Speaking of Testimonials

It's one thing when you spend your life writing marketing copy designed to tell people how brilliant you are as a speaker. It's another when you can get someone else to say it, too!

Testimonials rank high when it comes to credibility for a buyer, whether you're selling dishwashers, toothpaste, or keynote speeches. They come in many shapes, sizes, and levels of effectiveness, but most testimonials will still outweigh anything we write about ourselves.

Testimonial Types:

A. First Name Only. These are the lowest form of testimonial. A written sentence or two, no matter how glowing, loses steam when followed by "- Anthony H." No accountability there, for the recommender or the speaker. Whose to say it isn't all made up?

B. First & Last. Finding out Anthony H. is really Anthony Hopkins can be priceless!

C. First, Last, & Position. Finding out it's the Anthony Hopkins that is the CEO of SomeBigComputer Company who hired you? Even better.


[Rich is] "a speaker with strong themes and an entertaining style... Any audience could benefit from his experiences, ideas and enthusiasm."
                                                                                    Barb Bunkers 
                                                                                    Human Resources
                                                                                    Principal Financial Group

D. Add a photo. Seeing it's a real person adds weight and added verifiability to the quote.

E. Audio. These were more popular 10 years ago, when digital recorders first hit the scene. A voice is more convincing than disembodied words on a page. But, if you can do Audio, you can just as easily do...

F. Video. These are today's gold standard, especially if you are able to get them at the event itself. The enthusiasm is high, the atmosphere of the convention center floor adds impact, even the crowd noise screams legitimacy. With today's digital HD cameras at an all time low, and software free or virtually free (I used a $50 copy of Corel VideoPro), it's easier than ever.



The best testimonials don't just talk about how well you did, they talk about what the person got out of what you said, or what the company took home from the event. Ask people to speak about something specific in your presentation, and they'll usually be able to write or say something more specific than "I really enjoyed hearing you speak."

Written testimonials are still a tough animal to corral. People say they'll do them, and forget, or just get too busy. It's not unusual for speakers to write their own testimonials for a meeting planner or company big-wig, and ask that person to sign-off on it, pending their own corrections and additions. Believe it or not, book recommendations are often done in the same way. How else would Jack Canfield have time to endorse every book in the Self-Help section?

Getting those written testimonials on company letterhead is nice, but not as necessary in today's digital world. When you do get them, scan them for posterity, and send them if a meeting planner actually asks. Otherwise, just add them to your website in a short soundbyte. Get permission to use people's company logos, and add it along with a picture of the individual. This can build a nice visual resume of corporate clients, once you begin to pile them up.

Video testimonials are interesting as well, from beginning to end. I knew I wanted to get some at my last big event, but I admit, I was hesitant to ask people. My friend Theresa Frasch had no such hesitation, took my FlipCam and started going around the conference, getting me every testimonial. She definitely saved the day! Getting a third party involved can be very helpful, and you'll know the testimonials are authentic (for your own peace of mind) when you aren't right there pressuring them to be nice.



Finding the time to actually put them together and post 'em on YouTube was another challenge, but it was easier than I expected. Once I had my template together, each one took about 10 minutes, not counting compile and upload time. One's uploading as I type, so multi-tasking is always an option! A quick shout out to Darren LaCroix and his CD program "YouTube It" for being an encouraging and educational nagging voice on my computer.

However you get them, testimonials are a crucial piece of your marketing puzzle. No one else can give your speech, but most everyone who hears it can give a 20-30 second speech about how you've enlightened, educated, and inspired them. Go out today and Speak...and Deliver. Then get someone to tell the world how you did!




Just for Toastmasters: Many clubs record speeches, but how many record testimonials for the speakers after the meeting? This can be good practice for the speakers, and provide some great promo material for members of the club, and even the club itself! Don't force anyone to do it of course, but once they see how much fun it is to get a testimonial from others, they'll be lining up to get on camera.

Speaking Perfection is a Myth

It may be an odd thing to hear coming from a coach dedicated to improving his clients content and delivery, but it is true, nonetheless. Speaking Perfection is overrated. In fact, Speaking Perfection may be the biggest enemy for speakers wanting to get out into the 'real world'.

