Secrets of Superb Speeches

8/9/2019 Secrets of Superb Speeches

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Secrets of Writing Superb Speeches, by Akash.P.Karia 1

The Five

SECRETS ofWriting

SUPERB SPEECHES:The proven techniques that are guaranteedto help you

become a powerful speaker and win your audiences over

every time!

y Learn the process of how to start writing a speech (without

this, youre working hard in the wrong direction)

y

Discover the speech-writing formula used by the WorldChampions of Public Speaking

y And theres morefind lots of practical tips and techniques

that will help you keep your audiences on the edge of their

seats

y Save yourself time andmoney by learning the essentials of a

winning speech one that not only wins trophies, but also

hearts and minds

Akash.P.Karia, CC

Champion Speaker & Public -Speaking Coach

President, HKUST Toastmasters (2010 11)


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READ ME:

Dear Speaker,

You are probably sitting down (on a bench, at a library or on your bed just

about to fall asleep *please insert laughter here*) reading this book because you

want to become a better public speaker. You want to inspire people, motivate people

and convince them to channel their energy, effort and time towards helping you

achieve your vision.

OR

If not that, then you are probably standing somewhere just browsing through

this book and wondering: Is it actually possible to learn how to become a powerful

speaker? I mean, isnt it something that youre born with? You either have it or you

dont!

If youre the first kind of person (youve already bought this book, and if you

havent paid me yet then you owe me money!) then let me warn you that the journey

ahead is not easy. While the temptation may be to read this book from start to

finish DONTbecause this isnt an ordinary book meant to be read from front to

back. It requires you to participate in the process essential for you to become a

powerful speaker and presenter. Therefore, at the end of each chapter you will be

presented with missions that are necessary for you to complete before you can

progress to the next part of the book. So, for your first mission, sign your name at the

bottom of this pledge (printed on the next page):


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MISSION 1: Make A Pledge

I, __________________________ _______________ (insert yourREAL name here),

am dedicated and fully prepared to put in the time and effort required of me to

become a better public speaker. Iwant to connect with, motivate and inspire my

audiences, andI pledge to do this by maximizing the value of this book. I realize that

Ican only truly maximize the value of this book not only by reading each chapter

carefully, but by also making sure thatIcomplete each of the missions required of

me before Imove onto the next part of the book. I furthermore promise to send

money, love letters* and other (expensive) gifts to the author of this book.

________________________ _ __ (Sign your name here)

. (Write down todays date on this dotted line)

*offerapp liesonly tosingle, beautifulfemalesaged18 20P.S. Donot letmygirlfriendread thisplease?!Formygirlfriend: Jaan, in case you

read this, youknowIm on ly joking,right love?

*****

If you are the second type of person, who is still browsing through this book and

wondering whether it is possible to learn how to become a better speaker, then let

me assure that even the World Champions of Public Speaking, such as Darren

LaCroix, Ed Tate and Mark Brown to mention just a few, were not born natural

speakers (they admit this themselves). They studied the process of how to write

and deliver superb speeches, they were coached by other excellent speakers who

studied the process, and then they put everything they learned into practice (and

failed more than several times) in order to finally earn the prestigious title of World

Champion of Public Speaking.

But yes, you may know a few people who just seem to be good at this stuff.

Yes, there is a small percentage of the population that seems to have a natural flair


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for getting up on stage they dont seem to get nervous, they are able to deliver

powerful presentations without too much practice andthey can to be funny without

even really trying. I know what youre thinking and I hate those guys toobecause

I am not one of them! But heres the beauty about public speaking it is a process,

and you can learn that process! Anyone can learn that process, but it takes time and

effort. This book, by itself, will notmake you a champion speakerno book canbut

if you applywhat you learn from this book, if you practice giving speeches by

implementing the techniques you will learn here, then I guarantee you that you will

be a much better speaker than you were before!

Now, if you still havent bought this book because:

a) Youre not ready to put in the effort required

b) Youre broke

c) You cant read

d) Youre lazy, youre broke and you cant read in which case public speaking

may not be a good choice! But still, if you get good at it, youll make

millionsper speech!

Please circle one or more answers above. Now tear this page out and fold it into

a paper plane. Then throw it to a person who you know is more likely than you to

benefit from this book. Now, quickly run out of the bookstore before the

policeman, guard orI catch you! You better hope its one of the first two, because

buddyyou owe me some money for having torn up part of my book!

