One forgettable way to end (or finish, close, or conclude) a speech is just with “That’s all, folks”. It’s not hard to do better than that old Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoon ending though.
A brief article by Peter F. Jeff lists 12 ways to close your speech, which are:
1. title
2. circular
3.challenging
4. invitation
5. quotation
6. repetitive
7. sing-song
8. suggestive
9. benediction
10. congratulatory
11. proverbial
12. demonstration.
Another article by Jim A. Peterson lists 22 ways. More detailed advice can be found in a Toastmasters text on Concluding Your Speech.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Two Magazine Articles About Answering Questions
A magazine article by Stephen D. Boyd has some good advice about handling the question and answer session, which he calls the Presentation after the Presentation. Dr. Boyd is a university professor of speech communications. He also was the 1970 winner of the Toastmasters International Speech Contest.
Jerry Weissman wrote an entire book called In the Line of Fire: how to handle tough questions…when it counts. He also wrote a magazine article on The 7 toughest questions and how to handle them. The seven types are:
1. hostile
2. negative
3. irrelevant
4. multiple
5. statements that are not questions
6. presented material
7. guilty as charged
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, one of our vice presidents, was a grandmaster at sidestepping questions. One of his typical answers could be summarized as: “That is a very interesting question. I am extremely that glad that you asked me that question. May we please have the next question?”
Jerry Weissman wrote an entire book called In the Line of Fire: how to handle tough questions…when it counts. He also wrote a magazine article on The 7 toughest questions and how to handle them. The seven types are:
1. hostile
2. negative
3. irrelevant
4. multiple
5. statements that are not questions
6. presented material
7. guilty as charged
Hubert Horatio Humphrey, one of our vice presidents, was a grandmaster at sidestepping questions. One of his typical answers could be summarized as: “That is a very interesting question. I am extremely that glad that you asked me that question. May we please have the next question?”
Monday, June 30, 2008
Daddy, where do "Table Topics" questions come from?
Every year the Table Topics Bunny hops by and leaves a stack in my “IN” basket. Did he visit you this year? (He comes on February 22nd in memory of Dr. Ralph C. Smedley’s birthday).
Actually we either make them up ourselves, or look at some excellent compilations of ideas that are out on the Internet.
Mark LaVergne presents 101 Ideas for Great Table Topics
Kathleen Wong describes
52 Table Topic Ideas for the Whole Year
Sherrin Ross Ingram discusses 50 ideas for
Variety in Table Topics
At the end of a detailed educational presentation on Fabulous questions and fearless answers Janice Dirkschneider lists 20 Table Topics Ideas
Actually we either make them up ourselves, or look at some excellent compilations of ideas that are out on the Internet.
Mark LaVergne presents 101 Ideas for Great Table Topics
Kathleen Wong describes
52 Table Topic Ideas for the Whole Year
Sherrin Ross Ingram discusses 50 ideas for
Variety in Table Topics
At the end of a detailed educational presentation on Fabulous questions and fearless answers Janice Dirkschneider lists 20 Table Topics Ideas
Answering questions: "off the cuff", extemporaneous, or impromptu speaking that also is known as "Table Topics"
Answering questions is a form of impromptu, extemporaneous, or “off the cuff” speaking that is an important skill. Every meeting of Toastmasters International has a portion devoted to Table Topics. I find Table Topics much more difficult than doing a prepared speech. The one to two minute period for answering the question feels like forever to me! Here are some articles about tactics and strategies.
An impromptu speech is like a jazz solo it takes thought and lots of practice to do it well.
George Torok discusses Triumphant Table Topics.
Dave Wheeler describes some Table Topics Strategies – Use your head to speak on your feet
The most provocative nontraditional appreoachs clearly are: to LIE, CHEAT, or STEAL.
This post was updated on July 21, 2017 to replace several broken links.
An impromptu speech is like a jazz solo it takes thought and lots of practice to do it well.
George Torok discusses Triumphant Table Topics.
Dave Wheeler describes some Table Topics Strategies – Use your head to speak on your feet
The most provocative nontraditional appreoachs clearly are: to LIE, CHEAT, or STEAL.
