holistic understanding of the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of public speaking. Darren’s communication platform tools will teach you to use the right message at the right time for the right audience with clarity and consistency. His book “Express to Impress” is a treasure trove for aspiring public speakers. Chia Choon Kiat, CC, CL Division S Governor Term 2011-2012 Toastmasters International

Darren is a splendid and dynamic young speaker. I remember the first time I heard him speak and was immediately amazed at his polished and professional way of stating his points across. Darren is definitely someone whom I would readily recommend as a master of speaking. I am excited to know that Darren has written this book - it will help all those who want to excel as successful speakers! Mohamad Saddiq, ACG, ALB Division Z Public Relations Officer Term 2011-2012 Toastmasters International

Darren is a champion speaker! It took him thousands of hours of practice to be where he is today. However, with the secrets revealed in the book “Express to Impress”, it will shorten your learning curve tremendously. I find his book really useful and would strongly recommend you to buy it for yourself and friends!

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Kudos to Express to Impress

Jimmy Chua, CC, CL Vice-President Membership, Punggol Toastmasters Club Term 2011-2012 Toastmasters International

“Express to Impress” is a practical handbook for Toastmasters and others who aspire to improve their public speaking skills. This book covers from the inspirational to informative; persuasive to humorous; and evaluation to impromptu speeches. Darren has also shared techniques on how to craft a winning speech for contests, and crafting an effective speech for optimal impact to effect change. Included in this book are various segments on the English language skills such as: words often mispronounced and misenunciated; literary devices to make the language colourful; grammar and vocabulary building. I would say that “Express to Impress” is definitely a comprehensive starter kit for Toastmasters. Goh Sor Hoon, ACG, ALB

Darren’s ability to express and articulate his thoughts have made him one of the rising starts in our industry. His vast bank of knowledge in the field of public speaking is expansive, and shows both maturity of thought as well as a sound mastery of his skill. Being both a speech champion and an educator, he demonstrates our craft with amazing deft. I strongly recommend this as a good read for anyone looking for a sound yet fun grounding in the art of expressing yourself. Rodrigues Crispin Area D2 Governor Term 2011-2012 Toastmasters International 9

“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

I have seen a wealth of young talented Toastmasters coming to the fore and taking up Toastmasters Club and District Officers appointments as well as winning speech contests. Darren Tay, one of our young gems, is well on his way to be an award winning orator of the Toastmasters mould. He is also a highly sought after evaluator at Club Chapter Meetings and Public Speaking and Communications workshops. I am delighted that Darren Tay has embarked on his book, “Express to Impress” and I am sure it will go down well with the general public and those who aspire to be speakers and communicators of substance and merit. Michael Rodrigues, DTM

Darren never fails to mesmerise audiences with his amazing oratorical prowess! Definitely the person to turn to for tips and tricks for effective public speaking and debating. As a toastmaster, Darren has helped many fellow members discover their great potential for better speaking. And so with his new book, many more people will be able to take a leaf from Darren’s treasure trove of best practices. Mohamad Saddiqi, ACG, ALB Division Z Governor Term 2012-2013 Toastmasters International

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

First Published July 2012 Copyright © 2012 Darren Tay All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, Public Speaking Academy.

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience Author: Darren Tay Publisher: Public Speaking Academy Cover Design and Layout: Fadhzli Website: www.publicspeakingacademy.com.sg Email: [email protected]

Printed in Singapore 12

Content Page Foreword

15

Introduction

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Chapter 1:

The 5 Greatest Myths of Public Speaking

25

Chapter 2:

Understanding the Different Genres of Speech

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Chapter 3:

10 Habits of Highly Effective Public Speakers

45

Chapter 4:

How to Ace your Impromptu Speech

73

Chapter 5:

How to Tickle your Audience with an Excellent Humorous Speech

87

Chapter 6:

Mastering the Evaluation Speech

101

Chapter 7:

Secrets to Excel in any Interviews

113

Chapter 8:

Master-of-Ceremony

119

Chapter 9:

Presentation with Visual Aids (PowerPoint Presentation)

125

Chapter 10:

Espla(nade) or Espla(nard)? Language comes alive!

131

Chapter 11:

Key Techniques for Non-Verbal Communication

149

Conclusion

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Foreword

Foreword Giving presentations is part and parcel of life. Whether you are a student, an executive, an entrepreneur, you are required to deliver presentations both internally, to your teachers, staff and teammates, and externally, to your clients, stakeholders and public at large. Not only are you required to inform, you are expected to influence and inspire. With so much riding on your presentation ability, you want to make sure that you are fully prepared to deliver any forms of presentation, be it formal or informal. Many years ago, Warren Buffett was asked this question, “How does one succeed in the corporate world?” His answer, “Master public speaking skills”. Even our former Education Minister, Dr Ng Eng Hen concurs. In one of his speeches, he reminded students that “the ability to communicate well will give [them] that added edge to compete in a globalised world.” So now that you are convinced about the importance of mastering public speaking skills, how do you go about doing so? One way of course is to build up your knowledge in this area. “Express to Impress” will be a good start because you will be learning from the author, Darren Tay, who has the experience of speaking in front of a large audience. By reading his book, you get to avoid the mistakes he made and adopt the strategies that have worked well for him. However, reading is not enough. You got to take massive amount of action! The best swimmers are always in the pool while the best tennis players are always at the court. Hence if you want to be the best speaker you can ever be, you got to always be on the stage. That means, you have to find every opportunity to practice the skill. Join a local Toastmasters club. Volunteer to host at your friend’s wedding. Ask a question at a business conference. Offer to facilitate a meeting at work. The list goes on. As long as you are clocking 15

“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

stage time, you will get good at public speaking and enjoy all the benefits that accompany it. Here’s wishing you all the best in your journey towards mastering public speaking and I look forward to hearing your breakthroughs! Eric Feng Public Speaking Coach Bestselling Author of Get To The Point ® (sold 12,000 copies till date) www.ericfeng.com

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Foreword

Foreword When I first met Darren 2 years ago, my impression of him was a highly successful public speaker and a highly motivated individual who is highly passionate in one area: public speaking. When I asked about his plans, he immediately mentioned about a public speaking guide book that he was working on. And now, fast-forward to 2 years later, this amazing publication has finally come to fruition. As a fellow author and public speaker myself, I am deeply honoured and proud to be writing this foreword. Persuasion to humour to inspirational and even impromptu speech, this guide book contains everything you need to know about impressing your audience. I am sure that this guide book will provide invaluable advice and tips for anyone seeking to improve their public speaking skills. If you are looking to embark on your public speaking journey, this is definitely by far one of the best public speaking guide books out there. And by guide book, it simply means that you can always count on it to be your useful aide whenever you need to acquire new or refresh your techniques on public speaking. Congratulations to Darren on “Express to Impress” and to you, for picking up this book. Go on. Start reading and surprise yourself. Bryan Ong Motivational Speaker, It’s I’MPOSSIBLE Group Bestselling Author of “It’s I’MPOSSIBLE” Founder, ToGather.Asia

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Foreword

Foreword Some are born with the gift of the gap while others are just born with a yawning gap. Some people are able to talk the birds off a tree while others talk like birds; you hardly understand a word they’re saying. In this fast paced hi-tech world, good communication skills remain unequivocally critical in all aspects of our lives. Good public speaking skills thus become an inherently valuable asset to acquire. Good writing skills do not necessarily accompany good speaking skills. As a public speaking professional myself, I appreciate how difficult it is to possess both skills. To be able to possess both skills require extraordinary talent. To use one’s good writing skills to guide others towards good speaking skills stretches that talent considerably and is nothing short of brilliance. “Express to Impress” is the product of that extraordinary talent. It teaches and guides the reader in a clear, comprehensive and interesting manner to enhance one’s speaking skills. The different approaches used in this book both enlighten and humour the reader to the point where repeated readings of the book by the reader become au naturel. Darren Tay, the highly talented author of this book, is a debater, speaker and author. He has put together a book to all who need to or want to raise their speaking skills a few notches. Covering every aspect, Darren’s “Express to Impress” not only guides you through the complexities of good speeches, it helps you overcome any lingering fears of conveying a clear message to your audience. It is a comprehensive guide to speak, argue, debate or simply impress your audience. If there is any deficiency in this book, it is that it does not teach you how to make your husband listen to you when you’re talking to him. I congratulate Darren on this excellent book. I will certainly be recommending 19

“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

it to my public speaking students, whatever their public speaking backgrounds or standards may be. Patricia Lum, DTM Founder of The Style Factor Image Consultancy www.thestylefactor.biz Toastmasters International President Citation Award 2011

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Introduction

Introduction Most guidebooks on Public Speaking typically start off with an introduction showcasing the dynamism, professionalism and enthusiasm of the speakers: how they shine on stage with their long list of accolades and achievements. The benefit of doing so is to establish a hierarchy of authority right from the start such that a teacher-student relationship is established between the author and the reader. However, I take a different approach. I will like to share with you my story: how I started out as a diffident individual who had problems answering questions in the quintessential classroom before my metamorphosis into a confident public speaker who has won numerous International and National Public Speaking Competitions. My main impetus for doing so is to motivate and inspire you: that anyone can be a successful public speaker. One of the greatest myths of public speaking is that you will need to be a natural talent before you can speak well. That assertion is very much contrary to the truth as apparent from the multitude of case studies which I will share with you later in this book. When I was in Secondary One, I was an extremely shy individual. Whenever my teachers asked a question, I would always avoid establishing eye contact with him/ her. Unfortunately, the evasive eye contact was often the reason I was singled out to answer questions posed by my teachers in class. For group project work, I was relieved to be assigned background work that did not involve me standing before a classroom of forty and delivering an oral presentation. The clicking of the mouse, designing of the vanguard sheet, and editing of group written reports became the norm. When I advanced to Secondary Two, I recall vividly that my Civics and Moral Education teacher Ms Abey asked me “Darren, have you ever heard yourself speak before a class of forty? Would you like to try that in this fire safety 21

“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

project?” I simply smiled and shook my head shyly. However, the night before the actual day of my presentation, Ms Abey’s words of encouragement swam in my mind like leaves swooning in a raging tempest. A mixture of anxiety and excitement coursed through my entire being like waters in the river that has thrown the dam gates wide open. I mustered all the courage I had in my arsenal of imagination and did a rehearsal of the oral presentation in front of a mirror. I was ready. The following day, I decided to give it a shot. I stood in front of my classmates and delivered what I had rehearsed the day before. At the end of my presentation, I could never forget what Ms Abey said. She faced the class and commented “Class, that is how you all should present next time.” I was ecstatic. My efforts paid off. On hindsight, I realized that it is not about whether I had excelled in the oral presentation at that point in time. Rather, it was the first step forward that I took beyond my comfort zone that truly mattered. Two weeks after my oral presentation, Ms Abey asked me to do a book review on “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” in the school library. She invited three of her English Language classes as well as the Debate Teacherin-Charge, English Language Head-of-Department and the School Principal to support my debut performance. It was through this exposure that I was shortlisted as a member of the school debating team and I have been running my mouth ever since. At the end of the day, it is important to grab the opportunities available to us and push ourselves beyond the limits. It is only by overcoming our fears of stepping beyond our self-circumscribed boundaries and comfort zone that we will be able to ride on the momentum and strive for betterment. Once overcoming the inertia, the next step is to practise diligently. 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix, says it best: Stage time, Stage time, Stage time. We gain competency and eventually, mastery, not merely by reading public speaking books and listening to great speeches, but through hours and hours of actual speaking. The art of Public Speaking parallels that of any other sport such as swimming and cycling. You cannot learn swimming or cycling by simply watching someone else do it or by reading a book. You will have to actually do 22

Introduction

it; practise it. This book is not intended to be the sole source of help for readers to improve their public speaking skills. It is highly recommended that readers who seek to enhance their own public speaking skills grab every single opportunity to speak (be it at the office or in school) for their personal growth. Joining a local Toastmasters club is highly beneficial as the environment allows for individuals to learn in a mutually supportive environment where making mistakes and learning from them are celebrated. This book covers the techniques to excel in Prepared speeches, Impromptu speeches, Evaluation Speeches, Humorous Speeches, Emceeing, Interviews, the use of the English Language and Non-Verbal communication. Under each section, the real-life application of the skills will be elucidated for enhanced performance in the workplace, professional meetings, schools, social functions, conventions and award ceremonies etc. The utilisation of hypertext links to online videos accelerates the learning process by engaging the reader to view the skills/ techniques employed. Picture illustrations will also be included in some chapters, especially that on Non-Verbal Communication, which will serve as excellent visual aids to enhance the learning experience, quite unlike most other public speaking books in your local bookstores. I hope that you will benefit from the techniques elucidated in this book as you apply them in your respective fields/ disciplines. Champion speakers are not born overnight; the art of public speaking needs to be diligently polished and fine-tuned consistently. It is through the adherence to the maxim “Stage time, Stage time, Stage time” and the effective use of the techniques expounded in this book, will you then be able to deliver your next speech that will enthrall, entertain and engage any audience.

Let us all EXPRESS TO IMPRESS!

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Chapter 1: The 5 Greatest Myths of Public Speaking

Chapter 1

The 5 Greatest Myths of Public Speaking

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

Chapter 1

The 5 Greatest Myths of Public Speaking

Myth #1 In Public Speaking, it is nature and not nurture. We often hear people say things like “You need to be born talented in music to be a famous musician”, “You need to be born with high IQ to ace your examinations”, and “You need to be born talented to become a professional speaker.” On top of that, we have individuals reinforcing our beliefs by showing us examples of child prodigies such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Albert Einstein; that is “nature and not nurture”. However, the above cannot be further away from the truth. Take Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart for instance. He was hailed as the music genius of all times who had composed over six hundred works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, operatic and choral music. Mozart composed music pieces at the age of five and performed before European royalty then. In light of the above, it would appear that there is a prima facie case for the mis-conceived notion “nature over nurture”. However, truth be told, Mozart’s first composed music was later discovered to be of “average” quality in the words of leading experts in the field. Moreover, Mozart was able to attain music competency and subsequently, mastery, at such a young age due to the background work he invested which was often invisible to the eyes of the public. Mozart invested up to fourteen hours a day practising on the piano and violin. His father, who was also a prolific musician, trained him hard and brought him to perform at various places. In fact, it was the many hours of practice that propelled Mozart to music stardom. Malcolm Gladwell, author of the International Bestseller, “Outliers”, argues persuasively that if an individual were to invest 26

if an individual were to invest 10,000 hours of his time into executing a particular skill, he will be an expert at it.

Chapter 1: The 5 Greatest Myths of Public Speaking

10,000 hours of his time into executing a particular skill, he will be an expert at it. This proposition was supported by studies of successful icons such as Bill Gates, The Beatles and Robert Oppenheimer. Hence, it is true to a large extent to state that Mozart attained his musical mastery through the 10,000 hours invested in perfecting the art and skill. Likewise, in Public Speaking, it is nurture and not nature that matters.

Myth #2 It is possible to make the butterflies in my stomach fly away. Many people often wonder in bewilderment and awe: how is it that great speakers like US President Barack Obama can speak with panache? I bet he does not feel nervous at all. Contrary to popular belief, even with great speakers, they feel nervous all the time. Studies have shown that the greatest fear of an average person is Public Speaking; death is ranked fourth! This fear continues to accompany speakers, no matter how experienced they are. In an interview, Barack Obama shared that he feels nervous on stage all the time. World Champions of Public Speaking like Darren LaCroix, Ed Tate and Jim Key all echo the same thing. The bottom-line is: it is not possible to make the butterflies in the stomach fly away. However, it IS possible to make those butterflies fly in formation. The key is with sufficient it IS possible to make those butterflies fly in practice and employing the essential verbal and nonformation. verbal communication techniques to eclipse the physical and psychological manifestation of such ubiquitous fear or anxiety. The essential verbal and non-verbal communication techniques will be elucidated in the subsequent few chapters.

Myth #3 That speech champion is unbeatable! I can remember vividly, clearly and nostalgically the words of 2004 1st Runner-up of the World Championship of Public Speaking, Douglas Kruger: 27

“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

“There is no such thing as the unbeatable contestant.” He explained later that after attaining the coveted title of World No. 2 in the 2004 World Championship of Public Speaking, he lost the following year at the club contest level (in the Toastmasters Circuit, the progression of the speech contest follows from the Club level, to the Area level, Division level, District level, Regional, and culminating in the Grand Finals). Douglas Kruger’s point was that even in the face of a seemingly insurmountable obstacle (or unbeatable contestant), the success of one’s performance is measured at that point in time and not the history of accolades and achievements. Simply put, the World No. 1 in Public Speaking can still lose out to a less experienced speaker should the World No. 1 not be on form on that particular day or fail to capture the hearts of the audience at that particular frame of time as compared to his less experienced counterpart. Hence, the next time you face a World No. 1 or a highly accomplished speaker, tell yourself to do your very best. After all, it is that particular performance that matters and not what had happened or how good your opponent was in the past.

Myth #4 Public Speaking offers no real/ tangible utility in reality. It is at best a performing art. The words “Public Speaking” often conjure in the minds of many stage performances, speech contests or debate tournaments. However, “Public Speaking” is very often employed in our daily lives; arguably, more often than eating and drinking! We see “Public Speaking” skills utilised when we give our food orders to the staff at the local McDonalds; greeting our teachers at school; catching up with a good friend over coffee; making a phone call to a client; and even persuading your parents to reward you with the latest Playstation 3 console! In fact, the importance of “Public Speaking” is frequently and commonly understated. A good friend of mine, Eric Feng, started out writing his first book: The FAQ of Public Speaking upon graduating from the National University of Singapore. Eric told his participants at the Toastmasters International District 80 Annual 28

Chapter 1: The 5 Greatest Myths of Public Speaking

Convention 2011 Speech Workshop that initially, he had hardly any luck in the sale of his book. It was only when he collaborated and co-authored the book with Irene Ang (who is a renowned entrepreneur in Singapore) did the sales volume increase and made the book the Bestselling Book in Singapore. A few years later, when Eric asked Irene why she decided to help him in his endeavour, Irene replied: “Because I like you”. Eric explained further that Irene was captivated by the excellent first impression that Eric made: the great first impression was a cocktail of good eye contact, firm handshake, smile on Eric’s face and well-thought out conversation starters. Eric was able to make a good first impression with his sterling public speaking skills such that Irene gave Eric a cohesive working opportunity. Truly, Eric was able to ride on the shoulders of a giant in the industry In this society, it is no longer people buying and succeed thereafter. In this society, it is no things. Rather, it is people longer people buying things. Rather, it is people buying people. buying people. A good grasp of the core set of public speaking skills will accentuate the propensity for success in this society.

Myth #5 It is alright to mess things up. I am sure the audience will understand. The “safety net” or “insurance” for failure is not to assert that the audience will definitely understand if you mess up on stage, but rather to put in the conscientious effort to practise and rehearse more for greater likelihood of success. We have to understand that the audience has taken time off their busy schedules to listen to your speech. It is only professional for us to reciprocate by value-adding to their personal development either through an inspirational sharing or informative teaching. It is no excuse for us to use “I am sure the audience will understand” to compensate for our lack of rehearsal, commitment and respect for the occasion.

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Chapter 2: Understanding the Different Genres of Speech

Chapter 2

Understanding the Different Genres of Speech

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“Express to Impress”

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Chapter 2

Understanding the Different Genres of Speech

There are many different genres of speech: informative, persuasive, motivational and/ or inspirational, entertaining and/ or humorous, specialty, narrative and/ or personal recount. It is important to be aware of the different genres of speech right from the beginning so that the objectives can be met with the appropriate selection of speech communication tools. In this chapter, the different genres of speech will be expounded and analysed in the following order: Objectives, Examples applied in reality, specific pointers to enhance your skills in the relevant genres. Before we delve deeper into the different genres of speech, it is important to address some underlying assumptions taken in the analysis so as not to leave the readers baffled or worse, misled. Firstly, the advice proffered here is based on the assumption that the different genres of speech are in fact prepared speeches, i.e. the presenter or speaker has the luxury of time to prepare and craft, rehearse and probably even memorise a speech for a specific purpose. This is unlike the impromptu speech which entails a different set of skills; skills that will be explored in Chapter 4. Secondly, the structure and outline explored in the different genres of speech are by no means exhaustive and may be used in tandem with other skills appropriate for the specific occasion. More importantly, the skills advocated in one genre of speech are by no means mutually exclusive from the other genres of speech as some may be highly relevant or complementary to one another. It is strongly advised that the reader exercises his/ her discretion in the application of the skills rather than take a blanket or a blind approach in the utility of the skills. In this chapter, the informative, persuasive, inspirational and narrative 32

Chapter 2: Understanding the Different Genres of Speech

speeches will be explored. The humorous and specialty speeches will be dealt with in the subsequent chapters.

The Informative Speech Objective(s): As the name suggests, an informative speech is meant to apprise the audience of a particular subject matter. Characteristic(s): It is often organised in a structured manner, aimed to provide clarity in the transmission of knowledge. The provision of information (in the form of words and/ or visual aids) allows for the audience to be armed with the necessary know-how, thereby empowering them to make an informed decision. Examples of informative speeches applied in reality: 1. An assembly talk on the organisation of a school’s sporting event 2. A medical talk on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases 3. A teacher conducting a PowerPoint presentation on the process of photosynthesis 4. Explaining to a child where babies come from 5. Guiding a friend on how to ride a bicycle by finding the right balance Key techniques to improve your informative speech: #1- Have adequate sign-posting Scientific studies have shown that our human brain can process information at a rate much faster than the words delivered from the mouth of the speaker. It follows naturally that there is a high propensity for the audience to multi-task while listening to a speech. More often than not, the minds of the audience drift to another topic remotely related to the subject matter delivered by the speaker. It is no wonder information leakage is common; where the audience find themselves lost in the midst of a lecture upon recovery from their digression.

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

This problem of “mind-drifting” is further exacerbated by the fact that there is no “re-wind” switch for a speech. Unlike the process of reading a book where readers are given the luxury of going back to the preceding chapter should they miss out on the crux of the story, it is not possible for the recipients of a speech to re-wind and go back to what was said earlier. Consequently, the audience can be lost without adequate sign-posting. The technique of sign-posting serves as intermediate checkpoints that allow for the audience to know where the speaker has stopped and in what direction will the speaker progress on. A sign-post is akin to a mental summary of key points in the speaker’s speech for optimal assimilation of information shared. An example of good sign-posting is as follows: Ladies and Gentlemen, there are 3 reasons why we should eat chocolates. Firstly, it is good for health; secondly, it is delicious; and thirdly, it is reasonably priced. Allow me now to move on to my first reason, chocolates are good for health……having dealt with my first reason which is that chocolates are good for health, allow me to move on to my second reason, chocolates are delicious……having dealt with my second reason which is that chocolates are delicious, allow me to move on to my final point… You get my point. Hence, remember that sign-posting is crucial in an informative speech if you do not wish to lose your audience.

