Notes from My Speech Coach
Last week, I spoke at the Re:create 2011 Conference in Franklin, Tennessee. This is an annual conference for Christian “creatives” (e.g., worship leaders, recording artists, book authors, actors, etc.). I talked about the #1 challenge these creatives face: becoming bitter over unwarranted criticism.
A few days after the conference, my friend Ken Davis, who was also a speaker at the conference, gave me some valuable feedback on my speech. In addition to being an enormously gifted speaker himself, Ken is a speech coach. He also hosts the Dynamic Communicators Summit and the Professional Communicators Summit, two conferences designed for professional speakers.
I was eager to hear what Ken had to say, because he is one of my top five favorite speakers. I have also attended his Professional Communicators Summit and loved it. We sat down at a local restaurant for a one-on-one coaching session.
He was very affirming, but he also had five great suggestions for me. If you do any public speaking, perhaps these will be helpful to you, too:
- State the benefit clearly. I had a pretty clear premise (I thought), but I neglected to make the benefits clear. In my speech I said, “There are three truths you must embrace in dealing with offenses.” Ken said, “So what? What’s the benefit?” A better premise is this: “If you want to realize your full potential as a Christian creative, you must embrace three truths about dealing with unwarranted criticism.”
- Cut my intro down. I had a good opening. It was warm and pretty funny. However, it was too long. Ken felt I should remove the information that people know or could discover in my public bio. Instead, I need to share the details they wouldn’t know. This adds an element of surprise and connects me emotionally with my audience—especially if I can throw in some humor.
- Use more personal stories. I had some personal stories, but Ken felt I needed more. I know he’s right. This is my primary complaint with most of the speakers I hear. The problem is that it takes a lot of personal reflection to find great, relevant stories. Ken also suggested that the more I can share about my weaknesses, the more people will relate.
- Engage the audience. I didn’t engage the audience at all. Ken felt that this was a missed opportunity. He suggested I ask the audience questions. For example, before each major point, I could ask, “Do you want to realize your full potential as a Christian creative?” Then wait on a response. Then I could repeat my previous point and move on to the next one.
- Craft the ending carefully. I had spent a lot of time on the beginning of the speech. (I had just finished a great book called Better Beginnings: How to Capture Your Audience in 30 Seconds that I found particularly helpful.) This is important, because first impressions really matter. However, the last impression is even more important. Ken reminded me that I need to spend as much time on the ending as the beginning.
I am really excited that I get to give this same speech soon. With Ken’s help, I am hoping to take it to the next level. I have also registered for the Dynamic Communicators Summit. Ken’s other workshop focuses on the business side of speaking. This one focuses on crafting the message. I can’t wait!
Posted on February 15, 2011
In: Leadership
MICHELE CUSHATT is a communicator and storyteller whose speaking experience includes Women of Faith, Focus on the Family, and Compassion International. As emcee and communication coach, Michele is in her sixth year on staff at 
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