Three Values of Effective Speaking

Last night at the Dynamic Communicators Workshop, we delivered our first speeches, which was a nerve-racking experience for many, including myself.

Ken and the DCW staff asked us to come prepared to give a five-minute speech on any subject.

After we learned the SCORRE Method (but not before we had a chance to edit our speeches), we sat in a room with our small group of eight people and presented our talks.

It was only one speech, but we’re already learning a lot.

Personally, I’m taking in the importance of the whole process and why being here at DCW is such a great environment to grow as a speaker. In particular, I’m learning three important values.

Focus

“If you can’t say it in five minutes, you can’t say it in an hour.”

Giving a speech in five minutes is hard. I didn’t even get a chance to warm up! I also didn’t feel like my delivery was very good; it reflected poor preparation on my part.

But we’re learning the value of brevity and focus in speaking. In fact, according to Ken, if you can’t state the focus of your talk in one sentence, you’re not ready to speak.

By forcing us to keep our speeches short, the DCW staff is able to see where we’re at in terms of our public speaking skills. They’re also forcing us to be clear and focused.

Feedback

“If you communicate, you will be criticized.”

It was nerve-racking to give a speech to other communicators. In fact, for me, it was harder than speaking to hundreds of people.

Then, giving and receiving immediate feedback was challenging (especially when you’re on the receiving end!). But we’ve learned that all communicators get critiqued. “We’re just going to do it to your face,” one of our coaches told us. Fair enough.

Intentionality

“If you don’t have an objective, you’re not communicating; you’re orating.”

More than anything, I’m learning the importance of having a goal for each talk — every single time I speak. Today, we’ve been “unpacking” more specifically how to do that, but it ultimately boils down to having an objective.

As we approach our talks in preparation, we’re asking the questions:

What’s the purpose of this speech? What am I trying to persuade the listener to do? What do I want to teach? Why?

Without focusing on a particular topic, receiving group feedback, and being intentional in our talks, we’d be doomed to merely entertain instead of communicate.

~ Jeff Goins (DCW student, 2011)

Keep up with students and staff this week on Twitter and Facebook. And participate in DCW through the eyes of a student by subscribing to our DCW blog. If you have insights, jump in. Ask questions. Offer perspective. Join the conversation.