#2- Informative speeches can be riveting as well if you make them so Many of us have a common misconception of informative speech: that they are boring and will definitely put the audience to sleep. After all, who would like to listen to the incessant droning of facts related to obesity or relentless nagging on the benefits of exercising? However, informative speeches can be made interesting by using the following: a. Avoid bombastic words where possible. When there is a simple alternative to an otherwise obfuscating word, use it. Instead of “Can I pass you my 34

Chapter 2: Understanding the Different Genres of Speech

sporting paraphernalia tomorrow?” use “Can I pass you my sporting equipment tomorrow?”Instead of “the conundrum that lies before us requires the quintessential rock-paper-scissors method to resolve”, use “the dilemma that lies before us can be resolved with the typical rock-paperscissors method”. Instead of “Notwithstanding the great Singapore sale, there was a decrease in the aggregate sales volume”, use “In spite of the great Singapore sale, there was a decrease in the overall sales volume”. b. Use your non-verbal communication to add colour to your speech. Spice things up with more dynamic body language, varied vocals (including but not limited to volume, pitch and pace), pauses and more frequent eye contact. The non-verbal communication techniques will be explored in Chapter 11. c. Humorise to Humanise. This technique was advocated by the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix. He suggested that the utility of humour in speeches, such as informative speeches, can be very useful to engage the audience more effectively. For more techniques on how to craft a humorous speech/ incorporate a humorous element into a speech, peruse Chapter 5.

#3- Make use of visual aids such as a flipchart, PowerPoint Presentation and/ or Skit As the famous saying goes “A Picture paints a thousand words”. Following the preceding maxim will aid you in becoming a more dynamic and powerful informative speech speaker as it optimizes audience receptivity and understanding of the subject matter at hand.

The Persuasive Speech Objective(s): the primary purpose of a persuasive speech is to influence the audience to adopt the speaker’s paradigm (way of thinking) which engenders a 35

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desired action. A persuasive speaker aims to bring the target audience from the present state of mind to the desired state of mind. The ultimate goal is arguably, for the audience to accept the speaker’s proposition. Characteristic(s): Persuasive speeches often utilise reasons, logic and emotions to sway the personal beliefs of an individual. Powerful emotive words such as “appeal”, “conviction”, “ought to”, “let us all” can be readily observed in a quintessential persuasive speech.

Examples of Persuasive speeches applied in reality: 1. A salesman persuading a client to purchase an insurance policy from him 2. A young child making a case for his mother to buy him the latest Playstation console 3. A lawyer fighting a case in court on behalf of his client 4. An upset customer demanding for a refund on defective goods 5. A leader exhorting his followers to a cause of action Key techniques to improve your Persuasive Speech: #1- Adopt the following speech structure: a. Identify the need of the audience- it is important to highlight the ‘need’ of the audience so that there is a desire to have that ‘need’ satisfied. Often, this ‘need’ is a phenomenon that causes pain or hurt. Such ‘needs’ can be expressed as “a fear for public speaking that needs to be ameliorated”, “a painful toothache that yearns to be treated”, “a starving state that desires to be nourished”, “a hurt self-esteem that longs to be uplifted”. This stage of identifying the ‘need’ is, arguably, the most important phase of persuasion. Suppose you walk up to a stranger and offer to sell him a portable fan that can be carried anywhere. Chances are, the stranger will turn you down if you simply walk up and say “Would you like to buy a portable fan?” Conversely, if you were to identify the need and then offer to sell the fan, chances are, you might get lucky with a successful 36

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sale. For instance, you may say “the weather is turning for the worse with sweltering days in the next few weeks. I can see that you find the weather insufferable. How about a portable fan that brings comfort wherever you go?” b. Offer solutions and evaluate the options presented in a favourable lightafter the identification of the need(s), a persuasive speaker will delve into the solutions to meet the needs. Most effective salesmen will often present the solutions they have in a favourable light. Instead of saying “which fruits would you like to buy?” they will say “would you like the apple or the orange?” The employment of this technique concentrates the decision-making faculties on the options available and increases the likelihood of a successful sale. To illustrate the concept of choices (or solutions) being displayed in a favourable light, I will like to share with you the results of a series of classroom experiments I conducted. While I was conducting workshops at a few secondary schools and junior colleges, I posed a question to all my participants “If there were to be a $50 note and a $100 note on the ground, which one would you pick up and leave?” The response was almost unanimous: that the $100 note would the obvious choice. However, a selected few were able to step out of the choices offered to them and think beyond the stated choices. Their reply was “I will take both”. From the results of the series of classroom experiments, it is not far-fetched to extrapolate the results and postulate that the proposition (our mind works by concentrating on the choices before us) stands firmly. c. Lead the audience to map out the change mentally if they were to adopt your solutions. When the audience can see what positive impact the solutions are going to make, they will most likely be sold by the efficacy of the solutions. It is important to lead the audience to map out the change. It will not be very effective if you were to allow the audience to do so on their own. For instance, instead of allowing the audience to visualize the positive impact of acquiring a new non-stick frying pan on their own, lead them through by saying “imagine what you will achieve with this non-stick frying pan: using lesser oil and hence a healthier lifestyle, saving water in the cleaning which translates into cost savings per month on your utilities, and greater cost savings for maintenance of the pan thereby not requiring a regular change 37

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of pan”. d. Call for action- exhort the audience to take action by using emotive words such as “I appeal to you Ladies and Gentlemen, let us all take a step out of our comfort zone”. An effective call-for-action is one that paints the picture of “regret” should the audience not take action. This is effective on two-folds: one, psychological studies have shown time and again that the human mind is conditioned to not want to live with regret; and two, regret is a universal language that can be easily communicated to effect a positive change. To illustrate this, imagine telling a young boy to eat his vegetables. If you were to simply preach on the positive benefits of eating vegetables, it may only be effective to a small extent such as “You should eat your vegetables so that you will be healthier with a healthy digestive system”. Conversely, if you were to incorporate the element of regret into the speech, it will work wonders, as such: “You should eat your vegetables to maintain a healthy digestive system. However, if you were to remove vegetables from your diet, you risk the elevated probability of having a weaker immune system and falling ill, hence depriving you of your favourite basketball playtime. I am sure you wouldn’t want that to happen, do you? Remember, you can prevent all that negative consequences by investing in daily consumption of vegetables”.

#2- Pre-empting opposition is an important technique to reinforce the persuasive dimension to a speech. This technique influences the audience to believe that the argument proposed by the speaker has been well thought of. A balanced argument is a quality argument. Pre-empting opposition should be dealt with by stating the opposition’s case in brief, followed by a rebuttal to weaken the case before reinforcing one’s own argument once again. For instance, let’s say the speaker takes the position that school uniforms should be abolished. A ‘pre-emptive strike’ technique when employed will look something like this: 38

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“While critics may argue that the abolition of school uniforms may compromise the overall security of the school, it is to my strong conviction that wearing school uniforms does not necessarily enhance security. In fact, it may hamper the identification of the trespasser. For example, if one were to identify a trespasser, would it be easier to identify him as the one wearing our school uniform OR the one wearing a dark blue shirt, black slim jeans and a grey pair of Converse shoes? The latter is clearly preferred.”

#3- Adopting the PEEL technique P- Point For example, “Coconut oil is the best form of cooking oil”. E- Explanation “Coconut oil can withstand high cooking temperature as compared to other oils such as olive oil which breaks down easily to form toxic chemical compounds.” E- Example “For example, studies have shown that coconut oil can withstand up to 300 degree Celsius of heat before breaking down into its constituents compounds and fatty acid chains.” L- Link “Hence, in light of the above, coconut oil is the best form of cooking oil as it remains salubrious even when cooked under high temperature”.

The Inspirational Speech Objective(s): An inspirational speech is one that uplifts the audience and creates a conducive environment for them to consider alternative viewpoints, models and paradigms. It serves to renew, refresh and reinvigorate the individual. Characteristic(s): An inspirational speech usually involves an emotional 39

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appeal where the speaker infuses energy into the general atmosphere, builds up the enthusiasm, charges the dynamism before calling for a change to the status quo or to accept a certain proposition. Examples of Inspirational Speeches applied in reality: 1. A basketball coach motivating his players to give their very best for the grand finals 2. Father’s Day message 3. A speech by the President of a State after a national crisis or disaster 4. A motivational coach giving a speech to a group of students sitting for their PSLE 5. A thoughtful mother speaking to her children on self-discipline Key Techniques to improve your Inspirational Speech: #1- Tell a story and make a point This is one of the most powerful techniques advocated by World champions of Public Speaking worldwide. Craig Valentine says it best in his video at the following hypertext link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAfThre5lv4. Stories have the power of captivating the audience attention and making them remember it for many years to come. The mind associates the story with the main message thereby allowing for the message to stick for as long as the mind can recollect the story.

#2- Make use of appropriate language to accentuate the effect of uplifting the audience a. use language that unite the audience and the speaker by the consistent employment of “you, we” instead of “I, them, their, his”. b. use literary devices such as the power of three, alliteration, metaphors and personification. More of the literary devices will be expounded in Chapter 10. 40

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The Narrative Speech Objective(s): the main purpose of the narrative speech is to tell a story and entertain the audience. Characteristic(s): the narrative speech usually follows a standard structure: an Introduction, Building up to a tension, a Climax and a Resolution. Examples of Narrative Speeches applied in reality: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Storytelling contest in schools Corporate or Television Interviews/ Talk shows Motivational speeches to schools and corporate organisations A teacher teaching essay writing in classes

Key Techniques to improve your Narrative Speech: #1- Use the principle “Show and not Tell” Most excellent story books in the market do not ‘tell’ the readers the characters’ state of mind, but rather, they describe and analogise to create a mental imagery in the audience minds that ‘shows’ their state of mind. For example, instead of saying “John is hungry”, the author may show by stating “John’s stomach is rumbling”. The employment of the “show and not tell” principle hence allows the audience to draw the connection on their own from their own repertoire of past experiences, thereby enhancing the entertainment value to the reading material. Similarly, a narrative speech should incorporate the principle of “show and not tell” so as to enthrall, entertain and engage the audience.

#2- Employ the technique of exaggeration to amplify the effect of emotions for maximum impact Arguably, it will be too mundane and prosaic to simply say “he was very anxious” when you can enthrall the audience by narrating “anxiety coursed 41

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through his entire being like rushing water in the river that has thrown the dam gates wide open”. Alternatively, you may consider “miasma of anxiety wreathed around his entire being like an inseparable second skin”. Another example will be instead of saying “she was beautiful”; it can be improved by saying “Her beauty never fails to attract potential suitors who will swoon to her like leaves in a raging tempest. To say that she is beautiful would be an understatement of the highest order”. In light of the above, it is apparent that the employment of exaggeration techniques coupled with powerful literary devices and linguistic tools can amplify the impact these words have on the audience to achieve the maximum effect of entertainment.

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Climax

Resolution Building up to a tension

Introduction

Structure of a Narrative Speech The Narrative Speech

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Chapter 3: 10 Habits of Highly Effective Public Speakers

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10 Habits of Highly Effective Public Speakers

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Chapter 3

10 Habits of Highly Effective Public Speakers

Habit #1- Think positive Wait a minute. Isn’t that too much of a cliché? I hear that all the time, from teachers, parents, friends and motivational speakers. Surely, I am not paying for this book to learn something that I already know. Yes, it is true that many of us have heard of this piece of advice “Think positive”. However, how many of us really understood the impact it brings instead of the lip service most people proffer? How many of us actually know how to think positive? And how many of us actually believe in it or have seen it in action? Allow me now to illustrate with a quick exercise that you can try it out in the comfort of your own home. Take a stopwatch or an alarm clock (with the beeping devise to alert you when the time is up). For the next one minute, think of nothing but a Blue Elephant. Any ordinary elephant will do. Think about the size, the contours, and the intensity of the colour of the blue elephant that you have just conjured in your mind. Do not take your mind off the image of the blue elephant. Do so for one full minute. When the time is up, either with the beeping signal of your stopwatch or the alarm clock, I want you now to close your eyes and think of anything else other than the blue elephant. In other words, you are not allowed to think of the blue elephant; not even for a split second. The image of any part and any details of the blue elephant cannot cut across your mind. Do so for one minute. What is the result? Are you able to keep the image of the blue elephant away from your mind? It is impossible! The reason behind this phenomenon is that our brain is a fascinating organ. It is capable of remembering things and not forgetting even for as short a period of time as one minute. Imagine the cumulative minutes and hours, sometimes even days, months or years that we fixate on negative thoughts. 46

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It will translate into reality! As the famous saying goes, an act to a habit...a habit to a character...and a character to a destiny. The above example clearly illustrates the power of our mind to retain what we You would not want the negative thoughts to stick visualize. Thus, it is important to visualize positive like the image of the blue things instead of negative ones. You would not elephant. want the negative thoughts to stick like the image of the blue elephant. Suppose, you tell yourself “I shall not forget my lines on stage”; “I shall not tremble with nervousness when I am on stage”; “I shall not trip over the words that I use in front of my boss”. More often than not, the outcome is that you WILL forget your lines on stage; you WILL tremble with nervousness; and you WILL trip over words that you use in front of your superiors, and the list goes on. Scientific research have shown that when we feed our mind with a “negative” such as “Do NOT”, it will omit the word “NOT” and instruct the body to perform the act that you least desired to occur. For example, if you were to tell yourself, “I will NOT trip over my words”. Chances are, your brain will omit the word “NOT” and interpret to “I will trip over my words”. We see this problem all the time with children for instance. If you were to tell your son “Do not play with fire”, chances are, he “will play with fire”. So, how do we solve the problem then? The easy solution is to phrase things in the positive. Instead of saying “I will NOT The easy solution is to trip over my words”, say “I will speak smoothly”. phrase things in the positive . Instead of saying “I will NOT forget the lines”, say “I will remember my lines”. Instead of saying “Do not play with fire”, say “Please listen to my instructions, Fire is dangerous”. Therefore, the first habit of a highly effective public speaker is to think positive as that will translate into positive acts, leading to positive outcomes. Of course, on top of changing the words you use from the negative to the positive, there is another technique that you can employ to ensure greater speaking success at a speech contest, corporate meeting and presentation, social networking and job interviews. Prior to the event itself, visualise yourself completing your speech. Picture yourself doing so, in a confident fashion. Picture the smiles on the faces of your audience; and picture the desired outcome being fulfilled. 47

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Echoing the words of Andrew Matthews: “Your mind is a magnet; you attract what you think”. Remember that ultimately, while “think positive” can be a cliché, if you read the above, you will know why it is important. After all, the phrase “think positive” is often overused because it is true!

#2- Repetitions for enhanced Retention Research studies have shown that the repetition of a particular act or routine allows for the information to sink into the memory faculties of our brain. Many experienced public speakers have advocated the use of repetition as a technique to allow for better retention of their speech message. Unfortunately, many stop at advising their readers or students to simply repeat the speech message like a mantra; for example, if the speech repeat the speech message message was “Live life to the fullest”, the readers or like a mantra. students were told to repeat “Live life to the fullest” in their speech delivery 3 to 4 times. I will like to introduce you two additional techniques to employ for optimal results when repetition is used. 1. Lead the audience to repeat the speech message together with you. When you engage the audience to verbally say the speech message with you or after you, what you are doing is essentially Lead the audience to repeat the speech message forcing the audience to reach into the recesses together with you. of their memory bank before verbalising it. That way, the audience leaves the room with a higher propensity of recalling and applying the speech message in their daily lives. 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking, Ed Tate did it best in his World Championship speech “One of those days”, where he engaged the audience members to repeat his speech title “One of those days” a total of 3 times at appropriate moments of his speech. Before I delve into the second technique, I will like to help you better encourage your audience to take action. 48

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a. After the delivery of the speech and/ or conduct of a training workshop, ask the audience to write down how they can apply the subject matter learnt that day into their daily lives. b. After your audience have penned down their thoughts, ask or volunteer a few of your them to share their methods of application. The sharing session allows for audience members to learn from one another or to glean inspiration. 2. Use your stage positioning skills to facilitate the repetitive element. For instance, if you have two complementary speech messages, you may wish to stand on the left side of the stage when repeating the first speech message and stand on the right side of the stage when you are repeating your second speech message. In this way, the audience will be able to recall the speech message readily by associating it visually with the stage positioning(s) of the speaker.

#3- Establish rapport with the audience Establishing rapport with the audience is extremely important as it will either make or break the speech. If the speaker fails to establish rapport with the audience, the audience will not be receptive to the information shared and may consequently shut off completely. This defeats the purpose of the speech if the speaker cannot get his speech message across to the audience members. Let me further illustrate why establishing rapport is of paramount importance in any form of speech delivery. Imagine you are walking along Orchard Road when all of a sudden; a stranger walks up to you and says firmly, loudly and confidently “Dare to pursue your dreams and live life to the fullest”. How would you react? Many of my students would reply “Crazy!” Likewise, if a stranger were to walk up to you and attempt to share with you some information, you would probably feel awkward or defensive. Had the stranger conducted himself differently by first getting to know you better (either by way of small talk or self introduction), chances are, you would be more comfortable in accepting his 49

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speech message. Likewise, if you were to stand on stage and jump straight to delivering your speech message such as “Dare to pursue your dreams” without first establishing rapport with the audience, the audience may find it tedious to swallow the pill you are forcibly introducing it to them. 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking Craig Valentine calls the establishment of rapport with the audience as “Get to know you time”. Therefore, it is important to first establish rapport with the audience. Establishing rapport can be done either before the speech itself or during the speech. There are 2 key techniques that can help you better establish rapport with your audience for optimal assimilation of knowledge. One, you can establish rapport prior to the delivery of your speech by mingling with the audience establish rapport prior to the delivery of your speech by mingling with the audience and getting to know and getting to know them them better. better. Communicate with them to make them feel at ease as well as to get to know you better. In this way, you will see more smiling faces anticipating eagerly to hear from you. Two, you can establish rapport while delivering your speech by engaging the audience with a few rhetorical questions engaging the audience with a to get them thinking about the subject matter. few rhetorical questions. This brings them to the same page as you are and thus facilitates the delivery of your speech message later. Be conscious of your body language to make the audience at ease while listening to you. Pepper your speech with more appropriate smiles and humour to humanise your speech, thereby disarming the audience with any form of skepticism or defensive posture.

#4- Pause with panache Should we be speaking to an audience or with an audience? Should we perceive public speaking as a monologue or as a dialogue? The answer to the above two questions appear to be obvious: the latter! However, many speakers 50

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often commit the same mistake of going on stage and speaking very quickly; trying to get every word from their prepared scripts out of their mouths and conclude their speeches. They are rushing to the finishing line where “a heave of relief” stands awaiting them; beckoning them to reach there as soon as possible. This is what we call “rushing through your script”. If you are rushing through your script, you are not giving ample time for the audience to assimilate what you have just said and derive meaning out of it. And by the time they do so, you have already sped to another checkpoint, or worse, the end of your speech! The year was 2009 when I took part in my first International speech contest at my local Toastmasters Club. I was confident, poised and ready to go. When I went on stage, I gave it my all; regurgitating every single word I had memorised for the speech contest. At the end of my speech, I walked down the stage and towards my mentor, Patricia. I asked her “Pat, so how did I do?” Patricia looked at me, smiled, and replied “Darren, your speech was full of energy. It was vibrant. But I felt as if you were having a monologue and not a dialogue with the audience”. I was thinking “really? How can I have a dialogue with the audience when most of the time, public speakers on stage do the talking with the audience silently watching by?” Patricia continued, “As with a dialogue between two individuals, the feedback from the receiving party may not be in the form of a verbal response. It is a dialogue if you engage your audience to think and ponder over what you have said. However, if you speak too quickly, there is no way for them to follow you”. Patricia further illustrated with an example that I will like to reproduce for you below. Patricia: Suppose I ask you “Darren, when was the last time you grabbed an opportunity presented to you?” Darren: “It was...” Patricia: “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is important for us to do so because opportunities may only come once”. I got it there and then. Patricia used the exact words of my speech to teach me an important lesson that day. While I was on stage asking a rhetorical 51

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question to the audience, I did not even give them sufficient time to answer or ponder about it. I simply sped through. It is no wonder my speech was a monologue and not a dialogue. It is also no wonder I lost the contest there and then. Understanding the importance of having a dialogue with your audience is one thing, knowing how to do so is another thing. The question that is burning in your mind right now is “How do we then effectively establish a dialogue with the audience?” The answer is simple: pause. Pauses, when used appropriately, have a remarkable effect in establishing rapport with the audience by allowing for dialogue. When you pause, you allow for the audience to think and respond (albeit in their minds silently) to your rhetorical questions and allow for the speech message to sink in. Generally, you should pause: 1. when you are invited on stage and getting ready to deliver your speech. Take your time to calm yourself down while on stage. Scan around and establish eye contact with your audience. Project a confident smile before you begin uttering your first word. 2. after each main point. This paves the way for a smoother transition to your next point. The audience will also have sufficient time in this period of pause to make a mental note that your previous point has been completed. 3. before a very important point that you would like to emphasize. For example, instead of saying “Ladies and Gentlemen, the way for you to get rich instantly is through investments”, say “Ladies and Gentlemen, the way for you to get rich instantly is through investments”. The latter has a greater impact on the audience as you engage them by drawing on the support of your silent partner in this act: anticipation. When faced with anticipation, human beings tend to desire for the answer more, even though they may not be interested in the subject matter. By inserting the element of anticipation into the equation (through the usage of pauses), you will be able to enthrall your audience almost instantly by making them grab on to the edge of 52

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Clear indication that the speaker is trying to recall a past event

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Eye contact should be maintained with the audience when pausing for effect

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their seats. Once, a student participant of my public speaking workshop asked me “Mr Tay, but isn’t there the danger of mis-construing the ‘pause’ to that of ‘uncertainty’?” True, when someone pauses, it may be misunderstood at times that the speaker has forgotten his lines and is desperately trying to recall them. What is the distinction here then between a confident pause that is meant for generating a desired effect versus that of uncertainty? The key to effective pauses is with the eye contact made by the speaker while executing the pause. If the speaker were to be pausing while looking at another general direction without establishing eye contact (for example: looking at the ceiling or his toes), that is a clear sign of the speaker trying to recall his lines or a particular event. On the other hand, if the speaker were to pause while maintaining eye contact with one or two members of the audience, it will be portrayed as a confident and deliberate pause while maintaining pause. To better draw the distinction, I will eye contact with one or two members of the audience, it will suggest that you smile and look at one or two be portrayed as a confident and (preferably not more than two) member(s) of deliberate pause. the audience in your entire period of pause. I am confident that if you were to adopt the above techniques, you are on your way to enthralling the audience and mesmerising them with panache.

