“I can’t control what people think this was. I can only tell you my intentions. This was not a rally to ridicule people of faith. Or people of activism or to look down our noses at the heartland or passionate argument or to suggest that times are not difficult and that we have nothing to fear. They are and we do. But we live now in hard times, not end times. And we can have animus and not be enemies.

Unfortunately, one of our main tools in delineating the two broke. The country’s 24-hour politico pundit panic conflict-onator did not cause our problems, but its existence makes solving them that much harder. The press can hold its magnifying glass up to our problems and illuminate problems heretofore unseen, or it can use its magnifying glass to light ants on fire, and then perhaps host a week of shows on the sudden, unexpected dangerous-flaming-ant epidemic. If we amplify everything, we hear nothing.

There are terrorists and racists and Stalinists and theocrats, but those are titles that must be earned. You must have the resume. Not being able to distinguish between real racists and tea partiers, or real bigots and Juan Williams and Rich Sanchez is an insult — not only to those people, but to the racists themselves, who have put forth the exhausting effort it takes to hate. Just as the inability to distinguish between terrorists and Muslims makes us less safe, not more.

The press is our immune system. If it overreacts to everything we eventually get sicker. And perhaps eczema. Yet, with that being said, I feel good. Strangely, calmly good, because the image of Americans that is reflected back to us by our political and media process is false. It is us through a funhouse mirror, and not the good kind that makes you slim and taller — but the kind where you have a giant forehead and an ass like a pumpkin and one eyeball.

So, why would we work together?  Why would you reach across the aisle to a pumpkin assed forehead eyeball monster?  If the picture of us were true, our inability to solve problems would actually be quite sane and reasonable.  Why would you work with Marxists actively subverting our Constitution or racists and homophobes who see no one’s humanity but their own?  We hear every damn day about how fragile our country is — on the brink of catastrophe — torn by polarizing hate and how it’s a shame that we can’t work together to get things done, but the truth is we do.  We work together to get things done every damn day. The only place we don’t is here or on cable TV. Americans don’t live here or on cable TV. Where we live our values and principles form the foundation that sustains us while we get things done, not the barriers that prevent us from getting things done. Most Americans don’t live their lives solely as Democrats or Republicans or conservatives or liberals. Most Americans live their lives that our just a little bit late for something they have to do. Often it’s something they do not want to do, but they do it. Impossible things get done every day that are only made possible by the little, reasonable compromises.”

Stewart then plays a clip of cars merging before entering the Lincoln Tunnel in New Jersey

“These cars — that’s a school teacher who thinks taxes are too high…there’s a mom with two kids who can’t think about anything else…another car, the lady’s in the NRA. She loves Oprah…An investment banker, gay, also likes Oprah…a Latino carpenter…a fundamentalist vacuum salesman…a Mormon Jay Z fan…But this is us. Everyone of the cars that you see is filled with individuals of strong belief and principles they hold dear — often principles and beliefs in direct opposition to their fellow travelers.

And yet these millions of cars must somehow find a way to squeeze one by one into a mile-long, 30-foot wide tunnel carved underneath a mighty river…And they do it. Concession by concession. You go. Then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go. You go, then I’ll go — oh my god, is that an NRA sticker on your car, an Obama sticker on your car? Well, that’s OK. You go and then I’ll go…”Sure, at some point there will be a selfish jerk who zips up the shoulder and cuts in at the last minute. But that individual is rare and he is scorned, and he is not hired as an analyst.

Because we know instinctively as a people that if we are to get through the darkness and back into the light we have to work together and the truth is, there will always be darkness.  And sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t the promised land. Sometimes it’s just New Jersey.  But we do it anyway, together.

If you want to know why I’m here and what I want from you I can only assure you this: you have already given it to me.  You’re presence was what I wanted.  Sanity will always be and has always been in the eye of the beholder.  To see you here today and the kind of people that you are has restored mine.  Thank you.”

“Fake it till you make it!”

