Warren Buffett, the legendary Oracle of Omaha, was recently asked about the best investment any of us can make. He didn’t suggest buying shares of Berkshire Hathaway or putting cash into real estate. Rather, he advised, “Invest in yourself.”
How do we do that? Buffett explains, “The one easy way to become worth 50 percent more than you are now — at least — is to hone your communication skills — both written and verbal.” He adds, “You can have all the brainpower in the world, but you have to be able to transmit it. And the transmission is communication.”
Along with writing well, public speaking is the most powerful means of transmission. It is the #1 skill you can cultivate to supercharge your career. The ability to express yourself effectively, to one or to one thousand, is a critical key to success in sales, leadership, and life.
The basic elements of effective presentation are also essential to personal happiness.
Do you know how to ask for what you want? Can you formulate requests that others can readily fulfill? One of the simplest keys to happiness is knowing our most vital needs and enrolling others in helping us to fulfill those needs. We do this by developing our skill in advocating for what we want.
These same skills are essential if we want to be effective in changing the world for the better. If you want to help save the Earth, raise funds for a charity, or champion the rights of others, you’ll need to speak in a compelling and memorable way.
In this book you will learn a simple, powerful, practical approach to improving your effectiveness in any kind of public-speaking situation, from a job interview to a formal speech, from a wedding toast to a eulogy. You’ll learn to do this in a way that feels natural, enlivening, and enjoyable for both you and your audiences. You’ll learn how to persuade, sell, engage, influence, inspire, and enroll others so you can become a powerful advocate for your ideas and ideals, both personally and professionally.
Learning to write well is, as Buffett suggests, also important, but it does not engender in us the same fear and resistance as public speaking. It’s more difficult to learn to be a good writer than it is to be a good speaker, and as you rise in an organization, you have the luxury of delegating what is written in your name, but you can’t do that with public speaking.
In 1969, way before Dilbert and The Office, “hierarchiologist” Laurence J. Peter introduced the idea that in a hierarchy, every person tends to rise to his level of incompetence. His classic book, The Peter Principle, offers a satirical but wickedly accurate look at why things go awry in bureaucratic organizations. Peter writes, “Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status.”
Whether you work in an organization or operate independently, you’ll discover that many people find their level of incompetence through an inability to present effectively and to persuade or inspire others. Some people are competent in their one-to-one communication but can’t speak effectively to small groups. Others are comfortable with groups of five or six but freeze up at the prospect of speaking to an audience of fifty or sixty. And some folks are okay with fifty or sixty people but panic at the thought of presenting to five or six thousand.
Your presentation skills become more important as you become more important. And to become more important, you need excellent presentation skills.
You must be able to sell your ideas to have them implemented. And communicating your ideas effectively helps you develop and refine your ideas.
The process of preparing a simple, powerful expression of complex ideas compels you to clarify your thoughts. You do not know what you are talking about unless you are able to articulate your message so that others can understand it.
Mastering the art of public speaking is a key to leadership and long-term success.
Many well-educated, hardworking people have seen their careers stalled because they haven’t developed this art, while others have risen to the top of their fields by cultivating this essential leadership ability.
A financial analyst was promoted to director of research of a multibillion-dollar pension fund, largely as a result of a series of presentations he gave on the status of various industries. His boss had asked the research group to put together eight presentations, and he volunteered for the first one. When no one came forward to do the second one, he volunteered again. Same for all the rest. Shortly afterward, he was promoted. Then he was promoted to director of equity investments, and a few years later he was elevated to a vice presidency and directorship of the entire fund. He attributes much of his success to his commitment to mastering the art of public speaking:
My devotion to continuous improvement of my communication and public speaking skills is the principal differentiating factor between myself and my competition in my career on three levels: first, by basing all my presentations on careful listening and sensitivity to my clients’ needs I build their confidence and gain their trust; second, by disciplining myself to deliver a simple, clear message, I refine my own thinking so it is focused; and third, by communicating the message in a creative and entertaining fashion I ensure that my clients will not be able to forget it.
When people have comparable technical skills, communication ability is often the differentiator in determining who is promoted or offered more lucrative opportunities.
Many technically competent individuals discover that their own Peter Principle, or level of incompetence, is due to a failure to engage and inspire others. No matter how well educated or creative you are, you must be able to communicate your ideas effectively to have them implemented. Moreover, as people become more dependent on their electronic devices for communication, the ability to speak effectively to real humans in the same room, or online, is more important than ever.
Yet despite the proliferation of advice on public speaking, most presentations at all levels are boring and ineffective.
Why? There are two main reasons: fear and ignorance. Fear leads many people to avoid learning how to present, thus enabling ignorance. And many people just don’t know that this is a skill they can develop.