Thanks for reading. In the pages that follow, you will find the wisdom and

secrets of champion speakers! Enjoy the process, and see you at the World

Public Speaking Championship Finals

Akash Paresh Karia, CC


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SECRETS ofWriting SUPERB SPEECHES

By Akash. P. Karia, CC1

About the Author:

Akash. P. Karia is a motivational speaker and public

speaking coach in Hong Kong. In high school, Akash was

considered by his peers as the person least likely to be a public

speaker, least likely to be a comedian, and least likely to get a

girlfriend. Hes proved them all wrong on all three counts!

As a public speaker, Akash has won nu merous awards for

his speeches. Among others, he won the awards for Best Presenter

at the Kenyan Economics Symposium, Best Prepared Speaker at the HKUST Toastmasters

Club Contest, and Best Table Topics (Impromptu Speech) Speaker at the in-house HKUST

TM contest. He has served as a workshop leader on public speaking skills for members ofthe Life Underwriters As sociation of Hong Kong (LUAHK) and the Student Ambassador

Program at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Furthermore, h e

has also worked as a public speaking trainer for high schools such as American International

School (Hong Kong) and St. Marys Cannosian School (H.K). He is an avid Toastmaster

who is currently the President of the HKUST Toastmasters Club (2010-2011).

Akash is the author of three self -published books on Public Speaking: Secrets of

Writing Superb Speeches (HK$125), How to Deliver a Winning Speech: Lessons from the

Champions (HK $149) and Watch That Body: A Practical Guide on how to use Body

Language to Enhance Your Message (HK $99). You can contact him (details below) to buy

a copy of his book.

In his spare time, Akash enjoys doing stand -up comedy shows in Hong Kong. He is

currently studying for his BBA in Marketing and Management degree at HKUST, while

pursuing his dream of helping other people become more effective leaders by helping them

improve their communication skills. He is available for one-on-one coaching sessions and for

conducting group-workshops. He is also available as a part t ime English tutor for high school

students and busy professionals who are looking to quickly improve their English -speaking

and writing skills. With Akashs expertise and experience in public speaking, he can help you

dramatically improve your communication skills so that you can clearly convey your vision to

your audiences and get the reaction that you want from themevery time! By sharing with

you the process and knowledge he has obtained from his years as a public speaker, Akash

can help you save the money, time and effort otherwise required of you to become achampion speaker. You can contact him at: [email protected] . Alternatively, you can call

97910262 to book an appointment.

1*CC Competent Communicator Award granted by Toastmasters International


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DEDICATIONS

For Paresh and Nisha Karia (my parents), who were brave enough to raise

me (I was quite a naughty kid!) and who have always encouraged me to

pursue my passion in life. I am so blessed to have you as parents.

ForBintee Karia,my younger sister, who has always been a very loving,caring and encouraging sister.

For Chloe Sha, the special lady in my life who encouraged me to finish writing

this book (by constantly asking me for her copy! )

For myBestFriends,Salim,Ali,AlfazandAfshaan who have been there for

me since high school.

And finally and most importantly, Dear Speaker, this book is dedicated to you:

Foryou....

After years of stage-time and public speaking experience

And after years of studying and listening to the great orators as well as the

not-so-great ones

And after years of reading public speaking books and watching and listening

to public-speaking DVDs and audio tapes

I now present you with a concise yet practical guide of the best tips and

techniques that you can implement straight away in your next speech to keep

your audiences on the edge of their seats, elicit bursts of intentionallaughterand get a rousing round of applause. Trust me, there is no better feeling than

having given such a stellar presentation that the event organizers have no

choice but to invite you back next time; and there is no better feeling than

taking part in a speech contest and delivering such an outstanding speech

that the only real question for the judges is Who is second-best?.

With this book, if you read it thoroughly, fulfil all the missions, and apply the

public-speaking principles you will learn, you will become twice the speaker

that you are today and be able to write speeches that will not only win trophies,

but also hearts and mindsand that, winning hearts and minds, is the real

measure of success; trophies are just secondary side-effects of delivering apowerful speech.

Enjoy the journey ahead!

Akash. P. Karia, CC


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1. A MatterofStyle: HowChampionship Winning Speechesare

Written a.k.a. Forget the English Teachers: A Quick Note on How

This Book is Written

Tell me, have you realized that theres a bigdifference between the way most of your

academic textbooks are written and the way that this book is written?

