The PBR unravels as detail shows gaps in the government’s figures http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5B944P20091210 the 2.5% state pension rise doesn’t apply as said and projections show that by 2017 our standard of living will be back where it was in 2001. People buying annuities might benefit as Government bond prices drop after the markets look at the small print and don’t like the maths or the conjuring tricks http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/pensions/annuity-rates-should-surge-after-gilt-price-plunges/1003863.article But perhaps I am contradicting myself here as there is already plenty of analysis and comment on the Pre-Budget Report, so let me concentrate on the very enjoyable public speaking masterclass from Saturday.
For some people (including one high profile IFA) public speaking is the most terrifying activity on the list of things that they would rather not do. In some surveys, it even tops stressful things like divorce and moving house. Phillip Khan-Panni’s masterclass lives up to its name as the main attraction at a Professional Speakers’ Association workshop. Saturday morning, 10 of us meet at RIBA in Portland place opposite the Chinese Embassy and its today, solitary protestor from Falun Gong. Founder of the Professional Speakers Association of Europe, Phillip has won more public speaking contests than anyone in Europe, including seven times, the UK Public Speaking Championship not to mention the World Silver Medal, a record so far unequalled in Britain.
Exploration of oratorical devices like metaphor (most of us know that one) hyperbole, tricolon, anaphora,
epistrophe (Martin Luther-King’s “I have a dream” perhaps being the best known example)
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alliteration, rhythm, rhyme and symploce is included. But the most obvious and important point might be to try and think from the audience’s point of view “What’s in it for Me?” followed by the heading. In other words, it’s about them rather than you and is the most common mistake made by speakers around the world.
Using anecdote as well, most interesting story is about Demosthenes and Aeschines. http://www.answers.com/topic/demosthenes Former was the son of an arms manufacturer who died when he was 7 so his estate was managed by his two bothers and a friend. These trustees stole or mismanaged his father’s money and as soon as he reached his majority at 17 and against advice, he famously sued them and won with the power of his oratory. More remarkable was the fact that Demosthenes was a sickly child with a spastic shoulder and a stutter. To stop the shoulder twitching, he hung a spear over it so it hurt him if it jerked and for his stutter, famously spoke against the roar of the waves on the shore with a mouthful of pebbles. Aeschines was his political opponent but while people applauded politely when he spoke, Demosthenes could rouse them to action. As Phillip put it, if your purpose in speaking isn’t to make change or create action, what’s the point?
As an exercise to strengthen your voice, avoid a trip to the seaside and the risk of swallowing a pebble plus keeping your carbon footprint small, try this. Hold a pencil in your mouth with your teeth as far back as it will go, and practise saying tongue twisters http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-some-american-tongue-twisters.htm
Prior to being a professional speaker, Phillip worked in media sales and was given a job of managing an advertising space salesforce for the Daily Express. Brief was simple – double our sales or You’re fired! Five simple rules helped him achieve this and help plan for any business appointment:
why am I here?
why should he/she see me?
what can he get from me which he can’t get from anyone else?
what do I want at the end of my presentation?
what is the least I will settle for?
Writing out your introduction before any speaking engagement will help your host/introducer and best to undersell yourself so the host can do that bit for you. Good also to send this to the host in advance, always keeping a spare copy as these do get mislaid.
Regarding your content, most of it will be basics, followed by differences that matter and crucially your USP. If you don’t what that is, progress will be hindered.
The 10 of us who attended include:
a project manager who rationalised his networking as too much of it was NOTworking
a retired policeman whose subject is police history – popular with WIs
a former speech writer for David Cameron – services might be needed soon
a former advertising man just returned from a speaking event in Iran where the people in Teheran are wonderful hosts. Seems President Ahmadinejad is very unpopular, the ladies hate having to wear headscarves in public and the speaker is told not to shake hands with any of them. Most ironic are security people in the audience taking notes of any political transgressions, just like in the days of the Shah.
For Phillip’s next book From Blank Page to Draft in 15 Minutes and his others see www.pkpcommunicators.com
If you’re brave enough to see the second Dementia BBC programme by Gerry Robinson referred to last week in http://www.georgeemsden.co.uk/2009/12/was-our-chancellor-ever-in-the-foreign-legion/ then the link is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00phjk0/CanGerryRobinsonFixDementiaCareHomesEpisode2/