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 .
----------------------------------