Rhythm in Presenting

Rhythm or cadence is often overlooked in public speaking. I realized its importance while working with a client over the past month. This client was a politician preparing for a speech at a regional council summit, which included various businesses and government bodies. She was familiar with my work and open to trying a new approach, different from the typical speeches at such events.

Her staff had initially revised my draft, and it felt like overboiled food, stripped of its nutrients. We decided to add a twist, incorporating elements from the book "Elements of Eloquence" and some NLP techniques. Our goal was to embed key values we wanted to highlight at the summit, especially the value of commitment, and make the speech memorable.

I advised my client not to memorise the speech as it was short and she could refer to her notes, which was acceptable in that setting. Instead, I emphasised focusing on the rhythm and cadence of the delivery. This aspect is crucial because it aids in memory retention, both for the speaker and the audience. We structured the speech so that certain values were repeated three times in a rhythmic manner, making them more memorable. On the final repetition, we altered one value to emphasize the word we wanted the audience to remember.

The delivery of a speech is akin to a stand-up comedy performance or a song. If the timing and performance are off, the message won't resonate. After the speech, my client excitedly called to tell me it was successful and that several attendees had requested copies of her speech. This confirmed that the delivery's rhythm played a significant role in its impact.

Rhythm in speech is about authenticity. Each person has their unique rhythm, which can be adjusted to be more flamboyant, serious, or exciting, depending on the emotion conveyed. Just as a singer can vary their style, a speaker can adapt their rhythm to suit different talks and audiences.

Understanding how to emphasise certain words and phrases is essential in public speaking. Not all parts of a speech are equally important, but establishing a rhythm helps highlight the key points, similar to how a song's chorus stands out.

For those preparing for a speech, especially on a tight schedule, it's beneficial to speak it out and focus on the rhythm. Recording and listening to your speech can help refine this aspect. This approach not only aids in memorisation but also makes the information more accessible to the audience.

Recently, I acted in a student film where I played a character under hypnosis. Despite the challenge of delivering mumbled lines, focusing on the rhythm helped me remember them without constant reference to the script.

In conclusion, be conscious of the rhythm in your speech. Experiment with it, and notice how varying the intensity and flow can enhance your delivery, much like a piece of music. This awareness can transform your public speaking and make your message resonate more effectively with your audience.

Unpacking Wisdom is a weekly section in which I explore a famous (or not so famous) quote and how it applies to the Compelling Communicator.

This quote jumped out at me this week because I often see people striving for authenticity in speaking by wearing their heart on their sleeves. They overshare what they want to do and what they've been through. There's a real problem with doing this and it's very off-putting for the audience. I think we've all witnessed it.

While there's a lot of good advice about sharing what you have been through as a way to build authenticity, there is a limit to it. You want to share your story, but you want to reflect on this quote by Margaret Thatcher because you don't want it to be shared on your sleeve.

You do want to give people the opportunity to peer inside you and get a sneak peek at it. That feels special. If you have these issues on display for the whole world to see, it is not special because everybody can see it.

But if not everybody is aware of this and you share it effectively, it makes the audience feel special that they get to see that or get to know that about you and it creates a much stronger bond.

The reason oversharing doesn't work, the reason that it's a real problem for many speakers that I see trying to do this is that they're making themselves the hero of the story and the idea is that you want to make your audience the hero of the story.

You can make the audience the hero by having a surrogate, you're talking about a story about somebody and they are imagining themselves in that role. If you are talking about your own experience and you want to make the audience the hero of the story, you have to be a little bit more self-deprecating. You have to minimize the damage that was done, the harm that you felt or the trauma. You have to admit to the follies that you made to get you there or something like that.

You can't tell it from your point of view because when you tell it from your point of view, then they can't be the hero of that story.

A proven way do tod this is to tell the story of this thing happening and then at the end you say, “I know this is true because it happened to me, I was that person”.

And that's powerful because they were the hero of the story all the way through. They are not looking at it from your eyes. At the end when you say, that was my story, they immediately feel the connection because they were the heroes of that story, they put themselves in that story. And when you reveal you are the person they've just been for that last few minutes, they feel a connection.

What I am up to this week…

Professionally:

We had a successful TEDxUoWaikato at the end of September, and since then I have taken on a large instructional design project which I am closing out as the team moves onto the next project.

Recreationally:

I have been performing Improv at the Meteor for the past few weeks. It has been a lot of fun and I really need to make time to spend more regular time practicing improv.

What I am reading:

I have just finished reading “10x is easier than 2x” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. I am already a fan of their previous books, and this one is similarly great. I do need to read it again to get the best out of it.