So many beginning speakers worry that they just aren't good enough yet, even after going to Toastmasters, even after hiring a coach. They won't schedule themselves for even the smallest Rotary group, even if their coach tells them it's time to jump into the deep end.

They want to reach Speaking Perfection before ever going out to speak. Unfortunately, Speaking Perfection is a Myth. An unreachable mountaintop. Even Jesus didn't convert everyone who ever heard his words. Zig Ziglar doesn't convince every audience member to 'Stop their Stinkin' Thinkin''. There's always someone who thinks the Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking should have been someone other than who it was in any given year.

Beyond influence, technical perfection isn't even necessary. We're not doing ballet on stage, folks. In some cases, technically proficient speakers are further away from perfection than those that stutter every now and again, because they are too slick!

Don't fall victim to the Speaking Perfection Myth. You are ready to speak to a live audience if:

A. You have a message they want/need to hear - a message based on your experience and expertise.

B. You have an outline - a real beginning, middle, and end, just like that paper in high school.

C. You have practiced more than once - at minimum in front of your dog.

D. You have spoken previously - in front of live people without fainting, freezing or vomiting. This is a big reason I recommend Toastmasters. Doesn't have to be this speech, though that would certainly be beneficial. Just know you can do it.

E. You have a point - an actionable point to leave your audience with at the close of your presentation. We don't care about your life, about twitter, about global warming, unless we can learn something and do something after hearing about it.

The setting is important, of course. An individual watching you at a breakfast networking group will be far more understanding and open to your imperfect message than the same individual who has paid a ton of money for a conference. That's why most coaches encourage their charges to start with 'free speaking' at service clubs. It gets your feet wet without putting you in front of an audience with incredibly high expectations. If the last person they heard was the average town councilman, or the Rotary President's sister who loves talking about quilting, you're most likely already ahead of the game.

"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." - Zig Ziglar

What's important is not how Perfect you are, but that you are able to get through the speech and make an impact. Audiences appreciate authenticity. They'll look past a stutter or stop to look at notes. Real life audience are more forgiving than you might think, as long as you give them something that impacts their heart, mind, or pocketbook.

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe any speaker should stop there. There's plenty more to learn, more ways to improve your level of connection, communication of ideas, and ultimate impact. It is a lifelong process, even for the best of the best. It's always preferable to reach 7 people out of 10 than 3. But 3 is a good start.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to get better, unless getting better gets in the way of getting started.

Don't wait for perfection. Don't wait til you've won enough contests. Don't wait until you're totally sure you're ready. If you haven't started yet, find a Toastmasters club, find a coach, or, at the very least, find your dog, and SPEAK.

Someone out there needs to hear what you have to say.

*after writing this, I realized I'd written something similar last September. I considered not posting this one, or delaying it, but then I thought again. If it's on my mind it may be on some of yours, especially as you look toward Speaking and Delivering in the New Year.

A Public Speaker Is Also A Teacher!

A good public speaker is also a good teacher. Teaching involves first acquiring information, then organizing it in a logical, easy to understand manner, and finally presenting it clearly and convincingly to others. That is what a good speaker does, too.

Build on Prior Learning

Effective teaching builds on prior learning, using it as a foundation. Likewise, a good speaker endeavors to ascertain what his audience already knows, and uses that as his starting point. He then adds information which enlarges on and adds to what the audience knows and accepts already.

Logical Flow

Starting with the foundation, essential information is added in a progressive manner. The sequential manner in which concepts are introduced is critical, since acceptance of each concept depends on how well information presented previously was understood. One point should therefore lead directly to the next.

A good speaker, like an effective teacher, allows no gaps in understanding, because he loses part of his audience with each gap. To illustrate the need for continuity: Suppose you were in business attire, and needed to cross a small stream to get to a meeting. How delighted you would be to find large, flat stones rising from the stream bed, perfectly positioned to allow you to cross from one side to the other! Proper sequencing of points has a similar effect on an interested audience.

Comparison of Ideas

Effective speaking, like teaching, involves associating one idea with other, showing the relationship between them. Known concepts are used to introduce the unknown.

If the ideas are similar, comparisons are used. Since no two ideas are exactly alike, the ways in which they parallel each other are highlighted, and if there is a significant difference between these two similar ideas, this distinction is made for the sake of clarity.