This post was updated on July 21, 2017 to replace several broken links.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Don’t be a “Flip Chart Charlie”
Flip charts are so simple to prepare and use that no thought is required. It’s quick and easy! Just pick up a marker and start writing. Nothing could possibly go wrong!
But wait a minute. How can you give your audience a truly memorable flip chart presentation?
1 Use flip charts only when you will have more than twenty people seated more than fifteen feet away from the easel. Some of the audience should see a chart that looks no larger than a postage stamp.
2. Start preparing your charts in the last hour before your presentation.
3. Make sure that your lettering is too small to read easily. Less than two inches tall is good, and less than one inch tall is even better.
4. Cram your entire message on your flip charts. Don’t just list the main points.
5. Make sure to use more than seven lines (with more than seven words) on each and every chart. People just love details.
6. Put the most important information on the bottom third of the page so people in the back of the room cannot possibly see it.
7. Keep reducing the size of your letters to indicate the headings, sub headings, sub-sub headings, sub-sub sub headings etc. With enough levels you can give your audience a free eye exam.
8. Be sure to use whatever markers are lying around. Light orange is good, but yellow or pink highlighters are even better.
9. Use every page on the pad. Bleed through from magic markers adds attractive little clouds of color that will accent your words.
10. USE ALL UPPER CASE, AND REPLACE CAPITALIZATION JUST BY USING BIGGER LETTERS.
11. Print illegibly and let your words flow gently downhill towards the nearest river or ocean.
12. Flip to the next chart before your audience can read to the bottom of the current one.
13. As you point to your chart, be sure to turn away from the audience. Mumble so softly that even the front row can’t hear you.
Of course, the thirteen points listed above are purely tongue-in-cheek. Flip charts are excellent visual aids for presentations. There is no projector bulb to burn out. There is no fancy software to worry about. There is also no complicated hardware to connect. Where can you find out about using flip charts effectively?
Lenny Laskowski has an excellent web page on
11 tips for using flip charts more effectively
If you’d prefer a prettier version of the same information, it can also be found as an Acrobat .pdf file
Barry Weissman wrote an excellent article in Industrial Safety and Hygiene News
about flipcharts
Marie Wallace also discusses flipcharts in her Guide on the Side series
Robert Lucas wrote the Big Book of Flip Charts. He has several interesting articles posted on his web site:
Successful flip chart usage
Five super tips for enhancing flip charts with color
Using flip charts to make your message visual
Spicing up your flip charts with graphic images
Transporting flip charts effortlessly
This post was inspired by two articles Glen Kerfoot wrote in Training & Development magazine way back in 1966, “The search for flip chart charlie” and “The cure for flip chart Charlie”
But wait a minute. How can you give your audience a truly memorable flip chart presentation?
1 Use flip charts only when you will have more than twenty people seated more than fifteen feet away from the easel. Some of the audience should see a chart that looks no larger than a postage stamp.
2. Start preparing your charts in the last hour before your presentation.
3. Make sure that your lettering is too small to read easily. Less than two inches tall is good, and less than one inch tall is even better.
4. Cram your entire message on your flip charts. Don’t just list the main points.
5. Make sure to use more than seven lines (with more than seven words) on each and every chart. People just love details.
6. Put the most important information on the bottom third of the page so people in the back of the room cannot possibly see it.
7. Keep reducing the size of your letters to indicate the headings, sub headings, sub-sub headings, sub-sub sub headings etc. With enough levels you can give your audience a free eye exam.
8. Be sure to use whatever markers are lying around. Light orange is good, but yellow or pink highlighters are even better.
9. Use every page on the pad. Bleed through from magic markers adds attractive little clouds of color that will accent your words.
10. USE ALL UPPER CASE, AND REPLACE CAPITALIZATION JUST BY USING BIGGER LETTERS.
11. Print illegibly and let your words flow gently downhill towards the nearest river or ocean.
12. Flip to the next chart before your audience can read to the bottom of the current one.
13. As you point to your chart, be sure to turn away from the audience. Mumble so softly that even the front row can’t hear you.