Its more interesting?

Its funnier?

It makes more sense?

Yes, true. Those are all correct answers, but that is not the answerIm looking

for. As youve already realized, the language in this book is very conversational. This

book isnt going to get me an A-grade from your English teacher, but instead it

sounds as though Im having a one-on-one conversation with you (Side note: The

conversational approach is great for giving speeches, but its not a good idea for

academic papers!)

I have made a conscious effort to make the language in this book sound as

conversational as possible, and the reason for this is that the bestspeechesare

alsowritteninaconversationalmanner.If you have a look at Ed Tates World

Championship Winning speech my special bonus to you for having bought this

book (Chapter 14) then you will realize that the speech itself, as a piece of

literature, will not win any major prizes for perfect grammar and punctuation.


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However, if you read the speech out aloud to your friend, then you will realize

that it does not sound like a speech (the type that so many politicians give and which

send you to sleep quicker than reading one chapter of your Biology tex tbook).

Instead, the speech, when read out aloud, sounds more like a conversation. This is

whatALL of your speeches should sound like they should sound like

conversations with a friendonly by making your speeches conversational can you

establish a human connection with an audience.

The benefits of a conversational approach are numerous. For one,

conversational speeches make each audience member feel as though you are

talking to him/her individually. This helps you build rapport, a connection, w ith your

audience.

Secondly, the conversational style helps keep the audience awake (always a

good thing!). People are interested and used to having conversations so theyre

willing to listen. However, people hate monologues, so speeches that sound like

monologues will send the audience to sleep straight away.

And finally, the conversational approach helps you avoid sounding like a robot

on stage. Most people who memorize their speeches sound very robotic and

unnatural. Listening to people whove memoriz ed their script word for word reminds

me of the computer-voice on my laptop trying to read aloud the dictionary! Writing

your speech in a conversational manner is one strategy that will help you avoid

sounding dry and uninteresting.

Therefore, throughout this book, I have made a conscious effort to be as

conversational as possible. Dont expect the grammar to be perfect, and dont expect

to learn any new and difficult English words everything that you will read will sound


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mission will help men see you as a woman with beauty andbrains (a rare

combination3, ha-ha!). Ready?

Think of memorable experiences in your life, whether theyre pivotal

experiences that shaped who you are as a person or just funny, trivial anecdotes that

you enjoy sharing. They could be:

- embarrassing, like the time I locked myself INSIDE my house and

couldnt get outit takes a careless man to lock himself outside his

house, but it takes a talented man to lock himself inside!

- adventurous and exciting, like the time I climbed the second-highest

mountain in Africa- funny, like the time I took the wrong twin out for a date

- Any story you like, as long as it conveys a positive quality about you

(your sense of humour, or your passion for life, or your light -hearted

nature). Just avoid stories that evoke negative emotions in listeners

and hint at negative qualities about yourself such as unhappiness or

anger or bitterness.

Use the space below to jot down notes a memorable story from your life:

So, and Then, which I do quite often throughout this book So, forget the English teachers and write

your speeches in a conversational manner if unless you want to appear dull, boring anduninterestingjustlike

your English teachers Most World Championship Winning speeches are written in the conversational style,

and that is the style that I encourage you to use.

3Relax ladies, before you start cursing me and tearing this book into shreds, I want you to know that Im just

joking! A little humour in the conversational approach even if it is lame is acceptable! Just think of the

number of times youve heard your friends tell you such lamejokes. And if you havent heard your friends

telling you such lamejokes, then its probably you delivering them


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Now that you have at least one positive story from your life, think it over carefully.

Imagine you were going to tell one of your best friends/girlfriend(s)/boyfriend(s) this

story of your life. How would you start off? What particular details would you tell them?

How would you describe the event, and in how much detail? Th eres no need to write

down everything word for wordjust think it over and jot down a few notes below.

Picture yourself visualize yourself actually telling someone this story and write

down some specific details you would want to convey .

Use the space below to jot down notes

y

Example: Beautiful sunset. Green trees. Crystal clear water very cold

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

Now, once you have the story well thought out, go out and look for someone

to tell it to! If it feels awkward to suddenly jump into a story, start off with, Oh, by

the way, I just remembered this (exciting/embarrassing/funny) incident from

(yesterday/last year/when I was younger) and then launch straight into the

story. While you are telling the story, realize just how relaxed and natural it feels.


