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Many of the characteristics that define a great speaker can be developed and nurtured.
March 2007
Volume V, Issue 2
YOUR GUIDE TO SECURING THE POWER OF PERSUASION
COACHING AND TRAINING SERVICES TO DEVELOP POWERFUL AND PURSUASIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
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Nature vs. Nurture
Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.
- Malvolio in William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
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Are great speakers and communicators born? Or can great speakers and communicators be
created? These are great questions, and ones we are asked all the time.
Whenever we confront these questions, we first start with a definition of “greatness.” We
then task ourselves to determine which aspects of that definition can be taught. And each
time we confront this question, we come to essentially the same conclusion – many
aspects of good communication and persuasive speech can be a function of nurture. In other
words, very few aspects of great public speaking are limited to the nature of the speaker.
So, how does The Latimer Group define a great speaker?
It Starts with Great Content
Long-time readers of The Beacon know we believe that strong, clearly organized content is the
centerpiece of great communication. Substance is almost always more important than style, and we often
state this simple rule: Great substance delivered without much style CAN still be effective. Style
without much substance WILL eventually be exposed.
In terms of content, great speakers have a few things in common:
- Great speakers know their subject matter. If you
are going to be a great speaker, you need to know what you are talking about. You need
to be able to answer the tough questions. You need to know your topic well enough to
be able to adjust in the moment. You can’t fake it. Intelligent audiences can smell
a lack of preparation or deception a mile away.
- Great speakers speak strategically. Great
speakers do more than simply regurgitate information – they interpret, they analyze,
they recommend and they persuade. They have a stake in the outcome. They have something
to say that’s
different, intelligent and important.
- Great speakers structure their message clearly and logically. We
live in a complicated world with audiences that are busy and easily distracted. Great
speakers make it easier for their audiences to remember the main points and digest the
information. A well-organized story is critical to success.
Before we go any further,
let’s be
absolutely clear about this. Great communication starts with great content. Any definition
of communication greatness that skips the content and goes directly to delivery is ignoring,
in our opinion, the most important piece of the puzzle.
President Ronald Reagan corroborated this very notion in his 1989 Farewell Address: “I
won a nickname, ‘The Great Communicator.’ But I never thought it was my
style or the words I used that made a difference: It was the content. I wasn’t
a great
communicator, but I communicated great things.”
That Said, Delivery Does Matter
While great communication starts with great content, it doesn’t end there. Delivery
skills do matter, and we’ll complete our definition of communication “greatness” with
some delivery characteristics:
- Great speakers speak clearly and are easy to understand. They
don’t speak too rapidly. They don’t speak too softly. They articulate. They
speak in a way that is easy to follow and easy to listen to.
- Great speakers use their voice to their advantage. Great
speakers modulate their tone. Great speakers adjust their volume and their speed depending
on a variety of factors. Great speakers use their voice to command authority or invoke
a call to action. Great speakers use language to make themselves more effective.
- Great speakers enjoy speaking. Call
it confidence. Call it whatever you want. But we all can recognize someone who enjoys
what they are doing. And when you enjoy what you do, you have a significantly better
chance of being good at it. Great speakers know their message will add value. Great speakers
realize they (and not their PowerPoint slides, for example) are the center of attention,
and they embrace that challenge.
We could go on. Are there more characteristics not yet mentioned? Of course, and some
of you may have additions or subtractions to this definition based on your own experience.
We haven’t mentioned wit or humor, for example. But we don’t believe stand-up
comedy is required to be a great speaker. Can it be helpful? Of course it can.
But it is not required.
The point of this entire discussion is this: We frequently work with individuals who attend
one of our training classes, or who come to us for coaching, and have convinced themselves
that they are not and cannot be a good speaker. We frequently work with people who do not
think they are blessed with what our business culture normally identifies as natural speaking
skills – a strong and clear voice, a theatrical personality, or the je ne sais
quoi of “presence.”
But our point to those who lack confidence as a
speaker is that many of the characteristics that actually define what it is to be a strong
speaker can be nurtured. Take another look at our two lists of characteristics. Start
with the content characteristics. All three can be nurtured; Know your subject matter?
Absolutely nurture. Speak strategically? Can be nature, but also can be nurtured. Clearly
organized content? Clearly nurture.
Now let’s look again at the delivery characteristics. The ability to speak clearly
can be a gift of your nature. But it also is possible to learn to speak with the correct
pace and to articulate your words clearly. Using your voice to your advantage also can
be a gift of nature. But, again, it is possible to acquire these skills. And finally, while
most of us do not naturally enjoy being in front of the room and having the spotlight
upon us, confidence and comfort in the spotlight can be nurtured. When you acquire the
other skills of good speaking, and you begin to gain the recognition of being a good speaker,
your confidence will go up and you will become more comfortable.
Some people are born with the booming voice of a James Earl Jones or the melodious
tones of a Meryl Streep. Nonetheless, when in a professional meeting, what separates the
good speaker from the bad is rarely the quality of your voice. It is almost always the
content of your message and your ability to deliver it well.
Some people have a natural ability to hold an audience’s attention and to deliver
their message in a clear, concise, memorable and persuasive way. Others have to develop
and perfect those skills in order to gain the same results. But it can be done.
Most importantly, you need to identify the skills you possess and recognize the skills
you lack in order to focus on what you need to become a truly great speaker.
In our work with clients we often come in contact with several types of individuals who
seek improvement. One type is the prototypically strong speaker who wants to become stronger.
Another type is the less-than-strong speaker who realizes the importance of good communication
but is not “blessed” with natural skills. Both types represent dramatically
different coaching challenges, and each forces us to confront the question of nature vs.
nurture.
Shakespeare’s Malvolio was correct. Some are born great. But for the rest
of us, greatness can be nurtured and acquired. We are certain of it.
Dean M. Brenner
President |
Marni H. Lane
Media Specialist |
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© 2007 The Latimer Group. All Rights Reserved.
Dean M. Brenner -
The Latimer Group: 203.265.4344.
Feedback or comments: dmbrenner@thelatimergroup.com.
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