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While many industries require drastically different strategies and approaches, there are some skills that transcend all professional boundaries. Effective communication, particularly public speaking, is one of those universal skills.
I’ve seen this clearly over the last week as I've had the privilege to be with a variety of audiences, ranging from real estate professionals in Seattle to United States military leaders. Yesterday I was in my hometown with educators at a local school.
At the end of my talk, during a Question and Answer session, I was asked something that had nothing to do with my talk, but everyone could relate to: How do I become a better public speaker?
Speaking is what I do, not often something I specifically talk about. I leave that to the professionals like my friend Eva Rose Daniel.
That said, I know this to be true:
Effective leaders are effective communicators.
Harvard Business Review research shows the number one criteria for advancement and promotion for professionals is an ability to communicate effectively.
Right after college I worked for a United States Congressman. One of my first days on the job, he handed me a cassette tape and told me to listen to it. (Fortunately, my car at the time was older, so I was still able to play cassettes!)
The tape was a recording by James Humes, a speechwriter for nine US presidents, who developed the Sir Winston Method, based on the communication strategies of Winston Churchill. His approach has shaped my speaking ever since.
His five secrets are reproduced below, with some slight tweaks and context added by me:
1. Start Strong: Every speech should begin with a “hook”, or attention-getter, to grab the attention of the audience. Whether utilizing a question, a startling statement, a quotation, a personal anecdote, a reference to the occasion, humor, or some other technique, a speaker should immediately involve the audience before revealing the thesis of the presentation.
For instance, Winston Churchill began his address to the House of Commons when he became prime minister with one of his most famous lines: “I have nothing to offer but blood, tears, toil, and sweat.” And when he came to the United States to address Congress in 1941, humor was his tool: “I can’t help but reflect that if my father had been American and my mother English instead of the other way around, I might have got here on my own.”
2. One Theme: After the hook, and before previewing major sub points of the speech, the speaker should reveal the thesis, or theme, to be developed. Major sub points within the body of the speech should all support the thesis, which should be referenced again in the conclusion of the speech.
Churchill once compared a speech to Beethoven’s 5th symphony: “A speech is like a symphony. It can have three movements, but it must have one dominant melody: dot, dot, dot…dah”.
3. Simple Language: By using active rather than passive voice, choosing short words, and avoiding jargon, speakers can make their message more comprehensible and more memorable.
After the Nazi conquest of France in World War II, Churchill impressed the world with his simple, yet direct, words: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.” This instead of “Hostilities will be engaged on the coastal perimeter . . .”
4. Vivid Imagery: Imagery is a critical tool for any effective speaker; philosophical concepts must “come alive” if they are to be retained by the audience.
Churchill was a master of this technique. Whether referring to Italy as “the soft underbelly of Europe,” to an appeaser in the House of Commons as “one who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last,” or to Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe as “an iron curtain,” he knew how to paint effective pictures in the minds of his listeners.
5. End with Emotion: It may be pride, hope, love, or patriotism, but exhibiting sincere emotion can help “seal the deal” at the conclusion of a speech.
The conclusion to one of Churchill’s most memorable speeches produced one of his most memorable phrases, as he demonstrated his pride in the British people: “Let us…brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say: ‘This was their finest hour.’”
I’ll leave you with this: whether or not you love public speaking, it’s a skill everyone should work on. Late United States President Gerald Ford once said, “If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”
The roles you have make a difference, and your ability to communicate effectively can determine your impact as a leader. I'd encourage you to level up your speaking ability to accomplish your goals and inspire those around you. After all, the most influential leaders throughout history have been those who could not only envision a better future but also articulate that vision in a way that moved others to action.