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Also, realize how conversational it feelsdont make it sound robotic and

memorized, make it sound spontaneous even though its well thought out.

Ladies and gentlemen, you can use this technique of brainstorming stories to

make sure that you never end up with awkward conversations on your dates. If you

master this conversational story-telling technique, you will come off as a charming

and well educated person. And thats not allgiving speeches , as you will learn in

the third chapter, isnothing morethantelling stories so if you get good at telling

stories, you will become a fantastic public speaker!

NowthatyouvecompletedyourSecond Mission,CONGRATULATIONS!

.

Sign your name on the dotted line above if you completed this task. Give yourself a

big pat on the back or whatever else you like to do to celebrate a victory (within

reason, please!)

Please tear this book up into

tiny strips this size if you did

not complete this task. Now

go tell your friends the story of

how you bought a book on

public speaking and tore it up

into little strips. Keep the

picture of the crocodile though!


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2. The MostImportant Pin PublicSpeaking

THE CAB DRIVER

It was 1.52 a.m. on August 28 th, and Id only just stepped foot in Hong Kong.

This was my first time in Hong Kong, and I was excited about being here! I was

tired sure. I was sweating because the weather was so hot and humid. And I had

several large bags that I was dragging along to t he taxi stand.

Now, as soon as I got to the taxi stand, a red cab pulled up and the driver , a

short, bald man with a toothy grin, jumped out of the front seat. He grabbed my bags,

rushed over to the trunk, opened it up, threw my bags into it, opened up th e door to

the back seat and motioned for me to get in. As soon as I was seated, he rushed

back to the drivers seat and turned around to face me.

Hi. My name is Mike. He said in a distinctly Chinese accent.

I smiled and replied, Im Akash.

So, he said, Where are we going?

Kowloon. I said.

Where in Kowloon?

Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,

Undergraduate Residences please. And with that, I settled into the back seat and

comfortably fell asleep.

*****


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Now, youre probably thinking, Why did you make me read that? What has

that got to do with public speaking? To answer your question

simplyEVERYTHING! That story illustrates the most important principle in public

speaking, but before I tell you, I want you to try and figure it out yourself by asking

you this question: Have you ever seen a speech that was all over the place?

Yes/No? (Please Circle One)

If you answered yes to at least one of the two questions above, cha nces are,

youve guessed what the most important P in public speaking stands for . If you

answered no to the above question, chances are you probably are the person who

gave the speech that was all over the place If youre at a speech contest and

youre yawning, then chances are that youre probably at a speech that lacks this

very important P.

Take a few guesses before I actually tell you.

Whats that? Passion? Points? Plan?

Yes, those are all good answers, but the most important P in public speaking and

you deserve a big round of applause if you got this one correct PURPOSE.Every

speech you give must have a purpose.

Just like the cab driver! The cab driver had a purpose his purpose was to

get me to my destination, which was Clear Water Bay, Kowloon. Without his

destination, without his purpose, there was absolutely no way that he could have

started driving! Why, then, is it that we see so many speakers who give speeches


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without any clear purpose? Speakers who start driving and continue driving their

cabs without knowing their destinations?

At this point, youve realized that having a purpose in your speech is

extremely important. But, you may be wondering what exactly does Akash mean by

purpose?

Purpose is what you are trying to achieve with your speech. It is the ONE key

take-awaymessagethatyouwanttoconveytotheaudience. What is it that you

want the audience to feel? What is it that you want the audien ce to do after having

they have heard your speech? In other words, at the end of the speech, whatist

hat

onesinglemessagethatyouwanttheaudiencetoremember? For example,

your purpose might be to inform your audience about the latest tax policy changes;

or your purpose might be to entertain your audience by providing them with funny

insights into why men behave so awkwardly around women; or your purpose might

be topersuade your audience to Act Now and Stop Global Warming.

