An Unforgettable Speech...

by J.A. Gamache
3rd place Champion in 2001 at Toastmasters International's
World Championship of Public Speaking

So you want to deliver a memorable speech? Then tack a story on to your message. Why? Because although people may forget your message, they generally remember stories.

When people who have seen my presentations approach me, they typically talk about my stories rather than my message. They'll generally say something like,' I remember the story about your grand-father and the chair,' or, 'You're the guy who talks about the butterfly, right?' or 'I remember the story about the young baseball player... It made me think...'

I don't exactly know why audiences remember stories the most. Is it because they empower the imagination? Or do they remind us of the stories we were told as children? Or perhaps they stir up the emotions? I don't know, but they work! In fact, this technique works so well that it's always better to incorporate a story into your message if you want it to be remembered easily.

Professional speakers understand that. That's why they often use storytelling to support their viewpoint. Listen closely to the way the pros speak. Many of them even start and finish their presentation with a story. Using storytelling to get your message across is an old teaching technique. Isn't it how we often teach our children? For my part, Aesop's fable, The boy who cried wolf, taught me not to lie about needing help. In this tale, a boy so often
pretends that wolves are attacking that the day he really needs help no one comes to his rescue. Although I've never had to face wolves, I learned a lesson from the boy and never, ever cried wolf!

Tell at least one story in your next speech, whether it's funny or sad, real or imaginary, or whether it's personal or
not. What matters is that all your stories make your speeches memorable. Don't forget: if your message is backed up by a story, chances are it will be remembered!

Happy writing!

©MMVIII J.A. Gamache http://www.jagamache.com
All rights reserved.

---------------------------------
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or
in part if a copy of the reproduction is sent to J.A. Gamache
at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided
that the following byline appears along with the
reproduction:

This article was reproduced from the "Speaking in public with
J.A." FREE electronic magazine, authored by J.A. Gamache,
International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE
e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit
http://www.jagamache.com .
----------------------------------

Experiencing Satisfaction following your Speech

by J.A. Gamache
3rd place Champion in 2001 at Toastmasters International's
World Championship of Public Speaking

Are you often dissatisfied with your speeches? Maybe your expectations are unrealistic. Stop being hard on yourself, and schedule your own learning goals.

When I first started, I was always disappointed after giving a speech. No matter how much people praised me I was still unsatisfied with my performance.

Do you feel the same? Do you require perfection from yourself? Are you under the impression that unless you receive a standing ovation, your speech was a failure?

One day I realized that my feelings of failure were due to the fact that I was comparing myself to some of the public speaking stars who earned thousands of dollars for each performance. Of course the comparison was unfair, but I had
yet to realize that my heroes had taken years to get where they are today.

I understood then that my goal of being a public speaking virtuoso was still a good goal, but a long-term one. Accepting that I was still an apprentice, I came to realize that I needed short-term goals in order to progress towards my dream of becoming a star performer. That's when I decided to schedule learning goals for myself.

What is a learning goal? A simple, measurable goal that touches only one aspect of public speaking.

Try it! For each speech, challenge yourself to improve one aspect of your performance... but only one! Promise yourself you'll be satisfied if you succeed at that one goal.

Here are a few examples of challenges I gave myself:

- Speak without notes
- Stop rocking back and forth
- Look the audience in the eye
- Smile throughout my speech
- Speak slower to breathe easier
- Be more expressive
- Dare to talk about a difficult subject--the kind that usually makes me cry
- Make more pauses
- Stay within the time limit
- Use my voice in a variety of ways
- Have fun during my presentation

And so on...

For your next speech, stop expecting perfection of yourself. Instead, challenge yourself to meet a learning goal like those mentioned above. Since these objectives are easier to reach, you'll be satisfied with your progress after each speech.

Happy writing!

©MMVIII J.A. Gamache http://www.jagamache.com
All rights reserved.

---------------------------------
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE
in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduction is sent to
J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and also
provided that the following byline appears along with the
reproduction:

This article was reproduced from the "Speaking in public with
J.A." FREE electronic magazine, authored by J.A. Gamache,
International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE
e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit
http://www.jagamache.com .
----------------------------------

An Easy Way to Get Laughs

by J.A. Gamache
3rd place Champion in 2001
at Toastmasters International's World Championship of Public Speaking

An easy way to get laughs is to change a common expression so it has an original ending.

When someone says, 'Thank you very much!' to be polite you should answer, 'You?re welcome.' Well, one day I said, 'Thank you very much!' and a person answered: 'You're welcome very much.'

I smiled immediately. I found the answer so original that I've been using it ever since. The joke works almost every time: I always get a laugh or at least a smile.

We could ask ourselves why this type of answer is so effective. The reason is simple: the preceding polite exchange with the ridiculous ending is built like a joke.

In fact, one of the basic techniques in humour consists of using the set-up/punch structure. The joke starts with the set-up, whose goal is to bring the audience to anticipate the end of a story. When the story ends with an unexpected punch, the element of surprise makes the audience laugh.

The element that makes the 'Thank you very much' example so original is that the person set up the joke without knowing it. And like with any good joke, the audience (in this case the person who thanked you) is convinced she knows the end of the story. The person expects you to answer: "You're welcome," and has no reason to think otherwise. When you answer, "You're welcome very much," the person is surprised and laughs.

Each time you use a common expression, you're creating a set-up. Here's another example in which the set-up is a famous quote. This time the same person says the set-up and the punch.

