Recently, I was appointed to be the president of a start-up Toastmasters club at my church. Why?
Because of my involvement 40 years ago, when I attended, served as president and even won some
speech contests back in 1973 to 1976.
Most of the people in our club are completely new to public speaking and Toastmasters. But, I’ve
been speaking for nearly 60 years, off and on.
And I’ve been studying the craft of presenting for most of that 60 years. I’ve read over 200 books
and countless articles of the topic.
So my position is more like a humble, loving grandfather and or a consultant than a club officer. The
first speech I gave was titled, Three Essentials of Every Speech.
The remainder of this article is a summary of that talk. (And it’s my own opinion, not necessarily
anyone else’s.)
Here they are. Every speech you give should be entertaining, informing and moving! What ever
you presentation is, beyond this, is a bonus.
Let’s look at each factor, individually.
1. Entertaining. That’s the opposite to boring. So whether you are speaking to a bunch of funeral
directors or accountants, they still want to be dazzled by you. And there are a lot of ways to do that.
Tell a story. To me, the secret of public speaking is being a good story teller.
A well placed story ignites attention, interest and engagement in any audience. A good story will not
only attach your message to the long-term memory of your listeners but endear them to you for life.
Be intriguing. Intrigue can take many forms. A profound statement or quotation. A controversial
opinion. A grand solution to a big problem. An extraordinary case study. Your positive attitude.
Be funny. There’s cliché among old, experienced speakers when asked, “Do you have to be funny
when you speak?” They always answer, “No, , ,only if you want to get paid for your speech.”
Being funny is a lot more that telling jokes or doing stand-up comedy. And it’s a topic much bigger
than this article. It’s a lifelong study. Begin it today!
Secondly, everyone of your talks must be,,,
2. Informing. Every time people listen to you, they want to hear something they have never heard before.
They want to hear “the news.” They want to hear something that is workable and rewarding in their
lives and/or work.
3. Moving. To many beginning speakers neglect to (in my terms) “go for the throat.” They neglect
asking people to take action or for the order.
In my view there are three phases to making everyone of your speeches moving.
The first phase is tension or discomfort. Or, the conflict your listeners feel between “where they are”
and where your message says “they should be.” It’s important that you, the speaker sets up this
discomfort.
The second phase is your “call to action.” World-famous web-copywriter, John Carlton says, this too,
is a three phase process. “Tell them what you have for them.” “Tell them what it will do for them.” And,
“tell them exactly what action you want them to take right now.”
If you really want to give a moving presentation, then you should activate this final phase. Give them
the first steps they should take to activate your message, as quickly as possible.
I favor a one-page handout or check list or cheat sheet to help my audiences follow through on the
principles I have presented.
At least, tell them what single action they should take “as soon as they get to their desk tomorrow morning,” etc.
Several of the members of our new club have told me that these thoughts are going to be helpful to them.
I hope they are to you, as well. If so, write me a comment telling me how you have used one of three
factors to captivate and convince one of your audiences.
There are a few things I seem to talk about all of the time. 