No matter what your purpose is to inform, entertain or

persuade/inspire/motivate you should be able to write your keytakeaway

messageinlessthan 10 words. If you cannot summarize your MAIN message in

less than 10 words, then your speech will be all over the place your audience will

not be able to pick up on the major theme of your speech and will walk away feeling

confused and frustrated. Therefore, even before you begin writing your speech, you

should first summarize your purpose (the one key take-away message) in 10 words

or less. Here are some examples of purposes messages that you can build your

speech around by providing facts and stories that help the purpose (the core

message) be remembered:


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Examples of Purpose (Core Take-Away Message for Your Speech)

- Actions Speak louder than Words

- Listen to Your Conscience

- Be Nice to People

- What Got You Here Wont Get You There

Remember, no taxi driver drives his taxi without first knowing where it is that he is

going. Dont drive your speech without knowing where it is that youre going first

look for your purpose before you start writing your speech. Sir Winston Churchill,

Prime Minister of Britain during the Second World War, said this about speeches that

did not have a purpose: There are too many public speeches and too little private

thinking. Dont let this be true of you spend some time brainstorming your purpose.

There are two key reasons as to why having a clear purpose first will help you

construct an outstanding speech that will stick in the minds of audiences:

1. Onceyouhaveapurpose,youcandecidewhattoincludeandwhatto

discard. Have you ever thought, I wonder which stories and points I should

include in my speech?. The answer is simple if you already have a purpose

first. If the story or the point directly supports your purpose, then include it.

Otherwise, no matter how good the fact/story, discard it.

2. Having yourpurposestatedinlessthan 10 wordsforcesyouto be

crystalclearaboutyourmessage.

Unless you can summarize your single

main message in less than 10 words, you will confuse your audience. If you

start constructing your speech without writing down your purpose first, your

speech will end up having several different themes and stories stories which,


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no matter how good they are individually, will not be cohesive and fit together

as a single package.

And finally, having a clear purpose stated in less than 10 words has another very

important advantage. Even if you mess up on stage even if you stutter and you

stumble over your own words- as long as you are able to finish your speech (no

matter how bad your delivery), your audience will still have walked away knowing

what it was what you were trying to tell them. Audiences will be forgiving if they feel

that you had a clear message but genuinely had a bad day, but they will not offer

much sympathy if they feel that you did not put any work into your speech and did

not even bother having a clear purpose f irst.

Sometimes, youre already given a theme/purpose, in which case youre lucky.

You might be told to give a graduation speech where, as instructed by your teacher,

your purpose is to tell the parents how great the school is. This is fine, but you

could make the purpose even clearer. Ask your teacher, what exactly about the

school does she want conveyed to the parents? Does she want you to show the

parents how helpful the teachers are? Or how dedicated the students are? What

specifically?

Lets quickly go back to the cab driver story as an example. It was not simply

enough for me to tell the driver that I needed to go to Kowloon. That was too general.

He needed something more specific, so he asked. And because he asked, I was

forced to become more specific and tell him I needed to go to the Undergraduate

Residences at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. For your

speech, dont be afraid to ask (your teachers/the event organizers/yourself) what


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Secrets of Writing Superb Speeches%

, by Akash.P.Karia 19

specificall it is t at ant conveyed. A AYS narrowdown ntil yourpurpose is

crystal clearandcannot enarroweddownany furt er.

MISSI : Dont Start Drivin Until You Know Your Destination

Imagine t at youarecompeting in t e orld Public Speaking ampionship inals.

his isyourchance tomakeabig impressionandwalkawaywithabigpri e. You

areallowed togivea minutespeechabout anythingyou likeyouhavenot

beengivenany themes to talkabout, andyourenot restricted inyourchoiceeither.

All youhave isablankpieceofpaperandapen. heredoyoustart

Purpose

Forcesyou tobeclear about

your message

Helpsyoudecide what to

include and

what to discard

Even ifyou messup, the audience

still knows what

you were talkingabout


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My suggestion to you, and my personal strategy, is to start brainstorming.

1. First,askyourselfprovocative questions. For example, What is the most

important thing I have learned in life?. If that is not specific enough to get

your brains working, how about, What is that one really important thing that I

am passionate about?. Or, even more provocative, IfI were to die tomorrow,

what one lesson would I want to leave behind for my younger sister/brother? .

These questions will help you find a purpose which you are passionate talking

about.

2. CreateaSpider-MaptowritedownyourPurpose.You might have more

than one lesson you want to share with your brother/sister. Create a spider -

map (Use the Google search engine to find out what a Spider -Map is if you

dont already know it) with all your different ideas.

