John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 35th President of the United States
One week ago, I achieved a goal that had been several years in the making. In Antwerp, Belgium, I won the Toastmasters International Speech Contest for District 59, which comprises 18 countries in Continental Europe. I now move on to the World Championship Semi-Finals, which will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio in August. If I win my Semi-Final, I will compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking two days later.
The road to the Toastmasters World Championship is long and tough and filled with its fair share of ups and downs. Every year, 30,000 people enter the International Speech Contest. We are now down to the final 88. (Reminds me of the Crazy 88 from Kill Bill!) The road has narrowed appreciably and it has just become a lot steeper!
It was my fourth attempt at the International Speech Contest. On three previous occasions, I made it to District—finishing second twice—but always fell just short. Over the years, I had the good fortune to win the other three Toastmasters District-level contests (Evaluation, Table Topics and Humorous) but the International seemed to hover, tantalizingly, just out of reach.
However, in Antwerp, things all came together. I felt good during the Semi-Finals on the Friday and better during the Finals on the Saturday. For a little over 7 minutes, I got to share a message I care about with 400+ people. They laughed, they cried, they were with me the whole time and I enjoyed every second of it.
When the results were announced at the Gala Dinner, the applause was thunderous. When I finally made my way to the stage, I had to give an acceptance speech. It was quite emotional, but as I said then, the emotion had less to do with the actual winning than it did with my appreciation for all of the love and support and encouragement I have had throughout this journey from so many people.
And that’s what this post is all about.
On 6 March 1981, Walter Cronkite, one of the greatest news anchormen ever, read the evening news for the last time. Growing up in southern Ontario, we would frequently watch the news from south of the border. As as young boy, I remember my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles watching intently whenever Cronkite read the news.
His retirement was a big deal in North America. During his final sign-off (which you can watch below), Cronkite said something which struck me at the time and which I remember to this day. Pay particular attention to the 10 seconds from 0:30 to 0:40.
“And anyway, the person who sits here is but the most conspicuous member of a superb team of journalists: writers; reporters; editors; producers—and none of that will change.”
So it is with the person who wins a speech contest (or most any contest, for that matter). Yes, when a speaker is on stage, it is all up to him or her. Nobody can help. But, in order to make it to the stage in the first place, a speaker needs lots of help, lots of feedback, lot of encouragement and lots of support.
Behind every champion are many others who have helped in some way. I have had tremendous support from so many people, so now it is my turn to say “Thank You”.
From left to right: João de Mendonça (District Governor), Antonio Meza (3rd Place), Me, Christine Roos (2nd Place), Sabine Schoenangerer (Contest Chair)
Looking ahead, my focus is now Cincinnati. The World Convention takes place from 21-24 August 2013. A little over three months to prepare for the Semi-Finals and (I hope) the Finals. The challenge is incredibly exciting and I look forward to it, especially knowing all the people who are behind me. Many of them appear in the wonderful video below prepared by the Organizing Committee of the District Conference in Antwerp.
Richard Branson – English Entrepreneur, Founder of Virgin Group
Freddie Mercury was the heart, the soul, the very essence of showmanship. The lead vocalist and lyricist of Queen had one of the most incredible unique singing voices ever. And his singing talent was matched, step for step, by his onstage flamboyance.
Over the years and across different musical styles, some singers have managed to achieve a magical blend of voice and onstage presence that places them in the pantheon of music. Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin, Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Jackson and Madonna come to mind. There are others, and Freddie Mercury has his place among them.
Have a look at this terrific six-minute clip from Queen’s epic 1986 concert at Wembley Stadium. This version of Under Pressure is my all-time favourite. And the two-minute set-up by Freddie? Pure Mercury magic from start to finish.
Here are six public speaking lessons that we can glean from his performance:
1. Stay hydrated.
Freddie always had plenty of water on hand. Should you, because you never know when dry mouth will strike.
Be sure that the water is flat. The bubbles in fizzy water have a nasty habit of coming back up at inopportune times. Also be sure that the water is room temperature; cold water constricts the vocal chords—ask any singer. (Oh, and if you decide to throw water at your audience like Freddie did, be sure that the people will enjoy it.)