You start by saying: 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and?' You make a pause so the audience remembers that the end of the quote is: 'you feed him for life.'
However, you surprise everyone by saying: 'you get rid of him for the week-end!'

Try this technique the next time you write a speech. Have fun changing the end of common expressions. It's an easy way to get laughs almost every time.

Happy writing!

©MMVIII J.A. Gamache http://www.jagamache.com All rights reserved.

---------------------------------
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE
in whole or in part if a copy of the reproduction is sent to J.A. Gamache at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided that the following byline appears along with the reproduction:

This article was reproduced from the "Speaking in public with J.A." FREE electronic magazine, authored by J.A. Gamache, International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit http://www.jagamache.com .
----------------------------------

Railroaded by Strong Emotions?

by J.A.
Gamache 3rd place Champion at Toastmasters International
World Championship of Public Speaking 2001

When you get emotional during a speech, the best thing to do
is to take the time to breathe properly.

I love to tell touching stories, because when I'm moved, the
audience experiences the same emotion. That's what I call the
resonance effect. When the audience and I are at the same
emotional level, we're like tuning forks.

A tuning fork is a metal instrument used by piano tuners. It
looks like a stick with a long, narrow U shape welded to the
tip. When we grasp a tuning fork and hit it against
something, it makes a musical note.

The remarkable thing is that when you place a second tuning
fork very close to another one without touching it, it also
makes a musical note. The vibration of the first tuning fork
is sufficient to make the second one resonate. Similarly,
when you tell a touching story, the vibration of your own
emotions will be enough to make the audience feel the same
emotion.

Wouldn't you agree that most people love to be touched by a
well-delivered story? In fact, the most successful movies are
dramas that make us experience strong emotions.

The audience will enjoy the emotions they experience during
your talk, but under one condition: that you stay in control.
People are touched when they see you on the verge of tears,
as long as you can still talk. But if you have to stop and
take a few moments to calm down, that time may seem like an
eternity to them, and they'll feel uneasy.

Here's what to do when you feel a surge of emotion during
your speech.

1- GO ALONG WITH THE EMOTION
Fist of all, don't try to suppress the emotion. It's too
late. The emotion is already there. You have to let the wave
pass.

2- TAKE THE TIME TO BREATHE PROPERLY
Concentrate on your breathing. We tend to stop breathing when
we experience intense emotions.

Try this the next time you get emotional during a speech:
make pauses. Inhale more often. Take the time to really fill
your lungs. If you have to, speak slower.

With proper breathing, you'll be able to "surf" the wave of
your emotions. You'll see that it is still possible to talk
and not necessarily burst into sobs while you're feeling very
emotional. It's all in the breathing.

During your next speech, learn to breathe better, and you'll
be able to talk even when you're feeling emotional. Through
the resonance effect, your audience will also be touched by
your presentation. Remember that people will forget what you
say and do, but they'll never forget how you make them feel!

Happy writing!

©MMIX J.A. Gamache http://www.jagamache.com
All rights reserved.

---------------------------------
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or
in part if a copy of the reproduction is sent to J.A. Gamache
at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided
that the following byline appears along with the
reproduction:

This article was reproduced from the "Speaking in public with
J.A." FREE electronic magazine, authored by J.A. Gamache,
International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE
e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit
http://www.jagamache.com .
----------------------------------

Can they Imagine...?

by J.A. Gamache
3rd place Champion in 2001 at Toastmasters International's
World Championship of Public Speaking

Have you ever wondered why some speakers are such good storytellers? Here's one of their tricks: they begin a story by first describing the scene of the action and the characters' state of mind--in other words, they create an
image BEFORE describing the action.

Do you know someone who's an excellent storyteller?

A friend of mine has a talent for telling the minutest details of her life. Her stories are lively; she plays all the parts, changing her voice and her face. She makes us relive the scenes with her, and we find ourselves hanging on her every word. She has mastered the art of bringing images to life.

One day, when I was listening to her describe an adventure she had had the previous day, I noticed an important detail in the way she begins her stories.

In virtually each story, she begins by describing the setting and her state of mind. In other words, she sets the stage and the ambiance BEFORE describing the action.

I always knew it was better to conjure up images in a story to bring it to life, but I never understood that it was always better to BEGIN with an image.

Here's what I suggest. The next time you include a story in a speech, begin by conjuring up an image. Set the stage in our mind's eye. If you are one of the main characters, describe how you felt. Each time a new character enters the story, introduce the person by offering a physical description and an insight into his or her emotions.

Capture your audience's imagination by painting a scene of colour, characters and emotions when you begin your story. Once the ambiance is well established then you can begin to describe the action.

Try it. Begin your stories with an image, and watch how eager your audience will be for the outcome. They'll be hanging on your every word.

Happy writing!

©MMVIII J.A. Gamache http://www.jagamache.com
All rights reserved.

---------------------------------
PERMISSION IS GRANTED TO REPRODUCE THIS ARTICLE in whole or
in part if a copy of the reproduction is sent to J.A. Gamache
at info@jagamache.com after publication and also provided
that the following byline appears along with the
reproduction:

This article was reproduced from the "Speaking in public with
J.A." FREE electronic magazine, authored by J.A. Gamache,
International Inspirational Speaker. To subscribe to his FREE
e-zine or to find out more about his presentations, visit
http://www.jagamache.com .
----------------------------------