Mastering Your Speech - Lance Miller - Book 32 of 52 in 52

OK - I admit, this isn't a book.

But, part of my original list DID include some audio/DVD programs on Public Speaking, and 'Mastering Your Speech' - a 4 DVD set by 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking Lance Miller was #51 on that list.

I was very interested in this particular product, in part because I haven't been as exposed to Lance's teachings as much as I have some of the other Champions, and because what I have heard, both on YouTube and in person when he appeared at our winter Toastmasters Leadership Institute, has been spot on, in my opinion.

I was excited to finally get some time over the last week to watch/listen to this series. It's professionally filmed in front of a live audience, offers some Q&A, but is primarily a four-hour long training by Lance.

You could tell it was specifically being put on to create this product as he was careful to end exactly on time every hour, interrupting himself and his Q&As and letting them know he was stopping, but would take more questions. I'm not sure if this was all filmed in one day, or over a couple, but I'd bet on the one-day approach, just for the sake of the cost of a multiple camera shoot. It would have been interesting if he'd added a fifth disc with some of the now off-camera Q&A.

The program is primarily focused on preparing a speech for the International Speech Contest, though the concepts and principles discussed are universal, so it works as a public speaking training as well. It's his insights into the contest process, though, that really piqued my interest, mostly because I am, as you probably know, a contest junkie.

Heck, I might've competed against Lance had I not gone overtime by 3 seconds at my Regional that year. But I digress...

He covers a great deal in the four hours he filmed - below are a few highlights:

• his initial belief upon joining Toastmasters that the contest required him to write 'a speech to change the world', and how he held onto that thought throughout
• communication isn't what we say, it's what they hear
• there's a difference between written and spoken - what Lance calls 'your life force'. Admittedly, that's a little new-agey for me, but he is in California, and it makes sense.
• a good explanation of the difference between acting and speaking
• an insistence that we take control of our audience's attention
• a great story about two-time Olympian Mike Schlappi, who was paralyzed after being shot by his friend when they were goofing off as teenagers, and how listening to Mike's speech affected him. (pick up Mike's book, 'Shot Happens' (which I helped edit, btw) on amazon.).
• some tremendous anecdote leading to his suggestions that we define our life philosophy as we hunt for speech topics, as well as looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary, looking for the lessons in our lives, and writing a speech based on what we're focusing on in the moment, even if it's 'Speaker's Block'
• he's a big proponent of owning the audience, essentially going out with the attitude of 'this is my message, this is what I believe in, and you're going to listen to it.' 

Lance also offers us a basic speech outline - attention/orientation, open the file, familiar, make the change, drive it home, take it home, which he stresses are more guidelines than a set and fast structure. What is particularly useful is his illustration of the outline with a short speech. 

Of course, he also covers basics such as stage usage, gestures, and eye contact, and offers some strong strategies for drilling yourself on your speech, as well as the use of notes in a longer speech.

Lance & me at the Denver TLI

Where he really gets my attention, contest wise, is in his discussion of the importance of evaluation, and his live breakdown, both personally and via the audience's responses, of 4 iterations of his championship speech - videos of which we get to see along with them, with the exception of the ACTUAL Finals speech, which he didn't own the rights to, and he replaced, on the DVD at least, with an encore, word for word, performance on a regrettably gold curtained set...

I'd rank this at the top of all the different trainings I've seen regarding the contest, specifically. Chock full of great information, with a strong how-to aspect that any aspiring contestant can go by as they begin the competition season.

I strongly recommend all potential contest speakers go out and pick this up, then find themselves a coach to walk themselves through the process. There's no need to go through it all alone, much less face a learning curve so many others have already faced.

5 stars out of 5, whether you compete or not. Great information throughout for speakers looking at improving themselves, their messages, and their delivery.

Acting Techniques for Everyday Life: A Book Review

Yesterday I compared the two disciplines of Acting & Speaking - separating them in spots, joining them in others. I had a couple of comments suggesting that the two feed into each other - or as Michael Erwine succinctly put it "Acting and Speaking inform one another".