The problem with most books, seminars, and online public-speaking courses is that they focus on managing fear by orienting participants to get through their presentations without embarrassment. But if we’re just trying to survive up there, our presentations will be ineffective.
When fear dominates it’s hard to feel connected to an audience, and unfortunately, when we feel disconnected we are more likely to feel fear, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle.
Why is the fear of public speaking so prevalent, and how can we overcome it?
The science section of the Times of London recently featured the headline “Speaking in Public Is Worse Than Death for Most.” The article stated, “If you have ever thought that you would rather die than have to speak in public you may not be alone, according to a survey on common phobias. A fear of public speaking was found to be a more pressing concern than death, according to a ranking of society’s most pervasive fears.”
Many surveys rank public speaking as the #1 fear, greater than the fear of nuclear war, financial ruin, or getting mugged. Death ranks between fourth and seventh on a number of lists. In other words, most people would rather be resting in the casket than giving the eulogy. (Of course, when I put it that way, you’d probably be willing to give the speech!)
Glossophobia is the technical term for the fear of public speaking. And, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, 74 percent of Americans suffer from it.
Why are people so afraid of public speaking?
Glenn Croston, author of The Real Story of Risk, explains the primal origins of this fear: “When faced with standing up in front of a group, we break into a sweat because we are afraid of rejection. And at a primal level, the fear is so great because we are not merely afraid of being embarrassed, or judged; we are afraid of being rejected from the social group, ostracized, and left to defend ourselves all on our own. We fear ostracism so much today, it seems, fearing it more than death, because not so long ago getting kicked out of the group probably really was a death sentence.”
Fear of ostracism and the potential for embarrassment and humiliation make the dread of public speaking an immediate, pressing force in daily life, often causing people to avoid public speaking altogether. Others grit their teeth and march up to the microphone like condemned prisoners walking to the gallows. Armoring themselves with glazed eyes, a frozen posture, and a monotone voice, they try to ignore, suppress, or deny their fear while cowering behind the podium. Or if they’re doing a TED-style talk without a podium, they armor themselves with scripted, overrehearsed, and faux-authentic expressions of vulnerability.
The fear of public speaking is widespread, and learning to present effectively is vital for your long-term success. How can we overcome this tension? Is there some way to transform the fear into enthusiasm? Is there a way to present that feels natural, spontaneous, and even joyful for both you and your audience?
Yes! And before I take you through a proven methodology for developing those characteristics, it’s important for you to know that it’s okay to experience fear. The key is learning how to transform that fear into energy and enthusiasm instead of cottonmouth and paralysis. Once you learn to use its energy, you’ll realize that fear is your friend. It will keep you sharp and focused as you learn to dance with it instead of letting it bully you.
It helps to understand that many top professional speakers and accomplished actors experience butterflies in the stomach before presenting. They never eliminate the butterflies; they just teach them how to fly in formation.
Gordon Goodman, a successful actor and singer, was inspired to study the prevalence of stage fright among professional performers after experiencing it himself as he recovered from an injury that shook his confidence. Goodman found that more than 80 percent of elite professional actors experienced stage fright at some point in their careers.
Among those who have reported experiencing intense nervousness before performing are luminaries such as Adele, Rowan Atkinson, Samuel L. Jackson, Harrison Ford, James Stewart, Megan Fox, Cher, John Lennon, Amanda Seyfried, Fiona Apple, Barbra Streisand, and Sir Laurence Olivier. In other words, if you have grappled with stage fright, you are in good company!
The essential question that we will explore together is: How do I get the butterflies to fly in formation? Every word in this book is designed to help you transform fear and anxiety into confidence and enthusiasm.
Before we delve into the eight secrets covered in this book, it’s helpful to understand that mastering the art of public speaking is predicated on two simple ingredients for excellence: clarity and presence.
Be clear: Clarify what you want to say and why you want to say it.
Be present: Say it in the most memorable and effective way by applying the skills of presentation.
When you know what you want to say, why you want to say it, and how to say it, you’ll discover that you feel clear of fear and that you are able to be fully and easily present with your audience.
These two words are often associated with the phrase clear and present danger, the title of a Tom Clancy novel and the film that followed starring Harrison Ford. The phrase was introduced to the lexicon by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes in an argument about limitations to the freedom of speech. Holmes argued that the first amendment did not, for example, make it acceptable to shout “Fire!” in a theater, in the absence of smoke or flames, since this would pose a “clear and present danger.”
In these pages you’ll learn to protect yourself against the dangers of getting fired because of your inability to present in a theater or conference room. As Justice Holmes argued, freedom of speech doesn’t mean you can or should just say whatever you feel like saying, or shouting. You must consider the context. Holmes was persuasive because he used a metaphor that was easy for people to understand, and he used it in a way that was engaging and memorable and in support of a clear, logical argument. You will learn to do the same.