Yourmissionfortodayistoimaginethatyouarecompeting atthe

World PublicSpeaking Championships.Usetheabovestrategiesto

comeupwithyourpurposeforyourwinning speech. Use the space on

the next page to brainstorm your purpose for your championship speech.

What is it that you want to convey to the audience? What one

lesson/message do you want them to remember long after they have finished

listening to your speech?


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Secrets of Writing Superb Speeches&

, by Akash.P.Karia 21

.

Signyournameon thedotted lineabove ifyoucompleted this task. WE DONE!

Ifyoudidnt complete this task, thenpleasewritedownall therational excuses that

youmadeup inordertoget out ofcompleting thisactivity.

. Idont haveenough time

. Ill complete it tomorrow

. Icanstill learnwithout doing theactivities

. Insert excusehere)

. .. Insert anotherbadexcusehere)

W rld Public

Speaking

Champi nship

Speech

PURPOSE

Example:

Failure is n'

t

permanent


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3. HowtoOpen YourSpeechtoCreate MaximumImpact

*****

YOU WERENT THERE LAST NIGHT, BUT I BET YOUVE HEARD THESE TWO

SPEECHES BEFORE:

He got up on stage. I was excited because the emcee had told us that the title of his

speech was How to Make a Million Dollars in a Month. Obviously I was excited.

Who wouldnt be? Who wouldnt want to make a million dollars in a month?

He was well dressed. Smart suit. Well ironed white shirt. Beautiful red tie.

Boots that were polished so brightly you could see the m shine from the back of the

room. The emcee had introduced him as Sam.

Sam walked to the microphone. He seemed confident e nough. So far, so

good. And then he began: Ladies and gentlemen, Im sorry because, you see,

yesterday I got off late from work and then He muttered into the microphone.

Ugh!, I thought. What a waste of my time!. I pulled out my phone and

began texting my girlfriend. I didnt pay much attention to the rest of Sams speech.

Hed lost my attention. The texts were so much more interesting ;)

After Sam, the emcee introduced Tamara up on stage. I glanced up from my

phone to see what she looked like. Ve ry beautiful. I put my phone back into my

pocket and got ready to listen.


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She was well dressed. Very well poised. Back straight, chin up. I was

impressed. She walked over to the microphone and began confidently, Thank you

SO much for having me here. At that point in time, I remembered that I had

forgotten to pick up my clothes from the dry-cleaners. I reached back into my pocket

and began texting my girlfriend to ask her if she could pick up my clothes on her way

back from work.

I didnt pay much attention to Tamaras speech after that. The texts were SO

much more interesting ;)

*****

Before I tell you how to open your speeches to create excitement among your

audience, I want you think of the last time you watched an action movie. Got one in

your head?

All right, great. Now, remember how it began?

I dont know what movie youre thinking of, but my bet is that the action movie

probably began right in the middle of scene: there was a car chase, or some bomb -

blasts, or a policeman chasing after a thief, or two cars racing each other on the

highway. No matter what the exact scenario was, the most likely case is that the

movie began with excitement, right in the middle of some heart-beating action!

When a movie begins with excitement, right in the middle of a n action packed scene,

it gets you hooked straight away. You want to know whats going on youre dying to

know whats going on! With a movie like that, theres absolutely no way that youre

pulling out your mobile phone to text your friend.


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Okay, what about a romantic movie? Girls, remember the last romantic movie

you watched? Boys, remember the last romantic movie your girlfriend forced you to

watch? How did that begin?

Again, weve both watched very different movies, but let me take a shot in the

dark at how I began. It might have begun with a beautiful couple in the middle of a

passionate kiss, or a beautiful couple saying their wedding vows to ea ch other, or a

beautiful couple in the middle of a romantic dance. No matter what the exact

scenario was, the most likely case is that the movie began right into the story and

had you wanting to know more straight away. With a movie like that, theres

absolutely no way that youre pulling out your mobile phone to text your friend.

Do you see the point I am trying to make here? Youre probably nodding

youre head right now, going Yes! I get itI know exactly how to make a perfect

beginning for my speech! However, just in case you are not saying that I

encourage you to immediately go to the theatre and watch an action movie. Then,

come back again and read this chapter from the start until you figure this point out for

yourself

In case youve gone to the cinema and are still hopelessly confused, then this

will help you out: How many goodmovies have you watched that began with Im

sorry? None! How many goodmovies have you watched that began Thank you

for being here and watching this movie. Its our pleasure to have you sitting here

watching this movie. Now, I havent watched every single movie ever created, but

once again Ill bet that the answer is none!.

