SHORT & SWEET: THE RULE OF '3'

By the time you get to the end of this blog post, you will already be thinking about the next blog post you are going to read. I won't take it personally, because I don't necessarily believe its the content that has uninterested you (I hope anyways!). It is most likely because we as humans now have an attention span of only 8 seconds long! Wild, isn't it?!

Its Official-- there actually IS a Rule of 3

We wouldn't think it, but there actually is a method to the madness of why many memorable sayings, stories, and people are comprised or made up of threes, which helps people with short attention spans to remember what was said! This is officially known as the "Rule of 3."

Think of things such as the three pigs; the three mice; the three wise men; the three stooges; "beginning, middle, end"; "Sex, drugs, and Rock N Roll;" or trilogies. All of these relate back to the idea of "three."

Why only three?

The theory behind the "Rule of 3" is that people understand and are more able to remember and memorize things in three's. Its just the way our brains are wired. This can be extremely powerful to know in preparing in advance of speaking so you know how you can properly develop your script, speech, or presentation to ensure you attract the short attention spans of your audience.

How to Apply the Rule of 3

If you clearly and logically outline what you are going to say under three main ideas, headings or themes, then your audience or whomever you are speaking to/with, with be able to easily comprehend and remember what you said. Recapping at the end of a speech what those three important messages are helps your audience to remember your "take home message." And this idea can be applied to more than just speech writing/presenting-- speaking to your colleague; trying to win an argument; or emails. Really, whenever you communicate, you really should always remember and try to apply the "Rule of 3."

On the note of short attention spans and how the internet (most likely) is helping to shorten our attention span, the following is a funny video I thought perfectly depicts just how short we've become with our attention spans. I'm happy to report that I may not be the only person that ends up surfing something on the internet, wondering afterwards how I even got there in the first place.

P.S. Did you notice the "Rule of 3" applied to this blog post? :) Hope you followed along until the end!

The Recipe for What Makes You a Memorable Speaker

There are people out there who believe just because they open their mouth that they can speak well. The reality is that only a select few people are ACTUALLY great at speaking in front of people or large audiences. Like being good at a sport or the art of writing or drawing... it is a craft. Not everyone is a naturally-gifted speaker and while you certainly can learn to become a great speaker; it takes time, practice, patience, and self awareness to become a memorable speaker.

I often get asked after I speak, just what are the elements of being a good speaker that I've either learned or applied to my craft. There isn't a "one shoe fits all" recipe or formula that works for everyone and its not like you can go to school to major in speech training or public speaking! BUT there certainly are elements that all great speakers seem to have. Here are the 10 ingredients needed if you want to speak influentially to anyone, whether it be in person one-on-one or publicly in front of a crowd:

The Recipe for Being a Memorable Speaker

1. Voice tone and pitch. Some speakers just naturally have soothing voices to listen too. Their pitch isn't high and they are able to vary their tone to make what their saying extremely interesting. Speaker's voices are their calling card.. as soon as you hear their voice you should want to stop and listen because you are engaged. Some people have extremely recognizable voices that people always enjoy listening too and can easily identify. Recognize this well-known actor/ narrator in this commercial?
2. Body language. As I blogged about last week, impressions are influenced by 93% non-verbal communication. What are you saying with your actions (or what aren't you saying?) Do you animate how you speak by using hand motions to engage your audience? You must in order to add another element to keep your audience listening and to make it fun!
3. Storytelling. Your ability to "tell" the story will be one, if not the most important factor in being a memorable speaker. You can have the best content but if you can't deliver, you've failed! The selection of words, how you say those words, and the way you tell/explain your story or idea is vital to how much people will enjoy you.
4. Content. The other half of the public speaking equation to complement delivery is content. This is probably the most challenging part of speaking (at least for me anyways). How do you tailor your content to your specific audience so you aren't talking too high-level or too in-depth for them. How do you talk about something serious but make it interesting (and sometimes funny) for those listening. It takes years of practice to hone in the skill of creating killer content when speaking!
5. Humour. Nothing is better when a speaker makes fun of themselves or make jokes (that don't seem too placed!) that put the audience at ease. It not only relaxes the audience but it relaxes the speaker too, making them seem more confident in what they're sharing. And of course, its always enjoyable to watch someone who looks like they're having fun :)
6. Authenticity. The best part about listening to someone speak is hearing about who they are and how unique they are whether in their background or their ideas. Speakers should never "model" themselves after anyone else. Back to my idea that I shared with the Aggie graduates, don't be cookie cutter. Always be aware of who you are; how unique your story is.. that is what people want to hear.. YOUR story!
7. Eye-Appealing. Speaking is about the total package. I'm sure you'd be shocked if someone with a fantastic voice didn't have the rest of the package to match. This includes having the total package of dressing appropriately, using body language, and having presence so you really own and command the stage.
8. Thought-Provoking. The best speakers challenge the audience to think differently than they thought before coming into the speech or presentation. No one said speaking was easy...the best speakers are the ones that say what everyone is thinking, but in a very politic and constructive way (for the most part anyways!)
9. Organized & Prepared. There is no other rule more simple for a speaker to follow then to be organized and prepared. Organized in knowing your content/powerpoint slides and knowing where you're going to take the presentation with the audience in tow. Of course, the other part to being "prepared" as a speaker is being able to handle all the things that come your way unexpected and unplanned. Handle these situations calmly and your audience will notice!
   