#5- Tell a story and make a point Stories are timeless and universal. They are the best vehicles of communication as they can pack more Stories are timeless and universal. emotions and ideas than any other medium of communication such as words. A story allows for more creative permutations of delivering the same speech message. For instance, a story may be cloaked with a humorous dimension to it which will make it especially effective for speech messages that may be too serious or sensitive to an individual (for example: the 55

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topic on death). In this way, the audience will not be in too defensive a posture and may let their guard down after a good and hearty laugh. As 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix, says it Humorise to Humanise. best: Humorise to Humanise. To illustrate the efficacy of using stories to make a point, compare Speaker A and Speaker B’s way of telling their audience to “Live their dreams before it is too late to regret”. Speaker A: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we all hate regrets in our lives, and we surely don’t want to wait till it is too late for us to effect changes that we otherwise can now. Let us all learn to live our dreams and make them happen. To extend the phrase “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr, I say “Let us make sure that the dream is materialised”. Speaker B: “Ladies and Gentlemen, just 2 weeks ago, I asked my class of secondary 3 students: ‘Where is the richest place on Earth?’ Jay, the class monitor, raised his hands and exclaimed confidently ‘The diamond mines in South Africa’. Sean, the top student chipped in and said ‘The Oil wells in Saudi Arabia’. Jonathan, the IT monitor shouted ‘Temasek Holdings Singapore’. Everyone laughed. And as the laughter subsided I said ‘Well, they are all good answers, and they are wrong. The richest place on Earth is in fact the Graveyard’ Because you see, in the graveyard, it is buried with the dreams of many who failed to act on them. It is rich full of the ideas that people were too afraid to execute. In the Graveyard, there are songs that will never be heard, plays that will never be seen and ideas that will never ever be materialised. And all this is because of the many people who failed to act on their dreams and allowed their dreams to die together with them. Ladies and Gentlemen, the richest place on Earth is the Graveyard. Let us all wait no further; watch no further; and whine no further. Let us take action now. Let us all seize the day, live life to the fullest and dare to pursue our dreams.” Having examined the above, which version would you prefer? The version delivered by Speaker A is strong, passionate and enthusiastic. However, when juxtaposed to the version delivered by Speaker B, it loses out on many levels, such as: 56

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1. the multi-layer of emotional appeal 2. the connectivity with the audience 3. the impact experienced by the audience 4. the degree in which the speech message remains memorable to the audience For a virtual lesson on the importance and technique on story-telling, please refer to the video as per the hypertext link below. The video features an online lesson by 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking, Craig Valentine. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAfThre5lv4 How do we then craft a powerful story? There are many methods circulating in the public speaking circuit. Of the many around, I personally prefer two: one is by the 1990 World Champion of Public Speaking David Brooks and two, is by 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking Ed Tate. David Brooks advocated the following propositions in his “Speaking Secrets of the Champions” series: 1. Your stories don’t have to be big, start by sourcing for moments in your life that appeals to the following emotions a. Happiness b. Sadness c. Anger d. Surprise e. Disgust f. Fear 2. Stop giving speeches, start having conversations The first proposition: David Brooks enlightens his readers in the “Speaking Secrets of the Champions” series by stating that human beings all share the following 6 universal emotions: Happiness; Sadness; Anger; Surprise; Disgust and Fear. Hence, if you have a story that appeals to one or more of the above emotions, you have a story that the audience can relate to almost instantly. He 57

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further elaborated that stories need not be big such as those of life and death or a great expedition to Mount Everest or an adrenaline-pumping campaign to Presidency etc. Instead, the snippets of our everyday lives can be good story materials. For instance, I recall the time I was in the lift with my father and our neighbour Simon. Attempting to make small talk, Simon looked at my father and asked “Going to work ah?” (Explanation: “ah” is a pause filler which some individuals are used to ending their sentences with. It fits under the general category of “words” such as “lah”, “lor” and “leh” which we termed as “Singlish”) My father replied “Yes, I am”. I observed at that point in time that Simon’s greeting or attempt at making small talk was redundant or (as some people might call it) a “no-brainer”. My father was holding a briefcase, wearing his business attire (shirt and a tie) and it was 7 in the morning. Where else would he be going other than work? Isn’t it obvious? The above observation was instant fodder for my humorous speech material where the message was that sometimes we tend to ask the obvious. With a little improvisation on my own, some more careful observations and a tinge of inspiration from the Internet, the final version of my speech routine was “Ladies and Gentlemen, we Singaporeans tend to ask the obvious questions. At 7 in the morning, when we see our neighbours in the lift dressed in their business attire and holding a briefcase, we ask them ‘Going to work ah’. The sarcastic reply will be ‘No, going to your house’ Or when we see a car with a tyre punctured along the expressway, we will ask ‘Tyre punctured is it?’ The reply will be ‘No, the other 3 are swollen’. Or when we see our friends painting the shopping cart for homecoming day, we ask ‘painting the shopping cart is it?’ The reply will be ‘No, giving it a manicure’...And you get the idea Ladies and Gentlemen”. The above was in fact an excerpt from my championship speech at the PA Humorous Speech Challenge Cup (a National humorous speech competition that saw some of the best public speakers, who were representing their respective community centres/ constituency, pitting their public speaking skills against one another). The manner of my above speech was deliberately made more colloquial and congruent with the Singapore context. The main point is this: no matter how “small” or “insignificant” you think your story might be, pen it down in a note book. It may well be the source of your championship speech material. 58

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The second proposition: David Brooks advocated having conversations. He explained that conversations are more in sync with the audience expectations nowadays. Gone are the days where grand, oratorical style of poets and playwrights of a hundred years ago were the norm. These days, with the advent of the Internet and advertisements, the speed of information flow takes centre stage. Unless your speech message can be like a conversation which is short and simple, it will not be able to captivate and enthrall the audience. Hence, keep your stories short and simple. Instead of using obfuscating words, use simple plain English to prevent misunderstanding(s). Ed Tate advocates his 4Hs secret recipe in the “Speaking Secrets of the Champions” series. They are: 1. Head: Does the story reach into your analytical mind as you ponder over the significance and value of what was narrated? 2. Heart: Does the story appeal to your emotions. Recall the six universal emotions mentioned in the above section. 3. Humour: Does the story defuse the tension amongst the audience and relaxes them with the narration of something funny? 4. Heavy Hitting: Is your story impactful to leave a lasting impression in your audience minds? If the story is impactful and you remember it, you will also remember the speech message that is associated with that story. Here, I will like to illustrate how I applied the techniques above for my speeches and hopefully, you will be able to glean some insights as to the application too. I have extracted a sample story from one of my speeches and reproduce it below. I have also highlighted at the right hand column where the 4Hs were applied.

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A year ago, I wanted to watch “The Kumar Show” at the Esplanade with my friend Howard. So we went to the Ticketing counter at the Esplanade to purchase our tickets. Manning the ticketing counter was a native speaker. She was beautiful; as beautiful as Angelina Jolie! (Audience laughter) I approached her and requested politely “Miss, I would like to have two tickets to watch ‘The Kumar Show’ at the Esplanade”. When she heard me pronounce the word Esplanade (Espla[nade]), she got mad. She pointed at me and said “NO!” (Audience laughter) So much for good service in Singapore right? (Audience laughter)

Humour: establishing rapport with the audience

Heart: appealing to one or two of the six emotions (annoyance-anger and disgust)

She said aggressively “It should not be pronounced as (Espla[nade]). It should be pronounced as (Espla[nard]). Trust me, I am right. I am a native speaker”. (Audience laughter) I recalled vividly that my secondary school English Language teacher taught us that the word can be pronounced both ways. In fact, it would be more accurate to pronounce it as (Espla[nade]). You would pronounce the word Lemonade as (Lemo[nade]). (Audience laughter) You would not pronounce it as (Lemo[nard]). (Audience laughter) Hence, I decided to check the pronunciation of the word Esplanade from the official website of the Esplanade. As a Singaporean, I needed to know how to pronounce the iconic durians of Singapore. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, according to the official website of the Esplanade, the word can be both pronounced as (Espla[nade]) and (Espla[nard]). (Audience laughter) With that information in hand, I went back to collect my tickets. (Audience laughter) The same lady was there manning the ticketing counter. As I collected my tickets, I mentioned causally “Oh, by the way, the word can be both pronounced as (Espla[nade]) and (Espla[nard]). I verified it from the official website of the

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Head: the analysis here makes sense. The resultant extrapolation appears to be reasonable and logical.

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(Espla[nade]). (Audience laughter) She replied “ok fine, you win. (Espla[nade]), (Espla[nard]).... whatever”. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, my main message to you is not that I wanted to prove myself right all the time. Nor that I was trying to be overly insistent. But more importantly, it was to emphasise that even with native speakers, no one can claim to be 100% perfect with the English Language. The next time we insist that we are right on a particular subject matter, it is best that we check thoroughly instead of assuming so just because we belong to a group naturally endowed with the said comparative advantages.

Heavy Hitting: end of with the message in a profound and passionate fashion to create a lasting impact in the audience mind.

#6- Always keep a (Word/ Phrase/ Sentence/ Funny incident/ Quote/ Story) – BANK. You recall when you were young, say in Primary and Secondary school, your English Language teacher advised you to keep a word bank. The word bank can be a book or notepad documenting all the new words that you have learnt. It could be words on a sign that you found interesting or one which your classmate used in show-and-tell session. Likewise, World Champions of Public Speaking exhibit a common habit: they have a bank to store words, phrases, sentences, funny incidents, quotes or stories that flashed across their minds. This could happen while walking to work, on the bus or even shopping for groceries at the nearby supermarket. Over the years, you will find that your bank deposits accumulating into a sizeable portion that will serve you well in your professional speaking career. It is a conscientious effort that you have to be diligent about. Good speech materials will not be able to pop up overnight. They have to be accumulated. The entire point of documenting the word or phrase or story in your bank is so that you have a powerful source to tap your winning speech materials from. Of course, I can almost hear you exclaiming in your mind aloud “Ah, but didn’t you just say that stories are memorable? I can most definitely remember them. I have a good memory.” Yes, that is true. However, it is quite impossible for you to 61

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remember every single intriguing occurrence for the past 10 years and it might be too late for you to try and recall it the day before your presentation; unless you have an eidetic memory. As the famous Chinese saying goes “even the faintest pencil mark is superior to the best memory”. Hence, always remember to have your BANK with you no matter where you go. With the advent of technology, you do not even have to grapple with the hassle of lugging a book wherever you go. You can store your entries You can store your entries on your smart-phones such as your on your smart-phones such as your iPhone iPhone or Blackberry. or Blackberry.

#7- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! The hallmark of an excellent speech is that it is rehearsed many times. As the saying goes “Practice makes Perfect”. The maxim resonates in your mind whenever your speech coach or teacher echoes “Practice makes Perfect” their instruction for you to try a particular component again. Indeed, there is much truth to this maxim. However, what is not often taught is the proper and most effective way of rehearsing your speech prior to your actual presentation. There are three salient points that you need to bear in mind. Firstly, make sure you have your speech written out- word for word. Understandably, your natural reaction would be that such methodology is counter-intuitive especially after what we have been indoctrinated since young with the incessant reminder: never ever to write your speech in prose. Always do it in point form. There are a few clarifications to make before I delve into my case for writing out your speech word for word. One, you will still be required to master the gist and main sequence of your speech. This is to prevent you from staying dumbfounded on stage when you forget your lines. Two, writing out your speech word for word is more appropriate for relatively shorter speeches (in terms of duration of delivery) such as inauguration speeches, PowerPoint presentations, or contest speeches with a clear time limit. Hence, 3-hour long lectures or seminars will not be suited to the methodology of writing scripts 62

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word for word. There are 2 reasons why you should write out your speech word for word. 1. When you are given only 5-7 minutes to deliver a contest speech, you need to ensure economy of words utilised. In essence, a prepared speech is one where the speaker is given the luxury of time to plan carefully the positioning and choice of words. As the famous saying goes “an excellent speech is not written, it is re-written”. The pain-staking and meticulous arrangement of words will affect the strength in which the speech message is ultimately delivered; the aggregate duration of the speech; and the focus of the content. 2. Writing your speech out word for word allows you to examine the speech in its entirety and make corrections to it with ease. On the other hand, the task will be an uphill one if you only write in point form and rely on your memory to work out amendments to your script. Secondly, ensure that you have an experienced and reliable mentor with you to provide you with feedback at every phase of your preparation. Your mentor will help to accelerate your learning rate by sharing with you areas for improvement such that you will not have to commit the same mistakes as he did in order for you to learn a lesson. Getting a good mentor is a discernible pattern amongst the many World Champions of Public Speaking. Thirdly, remember the time when you heard some speech gurus advise you to practise or rehearse your speech in front of the mirror? That is good advice as it heightens your awareness of your flaws and it is always more potent to have yourself see your own flaws than to have someone else see it and subsequently describes it to you. Be that as it may, practising or rehearsing in front of a mirror is not the best idea as you have to take the conscious effort of looking at yourself in front of the mirror without having the space to take on more exaggerated body language. Furthermore, you can only see yourself if you face in that particular direction. If your speech requires you to fall flat on the ground or to turn your back against the audience, it will not be possible for you to study your body language then. Thus, the best solution is for you to invest in a video camera and video-tape your performance. I cannot emphasize the importance 63

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of this methodology enough. By video-taping your own performance, you can review your entire performance and even rewind to study the appropriateness of your body language for subsequent fine-tuning. Keep all your video records so that you can track your progress over the months or years. You will find yourself improving by leaps and bounds.

#8- Grab every single opportunity available to speak 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix, says it best: Stage time, Stage time, Stage time! In essence, what Stage time, Stage time, it means is to grab every single opportunity available Stage time! to speak. Do not turn down stage time. It could be an invitation to speak at a local Toastmasters club; a 5-minute speech at a friend’s birthday party; speaking to your neighbour about the benefits of exercising; or business presentation in front of your boss. When I was in secondary 4, I was invited by the YMCA of Singapore to emcee their YMCA Plain English Speaking Award (PESA) Awards Ceremony. The experience was nerve-wrecking for me as I had no prior experience hosting an awards ceremony in front of 500 people. The organisers were very encouraging and they did their best to prepare me well for the appointment. According to them, I did very well and they invited me to host programmes for them on a regular basis. I was like a resident emcee for the YMCA of Singapore since; hosting multiple events: from awards ceremonies to official launches of charitable drives etc. I did not turn down stage time offered to me as I knew that the only way to improve and learn continuously, is to speak consistently. Several years later, when a senior management staff of a renowned corporate organisation approached me to speak at their annual seminar on enhancing soft skills such as public speaking, I was overwhelmed. At that time, I had never spoken in front of over 1000 people. Naturally, when she asked me how much I charged for speaking at the seminar, I said “FREE!” She looked surprised and replied “Usually, our company set aside a budget for our invited speakers. You 64

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can be frank with me if it is too little. Our budget is at around $500/ hour per speaker. I corrected myself immediately and said “Well, I didn’t mean Free, I meant Fee”. I am proud to say that from the initial discipline to grab stage time wherever and whenever possible, I managed to improve and emerge as a professional speaker speaking not for free, but for a fee now. You too can improve yourself tremendously by grabbing any speaking opportunity that is presented before you. My suggestion is for you to join a local Toastmasters club. The Toastmasters movement has been a long established one in join a local Singapore with approximately 130 English Speaking Toastmasters club. Clubs (correct as of 2012) across the state. Joining a local Toastmasters club gives you the opportunity to hone your public speaking and leadership skills. You will find endless stage time there with a core group of public speaking enthusiasts supporting and motivating you all the time. It is the best place for you to make mistakes and learn rather than having to make mistakes at an important promotion meeting or business presentation before an important client. For more information, you may visit the Toastmasters International website at www.toastmasters.org .

#9- Start with small achievable and pragmatic goals Imagine if a speaker walks up on stage and asserts confidently “Ladies and Gentlemen, let us all love one another and together, we can achieve WORLD PEACE!” how would you react? You would most probably not take the speaker very seriously. Even if you did, you would be left wondering whether the speech made a difference in your life. Instead of giving grandiose goals for your audience to struggle with, choose small achievable goals that will be more meaningful to your audience. I need to caveat here that choosing small achievable goals is by no means insinuating that the audience is not capable of big changes. On the contrary, it is the acknowledgement that all big changes start with small ones. Your audience will appreciate it more if you were to break down the steps for them to kick65

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start immediately when they reach home. Therefore, instead of saying “let us all love one another and together, we can achieve world peace”, break it into small immediate steps that you audience can take right away such as “Ladies and Gentlemen, let us all love one another by showing greater appreciation for the things our loved ones do for us, no matter how small it is. It could be the act of pouring you a glass of water when you are thirsty or recording your favourite television programme for you while you are away. Thank your loved ones for the many little things they do for you. After all, it is these little patchwork of love that we weave together to form a fabric of cohesive unity”. From the example provided above, it is apparent that the latter is going to strike a stronger chord with the heartstrings of the audience as compared to the former. Therefore, the next time you deliver a speech before an audience, remember to break down the big goals into small achievable and pragmatic ones for easy consumption, digestion and assimilation.

#10- Learn to analyse the excellent speeches My first debate match was against a national team of debaters. The experience was daunting and the end result was expected. My team lost badly. The winning margin by the national team was by far the largest in my debating career. However, my debate coach told me “Darren, take this as a learning opportunity. If you can analyse their strengths and then emulate them, you will be an excellent debater in the near future”. We all learn from the best by analysing the strengths before incorporating them into our existing framework of competency. Tiger Woods did not know how to play golf the minute he was born. He also had to undertake the arduous journey of making mistakes and learning. His growth was accelerated when he discovered the importance of analysing and emulating the strengths of professional golfers. Likewise, public speaking is an art; a skill that requires the analysis of champion speakers and subsequent emulation before perfection can be attained. Habit #10 is the habit that culminates all the other 9 habits into a single exercise.

Habit #10 is the habit that culminates all the other 9 habits into a single exercise. In order to effectively analyse the excellent speeches, 66

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you will need to know what is so good about it. Once you are able to identify it, you will then be better able to appreciate the creative variations employed to achieve the desired effect. The key is to identify the successful frames in a speech and subsequently replicate them in your next speech so that you can enthrall, entertain and engage your audience. On top of analysing the successful elements of a speech, it is important to identify the areas for improvement that can be effected to make the speech even better. As with all great speeches, there will always be areas for improvement; even for speeches which are seemingly perfect. Areas of improvement can come in various forms: sharpening the punch line for more intense laughter; better words economy; enhancing the body language to complement the point delivered etc. The primary benefit of identifying areas for improvement is that it allows you to critically evaluate the value of an aspect of the speech and research for creative or more powerful substitutes. At times, you may apply what you have learnt from an excellent speaker to the current speech at hand. To illustrate the analytical exercise, I have reproduced my championship speech when I took part in a public speaking competition 6 years ago. I was in year one of my Junior College education then. On hindsight, I believe that I would have done better if I had analysed the speeches of past winners.

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Title: Why can’t the sky be red in colour?

The speech follows the structure: Powerful Introduction Existing problem Consequences Possible Solutions Conclusion

Speech: Why can’t the sky be red? Or, for that matter, why can’t it be orange, or purple, or yellow? Why must it be blue always? Imagine a primary one or kindergarten teacher telling the poor child in horror, or disgust, “Darren, how can you colour the sky red? The sky is blue! Can’t you see that?” and insists that the poor child colours the sky blue. (Audience laughter)

S: Captivating introduction with a rhetorical question right from the start to engage the audience to ponder over its implications. Recall the 4Hs by 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking Ed Tate: Head.

However, the young child’s eyes see what adults have ceased to see, often encumbered with the copious amount of workload and prosaic chores. The sky does have shades of yellow and orange when the sun sets (Audience laughter); it is purplish red in colour when a thunderstorm is brewing at dawn. (Audience laughter) The observant innocent young eyes noticed the details that adults have often missed or forgot in the midst of their daily drudge and tasks. They have forgotten to look at the world through their fresh, innocent, and unbiased eyes.

S: Humour: helps to bridge the gap between the speaker and some defensive members of the audience. It is also highly effective in establishing rapport.

S: Good pause for effect. Excellent play of vocal variety (Vocal variety will be covered under Non-Verbal communication in Chapter 11).

Who knows? Through our narrow and bigoted opinions, we may be stifling a Monet, a Picasso or an Andy Warhol amongst our young. (Audience laughter) A perfect example would be the current Singapore Education System. According to Dr Hildy Ross, Professor of Psychology from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, she performed a read survey and realised

S: Using examples to buttress the main substantive. This creates credibility in the speaker’s speech as the proposition is corroborated with findings from an expert in the field of Psychology.

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that there is a high propensity for Singaporean students, amongst the students from other countries, to insist on a model answer and “approved” framework. All these are done in a bid to achieve a string of “As”. For instance, in essay writing, it has been made clear to the Cambridge Examination Board that themes such as ‘My Best Friend” is restricted to a limited scope of interpretations. My best friend cannot be a dog or a pen, and must be a human being per se. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, herein lies the crux of today’s problem. The students nowadays are afraid to step out of their comfort zones as circumscribed by authorities. What if the examiner does not understand the point that I am trying to make? What if my creativity is not understood? What if I fail? The child is confused right now: should he be exam smart or creative in his essays.

S: Excellent usage of the power of three. Repetition of “What if” allows for better retention of the key point here.

S: Tell a story and make a point. 4Hs of a good story identified.

Recently, I went to an education seminar. One of the guest speakers told us a story. It went like this: Duck was enrolled in Animal school where everyone had to take the same subjects to ease the system of administration. The school adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. Duck was a champion swimmer who flew quite well too. But his instructor was bent on proving that waddlers could sprint as well. Therefore, duck studied and practised hard in running, his weakest subject, till his webbed feet were all blistered and so sore that he could hardly swim. (Audience laughter)

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In the case of the rabbit, he was the best runner around but an inept swimmer. Consequently, he went into prolonged psychological therapy for low self-esteem because of his poor swimming grades. (Audience laughter) Come graduation day, and snapping turtle was judged the best achiever- he swam well, ran okay, and was able to pass flying lessons by making his dives off high rocks that looked somewhat like flying. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, what does this story remind you of? An education system which insists that kids rote-learn science and abstract math at an early age. A system which insists that kids must stick to the syllabus requirement. A system where conformity is the norm. The kid who dares to be different is ostracised and marginalised. The sky cannot be red! And the list goes on.

S: Again, good use of repetition.

AFI: use simple and plain English instead of “big” words such as “quintessential”. A better word substitute would be “typical”. Speaker can afford to brush up on the occasional grammatical errors.