Good action movies, romance movies, comedy movies all have one thing in

common! They get you hooked straight awaythey begin right in the middle of


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scene right in the middle of the story. They dont waste time with fluffy opening

remarks such as Thank Yous and excuses such as Im sorry.

Just for a moment, lets go back to Sams opening remarks. Sam began his

speech with, Im sorry. Why do you think thats a bad beginning?

Its not exciting. Yes, very true.

Because he started off apologizing, the audience feels hes making excuses

and wasting their time. Yes, true.

The apology at the start makes him come off as unconfident and unprepared.

Definitely true.

Well done. Those are all good answers. Beginning with an apology makes the

audience feel that the speaker is unprepared and unconfident. And more importantly,

let me ask you this: Is Sams opening one that captures your attention straight away?

No, obviously not. Its not exciting, which is why I began texting.

So, therefore, the first lesson for writing the opening for your speech: Do not

start off with an apology!

However, what if you do need to apologize for reasons that are truly beyond

your control? In that case, I suggest that you save your apologies for later on in the

speech. I sincerely hope that you are never put under such a circumstance where

you have to apologize when giving a speech, but in case you are, I will deal more

thoroughly with this situation in the expanded ve rsion of this book. The book you are

currently reading is The Five Secrets of Writing Superb Speeches,which you

bought for HK $50. The expanded edition of the book, which will contain over 20

chapters (which means well over 20 practical tips and techniques on writing


26/40


speeches, in other words over four times the value of this book at just a fraction of a

higher cost) will be on sale after August 1, 2010. If you have purchased this edition

and enjoyed the material covered in this book, you can purchase the expanded

version (Title: Secrets of Superb Speakers Expanded Edition) by following the

steps outlined below:

1. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject Line: Requesting a

Copy of Expanded Edition. Alternatively, you can call 97910262 to reserve

your copy

2. The Expanded Edition of the book will be sold for HK $125. How ever,

because you have bought the first edition of this book, you can buy the

expanded edition for only an additional HK $85. To SAVE $40, include the

Code: 6A


27/40


Secondly, allspeakers begin with Thank You. And as a result, it comes off as

being fake it doesnt feel genuine. The Thank You at the beginning always feels

like more like a forced remark rather than conveying an actual feeling of gratitude.

Churchill once explained that pra ise in the beginning of a talk sounds like flattery,

whereas the same praise wedged into the middle of a speech comes off as sincerity.

So, my suggestion to you is to avoid thanking people at the beginning, and instead

do it in the middle when they least expect it because they will value it most then. For

example, I once heard a woman who used this tip very effectively when she

interjected such praise in the middle of her civic talk: And speaking of leadership,

no one exemplifies it more than Mister Ket tering, who See how effective praise or

gratitude in the middle of a speech can be rather than coming off as banal and

boring at the beginning?

Therefore, the second practical tip for having a strong beginning is to avoid

starting with Thank You. Dont be like Sam (who began with Sorry), and Tamara

(who began with Thank You). Instead, come out with a swinging come out with a

bang start off strong

HOW THE CHAMPIONSSTART THEIR SPEECHES:

1. STARTOFF WITHA STORY Just like an action movie, start off in the

middle of a story. Get the audience curious and wondering about whats

happening. For example:

Today was the day thatIwas going to ask her to marry me. It was a bright

summer day on April 25th, yet my hands were cold with sweat


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Did that beginning make you curious or excited? When you start off with a story,

and you start off in the middle of a scene, it creates suspense and captures

audience attention immediately. Secondly, it takes the audience on a mental

journey with you in their heads, they are imagining the story you are painting

with you words, and this helps you create rapport with them.

2. Startoffwith a Dramatic Fact/SurprisingStatement

If you have a dramatic fact to impart, or a startling statement to reveal, try

opening with it:

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States

was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of

Japan President Roosevelt of the USA

Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima

President Truman of the USA

3. Startoffwith a Question

Use a question to tap into the minds of your audiences. Capture their attention

by asking them a rhetorical question which will get them to focus on your

speech rather than allowing their minds to drift off. Consider Darren LaCroixs

beginning from Championship Winning Speech:

Can you remember a moment when a brilliant idea flashed into your head? It was

perfect for youthen, all of a sudden, from the depths of your brain another thought

forced its way through the enthusiasm until finally shouted, YEAH g reat idea, but

what if youfall on your face? Darren LaCroix (World Champion of Public

Speaking, 2001)


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MISSION 4:Start Like A Champ

Go back to your stories that you brainstormed for Mission 2: Have a Conversation.

