Our most powerful and persuasive speakers focus on the needs of their listeners, and this includes the need to understand the speaker’s message fully.

One way to help ensure your listeners’ complete comprehension is to allow your spoken ideas to “land”.  This is a concept that crafted actors always keep in mind.   It involves the following disciplines as you are speaking:

1.  Think in thought groups, not in words.

2.  Pursue the focus word of each thought, aiming for the point.

3.  Pause briefly between each thought, to breathe and allow the previous thought to be digested by the listeners.

1.  Think in thought groups.

While it is true that every word that you speak “counts” and should be heard/understood by the listener, every word is not equally important and, more to the point, we don’t think in words.  Your listeners don’t “hear in words”, either.  People think, speak, and listen in thought groups (ideas).

When you prepare to speak for business, analyze the whole message and each sentence (whether you are reviewing notes or a script), to determine where one thought ends and the next one begins.  It is helpful to ignore standard punctuation when doing this; punctuation is a navigational guide for the reader, not for the listener.

Focus on meaning and be sure where each thought begins and ends.  If you are inattentive to the end of one thought and the beginning of the next, your audience may become overwhelmed by an unmanageable amount of input and may be forced to tune out.

2.  Pursue the focus word of each thought.

Because all our words are not of equal importance, your preparation to speak should include a deep investigation of each thought you plan to express, to determine which word in the thought should receive the focus.

Deciding which word to view as the focus word is an interesting and fruitful endeavor; it has a strong impact on the degree to which you capture the listeners’ attention, keep them engaged, surprise them, and even entertain them.  The choice of one word instead of another should be based upon (1) which words constitute “new” information and which words constitute “old” (previously referred-to) information within that complete thought and (2) your own perspectives about the content within each complete thought.

If part of your preparation involves notes or a script (as I hope it does), underline the focus word of each thought and practice aloud, stressing only the focus word of each complete thought.  Pursue this word enthusiastically as you speak.

One of my acting teachers  (the late, great Mira Rostova – acting coach to Montgomery Clift), used to say, “Go for the point!  Go for the point!”

Doing so will drive your ideas with power.

3.  Pause briefly after each complete thought.

Even the smartest and best listeners require time to digest a complete thought.  Most people need more time to digest a spoken thought than  to digest that same thought when expressed in writing.  One of the reasons for this is that, for most people, the visual medium is more powerful than the auditory medium.  When people are both watching and listening to a speaker, they must process a greater amount of information than when they are only listening.  Therefore, it takes more time (even if it is only a few seconds longer) to sort and digest meaning from this wider palette.

When you speak for business, help your listeners understand your message by giving them time.   Pause briefly after each complete thought, to let it “land”.   Don’t be in a rush to go on to your next idea.   During that pause, breathe deeply, maintain eye contact, and smile whenever appropriate.   With content that is not “happy”, your demeanor and voice should project a positive spin:  as you speak, think thoughts similar to “I’m so happy to share this information with you” and “the good news is that this information will help you a great deal.”

When you give your listeners time to process each thought, you not only facilitate their comprehension, but you communicate your own conviction that your ideas have value and carry weight.

Allow time for your thoughts to “land” when you speak:  this will enhance your listeners’ comprehension and dramatically increase your persuasive power.

Persuasive power increases dramatically when business speakers use acting techniques.  I help my clients incorporate techniques I honed during my many years acting on Broadway and as a spokesperson on national television.  I love the transformation I see in executives at Fortune 500 companies when they “convince like actors”.

Actors use many techniques to convince the audience.   In today’s blog, I will summarize three of these techniques. 

It is the actor’s job to make the audience believe that the make-believe situation being witnessed is happening for real for the first time ever, and that the human beings who are acting/speaking ARE the characters and MEAN what they are saying.  This allows the audience to have a genuine, emotional experience that will hopefully shed greater light on the human condition.  Whether audiences articulate it or not, this is what brings them to the theater.

What brings the business audience to a speaker’s business presentation?  It may be a desire for business information or to learn a new skill, or it may simply be the need to fulfill a professional obligation to be there.  But none of that is what keeps the listener’s attention, keeps them riveted to the speaker, and leaves them wanting more.  The business audience, too, wants a genuine, emotional experience that will hopefully shed light on the “business condition”.

Business speakers must convince their listeners that what they are saying is real (true) and meant fully, with every fiber of their being.  They must speak with conviction, passion, and poise.

To deliver your business message with a conviction that is visible on your body and audible in  your voice, do what actors do.  As you speak in front of your listeners (and as you rehearse aloud), focus on the communication actions that lie underneath the words you are speaking.  Remember that words are only the surface layer.  The same words can be delivered in hundreds of ways, and each way can communicate something different.  Your manner of delivery can even communicate the exact opposite of the literal meaning of the words.  So, think about what you want to do to the listeners with your words.  Make plans about this before you begin to rehearse; use words the way an archer uses a bow and arrow; the way a pool player uses a cue stick; the way a golfer uses a club.   Be sure you know your underlying purpose for using words; focus on the purpose, not the words.

To speak with passion, do what actors do.  Become deeply and personally engaged with your message.  Connect to your own life experiences that relate in some what to the ideas behind your words.  As you rehearse, find a way to make that conscious connection a positive one; it should lift your spirits in some way.  Experiment with various elements from your personal life, to find the ones that are most useful for your purposes.  Rehearse with a focus on the connections you are making.  Preparing in this way will have a strong impact on your energy level and your projection of passion.