If the ideas are primarily dissimilar, contrasts are made. Stress is laid on the ways in which the new idea is markedly different from the old, familiar idea.

By these means, ideas which are already familiar to the audience are employed to define new ideas. The new idea is easily understood when familiar ideas are used for comparison or contrast.

Use Word Pictures

Word pictures, such as illustrations, are usually used to make comparisons vivid and colorful. While a verbal comparison requires searching for words which fill the bill precisely, a good, appropriate illustration cuts to the chase and makes the connection crystal clear.

A good illustration can also stir emotions at the same time, which makes the illustration and the point it illustrates easy to remember, and hard to forget. After all, the best teaching is worthless if no one remembers it afterwards! The same is true of a good speech.

Your Voice Is Crucial In Public Speaking

How you use your voice in public speaking is crucial. Research shows a full 37% of an audience's first impression of a speaker is based upon the speaker's voice. It happens in seconds. What your voice does is every bit as impactful as what the rest of your body is doing.

Your Voice Needs Life

Most of us have had "conversations" on the phone with voice-recognition computer systems. It can be a little unnerving because the voice on the other end has no life to it. It's just repeating what it was programmed to do. A similar effect happens when a speaker is either just reading a script or rattling off memorized lines and not actually talking to the crowd.

When a voice has life, it has a personality behind it. That personality has emotions, intentions, and agendas. It can portray spontaneous happiness, sadness, nervousness, excitement and more. It can even showcase a person's honesty or dishonestly. So be transparent and sincere in the way you speak to an audience.

Your Voice Betrays You

In our voices are subtleties that convey many things we're often not even aware of. All these physical manifestations are a reflection of what's going inside ourselves. If you're feeling negative or less than enthusiastic about your presentation, your voice will reflect that. So check your thoughts and attitude before you step up on the stage. Your voice, like many other parts of your body, will be expressing much about you.

Your Voice Needs to be Dynamic

One trick to making your voice more interesting is to vary your range and pitch. Women especially in the broadcasting industry are taught this. The next time you're able, listen closely to an established female news anchor. Chances are you never really noticed the dynamic vocal fluctuations, but all the good ones employ the technique.

Broadcasting professionals use their voice in ways so that listeners are focused on the content. They use subtleties that don't draw attention to the actual vocal techniques. Your voice is the platform for the message, as well as a vehicle for your personal feelings about the message, but it should never distract from the message itself.

Start your sentences with your voice about where it is in a natural speaking tone, but then as you work your way through the line, use tone and pitch to stress points. End your sentences lower than when you start. This will create distinct breaks between thoughts and sentences.

The last thing an audience wants to hear is a mono-tone person who has no variance in his or her voice. Such a person sounds dull, boring, and not at all passionate about the message. This doesn't mean deliberately exaggerating different tones of voice, and yelling rarely works on stage. The idea is to enhance, not to be phony. Be natural, but more animated than you'd be when talking one-on-one to someone under normal circumstances.

Your Voice Needs Feedback

The best way you can improve your voice is to listen to recordings of yourself. If you have video feedback, listen to just the audio portion of it. Whenever I hear myself in a recording, I cringe, because it just doesn't sound like me. But it's crucial that you know how you sound to others. Remember that your own voice is vibrating around inside your head and it doesn't sound the same to others.

Your Voice Needs to be Loud

One of the most effective techniques I ever learned was the importance of being able to speak loudly and clearly, but without shouting. You need to speak at a higher volume than when talking in normal conversation situations. This will shed a huge I'm confident light on you from the get-go. You'll want to do this even when in a small conference room. It grabs interest and gets people to listen. When you first start practicing being louder, it'll feel uncomfortable. But doing this will immediately cause people in the room to focus their attention on you.

It's painful trying to listen to someone who's speaking in a volume that's difficult or impossible to hear. Such a person gives the impression that he or she is uncomfortable and would rather not be speaking--which is often the case! When you convey that kind of message, your audience ends up agreeing with you. People don't want to strain to listen to you, and won't make the effort for long. So speak up! Speak like the confident public speaker you are who knows exactly what message you want to deliver to the audience.

Kelly Libatique is a professional speaker, technical trainer, and author. He holds a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Psychology. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Anne and two sons.