In light of the above, possible consequences of the stifling of creativity would be uniformity in thoughts and ideas where entrepreneurship is all the rage. When students choose to conform to a model answer, they will be reluctant to take risks. There would then be little entrepreneurial ideas or spirit. Instead, we would have a quintessential group of civil servants always following standard operation procedures and not ever daring to try something different.

AFI: Can afford to have more rhetorical devices in this segment given that this is a persuasive speech genre. The audience would be more engaged to a series of rhetorical questions than a plethora of words.

We should instead stand together and face the problem; attempt to solve it by providing resourceful suggestions to the government. Such suggestions include, allowing students to major in the subject they are at best in and making languages a compulsory subject throughout their educational “path”.

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Allow them to display their creativity and not force them to study examinationoriented learning methodologies. Parents should also attempt to spare a thought for their child and communicate more with them.

S: Small and pragmatic goals: the audience can work on improving communication with their child.

Let us begin by allowing our children to choose what they want to learn, write papers, and do projects. Let us allow our children to be fast swimming ducks and ace-sprinting rabbits; do not force them to climb or run if they genuinely cannot.

S: Excellent choice of emotive words such as “appeal” to strike a chord in the heartstrings of the audience. Concluded with panache too.

Let us spend more time with our loved ones and enforce the correct child care. I appeal to you, Ladies and Gentlemen, before you tell a child what the colour of the sky is to you, pause and see things from the child’s point of view. The child could be, and is probably right. The next time a child asks you if the sky can be red; do agree with him, that the sky, indeed, can be red. (Audience laughter, claps and cheers)

Legend: S- Strength AFI- Area(s) for Improvement

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You can obtain excellent speeches from the following sources:

1. Video tape excellent speakers in their delivery (either at a business meeting or seminar). However, it is important to first obtain their permission before you record their performance. 2. Purchase the DVDs of Toastmasters International Conventions to obtain the video recording of World Champions of Public Speaking for the past few years. 3. Participate in a local speech competition and have the organiser video tape (or you can video tape on your own with the permission from the organisers and speakers). Over the course of 3 years, I have already accumulated over 300 speech analysis and am still enthusiastically doing so. Learning is a lifelong process. I hope you will be able to find as much joy in learning the art of public speaking as I have. All the best! In Summary: Habit #1- Think positive #2- Repetitions for enhanced Retention #3- Establish rapport with the audience #4- Pause with panache #5- Tell a story and make a point #6- Always keep a (Word/ Phrase/ Sentence/ Funny incident/ Quote/ Story) – BANK. #7- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! #8- Grab every single opportunity available to speak #9- Start with small achievable and pragmatic goals #10- Learn to analyse the excellent speeches

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Chapter 4

How to Ace your Impromptu Speech

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Chapter 4

How to Ace your Impromptu Speech

The impromptu speech is, arguably, the most feared form of speech be it in the workplace, in a classroom setting, meeting with our bosses or important clients, as well as speech contests. The main reason for our fear stems from the fact that human beings are afraid of the unknown. If someone were to ask you “Hey, can you deliver a speech about yourself in three human beings are days time at the Orchard Hotel ballroom?” you might afraid of the unknown. be nervous, but at least you have time to prepare for a speech in advance. You are prepared. Contrast it with a last minute request “Hey, can you deliver a speech about yourself now? Our speaker could not make it as he is stuck in a terrible traffic jam”. You would find yourself panicking as you did not have time to prepare for the speech. You probably would not even know what you might say! It is this degree of uncertainty that fuels our fear for impromptu speech. Worse, our fear is often compounded by the prospect of embarrassing ourselves on stage with an ill-prepared speech. Our reputation would be gone! The intrinsic fear also explains most speakers’ reluctance to facilitate a Question & Answer Session lest being stumped by a difficult question. In a typical toastmasters meeting, there is a segment called the Table Topics. The Table Topics segment is essentially an impromptu speech segment where the Table Topics Master (an appointed member or guest who will prepare a few topics of a general nature) will call upon volunteers to take the stage and speak on a randomly selected topic for the duration of 1 to 2 minutes. The speaker will have no prior knowledge of the topic and will only be given approximately 5 seconds to think before responding to the topic at hand. It is intriguing to observe that during this segment, when the Table Topics Master calls for volunteers to tackle the table topics, many individuals, if not all, will take a sudden interest in something else. Their pen appears to be more appealing all 74

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of a sudden; the time indicated by their watches seems to take centre stage; and sometimes, there is an urgent phone call that needs to be answered. All of the above are knee-jerk reactions, to the invitation by the Table Topics Master to speak, in a bid to avoid establishing eye contact with the Table Topics Master for fear of being called upon to attempt the topic. Yet, we stare in awe, amazement and admiration at the speakers who can deliver an impromptu speech so effortlessly. These champion speakers whom we yearn and wish to emulate appear to be able to think so incredibly fast on their feet and deliver speeches that seemed prepared. For some, it is as if they had prepared the impromptu speech for months, even years! Personally, I am very thankful for the training I have undergone as a debater and public speaker since my secondary school years till date. Many of my friends tell me “Darren, you are a Law student at the National University of Singapore and in 2 years time, you will be a lawyer practising law in Singapore. I am sure the ability to think fast on your feet is of paramount importance”. I agree with them. However, I believe that the ability to think fast on one’s feet is not the sole prerogative of a few professions; the ability to think fast on one’s feet is required by the ability to think fast on one’s feet is required by everyone in their daily lives. everyone in their daily lives such as: 1. Explaining the doubts that your clients or bosses have in the project which you are working on 2. Demonstrating to your child the way to play badminton when they asked you to do so 3. Being called upon to answer a question in class 4. Asked to introduce yourself at an ice-breaking session amongst friends or guests 5. Making an excellent impression in front of your family, friends, colleagues etc when you are able to answer a question or conduct casual conversations with ease and panache. The list is endless. The important question now is: how do we excel in impromptu speaking if it is so important? There are 5 key techniques that you can employ to improve your impromptu speaking skills. These 5 techniques 75

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are not mutually exclusive to Impromptu speech contestants who wish to win the next Impromptu Speech Championship. The 5 techniques are equally applicable to managing situations when you are called to give an opinion, make a stand or respond to a query from any of the above mentioned (and definitely many more) scenarios. I will include a special segment at the end of this chapter for those public speaking enthusiasts and serious impromptu speech contestants who endeavour to push themselves and aim to win the next major competition. In the special segment, I will include a speech analysis of my winning speech (club level*) during my journey to win the Toastmasters International District 80 Table Topics Championship 2012 held at the Singapore EXPO. *In Toastmasters, the progression up the competitive ladder is as such: Club Area Division District. If you win at the club level, you will progress to the Area level where you will face the other club champions. Upon winning the Area level contest, you will progress to the Division level before reaching the District level competition.

Technique #1- Use the PEEL technique when called to make a justification As shared in the Chapter 2, the PEEL technique is very useful as it provides a mental structure for you to organise your thoughts. A more organised thought process will engender a fluent and cogent verbal delivery. Here is how it works: P- Point E- Explanation E- Example(s) L- Link Hypothetically speaking, if your boss were to ask you “John, can you explain to me why ABC Company was selected as the external vendor to provide us with A4 sized letterheads?”

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Following the PEEL technique, your response could be: Point: Sir, ABC Company was selected as they provided our selection committee the best quality assurance Explanation: ABC Company presented to us the workings of their cutting edge printing machine that differentiates themselves from the other competitors in the industry. The more advanced technology that they spoke of will be able to generate substantial cost savings which will translate into lower cost of production and lower retail price for the benefit of our company. Example: ABC Company shared with us that the letterheads will be sold at $3.24 per 1000 pieces. Compared to EFG Company who charges $6.48 per 1000 pieces, that is a total of 50% cost savings with reference to rival company EFG. The low pricing does not compromise on the assured quality of the paper and printing colour. Link: Hence Sir, we are confident that ABC Company is the best external vendor for our company with the low price they can offer us coupled with quality assurance of the end-product. To establish a strong Link, the speaker will have to bear in mind the following: 1. To have a summary of what was said in the Explanation and Example phase 2. To restate your position (i.e. your Point) 3. Keep it concise

To illustrate further, I will apply the PEEL technique to one of the contest table topics: “Failure is the mother of Success”. Point/ Stand: Yes, I agree that Failure is the mother of Success. Explanation: It is through failure that we will be able to learn important lessons that will lead us to eventual success. When we fail in a particular route to achieve our goal, we will know that the route is not suitable and thus we can 77

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make modifications to it accordingly. Success is ultimately achieved through the many modifications that we make to a model that has failed. Example: Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb the first time round. He tried a total of 1000 times before he was successful. When interviewed, he said that his 999 times of failure were in fact a 999-step journey to eventual success. Link: Therefore, we should not give up at an initial failure. Given the multitude of examples that we see around us, we should be enlightened to the notion that failure is simply a step or journey that will lead us to eventual success. Failure is definitely the mother of Success.

Technique #2- Use the tried and tested speech structures In Toastmasters, the Table Topic Master may at times share some speech structures that help speakers to tackle the topic more tried and tested speech confidently. The tried and tested speech structures structures facilitate clarity in thoughts and facilitate clarity in thoughts and consequently, clarity consequently, clarity in the in the verbal delivery. It is a mental process that verbal delivery. guides you to fill each level with information, step by step. 1. Use the Past, Present and Future method You can deliver your speech by looking at the subject matter from different time period. For instance, if you were to be given a topic on “Growing up”, you may approach the topic with the Past, Present and Future method by saying: Past: In the past, growing up was relatively carefree. Singapore was not yet well developed as it is now and the global community moved at a much slower pace. There were games involving marbles and paper kites. Growing up in a Kampong also meant more interaction with the neighbours. Present: In the present, technology has progressed so rapidly. Instead of playing with marbles and paper kites, growing up in modern Singapore rewards 78

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us with the latest smart-phones like the iPhone or Blackberry. We also enjoy the high resolution Playstation consoles that were not even dreamt of by people in the past. Future: In the future, growing up may not involve a lot of interaction with people face to face given the progression of the state of technology now. There may be yet more pressure placed upon the youth of the future given the increasing emphasis on a competitive paper chase. 2. Use the pendulum method Like the pendulum bob that swings from the left to the right, the pendulum method refers to the analysis of the pros and cons of a given subject matter. For example, if you were to receive the topic “Singapore should build one more Integrated Resort”. You may analyse the: Pros: the advantages of building one more Integrated Resort would be the enormous tourist receipts that the Resort can yield for our economy. Here, you may adopt the PEEL technique to justify your reason for the enormous tourist receipts that might flow into the nation’s coffers. Cons: the disadvantages of building one more Integrated Resort would be the negative impact it will have on the campaign to fight gambling addiction. Here, you may also adopt the PEEL technique to justify your reason. 3. Problem, Consequences, Solutions For a topic on a particular phenomenon such as “higher teenage abortion rates”, you may approach the topic with the structure: Problem (describe the current problem from an objective point of view); Consequences (discuss the possible effects if the problem is left untreated); and Solutions (evaluate and propose a few solutions to the problem. Substantiate them with reasons or case studies if you have them on hand. It will also be appropriate to use the PEEL technique here to justify your solutions).

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4. Local, National and International This structure is self-explanatory. The analysis will begin by examining the issue from the perspective of a localized region such as a community, before moving on to the nation at large and finally to the implications on the global community. Examples of topics are: 1. Crimes 2. Education policies 3. Technological advancement 4. Cultural practices

Technique #3- Model/ Paradigm fitting The best way to deal with an impromptu topic is to tell a story and make a point. The advantages are two-folds: one, it gives the speaker more time to draw the causal connection from one point to another; and two, it helps to establish rapport with the audience given the “human touch” that personal experiences almost always have. The common misconception that people have is that impromptu speech is an unprepared speech. Quite the contrary, an impromptu speech can and should be a prepared speech. The biggest secret behind impromptu speech champions is that they almost always tell a story and make a point, and that the story has been rehearsed many times before the actual competition. However, this begs the question, “How will the contestants know which stories to prepare?” After all, they are unaware of the topic which will only be revealed on the day itself. an impromptu speech can and should be a prepared speech. The biggest secret behind impromptu speech champions is that they almost always tell a story and make a point, and that the story has been rehearsed many times before the actual competition.

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techniques do work; and I was able to utilise them to outperform the finalists at the Toastmasters International District 80 Table Topics Speech Championship 2012 and emerge as the champion. Before each table topics competition that I took part in, I would prepare at least 10 stories that I have had the luxury of practising and rehearsing for months. Each story will usually have more than one speech message. For instance, if you were to refer to Chapter 1, the story where my good friend Eric interacted with Irene Ang, you would realise that there are three speech messages there: (1) never give up in the face of obstacles; (2) always make a good first impression; (3) ride on the shoulders of giants, people buy people in this society. Now, to let you into my secret, each of my 10 stories have at least 3 speech messages to it. If you do the math, that will be 30 topics that I am adequately prepared for! Based on my experiences with table topics contest and careful observation from the trend of past topics, I know that some topics will almost always be offered as a contest topic. The odds of winning will be significantly higher as I came not unprepared, but very much prepared. If the topic that you receive is a perfect fit with one of the 30 speech messages that you have prepared, you will not hesitate to deliver the corresponding story. If the topic that you receive is an induced fit with one of the 30 speech messages that you have prepared, you will need to establish some links to draw a closer connection. However, if the topic that you receive has no link to any of the 30 speech messages you have prepared, do not force fit them to the stories you have prepared. The worse thing that you want to do is to deliver a speech that is tangential or extraneous to the topic given. The follow-up techniques will be a topic for another forum given that more in-depth explanation will have to be proffered- probably in another book that focuses entirely on impromptu speech.

Technique #4- Practice makes Perfect Again, contrary to popular belief, you can actually prepare for an unprepared speech. How do you do that? There are two forms of preparation: 81

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One, you have to know your case inside out. This is particularly applicable to debaters or professionals who are appearing before their opponents and clients respectively. Many people marvel at how fast debaters can think on their feet. The trick is in their familiarity with their case at hand. By understanding your case inside out, you will be able to address all questions and opposition to the case. The other trick is to pre-empt the points that will be brought up. Have a friend think of points that your opponents or clients might raise and then strategise ways to defuse the opposition. Run simulated presentation and Q&A so that you will be exposed to the different permutations of outcomes and obstacles that may come your way. While it is not possible to pre-empt all the scenarios, it will be wise to run through those important ones that you think will have you stumped. Two, for impromptu speech contestants, it will be wise to practise as many topics of varying genres as possible so that you will be acquainted with the possible ways to tackle them. My mentor, the past District 80 Table Topics Champion, practised a total of 500 table topics one week prior to the championship. Truly, he managed to outwit, outlast and outspeak the other 9 contestants on stage to emerge as the champion. Truly, he lives up to the maxim, Practice makes Perfect.

Technique #5- Never be content to analyse the subject matter from a single perspective In 2011, when I coached a secondary school debate team (who eventually won the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championship C Division 2011); I gave one of my debaters the impromptu topic “Why do we have freedom of speech?” so as to evaluate their ability to think fast on their feet. My debater took the entire 2 minutes allocated to speak on freedom of speech as an intrinsic and inalienable right of mankind. When she concluded, I asked her, “Are there any points that you can proffer other than freedom of speech as an intrinsic right?” She told me that she was guilty of rambling on and on, not knowing what 82

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else to say. I advised her “How about looking at freedom of speech as a mechanism for the ascertainment of truth? How about looking at freedom of speech as an important value for a political system such as democracy?” I explained to them later that the best way to source for “things” to say is to take a step back and see if you can approach the best way to source for “things” to it from multiple angles. You will find that say is to take a step back and see if you can approach it from multiple angles. there is in fact, a lot more that you can contribute to the discussion. Do not ask yourself “Is there anything else to say?” Instead, ask yourself “Can I approach it from a political, economic, or social standpoint? Can I approach it from a local, national or international standpoint? Can I approach it from a viewpoint of a teacher, politician or musician?” Step into the shoes of different persona or into a different era or into a different geographical locus, and you will find that you have much more to say than simply stare and ask: “Is there anything else to say?”

Special Segment: a speech analysis for the table topic “Ways to contribute back to society” When I was in secondary three, I did my very first Flag Day. Essentially, what you do for Flag Day is you bring a tin can and solicit for donations from individuals on the street.

Start with an impactful introduction. The introduction can be in the form of a: 1. Quote 2. Dialogue 3. Story In this case, a personal story was employed. Personal experiences are the best materials for a great story as it is unique and can be personalised by the speaker himself easily.

I went to Lucky Plaza, Orchard Road, one of the busiest streets in Singapore, hoping that I would get lucky. (Audience laughter) The first person I approached was a Caucasian. I asked “Sir, would you like to donate?” He asked me “Which organisation do you represent?” I replied “the SPCA”. He asked “What does it stands for? 83

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SPCA”. How many of you know what it stands for? None. (Audience laughter)

Recall one of the 4Hs by Ed Tate, Humour. Humour is the best way to establish rapport with the audience and convey the speech message most effectively, especially when the speaker is given only 1-2 minutes to make a good impression.

I told him confidently that “SPCA stands for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” (Audience laughter) When he heard the word animals, he exclaimed excitedly “I love animals!” He took out a $50 note and dropped it into my tin can. (Audience laughter and gasps in amazement) You all seem impressed, I can tell. Catching on, I said “Sir, since you like animals so much, why don’t you donate more?” (Audience laughter) He said “Sure”; took out another $50 note and dropped it into my tin can. (Audience laughter)

The speaker employed the technique of model/ paradigm fitting. This was a story that he had rehearsed multiple times and it was a perfect fit with the topic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I was exulted, excited and exhilarated. I managed to collect $100 from the very first person I approached. (Audience laughter) However, I only knew one way that I could contribute back to society: Flag Day. I knew of nothing else. It was until I grew acquainted with the notion of social entrepreneurship from the many meaningful programmes I participated with the YMCA of Singapore that that I discovered other alternatives to contribute to society.. Yes, social entrepreneurship is another meaningful way to help contribute back to society. It refers to a business model that one undertakes to make a profit and then use a portion of the profits to benefit the needy sectors in society. “The Body Shop” is one successful example where they use the profits generated

Good utilization of the PEEL technique where the Point, Explanation and Example of social entrepreneurship was clear. The link was drawn at the concluding paragraph.

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to support environmentally friendly initiatives.

Exhorting the audience to take action is a very powerful way to conclude your speech with a “bang”.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there are many ways that we can contribute back to society. I have discovered them through increased interaction and exposure as well as keeping myself abreast of the latest initiatives made available by numerous charitable organisations. You too can do your part. After all, our relationship with the society at large is A PART, not APART. (Audience laughter)

Note: the analysis above covers only the content. The Non-Verbal Communication portion, which is equally important, is covered in Chapter 11. Finally, in striving to win any form of speech contest, it is imperative to comprehend the judging criteria so that you are aware of what the judges are looking out for. The below illustration is the typical judging criteria form for the Impromptu Speech contest. Speech Development (30%) This requires the speaker to utilize a good speech structure for the audience to follow easily. The suggested approach is to have a captivating opening (which I will suggest the introduction be in the form of a story), a body (well –substantiated with the PEEL technique) and a memorable conclusion (a call for action is one of the best ways to conclude rather than simply a summary of what was said). Effectiveness (25%) Here, the speaker is graded based on the depth of analysis (i.e. how well the speaker tackled the topic: was it on point? Was it tangential to what was asked? Is the logic behind the arguments canvassed sound?). The speaker is also judged based on his enthusiasm and ability to engage with the audience. Recall the 4Hs again by Ed Tate. If you are able to adhere to the 4Hs, you will most probably ace this section. 85

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Physical (15%) The speaker is graded on the overall appearance and body language. The topic on body language will be elucidated in Chapter 11. It is important to note that the impromptu speech is an art; a performance. It is not enough that the content is captivating. The non-verbal communication must be able to help communicate that too. Voice (15%) Voice includes: tonality, pauses, pitch, volume and speed. One of my mentors taught me this: “it is not enough just to have a loud and clear voice. You will need to be able to control your voice to achieve the desired effect”. More of vocal variety will be elucidated in Chapter 11. Language (15%) This involves the variety of sentence structure used as well as the arrangement and choice of words. The compatibility of the words to the speech purpose is essential to scoring well here. Finally, accurate pronunciation and enunciation is contributive to the aggregate score a speaker will receive here. See more under Chapter 10 on Language use.

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Chapter 5

How to Tickle your Audience with an Excellent Humorous Speech

I read an article somewhere that humour is infectious. It is in fact more infectious than any contagion spread by the common cold or cough. When you see or hear someone laughs, your body has the natural inclination to mirror the action and laugh as well. Laughter is extremely beneficial to us all on three important levels: 1. It boosts our body’s immune system by the relaxation of facial muscles and the brain’s natural release of endorphins (which is a chemical substance that acts as the body’s natural painkiller). When you laugh, you do not feel angry or anxious or upset. Laughter Laughter is the dominant emotion that can dispel the many negative emotions is the dominant emotion that can or thoughts that you might have. dispel the many negative emotions Where laughter goes, happiness follows. or thoughts that you might have. Try and recall the last time when you laughed and felt anxious at the same time. There simply isn’t such a time. Where laughter goes, happiness follows. 2. It binds people together. The human psyche operates in the way where ‘like’ are often grouped with ‘like’. In other words, a happy person will tend to attract happy people to mingle or interact with. Likewise, the same is true for sad people. Hence, when you put a smile across your face, you project an inner shine that is attractive to people. You draw them closer to you; establish rapport and bonds. Moreover, humour is increasingly recognised as an important element in professional business dealings as well as social functions as it serves as an excellent vehicle to bridge the gap among people and break down the invisible social barriers. 3. It relieves stress and help to increase your aggregate energy level for more productive tasks. With the more focused state of mind, you will be able to accomplish more at an optimal level. 88

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The above explains why humorous speakers are, arguably, the most charming of speakers who can enthrall, entertain and engage the audience. You may have heard of similar advice by speech coaches yourself: “Incorporate more humour in your speech; you will instantly connect with the audience”. However, if you were to be like me 6 years ago, you would probably be exclaiming: “But I am not funny! How can I be a humorous speaker?” How many of you think that you can only be a humorous speaker if you were born funny? I will suppose many of us carry that misconception with us for many years thinking that if you were not the class clown in school, you are probably inept to deliver a humorous speech. However, it is important to note that humour is not the sole prerogative of class clowns or stand-up comedians. 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix, says it best: “Humour is a process”. Indeed, you do not need to be born a talent in humour “Humour is a process” or naturally endowed with a funny bone to be funny. Quite the contrary, you can learn to pick up humour. Learning humour is a process where you constantly grab hold of Stage time and hone your humorous speaking skills. The best humorous speeches are in fact rewritten (i.e. they are drafted and fine-tuned many times before achieving the desired effect). Darren LaCroix’s anecdote on his journey to becoming a stand-up comedian inspired me. Upon graduation from college, he decided to invest in a Subway sandwich shop, which failed eventually. Subsequently, he picked himself up, and aspired to be a stand-up comedian. Unfortunately, as he admits, he was not funny. In fact, the only time that he managed to make someone laugh, was when he told his parents that he wanted to be a comedian! Darren LaCroix’s first debut was at a local comedy club. His delivery (in his own words) was the longest 59 seconds of his life. It was horrible! Yet, it was Darren LaCroix’s tenacity and years of guidance from his mentors and self-practice that made him a World Class champion. Similarly, I was not a funny person. Humour was my Achilles’ heel and many of my friends in the Toastmasters circuit can attest to that. One year into Toastmasters, I told myself that I wanted to try something different. I wanted to step out of my self-circumscribed comfort zone and try out humorous 89

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speeches. I went to many mentors in the circuit to give me advice as I polished and re-fined my speech for multiple times. I also invested in (literally) a stack of DVDs on the art of humorous speaking complied by the World Champions of Public Speaking. My efforts paid off a year later: in 2011, I emerged as the champion for the PA Humorous Speech Challenge Cup (a National humorous speech championship that saw the participation of some of the best humorists in the Public Speaking circuit). My fellow readers, if I can metamorphosise from someone who totally flopped in the domain of humorous speech to a Champion of a National humorous speech championship in 2011, you too can succeed. The art of humorous speaking is one that is exciting, rewarding and fulfilling. It certainly deserves to be thoroughly explored and analysed in an entire book on its own. Hence, it would not be possible to showcase most of the techniques that are required for a winning humorous speech. Nevertheless, I have condensed 6 salient and important techniques that you can employ to improve your humorous speech and boost your chances of winning your next competition. Towards the end of this chapter, I have also included the judging criteria for the humorous speech as well as a speech analysis of my Humorous Speech that has continued to bring laughter to my peers who have heard it.

