Rhetoric.
—the art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing, especially the use of figures of speech and other compositional techniques.
In the ancient Greek civilization, Aristotle taught that rhetoric has three parts, namely:
- Logos (logic)
- Ethos (character/credibility)
- Pathos (emotions)
With these three, you have a time-tested toolkit for making a point and making your claims work in a presentation.
In fact, rhetoric outlines all the tactics used today by courtroom lawyers, infomercial pitchmen, Sunday preachers, and any other person trying to make a point to someone else.
… but did you know that aside from rhetoric, there are other basic tactics to make a point, especially in a speech or presentation?
Author Scott Berkun highlighted that in his book, “Confessions of a Public Speaker”:
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EMPHASIS
According to Berkun, when speakers are nervous when they speak, everything they say is flat and monotonous. Even if they’re loud, everything they say is equally loud.
In his words:
“They could be talking about the surprise ending of a movie or revealing the secret recipe for Coca-Cola, but their natural energy for the topic is not conveyed in how they’re saying what they’re saying.”
Try to read this sentence out loud, adding emphasis to the word that is in bold:
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
Sounds better than just saying the entire sentence monotonously, right?
That’s because you’re putting energy into the sentence, and that energy creates a new kind of meaning. Additionally, you can change the point you are making by simply changing which word you emphasize.
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
“I believe all people should have the right to laugh.”
See?
In the same way, you can listen to any great speaker and break down each sentence he or she says purely by where he or she places emphasis. This could be in the form of repeating words, pausing, gesturing with his or her hands, or even speaking with a whisper.
According to Berkun, there’s a whole system of information being given by a good speaker that many people never notice. It’s not in the slides. It’s not in the thinking. It’s in the thoughtful delivery of each sentence he or she says.
That’s because good speakers have a range of emphasis methods, which improves everything else about their presentations.
-
SILENCE
Standing in front of a room filled with people while doing absolutely nothing feels strange—right?
Right.
… and according to Berkun, one of the ways speakers compensate for that is by using “filler sounds” such as “uhh,” “uhm,” etc.
Here’s the thing: Trying to fill all those dead spaces with filler sounds is bad; it’s unnecessary. In fact, nothing kills a speaker’s power over a room as much as lack of silence.
Here’s why…
Silence establishes a baseline of energy in the room. Sometimes, when a room is silent, people pay more attention than when you are speaking.
Besides, if you constantly fill the air with sounds, the audience’s ears and minds never get a break.
Think about this: If what you are saying is interesting or persuasive, listeners will need some moments between your sentences and your points to digest the information.
If you listen to stand-up comedians, about 20% to 30% of their time on the microphone is spent in silence, often just to let the audience laugh and enjoy the last thing said, or provide a pacing break to set up the next thing they want to say.
So, how can you apply this?
Learning to stop using filler sounds requires only one thing: PRACTICE.
People who speak without using filler sounds weren’t born that way. They used to do it and have worked their way out of the habit.
Using “uhhs” and “uhms” is an easy problem to have, since fixing it is a simple, fail-safe way to make your presentations better.
Take note of these two important tips to get your message across more effectively in your speeches or presentations!
You’ll see—by using emphasis and silence to your advantage, you’ll soon be on your way to commanding the attention of your listeners.
Stay tuned for next week’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants” topic!
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Thursdays: Speak on the Shoulders of Giants”
In a meeting with one person…
… a boardroom with five people…
… or a huge venue with hundreds of people…
—whatever the situation or setting, it’s very important to learn and eventually master the art of public speaking.
No matter what, you always need to effectively get your message across.
What good is a presentation with awesome content if you don’t deliver it properly?
Every Thursday, we publish different tips, insights, and secrets on how you can improve your presentation skills to captivate your audience and lead interesting discussions.
The need for great presentation skills applies EVERYWHERE.
(Small meetings with your team, big meetings with your boss, an important marketing pitch, speaking engagements for events with a big audience, etc.)
Learning these skills is not just for the corporate world. Being in other industries such as the Arts, Information Technology, Medicine, and Education while knowing how to communicate and present well will definitely give you an edge.
Have that advantage.
Hope you find this week’s public speaking tip interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Thursday’s “Speak on the Shoulders of Giants!”
Cheers,
Henry Desai
Managing Director
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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