I completely agree, and today I'll review a book that isn't about speaking, per se, but, as the title reads: Acting Techniques for Everyday Life, by Jane Marla Robbins.

Logically separated into four parts: Prepare Like an Actor, Nuts and Bolts Techniques, More Tricks of the Trade, and Real-Life Challenges, Robbins covers a lot of ground, with something to readers of most any experience level in acting OR speaking.

She writes from inside her own mind, sharing her thought processes at each step, vs. taking a lecture approach. Her own experience as a professional actress is heavily drawn upon, as she reveals her failures and fears, as well as her successes. It isn't done so much to establish her credibility, rather she reveals it anecdotally where appropriate. She weaves in stories about her coachees as well, explaining their challenges and the work done to overcome them, and occasionally drops a name here or there, discussing the techniques of Dustin Hoffman and Marlon Brando, without ever slipping into 'big shot' mode. If anything, she shows remarkable humility throughout the book, despite her achievements.

Part One: Prepare Like an Actor describes techniques from how to stand - feet under your hips, hands at your sides, watch that sunken chest - to vocal exercises to relaxation techniques you may never have considered as 'speaking preparation'.

While you might think "Oh, of course, I knew THAT", the real question this book answered was WHY we should use certain techniques, and made me re-evaluate whether I actually DID what I knew to do.

Part Two: Nuts and Bolts Techniques includes role-playing, memorization techniques, playing with props and costumes, and even some improv exercises. As I mentioned in yesterday's post (though not necessarily this clearly), speakers should act WITHIN their presentation, just not AS their presentation.

Learning how to create characters on stage is a valuable skill when you create dialogue or tell a story about someone else's experience - this section will invariably help you in your growth process if you actually do the exercises she suggests.

My favorite part of this section is 'The Magic "As If"'. Her accounts of Henry and Pam changing their internal stories about what they were capable of were inspiring, and if you still can't quite overcome your fear to speak, to get a coach, or to go to your local Toastmasters club, this technique is a winner. More experienced speakers likely use "As If" thinking without necessarily knowing why. Robbins again does a great job exploring the why factor, for those who need more concrete reasoning behind their leaps of Faith.

Part Three: More Tricks of the Trade discusses gestures, breathing techniques, the power of music, and  her personal technique of using mental symbols to get into and stay in the right state on stage, called "The Inner Walnut". Again, ideas are presented in detail, with both the why and the how, without overdoing it.

Part Four: Real-Life Challenges is both the most valuable aspect of the book to me, as well as the most self-helpish and occasionally psychologically mystical.

It also specifically addresses public speaking - suggesting our fear often comes from suppressed childhood memories, fear of failure, even a subconscious fear of death for lack of performance. She discusses how to feel 'safe and love' while speaking, as well as keeping the passion for your message alive even if you've presented it a thousand times.

Jane Marla Robbins

Other aspect in Part Four include handling yourself at social gatherings, playing your ideal self, and feeling sexy - not something I'd really concerned myself with as a speaker or an actor. Interesting thoughts, nonetheless.

Acting Techniques for Everyday Life is well-written, easy-to-read, and often one of the most insightful books about speaking, without being about speaking, I have read. When the review copy arrived, I was a bit determined not to like it, but the more I read, the more I warmed up to both the author and the ideas she shared. Her case studies were evenly split between male and female, usually offering one of each for each major concept. She also had small sidebars titled 'If it works for actors, it can work for you' - helping us transfer each idea from the acting world to the real world, or, for our purposes, to the speaking world.

Worth your money, worth your reading time, and...worth exercising and applying Ms. Robbins techniques.

Authors Disclaimer: I received Acting Techniques for Everyday Life as a review copy, with no payment in exchange for a review. All link within the review are non-affiliate links.

Acting vs. Speaking

Have you ever watched a speaker and wondered if he knew you were even in the room?