(Original Source Unknown)

Public speaking consistently rates as one of the top fears if not the #1 fear for most people. Just thinking about speaking in public (also called stage fright) causes panic attacks, sweaty palms, heart palpitations and knees that often get to shaking. The great news is that with practice, feedback, positive expectations and a few tips, tricks and techniques most people can not only reduce or eliminate the fear of public speaking but will begin to see it as something fun and enjoyable! Below are some tips to make public speaking more fun and less scary. Try the techniques below and see if they make you feel more comfortable and confident. They may not at first, but eventually they will. Until then use them often and if necessary… “fake it till you make it!”.

15  Tips to Reduce the Fear of Public Speaking

1.    Arrive early when speaking. Also confirm the date/time location and physically visit the location if you have not been there before.

2.    Call before speaking to find out the dress code. Being dressed appropriately reduces stress.

3.    Know your material inside and out before speaking.

4.    A few minutes before speaking, close your eyes and see yourself enjoying talking to your audience.

5.    Practice deep breathing to calm down and reduce tension.

6.    Physically stretch before speaking and walk around the speaking area.

7.    Avoid caffeinated drinks and dairy products before speaking.

8.    Always have room temperature water available while speaking.

9.    For cases of extremely dry mouth, apply petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to front teeth before speaking.

10.  To eliminate sweaty forehead or palms, apply antiperspirant to those areas before speaking.

11.  Do verbal warm ups like tongue twisters before speaking (Peter Piper patiently persevered at picking pretty purple petunias).

12.  Look at friendly faces when talking.

13.  Always prepare a back up low tech presentation in case your Power Point or other technical presentation equipment fails. Also prepare a condensed version of your speech in case you have less time than expected.

14.  Focus on the information you want to share with your audience, not on how uncomfortable or nervous you feel.

15.  If you make a mistake (everyone does) just do what the professionals do……“Fake it till you make it.”

Doing all of the above helps you to be relaxed, confident and enjoy the experience of speaking to an audience.

Clarence Featherson Copyright © 2010 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The trick with humor speeches, beyond having quality material that you can deliver, is gauging the right level of personal enjoyment in your own jokes, so that the audience does not feel as though you are relying on them to laugh. Individuals in the audience do not like to feel “on the spot”, and hinging on crowd laughter before moving forward can derail your own flow, thus making the audience feel uncomfortable. The diagram below shows how humor speeches are different, in that as the speech begins, humor speakers should first demonstrate their own personal enjoyment and satisfaction with themselves and their material. In persuasion speeches, among others, a more effective beginning would be to establish a connection with the audience directly, so they are more receptive to your point of view. With humor, you present your point of view, enjoy it, and hope the audience follows along.

Of course, if you have incredible stature, and a cadre of professional writers developing your material, you can launch right into your material, like President Obama’s humorous speeches here and here; or Sarah Palin’s speech to the Gridiron Club.

So here is my speech on tips for guests to Washington, D.C. Let me know what you think; and let’s refine this one to make it more of a “Bravo!” speech.

Is Humor Necessary In Presentations And Speeches ?

“Laugh & Grow Strong.”
~ St. Ignatius of Loyola

Once upon a time when I was a beginning Toastmaster I was a very passionate but extremely serious (and stationary)  speaker. One night I was given feedback by two very experienced Toastmasters that completely changed my speaking style and helped me become a more effective speaker. I was told to put humor in my speeches and give only humorous speeches for several months.  I did as suggested and the proof is in the pudding!

Today I wouldn’t dream of doing a presentation or training (at work, for TM or anywhere) without using humor.  I have used it at a memorial service for a close family member.

Because I always use humor in my presentations (including table topics and evaluations) I’m often asked is humor necessary in a speech?  My answer is always “no, it’s not – unless you want to keep your audience interested, awake, engaged and focused on your message.”  Audiences have a very short attention span.

Humor helps keep people interested for several reasons (emotional and physical).  Humor reduces tension, which is extremely important when dealing with conflict, very serious issues, very technical issues or children.  Humor helps people relax and have fun, makes them more open (think open fist versus closed fist) and receptive to information you’re sharing.  Humor makes people more likely to remember your message or to quote James C. Humes, “what entertains endures.” It also helps people retain your message better because when people laugh they consume more oxygen and some of that oxygen makes its way to the brain and revives some of the brain cells the humorless speaker before you put to sleep (yeah for you)!  Humor also makes the speaker (particularly in job interviews and work settings) more likeable (and for single people who are interested in making good impressions on dates – it makes you more interesting, attractive and ultra-sexy).

