How To Say It With Fewer Words
(That’s me in action at Raffles Junior College)
It has been a crazy two weeks for me which explains the awkward silence in The Public Speaking Blog. However I will like to assure you that I am still alive (thankfully!) and I have prepared a couple of interesting entries for next week. Meanwhile, let me share with you a recent article sent to me by Patricia Fripp, one of the more well known coaches in USA.
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You’ve got an important and major presentation, and suddenly you’re asked if you can get your message across in five minutes! Don’t panic. For today’s television generation, sound bites can be more powerful than lengthy dissertations. Here’s how to compress your speech without losing impact.
- Don’t apologize or mention that you usually have much more time.
- Be confident that you can communicate in five minutes.
- Begin fast. Start with a an attention-getting statement such as, “Your job won’t exist five years from now,” or “In the next 5 minutes you will be convinced the best action you can take is…”
- Use a strongly visual story. Illustrate your points — how it is now, how it will or could be - with a story so vivid that the audience can “see” it.
- Divide your 5 minutes into three parts. Present a problem, a payoff, and your point of view: “The number one piece of advice I can give you today is…,” your story illustrates your idea and your walk away line could be what will happen if they do what you suggest!
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P.S: There are close to 391 blog entries till date and if you are new to The Public Speaking Blog, I strongly encourage you to check out some of the posts from 2007. Here are some of the more popular entries to keep you occupied for the next few days.
It Doesn’t Take Confidence & Techniques To Be Inspiring…
How To Develop A Technical Presentation That Packs A Punch
The Pointlessness of PowerPoint
Introducing The Foundations of Stage Presence
Three Things Your Speech Can’t Do Without
P.P.S. You do know that you can drop me an email to request for certain topics on the blog right? (grins) Hear from you soon!
Yes,you are right,the more brief you are at getting a given point across,the more impactful it is.