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Giving a speech? Talk about three bullet points instead.

For Impact Ideas | | Nick Fellers

Two years ago I attended an event for an organization I support. The board chair – who’s awesome, dyanmic, visionary, etc – gave a ten minute speech. He incorporated a lot of big visionary themes but the speech wasn’t very engaging. The carefully scripted and crafted delivery strayed too far from his strengths. It missed the mark. By the conventional measurement he did fine. I thought it was disappointing. It was stale.

Still board chair the next year he was up to speak again. This next he was totally relaxed and totally dynamic. His speech was four minutes and if it was scripted, I couldn’t tell.

I asked him if he had been coached.

He had.

His coach told him not to write a speech. His coach said to focus on three points you want to make. Then visualize talking about those points. Do some dry-runs… make a few supporting bullet points but focus EMPHATICALLY and SUCCINCTLY on those three points.

Much shorter. Much better. And, people HEARD the message to boot!

This uses the rule of three and leverages authentic passion.