Many people tell me they can’t include humor in their speeches because they are not funny and can’t tell jokes.  One super important point I always tell people is – humor does not have to include jokes or standup comedy or a deliberate effort at being physically funny.  Humor is simply anything that is amusing or information presented with a different twist (or facial expression, body language, exaggerated pause) or perspective.  You don’t have to be funny to use humor – you just have to be willing to not take yourself too seriously and practice it every chance you get . . . until you get better and you will (based on feedback from others). Using humor makes your speech more fun for you and the audience (and most people want to have fun).

Another question I hear Toastmasters frequently ask is, “do I have to have humor in my International Speech?”  The answer is no you don’t – unless you want to win.  All winning International Speeches have humor in them (watch the winning speeches from Toastmasters’ World Championship of Public Speaking if you don’t believe me).

My challenge to you is – to use as much humor as possible in your speeches (all types), evaluations, table topics, job interviews, passionate discussions with spouses, children, family or friends for two months (or longer). You be the judge of the results.  If humor doesn’t help you connect better with your audience, I’ll give you not only a complete refund – but I’ll give you double your money back (that was supposed to be an example of humor)!

Clarence Featherson    Copyright © 2010 – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

What Sarah Palin did effectively:

1) When Sarah Palin gives a prepared speech, she makes her audience feel like she is just “chatting” on a regular afternoon on a porch somewhere (that could be everywhere). She makes her audience feel comfortable and as if they are engaged in a conversation. (This contrasts from an oratorical style, that may turn off listeners who feel they are being lectured to) This contributes much to the success she has had in developing a close rapport with millions of Americans who view themselves, and her, as “average Joes”. If you review the transcript of her speech, you’ll see she employs many qualifiers at the beginning of sentences. Qualifiers such as:

“Now, I’ve been…”

“Now, in honoring these…”

“I am speaking, of course, of…”

“You know, say what you…”

“No, I was raised…”

The use of these qualifiers slows down the pace of the speech, allowing the audience to absorb what she is saying and contribute to conversational atmosphere. (The risk however, is of slowing the conversation too much or developing too casual of a rapport with your audience that puts them off or leads them to not take the weight of your ideas and opinions serious)

2) Sarah Palin embeds powerful imagery in her speech, implicitly connecting herself and her speech with the pivotal events and characters in American history. The results are two-fold: individuals and audiences receptive to her message will not only recognize these images and immediately connect to Mrs. Palin and her message in the way that people can share a common understanding without being explicit (for example when a person drops a word or phrase to allude to an inside joke , or shared experience from the past); AND, by employing these images particularly as she stands in a public forum in the midst of monuments celebrating the giants of American history, she embeds herself in that conversation, that space, of American leaders. Reading her speech, she uses such phrases as:

- Refering Abraham Lincoln, not by name, but by the “Great Emancipator” title.

- Saying not 47 years ago, but “two score and seven years ago”.

-References to Bunker Hill, Gettysburg and the “silent fields of white markers”, among others.

3) Story-telling. Sarah Palin uses effective story-telling to share the specific experiences of individuals. This is, of course, a technique used by political leaders as often as possible, to share the plight of the people they present themselves as representing (and thereby connecting to others who view that plight, and subsequent representation, as noble). And in this speech, Sarah Palin tell three very courageous stories of US military veterans who suffered in their plight to honor and protect American interests.

The most blatant aspect where Sarah Palin could sharpen her speech to minimize distractions (and criticism of her message and content) would be in some of her language. She pluralizes incorrectly (“…men here today faced terrible sufferings“), mixes words (“…who were linked by a solid rock foundation.”) and uses ambiguous language (“…what mothers have done since ancient days.”)

Nevertheless, for her audience and for the moment, her speech succeeded in communicating her message for the day and for her broader platform.

So what should Bush do?

1) Prepare notes, but not a written statement to read. It is important to have a structure to the apology speech so that run-ons and rambling statements are avoided. But the words and sentences need to come from beyond a written statement to convey sincerely.

2) Say “sorry” but not profusely. Over apologizing can also weaken perception of authenticity. Or worse, it can lead to pity.