Technique #1: Manage your audience train of thought, and then derail it Recently, I had a conversation with one of my National Service buddies,Eric. Eric: Darren, we are scheduled for reservist next week, are you prepared for it? Me: Well, I am almost done packing. How about you? Eric: Yup, I did my packing. Oh yes, what were the essential things that you packed? I want to make sure that I don’t miss out anything. Me: Well, I packed my spare set of uniform; my field torch light; and… my mother. (Laughter) What did you observe above? There was a twist immediately after I introduced 90

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the first two items. Our human mind works in a way that pre-empts the next logical object in mind. It is what we call an expectation or a train of thought. When you mention to someone, “Tell me the different types of flowers you saw in the park earlier today?” You would probably have the person thinking of flowers. In his mind, he would probably be thinking “Hydrangea, Water Lily, Orchid, Bougainvillea etc”. The punch-line is delivered when you derail the expected course of the train of thought. There is a twist; a break in the chain of thought to something unexpected. Humour naturally ensues. The trick The punch-line is delivered when you derail the expected to humour is to lead your audience to think in a course of the train of thought. certain way or have their train of thought travel in a pre-planned charter. Subsequently, to achieve the laughter, you will have to derail the train by bringing an unexpected twist. The humorous effect can be further amplified with the use of vocal variety, pauses and body language. More of which will be explained in Technique #4 below as well as Chapter 11 on Non-Verbal Communication.

Technique #2- Use the power of three, exaggeration and real-life references. The strength of the ‘power of three’ is predicated on the human mind’s preference for things to come in three(s). We tend to remember things more vividly when it is presented before us in We tend to remember things more vividly a triad. On top of that, the power of three when it is presented before us in a triad. helps to create a stronger impact when you derail the audience train of thought. For example: “My friend, Dan, is so lazy that he does not wash his own cups, clothes and body.” (Audience laughter)

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An example of the use of exaggeration would be: “I am so tall that when Michael Jordan jumps for the hoop, he will only be at my chest level.” (Audience laughter)

The reference to real-life experiences requires the audience to be aware of the context of your humour. For example, a non-resident of Singapore would probably not be aware of the famous, or should I say infamous, pet-phrase by Miss Universe Singapore, Ris Low “Boomz”. The pet-phrase “Boomz” refers to something that is stunning or good. For example: “Your speech garnered so much applause, it must be so “Boomz”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #3- Use self-deprecating humour The usage of self-deprecating humour is another way of making your audience laugh heartily. When the speaker uses self-deprecating humour, he portrays himself as someone who is comfortable with himself in front of the audience. Immediately, the invisible social barrier between the speaker and the audience collapses; rapport is established. A famous comedian in America used self-deprecating humour, poking fun at his huge body size. The entire auditorium burst into an uproarious laughter that lasted for 30 seconds: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so fat that when I put on a pair of shorts, it would seem like my butt was eating my pants”. (Audience laughter) Another businessman utilised self-deprecating humour at a business presentation too: “Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Aaron Hussein Arafat. And yes, I do get the questions ‘Are you a dictator?’ or ‘Are you a terrorist?’ I can assure 92

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you all that I have no links whatsoever to Saddam Hussein or Yasser Arafat”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #4- Complement your delivery with body language, pauses and vocal variety 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix, advises that sometimes, even a slight movement of the eyebrows or edge of your lips can make or break a laugh. When I first participated in my Toastmasters club’s humorous speech contest, I only managed to garner 3 laughs. Out of the 3 laughs I received, 2 were at unexpected points of my speech. I did not even think that the 2 unexpected points where my audience laughed were funny in the first place. But I accepted them gracefully. Who doesn’t want a laugh anyway? Subsequently, I went to ask some members of the audience for feedback and got to know what made them tickle at the 2 unexpected points of my speech. Similarly, when you embark on your own humorous speech contest or humorous speaking journey, it is important to gather feedback from the audience to know what makes them tick. A winning humorous speech is not written, but re-written. It is through the consistent feedback process and finetuning of your speech that engenders a winning speech at the end of the day. Here are some simple tips for you to bear in mind: 1. Pause, albeit slightly, before your punch-line for the maximum impact. 2. When the situation calls for it, be animated. Your animated hand gestures will have to be amplified especially when you are speaking in front of a large group of audience. The audience might not be able to detect smaller hand gestures that would otherwise have been sufficient with a smaller speaking platform. 3. When building to a climax, the volume of your voice should rise to a crescendo correspondingly. The use of vocal variety helps to create suspense and release the punch-line more effectively. 93

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Technique #5- Keep a humour bank Always keep a humour bank with you and document all the funny incidents Always keep a humour bank with in your life; no matter how small or insignificant you and document all the funny you think they are. Good sources for humour incidents in your life. need not only come from stand-up comedians. They can come from your personal experiences, street signs, telephone conversations, news report, reading materials, humorous speech contest etc.

Technique #6- Move on when you do not receive a desired laugh Please avoid apologising for a failed attempt to make the audience laugh. It does not help for you to repeat the joke or punchPlease avoid apologising for a failed attempt to make the line, or even attempt to explain the punch-line. The audience laugh. best way for you to save grace and keep up with the momentum is to move on to the next part of your speech. It is as if that part of the speech was not intended to be funny. Practise doing it a few times and you will be more relaxed in coping with such situations. Remember, sometimes the problem may not be with you; it may be that the audience is a little shaken by other events through no fault of yours. Move on confidently and do not despair. Darren LaCroix also advises that sometimes, you have to release the burden off your shoulders and say: “Don’t be too hard on yourself; Sometimes it is the audience”.

Special segment: Speech Development (15%)

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Instead, there should be a core speech message that the audience can derive meaning and benefit from. Effectiveness (10%)

storytelling in a humorous speech Speech Value (15%)

Audience Response (15%)

barometer to gauge the audience interest, receptivity and rapport built. Physical (10%) Technique #4 Voice (10%)

Manner (10%) Appropriateness (10%) Correctness (5%)

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Ladies and Gentlemen, the setting of the scene was as such: three individuals arrived at the Pearly Gates of Heaven guarded by a Guardsman. The three individuals were a doctor, an engineer and a lawyer.

Start with a story or personal experience to engage the audience immediately. Notice the usage of plain English in the delivery.

The doctor walked up to the guardsman and said “I am a doctor; I save lives, could you let me into Heaven?”

The usage of dialogue allows the characters of the story to exude their personalities which accentuates the humorous element.

The Guardsman looked at him, and replied “No”. (Audience laughter) The engineer then tried his luck and requested “I am an engineer, I build things and I improve people’s lives, could you let me into Heaven?” The Guardsman looked at him, and replied “No”. (Audience laughter)

Note: there was the incorporation of facial expression in a bid to dramatise the emotions of the Guardsman.

Finally, when it came to the lawyer, he said “I am a lawyer”. The Guardsman looked at him, and replied “Welcome Mr Lawyer!” (Audience laughter)

Setting up the train of thought with the power of three and derailing it with a different response provided by the Guardsman. Humour Technique #1.

The doctor and engineer were puzzled. They asked the Guardsman “Why is it that the lawyer could go through the Pearly Gates of Heaven but not us?” The Guardsman replied “We have a lot of doctors and engineers. But as for lawyers, we only had one”. (Audience laughter)

This was the punch-line. Even though the punch-line was at the end of the story, more laughter points were achieved with the usage of complementary or exaggerated body language.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears that the above represents the pervasive perception that society has of lawyers: so unlikeable of lawyers. There is a saying that goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away. A million dollars and yet you can’t keep the lawyer away”.

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(Audience laughter)

thought even though it is not expressed in the quintessential ‘triad’.

That probably explains why I have been kept single for the past 4 years. (Audience laughter) Here, I will like to share with you my experiences for my past three dates. And let me tell you Ladies and Gentlemen, if you have liked a post on Facebook, you can freely choose to unlike it. However, once you have seen a date, you cannot un-seen it. (Audience laughter)

Again, the usage of ‘Contrast’.

For the first date, I went out with a girl I met at my Toastmasters Club. When she walked through the meeting room door, I was amazed by her gorgeous appearance. She was sexy, she was elegant and she was not wearing any… glasses. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1 with the power of three.

I walked up to her and asked “You are here for the Toastmasters meeting ya?” Ladies and Gentlemen, do you realise what went wrong there with my verbal question? Singaporeans, like myself, tend to like asking the obvious questions. At 7 in the morning, when you see your neighbour in the lift wearing a business suit and holding a briefcase, you ask “Going to work ah?” The sarcastic reply would probably be “No, going to your house”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1. Setting up and then derailing the train of thought.

When you see a car with a tyre punctured along the expressway, you will ask “tyre punctured is it?” (Audience laughter) “Oh no, the other three are swollen”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1. Setting up and then derailing the train of thought.

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When you see your friends painting the shopping cart on homecoming day, you ask “Eh, painting the shopping cart ah?” (Audience laughter) “Oh no, I am giving it a manicure”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1. Setting up and then derailing the train of thought.

Those were the obvious questions that we ask. And obviously, I did not impress her. After our date, I asked her “how was the date? Would you consider going out with me again?” (Audience cheering) She said “Darren, after your demonstration and presentation tonight, it is now time for my evaluation”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1 with the power of three.

“Darren, you were outgoing, enthusiastic and passionate. Those were your strengths. And as with all great dates, here are some areas for improvement for you”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1 with the power of three.

Trust me Ladies and Gentlemen, she had a long list. It was a written list! (Audience laughter) How did she manage to find the time during the date to write such a long list, I have no idea. (Audience laughter)

Technique #2 by exaggeration.

Thus, the first date did not turn out well. The second girl that I met was at the NUS dinner and dance night. There were three contestants on stage. I was one of them. (Audience laughter) I was selected as one of the contestants did not show up. (Audience laughter) I was a substitute. (Audience laughter) The organisers of the dinner and dance had a fun way of labeling us. Instead of the usual tag that says “M1” to denote

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“Male Contestant 1”, they decided to be more creative this time. (Audience laughter) The tag will have the initials of the surname of the corresponding female partner attached to the word “Men”. So if your female partner were to be Miss Tay, initial “T”, your tag would be labeled “T-Men”. (Audience laughter) I was thinking: that is very creative. That night, as the first male contestant walked on stage, his female partner was revealed. She was Miss Xia. “X”. “X-Men”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1. Setting up and then derailing the train of thought.

The second contestant walked up on stage. His female partner was Miss Ang. “A”. “A-Men”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1. Setting up and then derailing the train of thought.

And I was up. I went on stage and saw the most beautiful female contestant amongst the rest. I was over the moon. (Audience laughter) I walked up to her and asked “And you are?” “Miss Chiong”. (Audience laughter) “C”. (Audience laughter) “C-Men”. (Audience laughter)

Technique #1. Setting up and then derailing the train of thought.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my tag was labeled “C-Men”. (Audience laughter) And I was called “C-Men” the entire night. (Audience laughter). My date with the beautiful girl failed for obvious reasons. (Audience laughter) The third date with a girl was a disaster. (Audience laughter) She was a lawyer by profession. When we sat down at a restaurant, I asked “Could you pass me the pepper please?” Incidentally, there were two bottles

Technique #2 by exaggeration.

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of pepper there. Normally, you would reply “Which one; right?” (Audience laughter) She said this: “Darren, well, as we can see from here, there is a clear dichotomy between one bottle of pepper from the other. The dichotomy stems from the historical development of an agricultural produce that involves two diametrically opposite methodologies of preparation. I now lay the following conundrum at your feet: which bottle? Thus, we have now come to a quintessential ‘rock, paper, scissors’ moment to decide”. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, I merely asked for the pepper. Imagine if I were to ask her “How was your life?” (Audience laughter) The restaurant would never have to close for the next decade! (Audience laughter)

Technique #2 by exaggeration. The audience was probably aware that no one would ever say that phrase. However, they were willing to accept it for the creative and comic value in it.

Technique #2 by exaggeration.

Ladies and Gentlemen, thus, it is not that I want to be single, but it’s just that I have yet to find a suitable girl. (Audience laughter) So if you have heard my proposition on a date, do take it into consideration and accept my invitation. (Audience laughter)

Power of three and a call to action as a conclusion.

Contest Chair.

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Chapter 6: Mastering the Evaluation Speech

Chapter 6

Mastering the Evaluation Speech

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Chapter 6

Mastering the Evaluation Speech

In Toastmasters, there is a particular type of speech contest called the Evaluation Speech Contest. The main objective of this contest is to develop critical thinking skills of the speakers as they analyse and evaluate the strengths and areas for improvement of the test speaker. The test speaker is someone appointed to deliver a 5-7 minutes speech. After his delivery, the test speaker will be evaluated by the Evaluation Speech Contestants. The other benefit of taking part in the evaluation is to learn the art of providing constructive feedback to the individual; taking note that the duration is 2-3 minutes. The time period is to instill discipline in the speaker to focus on the economy of words as well as to prioritise the more important points to analyse. The application of the above two skills learnt from taking part in an Evaluation Speech contest is a social imperative for one to thrive well in the workforce. We find ourselves in situations where we have to provide constructive feedback to our employees or fellow colleagues on specific subject matter(s). We also tap into the skills of evaluation when we advise our friends or family members on certain issues that they can afford to improve on. How do we evaluate without sounding too critical? How do we provide constructive feedback that is useful to the recipient? How do we make sure that the feedback provided is one that motivates the recipient to strive for the better instead of wallow in despair? There are 6 key techniques that will help you be a better speech evaluator. It will serve you well when you take part in an Evaluation Speech Contest or when a situation calls for you to proffer constructive feedback to your peers. At the end of this chapter, I have included the judging criteria for the Evaluation Speech as well as my winning Evaluation Speech from the Toastmasters International District 80 Evaluation Speech Contest 2009 in Macau.

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Technique #1- Be specific When you are evaluating someone, be it their work performance, their speech or even their dress sense, it is important for you to be specific with your evaluation. There is no value in providing someone with a general remark as it adds little to their personal development. Imagine if you were to ask your colleague, “How was my speech?” and the reply you got: “It was good”. How would you react? You would most probably be thinking “Yes, I probably know that, but in what way was it good?” See, the importance of telling someone specifically in what way he was good is that you allow the speaker to be more aware of his strengths. The speaker will then be able to know what clicks with the audience and what does not; thereby making the appropriate adjustments in his subsequent speeches. More importantly, the speaker will be able to replicate to replicate the frame of success and ensure greater the frame of success and ensure greater success success in future. in future. Therefore, the key to a good evaluation is to be specific. Instead of saying “Your speech was good”, say “Your speech was good because it did have a story and told a powerful message that still resonates in my mind. I can even recall your speech message now. It is…”

Technique #2- Prioritise your points The best form of evaluation is not to nit-pick on the minor trivial details but rather to give constructive feedback on a thematic basis. This is particularly important when you are working to proffer feedback within a given time limit. Hence, you should prioritise your points and deliver the more important ones first. Only if you have extra time, do you then deal with the other minor points. On top of that, it is more effective for you to evaluate on a thematic basis. Evaluation on a thematic basis requires the conscientious effort of grouping and categorising your points under a single heading and dealing with them there. The benefit of doing so are three-folds: (1) you save time without having to deal with every single information when you can categorise them and pick 103

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two to three representative points; (2) it adds structure to your delivery such that the recipient can remember your feedback better; and (3) you portray yourself as someone who can see the “big picture” instead of focusing too narrowly on the nitty-gritty issues. For example, if you observed that the speaker used metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration and the power of three in his speech, you may wish to group them all under the single umbrella: Literary devices.

Technique #3- Be motivating and encouraging There are two extreme ends on the spectrum of evaluation: one, is what we call “white-washing” (essentially, it is a method of evaluation that speaks of only the strengths of the speaker and progresses to exaggerated proportions such as “Your speech was fantastic and I could not spot a single mistake. It was the best speech in the world”) which may often be portrayed as insincere; and two, is what we call destructive criticisms (where the evaluation is devoid of any motivating or encouraging element. It will probably deter the speaker from ever attempting it again. At times, the evaluation may cross the line to that of personal attacks). Both extremes are strongly discouraged as it does not serve the purpose of helping the recipient improve in terms of personal, character and aptitude development. The middle ground is by far the best: constructive feedback. Constructive feedback has the general structure of: Strength exhibited; areas for improvement; concluding remarks to encourage the recipient to try his best again. The tone of the evaluation is confident, professional and encouraging. This is different from white washing; yet, it is important to note that even a bitter pill needs to be sugar coated for easy consumption, digestion and assimilation. In early 2009, when I first attempted my Project 4 from the Toastmasters International Basic Communication Manual, my evaluator then was extremely harsh on me. I can never forget what she said to me after the delivery of my speech. She said this verbatim “Darren, you did not meet the speech objectives. Your vocal variety sucks!” I was terribly upset and dejected then. When I spoke 104

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to one of my mentors about the harsh evaluation, she consoled me: “Darren, she was not a good evaluator”. I replied “Thanks for trying to console me, but how do you know she wasn’t?” (Although I had already formed that impression in mind) My Mentor: “How did you learn to run? You had to learn how to walk first right? Me: “Yes, of course”. My Mentor: “Sure, and if a baby were to fall while learning how to walk, would you tell the baby, You suck?” Me: “Of Course not” My Mentor: “How would you describe such parent if she were to tell the young baby, You Suck”? Me: “A bad parent”. My Mentor: “And there you have it. Likewise, the evaluator who told you that ‘You sucked’ was not a good evaluator. You are now at project 4, similar to the walking stages of a young baby. You are learning the art of public speaking. Instead of destroying your self-esteem, a good evaluator should be like an encouraging parent, standing by and motivating you with the power of words. Not the other way around. Trust me, put this incident behind you and work hard moving forward. You will find yourself walking and eventually soaring in the Public Speaking circuit”. Indeed, there was plenty of wisdom in what my mentor said. The best way to evaluate someone is to use motivating and encouraging language such as “I am confident that if you take my advice, which is to slow down considerably in your delivery, into consideration and apply them diligently, you will see yourself as a more confident and dynamic speaker in your subsequent speech”. Have a balanced number of strengths and areas for improvement. More importantly, place yourself in the shoes of the speaker when you are evaluating him. You will be better equipped to evaluate with his best interests in mind.

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One year later, I met the same harsh evaluator at a Division level contest and I managed to beat her in that contest. At the end of the contest, she walked up to me and congratulated me. I found out later that she did not even recognise me there and then that I was the novice speaker whom she said “Your vocal variety sucked”.

Technique #4- Demonstrate (if possible) when you make recommendations When I was playing badminton for my primary school many years back, I would never fail to see the look of bewilderment on the face of my junior Bryan when our coach told him “Bryan, you should execute a backhand smash when the shuttlecock is positioned at your eye level and equidistant between your standing position and the net”. After my team feedback to the coach on the difficulty for our young minds to visualise the proposed improvement, he decided to demonstrate the proposed improvement to us personally. Everything was much more comprehensible with the physical demonstration by our coach. Our human mind works in a remarkable fashion: it processes visual images much faster than verbal images. That explains why mirroring of body language is often hailed as the most important tool in establishing rapport; more important than the choice of words at times. Our human mind registers information better through visualisation. Therefore, in the art of effective evaluation, it is important to demonstrate what you have recommended the recipient to take note of. For instance, instead of simply saying “You can afford to pause before articulating something very important”, you should demonstrate it by saying “You can afford to pause before articulating something very important. Here, watch me repeat the phrase that you used in your speech earlier: ‘And the best way to lose weight is to exercise!’”. Demonstration, when you make recommendations to the recipient, is important on two counts: (1) you allow for better assimilation of your recommendation; and (2) the recipient will know exactly what you mean such 106

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that there are minimal risks of a misunderstanding.

Technique #5- Be creative When you are in an Evaluation Speech contest, it is important to differentiate yourself from the other 7 to 8 contestants. There is a high chance that you might be repeating the points that have been delivered by the previous contestants. Hence, it is crucial for you to differentiate yourself by finding the “X-Factor”. There are a few ways to be creative: 1. Find an acronym when you evaluate such as “since your speech title was on Love, let me use the acronym LOVE to evaluate your speech. L is for Logical flow. I enjoyed the… O is for Organisational Structure… V is for the versatility of your speech… and finally E is for Enhance; I will share with you the areas for improvement that will help to improve and enhance the already sterling qualities of your speech”. 2. Give your evaluation an overall theme. I once had to evaluate a speaker whose speech topic was food related. My opening: John, your speech was like an excellently cooked piece of succulent steak; it was elegant, refined, and wonderfully cooked. So allow me to cut it bit by bit with the meat knife of analysis so that we can fully savour and digest the tantalizing speech. My conclusion: John, if you were to keep up with your strengths which are… and take into account my areas for improvement which are…, I believe your next speech will be like a five star cuisine. Mama Mia! 3. Engage the audience or perhaps one member of the audience in your evaluation. Instead of saying “you can improve on your eye contact”, you can find your magical moment or “X-Factor” and engage the audience with a more vibrant and refreshing evaluation, such as: “Darius, while your speech was as enchanting as the 7 colours of the rainbow 107

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in the sky, one particular colour was missing. The colour green was missing. And do you know who took it? Patricia (points to Patricia, a member of the audience) took it. She was so green with envy that the bulk of your eye contact was with the other side of the audience; she was waving frantically at you and speaking mentally ‘Look at me, Look at me please’ (Audience laughter)”. There are many more ways to exercise your creativity. Remember to keep your BANK with you always so that you can document any inspiring incidents to fuel the creative mechanism within you at your next speech contest.