2. Engage your audience.
Mercury’s two-minute riff with the audience at the start of the clip was incredible. He had over 70,000 people hanging (and singing) on his every word.
Interacting with your audience is a great way to keep their attention and stimulate their interest. Audience engagement is a subject that merits its own post at some point in the future. In the meantime, here are six quick ideas for interacting with your audience:
WARNING: If, like Mercury, you decide to tell your audience to fuck off, be very VERY sure that you know what you are doing! 
3. Use vocal variety.
Freddie Mercury had an incredible four-octave musical range. And he knew how to use it. He could sing high, he could sing low and he could sing all points in between.
You certainly don’t have to stretch your voice to the extent that Freddie did (and most of us can’t). However, if you speak in a monotone, your speech—and the audience—will suffer. So vary the volume of your voice; raise and lower the tone at appropriate moments; speed up or slow down to emphasize a point; and pause at key moments to let your audience absorb what you have said.
4. Use the stage.
Freddie had a big stage and he used it to maximum effect. Left, right, front and back, he was all over the place.
When a speaker steps out from behind a lectern, she shrinks the distance between her and her audience. But the movement has to be purposeful and it has to be balanced with an appropriate amount of standing still. A good rule of thumb is to stand still while making a point, move a few steps during a transition, then “plant yourself” and make another good point. For other ideas on using the stage, check out these tips from my friend, Douglas Kruger.
5. Turn up the energy.
When Freddie Mercury was on stage, his energy was palpable and it was infectious. To get 70,000+ people singing and dancing, you have to give it everything you have.
Now, you will not likely want the same level of energy at your next presentation, but you will have to turn it up a notch or two if you want to captivate your audience. Because here’s a hard truth of public speaking: If you are not into it, the audience won’t be into it. If you do not come across like you are interested, why should the audience be interested?
Spend some time thinking about why your presentation is important for the audience and then put some heart into conveying your message. You should not try and be anybody other than yourself, but when you are in front of an audience, even a small one, you have to be a bit bigger, a bit more energetic, a bit more enthusiastic than usual.
6. Have fun.
Freddie had fun. It showed and the audience had fun as well. It’s exactly the same with public speaking. And public speaking should be fun. It’s the payoff moment when you get to share your message with a room full of people. It’s a privilege to be able to do so and you should enjoy it. Just like Freddie.
UPDATE
Apparently readers in the United States cannot watch the video because it is blocked. If you click this link, you will be taken to a YouTube search page where other versions of the performance exist. I hope that one of them works for you.
Carly Fiorina – American Business Executive, Former CEO of Hewlett-Packard
One of the great things about living in Geneva is the variety of interesting people who visit the city. A little over a month ago, I was able to take in a great lecture by Hans Rosling. (You can read my posts about the event here and here and here.)
Last week, my wife Julie and I went to hear Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, speak at the Geneva Convention Centre. Annan has a foundation that is based in Geneva, but on this occasion, he was promoting his autobiography, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace.
Annan did not deliver a speech per se. Rather, the format was a conversation between Annan and Nicolas Michel, a Professor of International Law at the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. The two sat in chairs behind a low coffee table. Because the event was in a large auditorium, the organizers had a large screen on stage with a with close-up of the pair. (The pictures below were taken at the event and give a sense of the setup.)
Annan, as he was throughout his career, was poised and thoughtful. He shared personal stories from his childhood in Ghana and fascinating insights into his tenure as Secretary-General. And, he was balanced, touching on both his successes and failures.
Here are some of my observations about speaking before an audience in this format, either as the interviewer or the person being interviewed.
The event should be scripted, but with room for spontaneity. Interviewer and interviewee should meet beforehand to go over the topics to be covered; however, the interviewer should be prepared to delve into different issues raised by the interviewee in his responses. Preparation is especially important for the interviewer in order to be able to react in the moment.Finally, here are some memorable lines from Annan that I was able to jot down:
There are times when the Secretary-General of the United Nations has to be a Secretary and there are times when he has to be a General.Welcome to Manner of Speaking. If you're looking for informative and entertaining tips to improve your public speaking skills, you've come to the right place. Have a look around and enjoy your stay.
— John Zimmer
