The Message of You

1. Your Message of You is Your Greatest Speech

Your greatest speech has already been delivered in front of a live audience.

Discover your unique message. Your life experiences, both personal and professional, have formed a narrative that is your Message of You. This message is often invisible to us, but it's what makes people want to listen. To uncover it, examine your life journey, successes, and failures. Ask friends and family what they've learned from you and what stories you tell repeatedly. Your Message of You is not just about you – it's about how your experiences can inspire and help others.

Qualify as an expert. While your personal story is important, you also need professional credentials to establish expertise. These can include traditional qualifications like degrees or job experience, but also non-traditional ones like overcoming adversity or unique life experiences. The key is to show how your journey qualifies you to speak on your topic and help others.

2. Research and Understand Your Audience Deeply

You've got exactly one minute to win over your audience, otherwise you'll be spending the next twenty-nine or fifty-nine minutes in a flop sweat, frantically tap-dancing your way through the awkward and painful silence of a hostile room.

Know your audience intimately. Before your speech, research your audience thoroughly. Call the event organizer and ask about the audience demographics, their challenges, and what happens before your speech. Interview a few audience members to understand their specific problems and frustrations. This research will help you customize your speech and connect with the audience from the first minute.

Address their problems. Use the information you've gathered to speak directly to your audience's concerns. Show that you understand their challenges and can relate to them. This creates trust and makes the audience more receptive to your message. Remember, it's not about you – it's about them and how you can help solve their problems.

3. Craft a Compelling Core Promise

Your Core Promise is a succinct, one- or two-sentence statement that includes the problem your speech will address and the solution you will present to your audience.

Develop your Core Promise. This is the foundation of your speech, combining your audience's problem, your expertise, and your solution. Use this formula:

• "You know how... (insert your audience)"
• "... have this problem, they... (insert problem)"
• "From my experiences... (insert professional experience)"
• "As well as... (insert personal experiences)"
• "I show the audience how they can... (insert the expected results)"
• "By... (insert your solution or methodology)"

Make it relevant and impactful. Your Core Promise should directly address one of the three big problems that motivate audiences: wealth, health, or relationships. Make sure your promise is specific, achievable, and based on your real-life experiences and expertise.

4. Structure Your Speech for Maximum Impact

If Part One of this book was all about You, then consider Part Two to be all about Them.

Follow a proven structure. Use this seven-step method to create a compelling speech:

1. Open strong (60 seconds to make them love you)
2. Present their problem
3. Establish your credibility
4. Share your Action Steps
5. Tell your Heart Story
6. Give a Call to Action
7. Add humor throughout (the "Comedy Pass")

Engage from the start. Your opening is crucial. Control your image with a well-crafted introduction, force a reaction from the audience, and announce an abbreviated version of your Core Promise. This sets the stage for the rest of your speech and grabs the audience's attention immediately.

5. Turn Your Mess into a Message

Your Heart Story is not a monologue. It is not the chronological narrative of your life.

Find your Eureka Moment. Your Heart Story should focus on a specific moment when you overcame an obstacle or had a significant realization. This moment should illustrate how you solved the problem you're addressing in your speech. It's not about telling your entire life story, but about sharing a powerful, relatable moment that drives home your message.

Make it relatable and inspiring. Your Heart Story should take the audience on an emotional journey. Use techniques like "Squeezing Time" and "Expanding Time" to make your story more dynamic. Show how you went from powerless to powerful, from chaos to organized, or from resentment to appreciation. This creates an emotional connection with your audience and makes your message more memorable.

6. Inject Humor Throughout Your Speech

Funny is money.

Use humor strategically. Humor is essential in any speech, even for serious topics. It keeps the audience engaged and helps them retain information better. Use techniques like:

• Self-deprecating humor
• The "List of Three" (two serious points, one funny)
• Act-Outs (performing characters or objects in your stories)
• Funny Frustrations (poking fun at industry terms)
• Greatest Hits (mashing up industry terms with song titles)

Make it relevant and appropriate. Ensure your humor is related to your message and appropriate for your audience. Never make fun of the audience or the person signing your check. Instead, focus on making fun of yourself or universal experiences that your audience can relate to.

7. Perform with Authenticity and Passion

If you truly believe in your message then it doesn't matter if you stutter, mispronounce words, stand perfectly still, or gesticulate like an air traffic controller. If you're speaking from your heart, then you're presenting your speech the right way.

Be authentic. Don't try to be someone you're not on stage. Your unique style and personality are what make you memorable. Focus on delivering your message with passion and conviction rather than trying to conform to a specific speaking style.

Prepare thoroughly. While authenticity is key, preparation is crucial. Memorize key parts of your speech, like your opening, transitions, and closing. Visualize your speech and practice it regularly. However, leave room for spontaneity and improvisation during your performance. This balance of preparation and flexibility will help you connect with your audience more effectively.

8. Market Yourself Effectively as a Speaker

Luck finds people who are already in motion.

Start with free gigs. Many successful speakers started by speaking for free at local organizations or as part of their job. Use these opportunities to hone your skills, gather testimonials, and create marketing materials like video clips and audience feedback.

Create essential marketing materials. Develop:

• A compelling speaker introduction
• A professional website
• Video clips of your speeches
• Testimonials from satisfied clients and audience members
• A one-sheet (a single-page marketing document)
• Social media presence

Network and persist. Building a speaking career takes time and effort. Attend industry events, join speaker associations, and continuously improve your speech. Remember, success in speaking comes from persistence and a willingness to learn and adapt. Keep refining your message and marketing efforts, and opportunities will come.

Last updated: July 21, 2024