Technique #6- Remember to conclude Many contestants in their haste to deliver all their points (strengths and areas for improvement) neglect to conclude their speeches properly, or not conclude at all. As you will see from the judging criteria, the conclusion takes up 15% of the overall score. It is hence important for you to conclude. A good conclusion should incorporate the topic sentences of the strengths and areas for improvements proffered. A good conclusion allows for the recipient to better remember the points you have shared which is the primary purpose of delivering the evaluation in the first place.

Special segment: Judging Criteria Analytical Quality (40%)

Recommendations (30%)

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Technique (15%)

Conclusion (15%)

Ladies and Gentlemen, 2004 World Champion of Public Speaking, Dr Randy Harvey once said this: “To be able to meet your speech objectives, that is contemporary; but to be able to inject emotions into your speech, that is mastery”.

Captivating introduction utilised here to engage the audience as well as the test speaker. The use of a quote from 2004 World Champion of Public Speaking, Dr Randy Harvey, adds authoritative and persuasive force to the evaluation.

Congratulations to you Arthur! You have shown such sustainable frames of mastery that eclipsed the standards of most champion speakers I have seen so far. Well Done! (Audience laughter)

Technique #3- Be motivating and encouraging. This is different from ‘white-washing’ which may sound like this “Congratulations to you Arthur! Your speech was the best in the world and that there are no areas for improvements. Well Done!”

Allow me to provide you with my evaluation, using the 3M approach: Matter, Manner, and Method. On to Matter, the content was very cogently expressed and well substantiated with examples such as “In 2008, John was able to incorporate the impromptu speech techniques I have share and capitalize on it for his eventual victory at the District 80 Table Topics Speech Contest”. The usage of examples in the quintessential PEEL method of Persuasion coagulates the persuasive force in his speech.

Technique #5- Be Creative. The use of 3Ms to evaluate the test speaker helped give the speech a more coherent structure. Technique #1- Be Specific. Here, a specific quotation was used to draw the audience attention to a specific point in the test speaker’s speech.

Furthermore, Arthur was able to make full use of his language prowess by peppering his speech with literary devices. For instance, Arthur was able to add colour to his speech 109

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through the apt use of alliteration. The words ‘Revise’ and ‘Rehearse’ were strategically juxtaposed to one another which engendered a memorable rhyme to the point he was making. Certainly, an excellent use of literary devices to engage the audience. However, what impressed me the most was Arthur’s ability to take us on an adventure by starting off with a captivating introduction; building to a tension; before reaching the climax where he shared his honour and glory of being crowned the “District 80 International Speech Champion”. Great job!

Technique #2- Prioritise your points. The points were delivered in order of increasing importance. Instead of delving into the nitty-gritty issues, the speaker was able to evaluate on a thematic basis.

Ladies and Gentlemen, as with all great speeches, here are some areas for improvement that Arthur may consider incorporating in his next speech. The first area for improvement is to repeat your speech message “Revise and Rehearse” like a mantra throughout your speech at appropriate moments. For instance, you can repeat the speech message after every main argument. In this way, the audience will be able to remember your speech message even after they have left the convention room. Having dealt with Matter, I shall now move on to the second M, Manner. Arthur, your vocal variety was as beautiful as the 7 colours of the rainbow in the sky. However, one particular colour was missing. It was green in colour. Do you know who took it? Patricia Lum took it (points to Patricia Lum, a member of the audience). (Audience laughter) She was so green with envy when most of your eye contact was concentrated on the left

Technique #5- Be creative.

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side of the audience floor, leaving her to feel sidelined. I could almost hear her say mentally “Look at me Arthur! Look at me Authur!” (Audience laughter) What you can do is to distribute your eye contact evenly with the audience, on both the left and right hand side. In that way, you will be able to establish rapport with more members of the audience. Our keynote speaker for this convention, Douglas Kruger, reinforced the above with his famous quote “Connecting with the audience is key!” Moving on to the last M, which is Method. Arthur, instead of having a short and abrupt conclusion, perhaps you may wish to exhort the audience to take action. For example “Ladies and Gentlemen, let us begin by rehearsing in front of the mirror before every single speech we deliver; Let us begin by re-doing all our projects from the basic communication manual in Toastmasters; Let us begin by observing the more proficient speakers to improve ourselves consistently”. All in all, you impressed me Arthur with your strengths which are (1) your cogent argumentation skills; (2) usage of literary devices; and (3) excellent adherence to the salient features of a narrative speech. I believe that with my recommendations, which are (1) repetition of the speech message at appropriate moments; (2) more evenly distributed eye contact; and (3) a more ‘meaty’ conclusion with a call for action, I believe that you will deliver your next speech with similar 3Ms: one that is Magical, Marvelous and Magnificent. (Audience laughter and cheers)

Technique #4- Demonstration. The speaker demonstrated his recommendation by suggesting an alternative way to conclude the test speaker’s speech.

Technique #6- Remember to conclude. Conclusion was done with the topic sentences of the strengths and areas for improvement clearly stated.

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Chapter 7: Secrets to Excel in any Interviews

Chapter 7

Secrets to Excel in any Interviews

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Chapter 7

Secrets to Excel in any Interviews

Understanding what makes a successful interviewee is crucial in your subsequent interview appointment. You may attend an interview session for many reasons: 1. Seeking a dream job from a company that you have always wanted to work in 2. Getting a scholarship to finance your University tuition fess 3. In the running for a prestigious award 4. Admission interview into a school of your choice 5. Promotion interview by your bosses to assess your capabilities There are essentially 2 main objectives that an interview session is convened for: 1. Gathering more information about the interviewee 2. Platform for the interviewee to raise important questions and/ or clarify doubts with the interviewer In this section, some techniques will be expounded to aid interviewees overcome their fear of attending an interview session and prepare them to speak with panache. The presentation format of this chapter will be different from the other chapters in this book. This chapter takes on the format of a Q&A (Question & Answer) session. It is a unique way of presenting the key techniques for cultivating good interview habits by modeling a typical ‘to and fro’ Question & Answer session.

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How do you best prepare for an interview session? Preparing for an interview session is similar to preparing for an impromptu speech contest. The key to excelling in your interview session is to practise, practise and practise. By having adequate practice, you will be able to react to the questions in a composed manner as you will then not be ‘caught off-guard’ when faced with the interview questions. Naturally, you will be asking, “How do we practise then?” Here are a few salient points to take note: 1. There a few standard interview questions that will almost always be asked. They are often asked because: (1) the interviewer requires those questions to gather the required information from the interviewee that they could not otherwise glean from other sources; and (2) the interviewer will like to observe the body language of the interviewee while asking those questions and test the ability of the interviewee to respond to those questions within a short time frame. In essence, it could very well be an assessment. Therefore, it will be useful to prepare responses to those questions first so that you will know exactly what to say. I often tell my student participants at my public speaking workshops that “it is a waste if the interviewer does not get to see the real you just because your nervous-self (due to lack of training in interview skills) stands in your way”. 2. Rehearse with a friend who will be asking you hypothetical questions. He should do so in the shoes of the interviewer representing the specific organisation. In so doing, you will be able to best form of practice is to tackle the possible questions that may be have someone role-play the interviewer. asked and pre-empt potential opposition to your response. The best form of practice is to have someone role-play the interviewer. 3. Get ready a few speech structures in mind so that you will not be stumped when faced with a difficult question. Recall the impromptu speech structure suggested in Chapter 4.

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How do you answer the type of questions that ask you to “Describe your weaknesses”? The type of questions that ask you to “Describe your Weaknesses” is in fact a test designed by the interviewer to see if you are able to recognise your weaknesses and know how you might be able to resolve them. It is important to understand the interviewer’s psyche here: the interviewers are aware that as human beings, we all have our weaknesses. capitalise on our strengths and innovate solutions to minimize the Yet, it is how we capitalise on our strengths effect of our weaknesses and innovate solutions to minimize the effect of our weaknesses that matters. They want to know whether we are doing something or nothing about our weaknesses. Your answer may be obvious to them as to the sort of person that you are. 1. Do not tell them that you have no weaknesses. This is a taboo as it simply portrays yourself as unrealistic and disillusioned. 2. When you describe your weakness to them, make sure that you do not spend too much time delving and harping on your own weaknesses. It might well convince them that it is a significant issue. 3. Avoid using weaknesses, if any, which are permanent in nature such as a serious character flaw. It will be best to surface those weaknesses that can be resolved with effort invested on your part and whose nature is not detrimental to the overall best interests of the company. For instance, do not tell them that you have the urge to steal at times but managed to suppress it. On the other hand, the weakness of having the tendency to micro-manage for the need to ensure personal perfection can be better managed and will definitely appear to be more acceptable to the organisation. 4. Remember to tell your interviewer steps that you are taking to resolve your weaknesses. It will be better if you can reassure them that the steps that you have been taking to minimize the effects of your weaknesses are showing very positive results.

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How should your body language be to exude your confident personality? 1. You may have heard of advice that went along the lines of “always establish a firm handshake with the interviewer(s)”. your handshake must be accompanied with a sincere That is true. However, what is often not smile on your face as well as eye mentioned is that your handshake must be contact with the interviewer(s). accompanied with a sincere smile on your face as well as eye contact with the interviewer(s). 2. Sit with an open gesture. See more in Chapter 11. 3. Feel free to gesticulate if required. Do so in moderation. Avoid holding on to a pen or paper lest your nervousness be made apparent by the shaking hands or fingers. 4. Smile appropriately when responding to questions. Leil Lowndes in his book “How to Talk to Anyone: 92 little tricks for big success in relationships” proposed that an effective and sincere smile not be too quick or fleeting. It needs to be broad and slowly executed. It will be better to delay the moment appropriate for a smile by 2 to 3 seconds before exuding your radiant smile.

What happens when you are posed a difficult question that you have no answer to at that point in time? How do you resolve that? Is it advisable to “smoke” your way through? I remembered a mantra that most debaters subscribe to, especially amongst the many in my batch: “If you cannot convince, you confuse”. All too often, the temptation to “smoke” our way through, or to “cast a general smokescreen” to confuse our interviewer(s) proves to be too great to suppress. However, I quickly learnt that the maxim cannot hold water in times of difficulty after I went through my first 2 years in NUS Law school. The best way to answer a very difficult question to which you do not have an answer would be: to be frank about it and admit that you do not have an answer 117

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with you there and then. However, you should add that you would be willing to return and search for an answer. On top of be frank about it and admit that you do not have an answer with that, if you are able to spot the general direction you there and then. the question is heading towards, or if you can identify the underlying question that concerns the interviewer, you may wish to acknowledge the question and answer it. For example: “My sincere apologies Mr Tan for I do not have an answer to your question on the annual profit details of the previous company that I was working for. I understand that the information might be available online, as the company’s financial records are published annually and made available to the public. I will be most happy to look up into that when I return and provide you with a reply as soon as possible. Be that as it may, I understand Mr Tan that you might be concerned about my contributions to the previous company and hence the question to her annual performance in terms of profits. My contributions are …”

Any other pointers that can help me better my chances at my next interview? 1. Relax and enjoy the interview process. A tensed body plagued with anxiety will not allow your mind to react and respond optimally. You may end up communicating the wrong impression. 2. If possible, think of ways that you can contribute to the organisation instead of simply asking what the organisation can do for you. Interviewers like to hear the areas that the organisation can benefit from your joining them. Take the opportunity during the interview to tip the scales in your favour. 3. Dress appropriately for the occasion. If possible, call and check with the staff of the organisation on the expected attire for the interview. If there is no way for you to confirm, it is always good to fall on the safe side to wear formal attire for a professional interview.

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Chapter 8: Master of Ceremony

Chapter 8

Master of Ceremony

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Chapter 8

Master of Ceremony In the earlier pages of this book, I shared that I started emceeing in my secondary school days. Over the years, I have had the opportunity of emceeing multiple events of different nature: formal events such as awards ceremony or official launch of charitable programme; informal events such as birthday parties, wedding receptions and appreciation dinners etc. The most memorable event that I emceed was in 2009 where the President of the Republic of Singapore (as he then was), His Excellency, Mr S R Nathan was the Guest-of-Honour for the Citibank-YMCA Youth-for-Causes Awards Ceremony at Nanyang Junior College. At the end of the Awards Ceremony, Mr Nathan walked up to me and complimented me “You speak very good English. Where did you get your training? Good job as the emcee”. We took a photo to capture the moment for remembrance’s sake. I am very thankful for the many organisations that have given me the opportunities to emcee major events for them. It was through the multiple exposures that I learnt and improved along the way. I have consolidated 5 main learning points that you can use to improve your next performance as an emcee. This segment will also be in the format of a Q&A (Question & Answer) as it was extracted from a recent workshop that I had conducted on emceeing skills. The students posed several good questions that I thought would sum up the 5 learning points effectively and were presented in a palatable fashion.

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No, you do not have to memorise every single word on your emcee script. In fact, you should not. It would be an uphill task to do so especially for emcee scripts with a long list of names for an Awards Ceremony. An example would be the Edusave Bursary Awards Ceremony. I understand your concern too that using a piece of A4 sized script will appear as unprofessional. My advice to you is to have small cue cards which have small cue cards which are approximately the size of are approximately the size of your palm to make your palm to make occasional occasional references. In that way, you will look references. more professional on stage as your body language will be more apparent. Most importantly, the small cue cards are not meant for you to read off the script. It is meant for occasional references only. It is important to establish eye contact with your audience as the emcee. If time permits, it would be good if you can remember the names of key personnel to be verbally acknowledged in the script. They are like your Guests-of-Honour and speakers.

What if I say something wrong on stage? How should I deal with it? You would probably have to know the degree of “wrong” in what you said and how conspicuous it was. If it was like a grammatical error or missing out a line that would not distort the overall message you wished to deliver, you could move on. However, if it was like a major error- reading out the wrong name for the Guest-of- Honour- you would not be able to simply move on as it would portray you as unprofessional. Worse, it may create undue embarrassment for the dignitaries and guests, not to mention the Guest-of-Honour. Here, it would be appropriate for you to excuse yourself with “I beg your pardon” or “My humble apologies” and move on to the corrected sentence. For example: “Let us invite our Guest-of-Honour, Mr Darren Loh. I beg your pardon Ladies and Gentlemen. Please welcome Mr Darren Tay”.

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How do you remedy a situation that does not fall in place as planned? Or if something unexpected happen? How do you react and think fast enough on your feet? It is difficult for me to help you formulate the responses to all the possible permutations of glitches or mistakes that might happen on the actual day of the event. However, experience will guide you on to the best possible way to neutralise the negativity caused as a result of the anomaly. It helps to know that when an unexpected event occurs such as an award recipient fainting on stage, the audience will not focus on the words that you say to save grace. Instead, the focus will be on the award recipient who fainted, as in the above example. Your job as the emcee is to attend to the problem as any member of the audience or stage crew would (in the case of the fainted award recipient, the appropriate thing to do is to seek medical assistance or help from the stage hands to evacuate the person to another do your best to bridge the safe or comfortable location). Subsequently, disruption and allow the you will then do your best to bridge the programme to continue smoothly. disruption and allow the programme to continue smoothly.

Which is better? A handheld microphone or a clip-on microphone? This is a common question that student participants ask me. There are pros and cons to using each kind of microphone and it really depends on the occasion or event that you are emceeing. The handheld microphone is more suited for hosting programmes that do not have a rostrum or podium provided. It is also very well suited for programmes where you have to interact with the guests on stage (where you can offer them the microphone while they are speaking) or members of the audience off stage where you can transfer it easily to another person. However, it is often the silent accomplice of your nervousness that will undermine your confidence. When your hands tremble, albeit slightly, the microphone will tremble accordingly as well. The otherwise insignificant movement will then be amplified to be visible by the audience. It is one of the most obvious tell-tale signs. 122

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A clip-on microphone is more suited for occasions where you do not have to transfer the microphone to another person. It is also very suitable when you host an event that requires animated hand gestures or hands-on activities.

How do you perform crowd control without offending them? Sometimes, I receive feedback from the audience that the tone I used on stage as an emcee was too ‘commanding’ such that it irritated them. There are some words and phrases that are naturally pleasing to the ear that will almost always lead you to having people listen to your instructions as an emcee. Here are ways you can consider: 1. Use the word “invite”. The word ‘invite’ is a pleasing sugar-coat on an otherwise bitter and sharp command. Instead of saying “Can the audience in the front move one row back?” say “May I invite the audience in the front row to move one row back”. Alternatively, you can say “I would like to invite the audience in the front row to move one row back”. 2. Affix the word “Please” in front of every request. For instance, instead of saying “Move to the side”, say “Please move to the side”. 3. Instead of using words like “you”, use “we” to show that you all belong to the same group. The audience will be more receptive to a group calling than one that differentiates you and them.

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Chapter 9

Presentation with Visual Aids (PowerPoint Presentation)

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Chapter 9

Presentation with Visual Aids (PowerPoint Presentation) With the advent of technology, we are now able to introduce sounds, pictures and words into our presentation visually instead of having to rely solely on our verbal and non-verbal communication. The PowerPoint Presentation software is by far the most heavily utilised and often hailed as the best presentation aid used by professionals and students alike. However, over the years, we have grown more reliant on the PowerPoint Presentation that it has gradually sidelined the need to use our non-verbal communication skills such as pauses, vocal variety and hand gestures. The PowerPoint Presentation is not, and should not be a substitute for the performance of the speaker. The PowerPoint Presentation is not, and should not be a If used wisely, the PowerPoint Presentation substitute for the performance of can enhance your presentation performance the speaker. and help you clinch your next business deal or secure your ‘A’ for your oral presentation in school. Over the many workshops that I have conducted at schools, corporate organisations, and Toastmasters training workshops, I have combined, condensed and consolidated 5 key learning points for your perusal and incorporation into your next presentation so that it will be a success. Similar to the two preceding chapters, I have also used the Q&A (Question & Answer) format for this chapter as it facilitates the creative assimilation of the learning points for a specialty speech like PowerPoint Presentation.

What is the greatest mistake that participants commit in your training workshop when they deliver a PowerPoint Presentation? How can we improve and avoid making the same mistakes?

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The number one mistake that most participants commit in my training workshop when they deliver a PowerPoint Presentation is that they read off the slides that they have prepared. The PowerPoint Presentation should not be a substitute for your body language and eye contact. If you were to read off the slides directly, the audience would be better off reading on their own at the comfort of their own home, without having to take precious time off their busy schedules to watch you read off the slides. The key is not to read off the slides. The key is not to read off the slides. The PowerPoint Presentation should be an aid where you elaborate on the points flashed on the screen. While you elaborate, you face the audience and establish eye contact with them. There are several tricks that you can adopt to direct the audience eye contact wherever you want them to go: 1. Mirroring technique. You look at the object that you want your audience to look at. Recall how magicians distract the audience by looking at an object intently, thereby influencing the audience to mirror the magician’s eye contact to look at the object themselves. In the meantime, the magician insidiously sneaks another object into his palm to complete a magic routine. Likewise, if you want your audience to look at a particular object or a specific slide, look at it yourself and your audience will follow suit. Remember to establish eye contact with them when you are done. You would not want your audience to remain transfixed at the spot that you were looking at earlier. 2. Use linking words to bring your audience attention wherever you want them to go. For instance, if you want your audience Use linking words to bring your to look at the second paragraph of the text audience attention wherever you want them to go. you flashed on the screen, say “Ladies and Gentlemen, I would now like to draw your attention (use your index finger and follow to the target paragraph. Point at it) to the second paragraph of the text on the screen”. When you want them back, you say “coming back Ladies and Gentlemen”, and you continue.

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What is an ideal arrangement or design of your PowerPoint Presentation? 1. Your PowerPoint Presentation should not have too many words. My advice is to use bullet points and only have the topic sentence of your points flashed on the screen. You can deliver your explanation later. 2. It should not have pictures only. You need to strike a balance between an adequate number of words and pictures. 3. The size of the words and font type should be suitable for the audience. It is important to take into consideration the size of the presentation venue and the audience demographics too.

Are transitions important in a PowerPoint Presentation? How do we effectively transit from one point to another? Excellent question! While the PowerPoint Presentation software has digital transitions in fanciful configuration and sound, it is crucial for us to transit from one point to another smoothly lest our presentation appears to be abrupt to the audience. There are some ways to help you transit smoothly: 1. Use sign-posting to structure your speech. It gives your audience a good summary of every important point that you make. 2. Use transition words, such as connectors, or phrases wherever appropriate: “Having dealt with my first point, I now move very nicely to my second point” or “subsequently; consequently; nevertheless; be that as it may” etc.

Should we flash all the main points/ topic sentences at once for each slide? Why?

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Recall the power of using pauses when creating suspense for the audience. The slow release of information allows for the same effect as with a pause to be done so visually. The trick is to have your important points ordered and released only at the click of your controller. You would then be able to have full control of creating suspense, dropping a punch-line or ending with a ‘bang’ for your presentation.

How do you ensure that you can handle unexpected scenarios (like an unfortunate technical glitch that you had tried all means to avoid) that may occur during your presentation? As with all technology, there is no guarantee that it will be foolproof 100%. Hence, as effective presenters, we will have to As with all technology, there is no guarantee that it will be foolproof prepare contingency plans such as preparing 100%. a separate set of presentation materials (both hard and soft-copy). However, when all else fails, you still should not panic. Instead, you will need to fall back on delivering the presentation yourself without any visual aid. Therefore, the best insurance or fallback plan is to rehearse, rehearse and rehearse! It is only through the multiple rehearsals that you will be the master of the sequence, wording and punch-lines of your presentation. It also helps to be a master of your content should you have hands raised in the midst of your presentation so that you can tackle the questions with ease. prepare contingency plans such as preparing a separate set of presentation materials (both hard and soft-copy).