It can be easy to go into acting mode as a speaker, especially if you've put a lot of work into your presentation. To start, you're on a stage, already separated from your audience. You know what you want to say, how you want to say it (whisper here, yell here), what gestures you want to use, and you don't want to miss a practiced beat.

I've watched many a terrifically constructed speech packed with wit, pathos, action, and a strong calls to action, fall completely flat. They were in full performance mode, but forgot we were in the room - putting up a virtual television screen that separated us from them. Had we watched the speech at home on our wide screen HD with stereo sound, we'd be closer to contentment. What we want from a speaker in person, however, is not just a message, but a connection, a conversation. When presenters go into acting mode, we leave empty, even if we laughed and cried.

Ultimately, this type of speaking is more about the speaker than the audience. 

It may be about the speaker's fear. Going in front of an audience can make you feel like the Emperor with no clothes. Acting can be an emotional robe, protecting you from the audience, while ultimately separating you. Speakers who aren't comfortable with their message, or fear pushback from their audience can put on an act in self-defense. Unfortunately, once you're on, you're on regardless. If you're going to go ahead and speak, commit to the moment, and let nothing stand between you and your audience. Still, I advise wearing a suit.

Acting can come from too much or too little experience. If you aren't familiar with your message, you'll be so wrapped up in getting it right, you won't connect. If you are TOO familiar, you risk going through the motions, perhaps unsure of which audience you're even in front of today. Speaking often is great, but not if you're already mentally out of town when you speak.

It may ALSO be ego. The speaker may be so into themselves that they care more about looking good on stage, more about being remembered as a great speaker than a great communicator. If you're one of those, you're probably not reading this. But it can be easy to slide this way when we first start getting good reviews and loud, perhaps standing, ovations.

My initial training is actually as a stage actor. Beyond a high school speech class and a horrifying oral book report in the 7th grade, I didn't do much public speaking. Ironically, I was taught that GOOD acting meant connecting with the audience. Not in the same way a speaker should, but a connection through an authentic performance. Which means that not only is a speaker who is acting without connection not speaking well, they technically aren't even acting well!

Typical Acting VS. Effective Speaking

- Memorized lines written by others VS. memorized ideas written by the speaker

- Blocking (move stage left) as written VS. movement (step towards the audience to strengthen statement) out of natural intent and authentic emotion

- Dialogue stays on stage VS. dialogue with the audience

- Suspension of disbelief (putting your audience into the moment for the entirety of the performance) VS. temporary transport (taking your audience in and out of a scene, always landing in reality)

- Little to no eye-contact VS. intentional, specific, and continual eye contact

- Appreciation for their performance VS. appreciation for our reception of message

These are generalities, of course. I can already hear my theatre friends shouting exceptions. Stage acting can certainly break the barriers between actor and audience, and some performances can transcend the art form. And yes, there are speakers who speak as George Washington or Winston Churchill - though I would submit that is really just acting, not being a speaker. What's important to understand is that the intent behind effective acting is almost always different than effective speaking. It doesn't lessen either discipline, but clearly separates the two.

I'm not even saying acting in a speech is altogether inappropriate or ineffective - as long as it's the temporary transport mentioned above. It's okay for us to get involved in your stories, as long as they lead us back to our reality.

As speakers, we are not on a three camera soundstage with an audience being told when to laugh. We are not bound to a chiseled-in-stone script. We are not under the thumb of a director. We are free with our message, and bound only by our responsibility to our audience.

It can be scary as our we nakedly share our ideas with actual human beings - with both sides aware of our vulnerability. The reward, however, when we break through the imagined glass screen, and know the audience is in tune with our message, in sync with us as speakers, goes beyond an appreciated performance. It becomes an attitude, a habit, an action - an idea that goes beyond the stage and take corporeal form within the lives of your listeners. 

Save your acting for the community theatre - the speaking stage wants you, not your character, to Speak & Deliver.