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5 MAGIC KEYS TO CREATING ANY SPEECH!

Knowing the answers to these Five Questions will enable you to create a fabulous speech for almost any occasion.  Download your Free Report now and make creating your next speech so much easier! 

    Afraid To Make A Mistake?   

      Why is it that most people supposedly would rather die than give a speech? Ever since the New York Times printed that survey some years ago, it's been quoted over and over as a truism. When I speak to groups about becoming a Unique and Sexy Speaker, inevitably someone will pipe up, "Well, you know people are more afraid of making a speech than they are of dying."

      Isn't it time we laid that old idea to rest? After all, many people feel that way about lots of things. Some people would rather die than fly, or bungee jump, or leap from an airplane with a carefully packed parachute and a trained instructor strapped firmly to their back.

      At least when you give a speech you've got both feet on the ground. Usually. There's that story about the famous Rabbi and Biblical scholar, Hillel, who was asked by a powerful king to tell him all about Judaism while standing on one foot or face death if he couldn't. This may be the only time in recorded history that a complete speech was given with one foot off the ground. Hillel, it is said, faced the king, foot up in the air, and replied, "Do not do unto your neighbor that which is hateful to you. All the rest is commentary."

      Thankfully most of us will never have to literally give the speech of our life. As long as we know we'll live to speak another day, what is there to be afraid of? Or more importantly, what do we think we're afraid of?

      When we stand in front of a crowd, what do we see? A group of people a lot like us. Tall, short, thin, fat, dark, light, in jackets and ties or t-shirts and jeans, looking expectantly at us, ready to soak up our words of wisdom. What is there to be afraid of in that?

      Obviously, what we fear is not out there in the audience where we can see it. Most probably it's an intangible in our head. For example, not being perfect. For some of us, the thought of making a mistake is terrifying because not being perfect really is a fate worse than death; it carries with it our whole vision of ourselves as worthwhile, capable, competent and important human beings. Something as simple as tripping over our tongue, misstating important data, forgetting a single point in a sequence, or feeling like we're not living up to our own or others' expectations seems like a tragedy. It can paralyze us in mid-sentence, bring out the shakes and shivers, dry up our throat and chase us off the stage forever. Yikes! Heavy price to pay for a momentary glitch!

      What to do if any of these things happen? Plan ahead! While rehearsing your speech, rehearse what you'll say or do if any mishap mars your performance. For example:

      a. If you trip over your tongue and your words come out garbled: Stop. Breathe. Smile. Say something simple like, "Let's try that again," or "What I meant to say is..." or "One more time," or "Take two," or any other simple phrase that feels comfortable to you. Repeat the garbled words correctly and continue on with your speech. If you don't make a big deal out of it, no one else will, either.

      b. If you misstate some important data: If you realize immediately that you've said something incorrectly, stop, breathe, and correct the misstatement (see a. above). If you don't realize it until later in your speech, complete what you're saying at that moment, then stop, breathe, pause for a moment, and then say something like, "Let's go back to (subject) again for a moment. I'd like to revisit a point I made earlier." Or "Let's go back to (subject) for a moment, I'd like to clarify an important point." And then make the correction simply and matter-of-factly. The less heat you bring to the moment, the less the audience will remember it or make an issue of it.

      c. If you forget a point in a sequence of information: When you realize you've left it out, finish what you're doing at the moment, then stop, breathe, and (like b. above) say something like, "Let's go back to (subject) for a moment. I'd like to add an important point." Your audience will think you planned it that way. If you don't admit you forgot, it will never occur to them.