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Chapter 10

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Chapter 10

Espla(nade) or Espla(nard)? Language comes alive! At one of the public speaking workshops that I conducted for secondary school students, I asked the question “What would your impression be of a person who has a strong command of the English Language?” One of the students, Jack, raised his hand and responded “I think he would seem more intelligent, have authority and can be taken more seriously as compared to someone who does not have a strong mastery of the English Language”. Having heard Jack’s response, I asked further, “What does a strong command of the English Language entails then?” There were a number of good responses from the student participants. The summary of their answers is as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Be able to pronounce and enunciate words accurately. Be able to use good vocabulary at the appropriate times. Ensures grammatical accuracy. Adopts the usage of literary devices to add colour to their conversations and/ or speeches.

I cannot agree more with the responses provided by Jack and his classmates. Having a strong grasp of the English Language is an important feature of a successful Public Speaker. He commands respect and admiration as his linguistic prowess exudes qualities such as intelligence and authority. In Singapore, there is a tendency for some speakers to amalgamate the English language with their own dialects or mother tongue. The end-product is what we usually call ‘Singlish’. There will be no problem at all if the speaker can switch from using ‘Singlish’ to formal English at the appropriate forum at will. In fact, using ‘Singlish’ can help to strengthen bonds among social groups. However, the problem arises among many speakers mainly due to their inability to switch at the appropriate times.

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Having studied the English Language throughout my education journey: from primary to secondary to junior college and finally university level, I believe that it is impossible to crystallize all the learning points that the English Language has to offer in a single chapter of a book. It will probably require more than a book to be deemed comprehensive. Be that as it may, I will highlight the 3 key learning attitudes to adopt while learning the intricacies of the English Language. Next, I will explain the commonly used literary devices, their importance and application. Subsequently, I will highlight some of the common mistakes in the English Language that we will have to be aware of. Finally, I will reproduce a list of commonly mis-pronounced and mis-enunciated words- I usually provide the list to my participants at my public speaking workshops to help them eradicate the ill habits accumulated over the past years.

What are the three key attitudes that are essential to adopt while learning the intricacies of the English Language? #1- No one is 100% perfect with the English Language Be humble and keep an open mind to learn from multiple sources. During my time as a relief educator at one of the primary schools in Singapore, I had the opportunity to communicate with the Dental Nurse and glean some learning points from her personal experience. Nurse: I went to one class to conduct a dental talk. I wrote on the whiteboard: brush your teeth daily to remove dental plaque. The English Language teacher, who was standing at the back of the classroom all along, marched pompously towards the whiteboard, erased the word “plaque” and replaced it with “plague”. On top of that, the English Language teacher rattled before the class “Don’t listen to the nurse. She is wrong. It should be dental plague and not dental plaque”. I was very upset and indignant. However, I was certain that I was right. It should be “Dental plaque” not “Dental plague”. 133

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Me: Pardon me Nurse, I may be wrong, but isn’t the English language teacher correct? You were referring to the whitish substance that forms on the enamel that inhabits bacterial growth right? Nurse: Yes, I am referring to the whitish film on the teeth that inhabits bacterial growth. However, the correct term for it is “Dental plaque”. I don’t blame you Darren for the confusion. Most people are confused over the right word to use. Me: From what I understand, “plaque” is used to refer to the award you receive in appreciation for a service rendered. “Plague” refers to the spread of a disease leading to epidemics or pandemics. Nurse: You are absolutely right Darren. However, the word “plaque” has two meanings. One is for the award and the other is for “dental plaque”. You can check the dictionary if you are still in doubt. Me: (After checking the online dictionary and a hardcopy on my table- I wanted to be sure myself too) Yes, you are right Nurse. Thanks for enlightening me. I learnt something new today. I always had the wrong impression. Nurse: No problem Darren. You have a good learning attitude. That should be the way to go as we learn the English Language. Instead of assuming that one is right, it would be best to ascertain so; especially if one were to be embarrassing another who is right all along. Me: Yes, you are right Nurse. Thank you for the valuable lesson. Therefore, it is important to keep an open mind and be receptive to feedback. While the initial discomfort, and possibly embarrassment, for having applied the wrong information for many years may be daunting or repelling, we should strive to take the constructive feedback in good stead and embrace change. When you have the right attitude: that you are always in the process of learning the English Language and that no one is 100% perfect with it, you will relieve yourself of much stress and find the learning process enjoyable.

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#2- Beware of cultural differences that might affect the way you perceive and apply the English Language Using the English Language in a particular locality without taking the conscientious effort to track developments or understand cultures in other localities may engender miscommunication or misunderstanding. To illustrate my point, I have reproduced an excerpt from my one of my public speaking workshops regarding a personal experience at a University seminar I participated a few months back in 2012. Excerpt: There was a visiting Professor by the name of “David Bustard”. (Audience laughter) He was wearing a name tag, conspicuously hung over his neck and ‘emblazoned’ on his chest. (Audience laughter) Students and faculty members who walked past him would stop in their tracks and wonder how to properly address him. I first saw him in a seminar room. He was lecturing my cohort on the importance of biomedical science in our world today. In the midst of his lecture, I raised my hand, intending to ask a burning question I had in my mind on the subject matter-I mean biomedical science. (Audience laughter) Me: Excuse me Professor… (not wanting to sound offensive, I said…) ([Booze] tard)? (Audience laughter) There was no reply from him as he continued scribbling on the whiteboard. (Audience laughter) I tried again. (Audience laughter) Me: Excuse me Professor… ([Bus]turd)? (Audience laughter) There was no reply from him as he continued scribbling on the whiteboard. (Audience laughter) I decided to try for one final time. This time, I was ready to go “all the way out” and pronounce his name (in a way that I thought was right). (Audience laughter) Me: Excuse me Professor ([Bus]tard). (Audience laughter) It sounded exactly like the way you would pronounce the word “Bastard” (Audience laughter) 135

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The Professor turned around pointed at me (he was quite sharp as to where the voice came from) and said “that is not how you pronounce my name”. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, we have all been used to pronounce the word “bus” as “[buhs]”. However, in London, the public transport, “Bus” is not pronounced as “[buhs]”, it is pronounced as “[Booze]”. (Audience laughter) Hence, his name should have been pronounced as Professor David ([Booze]tard). (Audience laughter) End of Excerpt.

#3- Wherever possible, use plain and simple English. There is no need to use bombastic words to “impress” the other party that you are talking to At some point in secondary school, I had the impression that using “grandiloquent”, “bombastic” or as Singaporeans call it “chim” words would impress others and establish that you are a master of the English Language. My misconception was reinforced by the external influences: difficult to peruse legal documents that reflect sophistication; oratorical contests and debates; television drama etc. Later, I reaslised that the best way to communicate with others is to use simple and plain English. Firstly, it reduces the risk of miscommunication or misunderstanding with the party at the receiving end. Secondly, it shows your sincerity to communicate with the other party. The communication medium is thus a channel where rapport is established and bonds are built; certainly not one where people throw words at one another to assert a sense of misconceived superiority. As with Attitude #2, I will reproduce an excerpt from one of my public speaking workshops below to highlight the prevalence of the problem. Excerpt: Johnny was an avid basketball player who represented the primary school that I did relief teaching a year ago. Johnny was in primary 3. One day, he came up to me and asked: 136

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Johnny: Mr Tay, can you give me a difficult word that I can use to impress my coach? (Audience laughter) Me: The best medium for communication is a language spoken simply and plainly, without any bombastic words. You will get into trouble if you were to try something funny. Not only is using bombastic words with another person unwise as it might lead to miscommunication, it may also lead to the accumulation of ill-will. Johnny: I can handle it. (Audience laughter) I guessed Johnny wanted to learn the hard way. As I knew the coach personally, I thought of a word that would be suitable for Johnny to use such that he could learn a valuable lesson at the end of the day. Me: The word is paraphernalia. (Audience laughter) It simply means equipment for a specific activity. (Audience laughter) Instead of saying “Coach, can I volunteer to collect the sporting equipment from the storeroom?” you can say “Coach, can I volunteer to collect the sporting paraphernalia from the storeroom?” (Audience laughter) Johnny: Thanks Mr Tay. That afternoon, Johnny used the word paraphernalia with his coach. (Audience laughter) Johnny: Coach, can I volunteer to collect the sporting paraphernalia from the storeroom? (Audience laughter) Coach: Paraphernalia. (Audience laughter) Mmhmm… ‘big’ word for a small guy”. (Audience laughter) Someone used that before. Try harder next time. (Audience laughter) You can help with the sporting equipment and after that, you owe me 10 push-ups. (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, I guess Johnny DID learn the hard way. And to share with you a piece of good news, Johnny has improved tremendously in terms 137

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of his learning attitude as a result of the lesson learnt and is now representing the school’s debate team in the National Debating Championships for Primary school students. (Audience laughter and cheers) End of Excerpt. Now, while it is important to use simple and plain English, this does not mean that words such as “paraphernalia”, “quintessential”, “enchiridion”, “notwithstanding” etc cannot be used. It is perfectly fine to use those words at the appropriate occasion and with the appropriate person. It really depends on your judgment and personal experience. However, the the best policy is to use best policy is to use simple and plain English. No one simple and plain English. will fault you or think any less highly of you because of that.

Commonly used Literary Devices, their importance and application Simile Definition: A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things to highlight the quality of a subject matter. Usually, the comparison is done with the use of “like” and “as”. Importance/ Significance: Using a simile can be useful to highlight a particular quality of the subject matter in an accurate manner that facilitates understanding. It is widely used in literary texts and speeches for its expressiveness and creative links to things that the audience can associate with easily. Application: 1. You are as happy as a lark. 2. Remorse coursed through my entire being, like the rushing water in the river that has thrown the dam gates wide open. 3. You are as strong as a bull. 138

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4. Bella’s beauty attracts her classmates to her like leaves swooning in a raging tempest.

Metaphor Definition: A metaphor is a figure of speech that associates the subject matter with an object of comparison in terms of the characteristics they share, even though the object may prima facie be wholly unrelated to the subject matter. For example, if your wife says to you “You are my rock”. She does not literally mean that you are a geological stone but figuratively. However, she is drawing upon the qualities of the rock such as “reliability and strength” to describe you as her “pillar of support”. Importance/ Significance: Metaphors are important literary devices to be employed in storytelling. Using a metaphor facilitates the application of the principle “show and not tell”. A metaphor allows the audience to tap into their creative-thinking faculties and draw the associations on their own. It also saves time by using economy of words rather than explaining a concept that will otherwise require a string of sentences to do so. For example, you can use “time is money” to denote the importance of time, rather than having to go a big round to prove and explain the point. Application: 1. Time is money. 2. You are my rock. 3. Your words are bullets to my heart. 4. Love is blind. 5. The evil thoughts swam in my mind.

Personification Definition: A figure of speech that gives inanimate objects human qualities. Importance/ Significance: Recall the phrase used by 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren LaCroix: Humorise to Humanise. Personification 139

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can be used to humanise something that might come across as serious or “boring” to the audience. It vivifies an inanimate object by attributing to it human qualities, thereby allowing the audience to feel a sense of closeness and understanding of the subject matter. Application: 1. The knives and guns that were used to annihilate the slaves screamed in sheer disgust and abhorrence at the nefarious perpetrators. 2. The poker cards stared at John sheepishly as they mocked the haggard look of the gambling addict who had been sitting by the Casino table for the past 8 hours. Power of three Definition: The sequencing and arranging of words in groups of threes for optimal assimilation and remembrance. Usually, the sequence of three can be in various forms: alliteration (the first syllable of the three words rhyme with one another); end-rhyme; and words with similar meaning(s). Importance/ Significance: The power of three optimizes the assimilation and retention of information delivered by the speaker. Application: 1. Enthrall, entertain and engage. 2. Youthful, joyful and beautiful. 3. Enraged, furious, and mad. 4. Yes we can; Yes we can; Yes we can.

Hyperboles Definition: A figure of speech that employs exaggeration techniques to engender a strong impression or emotions about a subject matter. It is not meant to be taken literally. Importance/ Significance: The use of hyperboles appeals to the emotions of the audience and generates interest over the exaggeration. It engages the 140

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audience to participate in the speech by enticing them with the context to decipher the meaning of the sentences used. Application: 1. I will die if I had to carry him up the 24 flight of stairs again. He weighs a ton! 2. His singing is sharp enough to shatter every single window panes in this house.

Idioms, Proverbs and Famous Phrases Definition: An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not derived just by reading the words. It may also not have any characteristics similar to the meaning it conveys. A proverb is a widely used, usually metaphorical in nature, phrase or sentence that has some ubiquitous truth or knowledge. It crystallizes learning points and experiences of wise people in the past. Importance/ Significance: Using idioms, proverbs or famous phrases add weight to the argument that you are canvassing to persuade the audience. The audience will be able to draw on their own interpretation and experiences to reinforce the truth of the adage; thereby lending support to the point that you are making. Application: Idioms: 1. A blessing in disguise. 2. A piece of cake. 3. Break a Leg 4. Great minds think alike. 5. Let the cat out of the bag. 5. A bull in a China shop.

Proverbs: 1. No use crying over spilled milk. 141

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2. Haste makes Waste. 3. Honesty is the best policy. 4. You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Famous Phrases: 1. Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. John F Kennedy 2. Why try so hard to fit in, when you are meant to stand out. Anonymous 3. With great power comes great responsibilities. Anonymous 4. I have a dream. Martin Luther King Jr 5. Happiness is not without problems, but in spite of problems. Andrew Matthews

Common mistakes made Grammar 1. Subject-verb Agreement. This is the most common mistake that speakers make. For example, “My classmates, who are boisterous, has the audacity to throw their chairs at the school counselor”. Here, instead of the verb “has”, it should be “have” since the subject matter is in the plural form. 2. Present and Past tenses. There is a tendency for speakers to make the error of not being mindful of the right tenses in the appropriate situation. For example, it is not uncommon to hear of speakers recounting a personal experience using the present tense throughout. 3. Phrasal verbs. This is one of the toughest areas when it comes to grammar mastery. It is important to have a language evaluator keeping a look-out and giving you feedback on the mistakes committed. Alternatively, you can choose to write out your speech in prose and have a grammarian check for any grammatical errors. Microsoft Word usually does a preliminary check with the spell check and grammar check softwares. Instead of saying, “I threw out this morning” to describe the act of regurgitation, it should be “I threw up this morning”. 142

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4. Countable and Uncountable nouns. Words like “luggage”, “baggage”, “furniture”, “equipment” and “electricity” have no ‘s’ attached at the end to denote the plural form. They remain the same be it in the singular or plural form.

Phrases/ Sentences- Usage of Singlish Issue(s)

Recommendation(s)/ Comment(s)

“I went to cut my hair”

If you were to say “I cut my hair today”, it literally means that you took a pair of scissors and cut your own hair by yourself. The proper sentence to describe a trip to your local hairstylist for a haircut would be to say “I went for a hair cut today”.

“today is my off day”

The phrase “off day” is in fact Singlish. The proper phrase to use to denote a day that you do not have to work is “Today is my day off”.

Should we use ‘that’ or ‘which’?

Grammarians around the world advocate the use of “that” in a restrictive clause and the word “which” in a non-restrictive clause. A restrictive clause is one that alters or restricts the quality of a certain noun, usually the subject. For example, “The house that was next to Hougang Mall went into flames last night”. The word ‘that’ is used to usher in the information “next to Hougang Mall” which restricts the “house” to its proximity with the shopping mall. It is not just any other house, but the house specifically next to Hougang Mall. The use of the word “that” hence restricts the reference to the house that is next to Hougang Mall and not any other house in Singapore at large. 143

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The use of the word “which” is for a non-restrictive clause that usually serves to provide more information. It is used as a “by the way”, to furnish more details on the particular noun. For example, “My computer, which has a storage space of 10 GB, needs a new keyboard now. Often, the usage of the word “which” and its accompanying phrase is placed in between commas. “Hi John, I am travelling in the bus”.

For bus, trains and airplanes, it is accurate to say “I am on…” For cars, it will be accurate to say “I am in…” There are some explanations given by experts and grammarians in the field of the English Language. One of the reasons proffered is that if you were to step up and board something, like a train or a bus, it will be accurate to use “I am on…” However, if you have to step down into something, like a car, you should use “I am in…”

“I am surfing Internet now, Mum”

The definite article “the” must be present in front of the word “Internet”. Hence, the correct way to say it should be “I am surfing the Internet”.

“I won you at DOTA”.

The confusion lies in the situations that require the usage of “win” and “beat”. When it comes to competition or tournaments, you use “win”. When it comes to defeating an opponent, you use “beat”. Hence, the proper usage should be: “I won the District 80 Table Topics Speech Championship in 2012”.

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“I beat the World No.1 in Tennis at this year’s Wimbledon”. What is the difference between “in time” and “on time”?

When you use “in time”, it means that there is still some time left before the stipulated time in the invitation or programme sheet. For instance, if dinner starts at 7.30pm and you arrived at 7.15pm, you are in time for the dinner. If you arrive on the dot, at 7.30pm, then you say “I am on time”.

What is the difference between “lie” and “lay”?

The word “lay” is used as a transitive verb. This means that the verb takes a direct object. It moves from the actor (the subject) and reaches to move a direct object. For example, “I (subject) lay (transitive verb) the hamster (causing an object to move/ displaces an object) on the ground”. On the other hand, “lie” is an intransitive verb and cannot take a direct object. This means that you cannot say “I lie something (an object) down on the floor”. An example where you can use “lie” is “I lie down on my bed”. The past tense for “lay” is “laid”; and for “lie” is “lay”.

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Here are some general pointers for you to take note: 1. Use a variety of sentence structures such as simple and complex sentences to add colour to your speech. 2. Always proof read your sentences to make sure that there are no spelling mistakes or glaring sentence construction errors. It helps immensely to have a few people to proofread and provide you with feedback on your work. 3. Avoid too lengthy a sentence that is connected by multiple connectors and punctuation. Break them up into shorter sentences for clarity of expression. 4. Avoid using colloquial terms or phrases as some readers might not understand them. If you really need to do so for effect, it is important to include an explanation of what the phrase means. Bracket the explanatory sentence and place it next to the colloquial term or phrase.

Pronunciation and Enunciation Pronunciation* Word Opportunity

op-er-too-ni-tee

Education

ej-oo—kay-shun

University

yoo-nuh-vur-si-tee

Schedule

skej-ool

Colleague

kol-eeg

Tuition

tyoo-ee-shun

Demonstrate

de-mun-streyt

Appreciate

uh-pree-shee-yet

Success

Suk-ses (Remember, ‘success’ does not ‘suck’ at all. Hence, it is not [suck]ses)

Envelope

en-vur-lohp, on-

Confident

kon-fi-dunt

Excited

ik-sahy-tid

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Rendezvous

rahn-duh-voo

Façade

fur-sahd

Subtle

suh-tle (the ‘b’ is silent)

Salmon

sa-mon (the ‘l’ is silent)

Debt

det (the ‘b’ is silent)

Beach

beech (ensure that you drag the middle portion; otherwise, it will sound crude)

Substantive

sub-stan-tiv

Entrepreneur

on-truh-pruh-nur, -noor

Presentation

pre-zun-tey-shun

Project (n)

proj-ekt

Project (v)

pro-jekt

Democracy

di-mor-kruh-see

Photographer

fur-tog-ruh-pher

Creativity

kree-ey-tiv-i-tee

Ophthalmologist

of-thul-mol-uh-jist

Albeit

awl-bee-it

Admirable

ad-mer-uh-bul

Moral

mor-uhl

Corp

cor (the ‘p’ is silent)

Nonchalant

non-shuh-lant

Gesture

jes-cher

Content

kon-tent

Flour

flou-er

Yacht

yot

Liaise

lee-ace

Synopsis

si-nop-sis

Vehement

vee-er-munt

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Enunciation* Word

Comments

Treat

The end-consonant ‘t’ is often missing. It needs to be enunciated

Treats

The last 2 end-consonants ‘t’ and ‘s’ have to be enunciated.

Three

The ‘th’ sound is usually missing. It needs to be enunciated. The trick is to stick out your tongue and produce the sound while retracting your tongue into your buccal cavity.

Threat

The ‘th’ sound and the end-consonant ‘t’ need to be enunciated.

Audience

The ‘s’ sound should not be omitted at the end. Words ending with ‘ce’ tend to require the production of the ‘s’ sound at the end, such as patience, perseverance and confidence.

Thank

The end ‘k’ needs to be enunciated.

Wished

The end ‘ed’ needs to be enunciated as a continuous flow with the first syllable.

Desolated

The end ‘ed’ needs to be enunciated as an independent syllable.

Fill

The repeated end consonants ‘ll’ needs to be enunciated. The trick is to ensure that your tongue ends up touching the top palate of your mouth. The production of the sound follows with a curl of your tongue upwards, in the direction of your throat.

Walking

Ensure that the “ing” is enunciated.

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Chapter 11

Key Techniques for Non-Verbal Communication

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Chapter 11

Key Techniques for Non-Verbal Communication Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role in the delivery of our speeches, be it in front of a large audience or 2 interviewers. It communicates our personality and emotions at the point of delivery. Non-verbal communication encompasses largely the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Body language (gestures) Facial expression Eye contact Stage positioning Vocal Variety Pauses

In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that our non-verbal communication is more important than our verbal communication at times. When it comes to oral presentation, the audience responds to the audience responds to the nonverbal cues faster than they register the non-verbal cues faster than they register the verbal commands. the verbal commands. Subconsciously, our human mind works to mirror body movement and actions faster than we register and analyse words delivered verbally. To illustrate my point, I have reproduced an excerpt of my body language workshop with a secondary school that I conducted in January 2012. Excerpt: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am going to conduct an experiment to prove my point to you. From now, you have to listen to my instructions carefully. First, may I invite everyone in this lecture theatre to raise your right hand as high in the air as possible? Now, clench your fist like what I am doing now. Extend your index finger. Is everyone doing that now?

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There will be no refreshment break if you don’t follow my instructions. (Audience laughter) Now, I will give you a command that you have to follow as quickly as you can. Are you all ready? Now, listen carefully and watch me. Put your index finger on your chin now! (Speaker places the index finger on the cheek instead). Don’t move! Stay where you are! (Audience laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, I want you all to look around. My command was to put your index finger on your chin. Yet, almost every one of you placed your index finger on your cheek. (Audience looked around, followed by laughter) Ladies and Gentlemen, the validity of this experiment is in fact sound. Based on a quick headcount by my 9 volunteer teachers here, there were 450 out of 500 participants who placed their index finger on their cheeks. Now, the result substantiates my point that our mind works subconsciously to mirror the body language of the speaker before the words delivered are heard, interpreted and executed by our mind consciously. (Audience laughter and cheers) End of Excerpt.

