Effective Public Speaking – The Four C’s

According to various polls and surveys, public speaking is one of the scariest things a person will ever have to do in their life, often more feared than serious physical dangers, even death.

For some people, public speaking is a fairly natural part of life’s routine. Teachers, vendors, supervisors, they all have to speak to crowds of a certain size on a regular basis. And perhaps certain personalities gravitate towards jobs and situations where public speaking is a necessity. It is rare to come across a teacher, trial lawyer, or military instructor who is meek and shy and afraid to hear his own voice come out of his mouth in front of a group. But it’s common to come across scientists, librarians, and architects who have such fears. In addition to delivery men, construction workers and accountants. Anyone who is not required to speak to crowds in an organized, convincing, and articulate manner may harbor extreme trepidation at the prospect of public speaking. In fact, even some of the aforementioned people who do speaking in public regularly may not feel that they are at the level of ease and effectiveness that they would like to be or that they feel is expected of them.

The need for public speaking often arises outside of one’s job or profession. Maybe you need to toast someone at a wedding, or give a humorous trip down memory lane speech at a birthday party or anniversary dinner. Perhaps in your house of worship you are suddenly called upon to speak to the congregation. Or you join a social or political organization where you unexpectedly find yourself in a leadership role. You may find yourself in court, called to the stand at a trial, and need to rise to the occasion as Jack Nicholson’s character in “A Few Good Men” and deliver an unforgettable, searing speech capped off with the legendary line, “No. you can HANDLE the truth!” Whichever the case, you will almost certainly be presented with important public speaking instances.

Instead of dreading your moments in the spotlight, you can easily follow a few simple steps and learn to thrive there; being the bold and confident public speaker who puts everyone at ease and inspires confidence and a greater listening in every word he says.

Let’s look at four essential ingredients for a great public speaker. If you just remember what I call ‘The Four C’s’, you’ll be way ahead of the game. In fact, you’ll be able to walk out like a pro. The Four C’s are Composition, Cadence, Communication, and Comedy. Let’s find out exactly what they entail.

1.) Composition. This means how you present yourself or behave. Your body is your instrument. You’re thinking, “Wait, my mouth is my instrument when I speak.” Yes, but your entire body is physically the vessel that carries your voice, and visually, emotionally, and even spiritually, your entire body helps you connect with the people you’re speaking to.

Try to stand up straight and straighten your spine and limbs. Not drumstick, taut, stiff and straight, but self-respecting, imposing. Stand at your full height. If you’re much more comfortable leaning in or leaning in slightly, that’s fine. The point is to find your “position of power,” where your body feels most naturally authoritative and in service to be seen and heard.

He looks out and surveys the crowd. Develop hand gestures that convey strength and discipline. Perhaps fingers together, facing up, like a “church steeple”, or a very loose fist like Bill Clinton used to make, or a flat “karate chop” hand. Some people point. Some give the “thumbs up.” Some lightly tap the table or podium below them for emphasis. The point is, experiment beforehand and find your “power stance” and your “power moves” or “power gestures.”

If you feel nervous at the beginning of a speech, take plus Before you begin, be more deliberate and look around the room and the crowd for a few moments. you know exactly why are you taking the time and looking around you. Everything you do is on purpose. You are in control. You are leading and the crowd will follow. This is just a law of nature.

2.) Cadence. This means the tempo, pace, or speed at which you are speaking. Most people, most of the time, just talk too fast. They rush. If you’re a nervous guy who has any inclination to talk fast, especially when nervous, then SLOW DOWN. Speak to yourself a good fraction slower than what initially comes out of your mouth.

Slowing down a bit helps you appear more deliberate and in control. To the public, what sounds slow to you will probably sound very coherent and, in fact, easier to understand. Also, if it doesn’t sound rushed and rushed, then the almost subliminal message to people is that: “no matter how long it takes to say it and how long we sit through it all, we know it’s meant to be interesting and good.” it’s worth listening to, because it doesn’t rush and doesn’t apologize for having to tell it. Actually, it must be important.”