Most of the problems people have when they present are a function of not preparing properly and of not being clear about what their message is and why it’s important to their audience. In the simplest terms, if you don’t know what you’re talking about or why you’re talking about it, you probably shouldn’t be talking.
Once you’ve clarified your message, you can begin to have fun as you contemplate creative ways to present it and to make it engaging and memorable for your audience.
I’m here to tell you that you can master the art of public speaking. It is a skill that everyone can learn. Yes, some people seem to have a talent for speaking, while others often find themselves at a loss for words. Some folks yearn for the spotlight, while others avoid it. But whatever your natural gifts or proclivities, whether you are an extrovert or an introvert, you can learn the skill of presenting. In this book you’ll also be guided to unlearn the habits you have developed that interfere with your natural brilliance as a communicator. When you were a baby, you were naturally expressive and engaging. You had charisma. As you read the pages that follow, you will begin to rediscover these qualities.
Although the steps to mastering public speaking are simple to understand, they aren’t always easy to apply. Many guides to presentation suggest that you “just be yourself,” as though that’s a straightforward thing to do. But the “self” is multifaceted, and many aspects of it are best kept, well, to yourself. The finest public speakers cultivate this discernment so they can bring out the best of themselves in front of an audience, and that in turn leads to understanding how to bring out the best in the audience.
Synonyms for the word authentic include “original” “genuine” and “real.” The word comes from the roots auto meaning “self” and sene meaning “to achieve.” Presenting yourself in a genuine manner is an important element in achieving success as a public speaker. Your credibility as a speaker and leader is directly correlated with how authentic the audience perceives you to be.
Who you are communicates more than what you say.
A reporter once asked Mahadev Desai, Gandhi’s personal secretary, the secret behind Gandhi’s ability to enchant audiences for hours without using a script or notes. Desai replied, “What Gandhi thinks, what he feels, what he says, and what he does are all the same. He does not need notes.” This is the power of inner alignment, of authenticity. Gandhi used that power to overcome his own fear of public speaking in order to change the world. And so did Thomas Jefferson, Sojourner Truth, Abraham Lincoln, Malala Yousafzai, and Winston Churchill.
Inner alignment requires inner work that many people prefer to avoid, so they fake sincerity and indulge in pseudo-authenticity. This “fauxthenticity” is on the rise, promoted by advertisers who imply that you will become a rugged individual by drinking a certain brand of whiskey or beer, driving a particular car or motorcycle, or wearing a “preferred” fashion line, watch, or necklace.
We don’t develop or increase our authenticity by wearing any particular fashion or by dressing in a special way. We don’t enhance it by getting a tattoo, or lots of tattoos, or by growing facial hair or shaving our heads, or by using a particular product. It’s fine to express yourself any way you like, as long as you don’t harm others, but being genuine isn’t about external manifestations.
Wearing a particular type of outfit may be stylish and help us identify with a certain group, but it isn’t a sign of ingenuity or of “keeping it real.” In the words of former NBA All-Star, commentator, and philosopher Charles Barkley, “This is my new shoe. It’s a good shoe. It won’t make you dunk like me, it won’t make you rich like me, it won’t make you rebound like me, it definitely won’t make you handsome like me. It’ll only make you have shoes like me. Period.”
Another recent trend in fauxthenticity is the liberal use of profanity, which seems to be a key to getting on the bestseller lists. Some research suggests that occasional use of profanity is perceived by some audiences as a sign of the genuineness and down-to-earth nature of the curser, but in the long term it’s better to be perceived as a person who is thoughtful, intelligent, and considerate so it’s best to...keep your fucking mouth shut, only kidding, I mean refrain.
To grow as a presenter, you must grow as a person.
In his classic On Becoming a Leader, Warren Bennis emphasizes that the quest for authenticity is the heart of leadership. Presentations reflect your progress in this quest. To be a great public speaker, you must learn to speak from your true self. In our society it is not always easy to know or be yourself. Developing authenticity, and great presentation skills, is part of a lifelong process of personal growth.
To repeat, the simple formula for giving great presentations is be clear about what you want to say and why you want to say it, and then to say it in an engaging and memorable way. The most powerful presenters integrate a command of their subject with effective, authentic self-expression. Research, preparation, and practice set the stage for a confident, natural delivery. Enlightenment philosopher and wit Voltaire observed, “One always speaks badly when one has nothing to say.” If you don’t know your subject, you deserve to be nervous. On the other hand, you can’t know everything. A powerful presenter and effective leader can say “I don’t know” with authority! This ability is a key to transforming fear and inspiring confidence. How? The first secret is to approach all your presentations like a professional presenter, something that you will learn how to do in chapter 1.