Of course, the thirteen points listed above are purely tongue-in-cheek. Flip charts are excellent visual aids for presentations. There is no projector bulb to burn out. There is no fancy software to worry about. There is also no complicated hardware to connect. Where can you find out about using flip charts effectively?
Lenny Laskowski has an excellent web page on
11 tips for using flip charts more effectively
If you’d prefer a prettier version of the same information, it can also be found as an Acrobat .pdf file
Barry Weissman wrote an excellent article in Industrial Safety and Hygiene News
about flipcharts
Marie Wallace also discusses flipcharts in her Guide on the Side series
Robert Lucas wrote the Big Book of Flip Charts. He has several interesting articles posted on his web site:
Successful flip chart usage
Five super tips for enhancing flip charts with color
Using flip charts to make your message visual
Spicing up your flip charts with graphic images
Transporting flip charts effortlessly
This post was inspired by two articles Glen Kerfoot wrote in Training & Development magazine way back in 1966, “The search for flip chart charlie” and “The cure for flip chart Charlie”
Saturday, June 21, 2008
He ought to be good, he’s using my act
In a previous post on June 4, 2008 I discussed “Learning Hand Gestures from YouTube Videos”. I did not remember then where that idea came from. It probably actually came from an article by Carmine Gallo titled “YouTube your way to better speaking”.
The article originally in appeared in the August 8, 2007 issue of Business Week
It was later reprinted in Toastmaster for October 2007, which is where I read it last fall.
Mr. Gallo points out several great speakers, and even some specific speeches. He mentions two business executives he particularly admires: Steve Jobs of Apple and John Chambers of Cisco.
The title for this post is something one comedian said long ago about another “borrowing” his material. It may have been Fred Allen complaining about Milton Berle. Although you can learn a lot from others, you still need to find your own unique style of speaking.
The article originally in appeared in the August 8, 2007 issue of Business Week
It was later reprinted in Toastmaster for October 2007, which is where I read it last fall.
Mr. Gallo points out several great speakers, and even some specific speeches. He mentions two business executives he particularly admires: Steve Jobs of Apple and John Chambers of Cisco.
The title for this post is something one comedian said long ago about another “borrowing” his material. It may have been Fred Allen complaining about Milton Berle. Although you can learn a lot from others, you still need to find your own unique style of speaking.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
DIA - Drowning in Acronyms
DIA is an acronym that now means “Drowning in Acronyms”. DIA originally stood for the Defense Intelligence Agency, but now it just describes their mode of speech. DIA and the rest of our government (and much of industry) talk glibly about UAVs and IEDs, and so on. They know what this alphabet soup of abbreviations means. To them it all is quite obvious.
They forget that we do not understand most of what they are saying. If you absolutely must use an acronym in a speech, then please take a few seconds to define it. As a general rule please AAIP (Avoid Acronyms If Possible). Your audience will thank you.
Some of the most obscure acronyms are drifted names for technical societies. An acronym originally stood for the name. Then the name changed, but the acronym did not. Presumably this is due to the complexities of American trademark law. However, it is just wonderful for confusing outsiders. For example, I am a member of TMS which originally was The Metallurgical Society. Now TMS actually is The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society.
It gets worse. Over in Great Britain there used to be the Institute of Metals, IOM. Now it is IOM3, meaning the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining. The newer alphanumerical soup is worse, and should be avoided even in Business to Business (B2B) communication.
They forget that we do not understand most of what they are saying. If you absolutely must use an acronym in a speech, then please take a few seconds to define it. As a general rule please AAIP (Avoid Acronyms If Possible). Your audience will thank you.
Some of the most obscure acronyms are drifted names for technical societies. An acronym originally stood for the name. Then the name changed, but the acronym did not. Presumably this is due to the complexities of American trademark law. However, it is just wonderful for confusing outsiders. For example, I am a member of TMS which originally was The Metallurgical Society. Now TMS actually is The Minerals, Metals, and Materials Society.
It gets worse. Over in Great Britain there used to be the Institute of Metals, IOM. Now it is IOM3, meaning the Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining. The newer alphanumerical soup is worse, and should be avoided even in Business to Business (B2B) communication.
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