3) Give an explanation. It is important to explain motive. Some people will understand, even if they don’t condone.

4) Keep it short. Get the apology out there. Explain your actions. Express contrition and they say you want to move on. All in a short speech to air things out and solidify closure.

In all apology speeches, one cannot right the wrong, or please everybody, but if the speech is done right, it can close the book on the story. (…but if done poorly, the speech becomes the story!)

Bloomberg’s speech was a classic persuasion speech. He needed his audience to connect to him (and his point of view), and then to communicate why his view is the right view.

So, what does he do:

1) Over and over, he used phrases to emphasis togetherness and the collective. In a relatively short speech (~1,100 words; about 7 minutes in length), Bloomberg used around 50 words to emphasis his connection to his audience with words such as “Our”, “Ourselves”, “We”, “Us”, and references to “America”, “New York”, “New Yorkers”.  He does this to subtly connect to his audience and which then makes his listening more relaxed and open to listening to his message. The info-graphic we developed shows how frequently Bloomberg used these phrases, and strategically. Some paragraphs are void of them completely, while others are filled with unifying phrases.

PDF Version: Bloomberg Speech Infographic

2) Use of story - This short speech is full of story-telling. Story-telling to remind people of the tragedy of September 11 and also story-telling to connect the vote on the mosque to events in New York’s history when religious freedom was not protected. When stories are used in speeches, not only is the direct message conveyed in a different form, but the speaker further controls the narrative by guiding listeners to grasp what he wants them to see. It is a very powerful, and subtle, way to persuade your listeners. (…as long as they buy into your idea and vision. Which is why Bloomberg’s use of collective phrases is so important to this speech)

3) Rhetorical Devices – Bloomberg employs a wide variety of rhetorical devices to keep the listen engaged. He uses repetition (e.g. in the first paragraph “We have come…”), he varies his speaking pace (paragraph 3, where he discuss a difficult topic, he used short and direct sentences; contrasted with the next paragraph), rhetorical questioning and others including antithesis (e.g. paragragh 14: “…we do not honor their lives by denying… we honor their lives by defending…”).

4) Good Guys vs Bad Guys – After connecting to his listeners with his use of collective phrases, he then recasts the debate into an “Us vs Them” dialogue, in this case “Them” being the argument opposite of his message.

This was a short speech, but a real model in how to quickly and powerfully engage your audience and persuade. Because of the different techniques employed by Mayor Bloomberg and his speech-writing team, commentators are suggesting this is the most memorable speech of Bloomberg’s tenure as mayor. Bravo!

The president’s performance demonstrates four key lessons for anybody engaging in a question and answer session:

1) Speak in a measured pace - When the president answered both serious and light-hearted questions, he answered in a constant and measured pace. This conveys control in your thoughts, particularly by preventing you from speeding too quickly through a thought which only highlights any verbal crutches you may stumble onto if your mouth is running faster than your mind!

2) List your answers - The president often employs numerals to his answers. “Firstly… Secondly… And the third…” This helps to 1) convey that he has thought about this issue; 2) his thought process is organized; 3) there may be overwhelming support to his side of the argument.

3) Recognize the opposing argument – This adds credibility to your position by demonstrating you are taking into account the counter arguments and are not just ignoring them or disregarding their merit.

4) Smile, and appear to have fun – Even in the difficult questions, the president never looked flustered or annoyed. His focus was on conveying his message.

[The full episode can be watched at: http://theview.abc.go.com/]

photo credit – http://tiny.cc/ygys9

However, there are two exceptions to this rule:

1) When a speech has a story, or joke that works best at the beginning of the speech and needs to be played out from the start. This is a tricky manoveur though, because if the speaker doesn’t hit the punchline in a way that connects him/her to the audience, he/she will have to work twice as hard to gain their trust.

2) When a slow, purposefully dramatic start is needed to set a tone or mood. Perhaps the entire speech is intended to be sober in nature, or perhaps the dramatic beginning is in order to spring a quip onto the audience. Nevertheless, in this case, a protracted pace can be used to lull the audience into a mindset.

But in most speeches, setting the stage by gaining credibility and the audience’s trust (that they can relax and enjoy listening to your speech) is attained by a strong, assertive and resounding beginning.