To minimize performance anxiety and nervousness, use one of the many strategies that actors use.  Take a point of view about your listeners that will feed your confidence.  These thoughts should be formulated before you begin to rehearse and may take some creativity, depending upon the nature of the audience for any given presentation.  Cultivate positive ideas about your listeners and endow them with qualities that are harmonious with the goals of your talk.  Practice viewing each audience in a way that nurtures your feelings of authority.  Preparing in this way will have a strong impact on your ability to project warmth, relaxation, and poise.

When you use these acting techniques, you will increase your persuasive power with any business audience.

While many people are quick to agree that being a good public speaker enhances one’s business life, fewer consider capitalizing on this skill when they possess it.  This is a mistake; the benefits of good public speaking skills are often underestimated and deserve greater attention.Being a good public speaker helps you persuade listeners to take actions you want them to take, makes you a valuable asset to any organization you are connected with, and is one of the best ways to generate business.There are few aspects of professional success that are more important than the power to persuade.  Whether you are trying to convince your executive vice president of HR to adopt your latest initiative, or you are a business owner trying to close a deal, skill in public speaking allows you to organize your message, deliver it with an effective style, and defend your position with poise.If you are a professional working in the corporate arena, skill in public speaking is one of the best ways to demonstrate that you are ready to become an active spokesperson for ideas and initiatives of interest to your organization; it makes you a key player.  When you make a dynamic impression by speaking on a given topic, you allow top executives to view you as someone with leadership qualities:  an “idea” person who has the ability to persuade.  So, find opportunities to speak within your organization:  at meetings, forums, and company events.  There is no better advertisement of your value or leadership qualities.If you are a business owner, using your skill at public speaker is one of the best ways to generate new business, because it positions you as an expert in your field.  When you begin your journey as a public speaker (whether or not you are paid to speak), “high profile” speaking opportunities need not be the goal.  What matters most is value and volume:  speak as often as you can, to generate interest and build a following.  Contact associations whose memberships may be interested in your topics, and offer to create seminars for them.  Provide valuable content, and over time people will seek you out for your expertise.Whatever your career objectives, you should view your skill as an excellent speaker as one of the best strategies to reach your professional goals.

In my last blog, I presented some visual strategies that will increase your persuasive power with upper management, no matter what department you work in, and no matter how little time your are given to make your case. I focused on how you can build belief visually. In today’s blog, I will offer a few tips for building belief with your voice.First, some background information. In his article for CLO Magazine, Kevin D. Wilde (VP and Chief Learning Officer at General Mills) suggests that, when you have just a few minutes to win over the CEO, it is crucial to make your message “executive crisp”. Although Wilde’s strategies are useful, they fail to address two key ingredients in the art of persuasive speaking: visual and vocal impact.My response is supported by the findings of a Harvard Business School study: only seven percent of the success of business speaking is based upon content. A full ninety-three percent of the impact that business speakers make is based on their visual and vocal impact: how they deliver their message to build belief within the listener.The vocal component of your presentation is crucial. Be sure that your vocal “performance” supports the value of your ideas:1. Vary your pace: when you begin, speak slowly; when you come to information that is less important, increase your pace; when you come to your most important points, pause and then slow down.2. Vary your pitch, and be sure to end your statements with a pitch glide downward (not upward, as we do when asking a question).3. Whenever possible, rehearse what you are going to say by glancing down briefly at note cards. Internalize your content; don’t memorize it. Pick a spot on the wall to direct your eyes during rehearsal, and never practice with a mirror (it will distract you from your message and from the audience you should have in your mind, and it will keep you focused on how you look — a poor strategy).No matter how many minutes upper management can spare, your best content will have persuasive power only when your visual and vocal performance convey your own conviction, poise, and passion.

I recently read an article by Kevin D. Wilde (VP and Chief Learning Officer at General Mills) about the shortness of time that managers get when they need to persuade their CEO’s of the value of proposed initiatives.  Wilde suggests that, when you have just a few minutes to win over the CEO, it is crucial to make your message “executive crisp”.Wilde makes excellent recommendations for advance preparation before speaking with upper management: (1) boil the message down to its essence, (2) communicate that the need is real and that the solution is practical, and (3) make a logical connection between the need and the proposed solution, etc.  While very useful, these strategies fail to address two key ingredients in the art of persuasive speaking:  visual and vocal impact.According to a Harvard Business School study, only seven percent of the success of business speaking is based upon content.  A full ninety-three percent of the impact that business speakers make is based on their visual and vocal impact:   how they deliver their message to build belief within the listener.In this blog, I will offer a few visual strategies that will  help increase your persuasive power with upper management, no matter what department you work in, and no matter how little time your are given to make your case.   In my next blog, I will address the vocal strategies that will help. Be sure that your visual performance projects poise and passion.  Whether you are seated or standing, imagine that your legs are tree trunks and that your feet are the roots of a tree extending deep into the ground.  Stand away from furniture and resist any temptation to lean for support.  If you are seated, sit tall, leaning forward slightly from the waist up (to help convey interest and enthusiasm).  Make eye contact throughout your talk, and maintain a smile that is varied in accordance with your content, moment to moment.  Gesture with both arms/hands whenever possible, rather than one.No matter how many minutes upper management can spare, your best content will have persuasive power only when your visual and vocal performance convey your own conviction, poise, and passion.    Stay tuned for my next blog, to read about vocal strategies that will give you real persuasive power.