How to Use Motivational Speakers Techniques to Enhance Your
Conversation
They say the pen is mightier than the sword. It is, but the tongue is even
mightier than the pen. Our tongues can bring crowds to laughter, to tears,
and often to their feet in shouting appreciation. Orators have moved nations
to war or brought lost souls to God. And what is their equipment? The same
eyes, ears, hands, legs, arms, and vocal chords you and I have.
Perhaps a professional athlete has a stronger body or a profesional
singer is blessed with a more beautiful singing voice than the one we were
doled out. But the professional speaker starts out with the same equipment
we all have. The difference is, these ja smiths use it all. They use their
hands, they use their bodies, and they use specific gestures with heavy
impact. They think about the space theyre talking in. They employ many
different tones of voice, they invoke various expressions, they vary the
speed with which they speak... and they make effective use of silence.
You may not have to make a formal speech anytime soon, but chances
are sometime (probably very soon) youre going to want
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people to see things your way. Whether its persuading your faily to
spend their next vacation at Grandmas, or convincing the stockholders in
your multimillion-dollar corporation that its time to do a takeover, do it like
a pro. Get a book or two on public speaking and learn some of the tricks of
the trade. Then put some of that drama into your everyday conversation.
A Gem for Every Occasion
If stirring words help make your point, ponder the impact of poerful
phrases. Theyve helped politicians get elected (Read my lips: no new
taxes.) and defendants get acquitted (If it doesnt fit, you must acquit.).
If George H. W. Bush had said, I promise not to raise taxes, or Johnny
Cochran, during O. J. Simpsons criminal trial, had said, If the glove doesnt
fit, he must be innocent, their bulky setences would have slipped in and out
of the voters or jurors cosciousness. As every politician and trial lawyer
knows, neat phrases make powerful weapons. (If youre not careful, your
enemies will later use them against youread my lips!)
One of my favorite speakers is a radio broadcaster named Barry Farber
who brightens up late-night radio with sparkling siiles. Barry would never
use a clichŽ like nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. Hed describe being
nervous about losing his job as I felt like an elephant dangling over a cliff
ooja
(Ooja)
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