However, if you suspect that you may be naturally slow-speaking, ask a few friends or confidants and confirm. If you speak really slow, then speed it up a bit. But most of you will naturally be quick when you initially speak in public.

3.) Communication. Well, you know what this word literally means. But what do I really mean by that? It’s very easy to forget when you’re speaking in public, but you’re really just having some sort of conversation with human beings. It could be a presidential speech, a trial lawyer in court, an actor saying thank you for the Academy Awards, or a comedian playing the part of him. They are all just SPEAKING TO HUMANS. Sure, audiences don’t literally respond, and sure the size and scope of the situation is vastly different from an intimate conversation, but the basic mechanics of intention, emotion Y personal need they are really the same. And I know that every one of you reading this knows how to talk, how to talk to a person, whether it’s a family member, a co-worker, a friend, a shopkeeper, whatever. When you talk to another person, you naturally and unconsciously give real emotion and urgency to what you’re saying, because the words really mean something to you. They come from a need, whatever: “Can I have fries?”, “I can’t believe you finished your report,” “I hate the 405 freeway!” or “Will you give me a hug?” It sounds simple, and in your daily life it IS simple.

Being a human being, you are a GENIUS at realistic and convincing communication. Now, just bring that into your public speaking. When you speak, imagine a real person you know, right in front of you or in the audience. Talk to that person if necessary. Connect with that person in your mind. Convince him of the importance, the deep meaning of what you are saying. Unless you’re just calling out bingo numbers or reciting statistics for half an hour, you’re not just saying words. You are saying THOUGHTS, FEELINGS and IDEAS. You are communicating MEANINGS.

Now, of course, emotional doesn’t mean loud, overly dramatic, or scary. It literally means there’s some emotional component or feeling attached to it, the way normal people talk almost all the time, at least the normal people you want to listen to.

So, to sum up Communication, practice speaking in public as if you were conversing with close friends or people who don’t intimidate you at all. And make personal and emotional associations with what you’re saying to make it sound like you CARE about those ideas. Because you really care about them. Because then the audience will care.

4.) Comedy. Humor, lightness, fun, comedy. Whatever the name, it is a very powerful and valuable weapon for public speaking. Presidents use humor. Corporate CEOs use it. Law enforcement uses it. The same goes for the military, athletes, teachers, managers and professionals of all types, stripes and classifications.

Human beings use humor, and not just those we consider “clowns”, “jokers” or “funny”. Sometimes the most deadly serious character can crack a sharp comic line and bring the house down, raising their stature and command to even higher levels. Think of the character of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the terminator films. It was a huge, heartless, robotic killing machine. And it had a series of funny phrases that have become the most used and appreciated in the world. Now you’re probably No a heartless robot with no sense of humor. In fact, probably do You already use humor in some moments of your life. The key is to bring sharp and appropriate humor to your public speaking.

If you find yourself unable to write witty, appropriate, relevant, and outrageously funny lines in your speech or presentation, fear not. There are professional comedy writers who can make you laugh at the right times for a reasonable and affordable price, and no one in the audience needs to know about it. In fact, everyone may assume that you are the brilliant comedic mind behind the golden zingers.

Turns out I own a company called The Funny Business that creates custom comic content for any need. We have done speeches, toasts, and barbecues for weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, and corporate promotions. We’ve done presentations that involve some pretty detailed and specific corporate and technical jargon. We have created standup material for high end comedians and aspiring comedians. In fact, if you come to The Funny Business and request something funny to be written, we will do it! Unless we can’t do it, and then we’ll tell you, but probably in a funny way.

Not everyone was born a public speaking giant: a Bill Clinton, a John F. Kennedy, a Winston Churchill. But with a little work, a little preparation, and some serious concentration on The Four Cs, anyone can become a strong and compelling public speaker.