10. Value. And the end of the day, when people listen to a speaker, they want to have a take away message that they learned from you. Whether it is 1 piece of information or 3 key messages, leave your audience with something valuable so they see you as a memorable speaker! I guarantee you will be asked to speak again if your audience continues to see and get value from what you're saying.

What other ingredients do you believe are needed for the recipe of a memorable speaker?

Helpful Tips: Speech Writing Development

I recently visited my alma mater at the University of Guelph to attend a class that I took while I was a University student... but this time, as a Guest Speaker. It was a surreal feeling to be returning to a class to share advice and tips on public speaking writing and delivery knowing that years ago I was sitting in those same exact seats. This class in particular really helped me develop and enhance my communication skills and helped me realized the importance of communicating at the most basic levels. It also led me to realize that the communications field was what I wanted to pursue post-graduation.

The students I visited were extremely keen and had many great, loaded questions to ask to help them prepare for their upcoming speech writing/giving exercise that the prof had tasked them with. I returned to share tips and pointers since I did this exact same exercise only a few short years ago, going on to win the Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition with the speech I had been asked to write and deliver in class. The CYSA competition is a national public speaking competition; providing a fantastic platform for youth in agriculture wanting to share their views.. I am still to this day extremely honoured to have won the competition.

The biggest lesson I shared with the class during my time spent on content and speech development was "don't write a speech with content that you believe the audience wants to hear.. write something that you believe the audience NEEDS to hear!"

With this in mind, I broke down the speech writing process into to the following 10 pointers to help them begin to build their speeches:

1. Choose a topic that you can easily speak on and that you are extremely passionate about.. that sets the foundation for a fantastic speech. It makes the entire process easier.
2. Start your speech with a strong and dramatic introduction.
3. Be sure to address the judges/audience/crowd/honoured guests depending on what type of speech you are giving.
4. Outline 3 strong arguments to support your speech topic.
5. Make sure to be realistic in bringing forward the truth surrounding your topic. If there are problems/issues relating to your topic, bring them forward, BUT counter-balance those with SOLUTIONS to those problems if there are any. 
6. Make sure to add your personal touch by adding personal thoughts, feelings, opinions, and stories relating you to the topic. These type of stories are what will resonate the most with the audience.
7. Close to the end of your speech, be sure to wrap up the ideas you talked about and sum up the arguments you brought forward.
8. End with an extremely strong finish/conclusion by leaving the crowd with a call to action or making them feel as though they want to be a part of your movement by going out and making a difference. At least arm the audience with ideas in your speech about HOW they could get involved in your cause to make a difference.
9. Be sure to say thank you at the conclusion of your speech so you can show your sincere appreciation for the audience being attentative.
10. Once you have a fantastic speech written, now it is all about practicing DELIVERY so you can ensure you deliver the best written speech ever. Now go on and practice!