Given that non-verbal communication is crucial for our public speaking success, how do we improve on them such that we can be better communicators? What are the key techniques that will help us improve at an accelerated pace? This chapter contains key techniques that will help you enhance your non-verbal delivery in the 6 aspects listed above. The sixth aspect on pauses will however not be repeated in this section as it has been analysed and explored in one of the 10 habits of highly effective public speakers in Chapter 3. To aid you further in your learning, it is important to take note of the below 2 points: 151

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1. Invest in a video camera and record yourself while rehearsing your speech Invest in a video camera and record and/ or presentation. You will be able to yourself while rehearsing your observe your body language personally speech and/ or presentation. and discuss areas for improvement with your peers or mentor. 2. Continue finding time to practise the skills elucidated below as many times as possible. As Darren LaCroix says, it is crucial to grab Stage time for optimal public speaking success. On top of that, enrich yourself with more ways to improve your body language by perusing more books or cited journals on the subject matter. The combined The combined strength of many authors is better than one. strength of many authors is better than one.

Body language (Gestures) As the above excerpt illustrates, hand gestures form the most important aspect of non-verbal communication. Using hand gestures properly, you can convey your speech message more powerfully and clearly to the audience. Use it poorly and it may derail your speech message from its intended track or worse, cause great discomfort to the audience. There are 4 key techniques that you can adopt to improve on your hand gestures.

Technique #1- Use an open gesture An open gesture is one where your body faces the audience without any obstruction. What I mean by facing the audience is that your head, your torso and feet have to be facing the audience. This is what we call body alignment. If your head is facing the audience but your torso is not, it may send the signal to the audience that you do not want to be on stage and can’t wait to leave. Therefore, all three parts of your body: the head, torso and feet, must face the audience. Picture A is an example of an open gesture that a speaker should adopt. Next, what I meant by no obstruction is that your arms should 152

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PICTURE A Open gestures with good body alignment

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not be folded or crossed over your chest. If the speaker were to fold his arms in front of his chest, it will create an artificial barrier that distances himself from the audience.

Technique #2- Have firm instead of fleeting hand gestures Effective hand gestures are not simply the uncoordinated and random movement of the arm and hands. Instead, it should be a choreographed motion designed to emphasize a point. A fleeting hand gesture is one that is transient and changes too quickly. The audience may construe a fleeting hand gesture as an insincere and unprepared delivery. The key is to have a firm and choreographed hand gesture. Plan your hand gestures in advance and when you execute it, it has to be a firm execution and not half-hearted. The level of firmness will also depend on the occasion for the execution.

Technique #3- Choreograph your hand gestures by making it complementary to the words that you say There are some tried and tested hand gestures that prove to be effective in placing emphasis on points and making the speech more impactful. However, they are by no means exhaustive. 1. Numbering gesture. See Picture B. If you are numbering your points or counting verbally, it will be best for you to do so with your fingers as well. The audience will be able to follow you easily in your delivery. 2. Palm-in-air gesture. See Picture C. You extend your hand with the palm facing the sky if you wish to portray yourself as inviting to the audience. You should use this gesture if you have a proposition to make and would like the audience to join you in the endeavour (i.e. a persuasive speech). 3. Circular gesture. See Picture D. Your hands move inwards and upwards. This gesture is effective to enhance your authoritative disposition. It helps 154

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PICTURE B Numbering gesture

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PICTURE C Palm-in-air gesture

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PICTURE D Circular gesture

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portray you in a favourable light: as someone who is credible and reliable. 4. Animated gesture. See Picture E. This hand gesture requires you to be in-character and take on a persona as per the character of your story. For example, if you are playing the role of Rocky, the boxing champion, you will have to use the boxing on-guard posture to showcase the character’s persona. 5. Finger-pointing gesture. See Picture F. The hand gesture is when you wish to emphasize a certain point. Many politicians use this hand gesture (finger pointing downwards or on the rostrum/ lectern) to emphasize a point as well as to portray a sense of authority.

Technique #4- Use the mirroring technique to establish rapport If you are in a social setting, the mirroring technique is especially useful when you are trying to establish rapport with the other party. Our human mind interprets action, which are similar to us, as non-threatening and friendly. Subconsciously, we tend to want to group with people who are like us. Hence, mirroring your friends’ or party guests’ body language may help to enhance rapport-building. However, it is important not to make this too obvious or stiff. The other party might end up finding you weird or disrespectful.

Facial Expression(s) What do you think is the most important facial feature on our face? Is it the eyes, nose, ears or mouth? All of the above seem plausible. Yet, they are not the correct answer. The most important facial feature is our: eyebrows! Studies have shown that if you were to remove the eyebrows from a person’s face, it would almost be impossible to decipher the emotion the person is displaying then. For example, it would be difficult to know whether a person is sad, happy, angry or fearful. You can try it out at home. Use an A4-sized cardboard and have someone cover your eyebrows while you face a mirror and attempt to express 158

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PICTURE E Animated gesture

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PICTURE F Finger-pointing gesture

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the four emotions mentioned above with your face. You will be surprised at what you see. Thus, given that your eyebrows are the most important facial features on your face, it is important for you to be more aware of the movement of your eyebrows, as well as your other facial features, when you express the different emotions. The keen sense of awareness will help especially when you progress to a more advanced stage of facial expression where even the minor movement can indicate a change in emotions. There are 2 important points that you should take note when it comes to effective facial expression(s): 1. Put a smile on your face whenever possible. Smiling is the best way to defuse tension among members of the audience. By putting a smile across your face, you instantly breakdown communication barriers and establish rapport with the audience. You will be portrayed as more approachable and amiable. The technique to a good smile (which is a smile that is sincere, sustained and natural) is to delay the “smile” moment by 1-2 seconds. When you smile, make sure it is a broad smile. 2. Be expressive with your facial expression. If you suspect that you might have a poker face, seek the help of your friends or family members to give you feedback on your facial expression(s). Conduct a warm-up session on your own prior to the actual presentation. You can warm-up your facial muscles by: a. Opening your mouth as wide as possible and then closing it slowly. Repeat it 10 times. b. Raise your eyebrows before coming to a frown position. Do so quickly c. Massage your cheek muscles in a circular motion for 1 minute.

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Eye Contact As the famous saying goes “the eye is the window to one’s soul”. Likewise, the truth and validity of this mantra resonates in the “the eye is the window to mind of every successful public speaker. Establishing one’s soul” eye contact with the audience helps you to connect with them and convey your message more effectively. On the other hand, if the speaker were to read from his notes most of the time, the audience will feel disconnected; it is as if the speaker is speaking to the set of notes in his hands! Over the years of conducting public speaking workshops for schools and corporate organisations, I have received many questions on the skill of establishing eye contact with the audience. Of the many questions, this one stands out all the time: How do we maintain good eye contact if we are speaking to a large crowd of 100 to 200 people? There are 4 essential techniques that will help you improve your eye contact in your next speech delivery:

Technique #1- Look at a single person at a time The problem with some speakers is that they are not sure where to plant their eye contact. Most of the time, they end up looking at large spaces and only at some members of the audience fleetingly. The trick is to look at a single person at a time as you pan the room with your gaze. When you plant your eye contact at a particular member of the audience, you are able to see the reaction of that audience; thereby giving you a good gauge of the strength of your connectivity with the audience. The other members of the audience will perceive you as a confident speaker who can establish eye contact with a member of the audience, even though it is not with them. They have the expectation in their mind that if you were to plant your eye contact with them, it will be just as successful as the one you are looking at that point in time.

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Technique #2- Use the triangular point of contact If you are speaking to a large crowd, chances are, you are unable to plant your eye contact with every single person there. Hence, you may wish to adopt the triangular point of contact. Look at Illustration 1. Plant three points amongst the audience that draws an imaginary triangle. Look at the three points while you speak; rotating in a clockwise manner systematically. This will create the illusion that you are speaking to everyone. The audience within and without the triangle will feel filled-in. It would be better if you have three of your friends sitting at the three imaginary points. It will make your job much easier to see your friends nod in agreement with you throughout the presentation.

Technique #3- Adopt the 3-second Golden rule How long should you be looking at a member of the audience? The golden rule is 3 seconds. In that way, your eye contact will not be perceived as fleeting (too short) or glaring (too long).

Technique #4- Look at the imaginary row of audience If you are just starting out as a speaker and you are afraid of looking into the eyes of individuals, the trick is to look at an imaginary row of audience and speak while looking at them instead. See Illustration 2. The best place for you to draw an imaginary row of audience would be the row behind the last row. In that way, the audience in front (including the last row; I am not kidding!) will have the visual impression that you are a very confident speaker and working your way to appeal to the people behind them (even though they have no idea who the audience behind them are).

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Stage

X

X

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

X

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

ILLUSTRATION 1

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Stage

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

IMAGINARY ROW

Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience Audience

ILLUSTRATION 2

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Stage positioning Who would you be more impressed with: a speaker who stays rooted to one part of the stage throughout his presentation or a speaker who can make optimal use of the space on stage for the maximum impact? The answer is obviously the latter. Reasons why stage positioning is important: 1. It anchors speech message more effectively when the speaker plants himself at different parts of the stage to make his points. 2. It portrays stage confidence. Usually, a speaker who circumscribes himself to a comfort zone without venturing out and spreading his enthusiasm to the other side of the audience tend to be viewed in a negative light. 3. It dispels nervousness. When a speaker moves on stage, it helps to conceal the minor trembling of the fingers and warms his body up for a more confident and poised delivery subsequently. Here are 3 ways to improve on your stage positioning:

Technique #1- Use different parts of the stage when you are sharing a different story each time By standing at different parts of the stage when you are sharing a different story each time, the audience can better remember your speech message by associating your standing position to the story. The effect can be amplified when you are at your summary or conclusion. Return to the positions that you have demarcated for the different stories as you summarize your stories and/ or key points. The audience will be able to remember your speech message and stories by mapping out your standing positions in their minds. For an example of excellent stage positioning, grab hold of 2004 World Champion of Public Speaking, Dr Randy Harvey’s championship speech online. He is the master of stage positioning techniques.

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Technique #2- Take a step forward to the stage front especially when you are appealing to the audience When you are appealing to the audience to undertake a particular course of action, take a step forward to the stage front. The act of shortening the physical distance between the speaker and audience, at the point of an appeal message such as “I appeal to you Ladies and Gentlemen to start eating healthy meals now”, better reinforces the persuasive force of the message.

Technique #3- Position yourself at the centre of the stage (neutral position) and oscillate to the left and right whenever appropriate See Illustration 3. The neutral position when you start delivering your speech should be stage centre; slightly towards the front if possible. At times in your speech, if you have not allocated the stage position corresponding to your stories (or if you have no stories or multiple speech messages), try and oscillate to the left and right at appropriate moments. When I say to oscillate left and right, I mean moving from the centre to the left side of the stage so as to reach out to the left side of the audience. Subsequently, moved to the right side of the stage to reach out to the right side of the audience. In this way, you will be able to reach out to a maximum number of audiences.

Vocal Variety In 2011, I have had the opportunity of being mentored by the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking, Mark Hunter. He is one of the best inspirational speakers I have heard so far as he appeals effectively to the audience. Mark Hunter was able to look past his disability (he was wheelchair bound) and emerge stronger than any of his adversaries. After I delivered my International Prepared Speech before him, Mark Hunter sat me down and said to me: “Darren, you are a very talented speaker. However, 167

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Stage

Speaker 1

Stage Left

3 2

ILLUSTRATION 3

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you can be even better than you are right now. Do you want to know how?” Me: Yes, most certainly. I will be most happy to learn ways to improve myself from a World Class Champion like yourself. Mark: You have excellent body language, eye contact and stage positioning. Your choice of topic, rhetorical questions and words is beautiful. However, you can’t move beyond where you are now because you have not yet mastered vocal variety techniques. Me: How can I improve Mark? Mark: You need to make use of your volume and speed to place emphasis at important parts of your speech, instead of straining and relying only on your other non-verbal communication skills such as your body language and eye contact. I have learnt tremendously from Mark Hunter and I will like to share with you some learning points that have been very useful for me. They are summarized into 4 main techniques:

Technique #1- Volume adjustments Speaking loudly and clearly is the general rule of thumb, especially when you are speaking before a large audience in a large room. However, being loud all the time is not ideal as there is no discernible range where the audience is aware that you are making an emphasis with your voice. Generally, if you wish to emphasize a point, you should pause before delivering the point. To make use of your volume control mechanism, you should say your point loudly and clearly for the first time. Repeat it again; this time round, do it slowly and at a lower volume. The effect created sends a signal to the audience that you are delivering a very important point that warrants more focus in listening. Alternatively, if you are not repeating the point due to time constraint, you can emphasis your important point by saying it at a lower volume.

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In another scenario, you may also make use of your volume control mechanism to generate suspense. As you are building up the tension in your speech, you can increase your volume accordingly; following a crescendo before you culminate in the climax of your narrative plot. The effect will be tantamount to watching an action movie. You can do so by adjusting your volume. Do not underestimate it.

Technique #2- Speed Control I have a terrible problem of speaking too fast. As a debater, I had the bad habit of squeezing all the points in my case and regurgitating it in 5-7 minutes. My speaking rate was probably at twice that of the normal 3 words per second. There are 2 ways to control your speed if you have a speeding problem like I do: 1. Write out your speech in prose so that you can better control the time. 2. Have someone in the audience to hold up a card that reads “Slow down” whenever you are speaking too quickly. Your friend will be the best judge of that especially when he is sitting with the audience and can get a better gauge from his position. If you wish to modulate your speed for effect, here are the things to take note: a. If you wish to emphasize an important point, you should reduce your speed significantly so that the audience can grasp every single word. b. If you wish to illustrate a point (like when Craig Valentine 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking wanted to illustrate the fast-paced lifestyle that we lead), you may intentionally speed up for effect.

Technique #3- Quality check Firstly, you can add colour to your speech by having your voice reflect the 170

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emotive state of mind at different points of your speech. This is not to say that you should be overly dramatic. Do so in moderation and you can help bring the characters in your stories alive. Secondly, in order to avoid sounding monotonous to your audience, you may wish to choreograph and rehearse the stresses/ emphasis you place on the words in your speech. The specific positions of stresses are important as it can alter the meaning of your sentences, tonality and mood; thereby affecting your speech message. Try experimenting on your own to discover the different impact it creates. Ensure that your speech is written out in full before you can conduct the experiment. For example: “How to enthrall, entertain, and engage any audience” The stresses will draw the focus on the effect (i.e. the effect of enthralling, entertaining and engaging the audience). Contrast this with: “How to enthrall, entertain, and engage any audience”. The emphasis here is different, where the focus is narrowed to concentrate on spellbinding (any particular type) of audience. The desired effect and impact is slightly different. The speaker will then have to choose between the two, depending on his ultimate purpose.

Technique #4- Pitch Generally, if you have something serious or solemn to say, it will be appropriate to use a lower pitch to deliver your message. If you are unsure of the occasion, the safest policy is to gun for a pleasing register: a lower pitch. A high pitch is generally not advised unless it is intended for a segment of a play.

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Conclusion

Conclusion Public Speaking is an art that will always remain important and relevant to you, anytime and anywhere. It is a skill, as with swimming and cycling, requires consistent practice to master. To accelerate your learning, you should peruse and apply the 10 Habits of Highly Effective Public Speakers. This book contains the broad areas of public speaking: speech genres, language use, and nonverbal communication. It is by no means an exhaustive guide on all that can be learnt in the ever-changing landscape of the art. I would advise you to continue reading more books on effective communication and more importantly, grab every opportunity to speak. Remember: Stage time, Stage time, Stage time! Public Speaking to me has been life-changing. It has brought me to many places that I would never have imagined to be attainable. At the end of the day, learning the art of public speaking is not about winning trophies and accumulating accolades. It is about influencing the lives of others for the better and making a difference in their lives. It is certainly more empowering to know that a 5-minute speech delivered on stage can change the lives of many. This is evident in the historical revolutions lead by a 5-minute speech delivered on stage can change the lives of many. powerful orators such as Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. I hope that you have found the techniques elucidated in this book as rewarding as I have writing it. I seek your understanding that a more detailed analysis of each chapter will require a separate book on its own which I strive to do so in the near future. I wish you the very best in your journey to be a World Class Speaker who can enthrall, entertain and engage any audience. Let us all Express to Impress!

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Acknowledgement I would like to express my heartfelt and deepest gratitude to the following people; without them, my book would not have been successfully published. My humble apologies to my friends, who are not named below, but have contributed in one way or another to the success of this book. A big thank you to my: Dad for your support in both words and actions. Thank you for working hard with me and driving me to various locations for the promotion of my book in your free time. Mum for your support and encouragement in times of need. Thank you for staying up late with me over the many nights as I work on writing and editing my book. Your delicious food fuels my drive to give my best in whatever I do. Brother for your support and contribution of ideas to my book. Thank you for helping me edit the contents of this book meticulously and professionally. You motivate, encourage and inspire. Team of peer editors, Chao Xu, Kenneth Tan and Charmaine Mae Ng who helped me pour through the research materials and main text of my book so meticulously and professionally too. Eric Feng, Patricia Lum and Bryan Ong for doing me the honour of writing the foreword of this book “Expres to Impress”. All my friends who have contributed to the testimonial for the book “Express to Impress”. 174

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Mentors from the Toastmasters circuit, Patricia Lum, Jerlynn Ang and Seh Leng for your guidance and encouragement. I can remember the good times we had at the various Toastmasters District 80 Conventions, especially the one in Macau. Thank you for your unwavering support rendered to me. Supporters and ardent fans from the Toastmasters circuit, Mavis Lai, Saddiq, Saddiqi, Jimmy Chua and Anil Arora for your support at my various speech contests and learning journey in Toastmasters. YMCA of Singapore for providing me with the many opportunities to host and emcee events; thereby allowing me to improve my emceeing skills and contribute to society in one way or another. Debaters for fighting so tirelessly with me for the past years and clinching awards after awards. You may think that you are the only ones learning along the way. Truth be told, I learnt more from you all than you have learnt from me. All my Law school friends, NS friends, Junior College friends, Secondary school friends for your motivation and fellowship. Finally, to you my readers for your support in my endeavour to spread the various skills there is to learn about Public Speaking and for helping to make this circuit of ours a more vibrant and cohesive one.

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About the Author Darren Tay is a prolific Public Speaker and Debater. He started his public speaking and debating skills training at the age of 13 when he was in Secondary 1. Over the years of his Secondary and College education, Darren has accumulated multiple trophies from competitions at the School, Community and National level. In 2009, Darren began his Toastmasters journey at Punggol Toastmasters Club. He was elected as Club President two months into his membership as a Toastmaster where he managed to bring the club to greater heights by winning numerous speech contest trophies for the club. On top of that, the club was conferred the President’s Distinguished Club Status (the highest status accorded to a club each Executive Term). In 2009, Darren became the youngest Toastmasters International District 80 speech champion when he defeated over 2500 participants in Macau, Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. He continued to excel in his Public Speaking endeavours when he won the PA Humorous Speech Challenge Cup 2011 (a National Humorous Speech contest that saw some of the best humorists and public speakers representing the various Community Clubs in Singapore). In 2012, Darren won the Toastmasters International District 80 Table Topics (Impromptu speech) Championship held at the Singapore EXPO. On the academic front, Darren is an outstanding student with sterling results. Graduated from Hwa Chong Institution in 2007, Darren is studying at the National University of Singapore, Faculty of Law. His academic achievements reflect well of his academic talent: Darren was conferred the Outstanding Student Award from Hwa Chong Institution in 2008 and in 2012, he is in the Dean’s List of NUS Law School (an award that is conferred only to the Top Students of the cohort in, arguably, the best Law School in Asia). In 2009, Darren founded the Public Speaking Academy- a corporate entity 176

About the Author

that focuses on providing quality training (in effective speech communication) to schools and corporate organisations. Over a short time period of 2 years, Darren has led the Public Speaking Academy to accumulate a sterling business track record: coached the debating team of Ngee Ann Secondary School to clinch the Singapore Secondary School Debating Championship trophy (C Division); successfully organised the 2010 National Public Speaking Competition and another one in 2012; conducted training workshops for many schools and corporate organisations; and publishing her first book “Express to Impress” in 2012. Darren is highly sought after as a trainer, speaker, emcee and coach. He will be hosting the YMCA International Youth Conference held at NUS University Town from 17 to 22 July 2012. He continues to hone his Communication skills and share them with many individuals who will benefit greatly from his training.

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About the Publisher The Public Speaking Academy, a corporate entity, is a fast growing local and regional influence in the personal and professional training domain. Focused on accentuating the aggregate confidence of individuals to express and impress, the Public Speaking Academy is honoured to receive the strong support of Education Institutions as we begin efforts in transforming the public speaking culture into a more vibrant one. As a business entity with 3 years of sterling track record, we see the passionate involvement of professional trainers joining us on the bandwagon to realise our social and academic endeavour to transform the public speaking culture in Singapore. The stringent selection of our trainers and the qualifications they possess is testament to our sustained commitment to bringing the best public speaking education to our valued clients. The art of public speaking is currently all the rage in the education and corporate circuit. In view of the growing demand, we are constantly searching for and developing the best talents by accentuating their confidence to express and impress. With the support of leading partners in the industry, we are moving closer to being a premium hub for communication success in the region.

Job Scope We provide leading programmes in public speaking, debates, interview skills, social communication and oral presentations for National Examinations. Our training portfolio also includes linguistic mastery and enrichment courses. 178

About the Publisher

We aim to expand the scope of our operations by reaching to the masses and cater to them the essential tools pertinent to their professional endeavours. We differentiate ourselves with the unique element of training: a two-way feedback system for improvement which allows us to teach what students want to learn instead of guessing what they want to learn. We also pride ourselves for customising learning objectives to suit the pace, needs and development of our clients. Subsequent to the training sessions, the Public Speaking Academy believes in providing after service assistance and follow-up to further the development of her clients. Our professional trainers are competent and competitive individuals in the Public Speaking/ Debating Circuit who have clinched numerous speech championships and awards. Our trainers are young and passionate hence, they are most capable of relating effectively to the younger generation of students and adult professionals, thereby, rendering us the prime choice for most schools and corporate organisations for communication training programmes. VISION: To be a premium hub for communication success in the region

MISSION: Accentuating the confidence of individuals to express and impress & transforming the public speaking culture into a vibrant one

With a clear and focused Mission and well articulated Vision, the Public Speaking Academy is poised to achieve accelerated training success. With the philosophy that Learning takes place in systematic phases, the Public Speaking Academy is able to customise training programmes effectively based on the clients’ needs. The Learning Phase for acquisition of Model of Success

Phase 1

Discovering the Model of Success

Phase 2

Understanding the Model of Success

Phase 3

Acquiring the Model of Success

Phase 4

Mastering the Model of Success

Design from the Public Speaking Academy

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“Express to Impress”

How to enthrall, entertain and engage any audience

The Public Speaking Academy’s Model of Success buttresses the organisation’s philosophy for effective learning. Through Inculcation, Demonstration and Transformation, skills can be better imbibed by the participants, hence allowing for more resources to be invested and knowledge to be acquired.

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