Choose one of those exciting stories from your life and create three different

beginnings with it. To give you an example, I have chosen my story of the time I

climbed Mount Kenya (second-highest mountain in Africa)

1. Start off with a story (Example: It was late at night and it was pitch -dark, so we

could hardly see anything. There were twenty of us, one ahead of the other, who

were trudging up the mountain, trying to reach the top before sunrise),

2. Start off with a surprising statement (E.g. I almost died when I tried to climb the

second-highest mountain in Africa),

3. Start off with a Question (E.g. Have you ever felt so tired that you wanted to give

up?).

Come up with three different beginnings for your st ory. Write them down on the blank

space below. Now, go out and talk to three different people and deliver the three

beginnings in a conversational style:

.

Sign Your Name on the Dotted Line Above if You Completed Mission 4: GOOD JOB

If you didnt complete Mission 4, then please lend this book to a friend wholl find

better use for it than you.


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4.StoriesSell

I WAS HUNGRY, BUT I WAS HAPPY

In 2008, Matt Morris, millionaire and founder of Success University came to Kenya to

give a seminar on the The 6 Keys to a 6 Figure Income. Living on a tight budget

while studying in Kenya, I was forced to choose between buying dinner and buying a

ticket to Matt Morriss seminar. I eventually, and thankfully, chose to go with the latter.

The seminar itself was decent. Nothing too special. Not outstanding. The 6

keys? I already knew those work hard, persist, write down your goals, get coaching

from other successful people, keep studying your trade, have a positive mindset. But,

despite being told what I al ready knew, I walked away from the seminar hungry but

happy. I felt inspirednot because of the 6 Keys, but because of Matts stories as to

how he used the 6 Keys. He illustrated the power of each key with a story from his

personal life. He talked about how he used power of a positive mindset to keep

pursuing his dream even though chasing his dream had had caused him to go

broke so broke, that he was living out of his car, showering in the rain in church

parking lots and washing himself in gas station bathrooms.

Each key had a story, and by the end of the seminar, I had six inspiring

stories that left me hungry for success. Had Matt delivered a lecture about the 6

Keys, without his personal stories, I probably would have walked away hungry for a

refund! But, the six stories he told, even though he wasnt the best public speaker I

have seen, left such a strong impression on me that I still remember the 6 keys and

the 6 stories three years later.

*****


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According to Patricia Fripp, award-winning speaker and speech coach, stories are

the currency of human communication. People will forget facts and figures, and they

will reject any attempts at salesmanship, but they can never turn down a good story.

This is because stories are the most interesting part of any talk and they help people

understand complex or abstract ideas. They create pictures for people which are

much more memorable than facts.

Like weve already realized, stories are an effective way to open a talk. But

they can also be used to highlight important points. For example, throughout this

book, I have given you my own personal story to illustrate a principle of public

speaking. You may forget the details of each chapter, but the stories at th e start

(The Cab Driver story to illustrate the importance of having a purpose in your

speech; the story of Sam and Tamara to illustrate why you shouldnt open your talk

with Sorry and Thank You) will help you remember and internalize those principle s.

It is much harder to forget to stories than it is to forget facts and figures. Therefore, if

you want to make an impact and make a memorable speech, make sure that you

illustrate each major point with a story.

Now, as a BONUS, I have included Ed Tates championship winning speech

so that you can see how he used one simple story to illustrate one very powerful

point:


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BONUS: Ed Tates (World Champion of Public Speaking) Winning Speech

(Sound of paper being torn from pad): There you go Mister Tate, next time drive a littleslower.

Speaking of slow, have you ever noticed how long it takes a police offer to write you a ticket?

(Audience laughter) Completely eliminating all that time you made up. (Audience laughter) . I

said to myself: Its going to be one of those days.

But I did the math. There was still enough time for me to make my noon flight to Phoenix.

All I had to do now was park my car, walk through security, and off to the gate. And as luck

would have it, I found a parking spot right away.

Oh, but when I got to security there were lines for as far as my eyes could see. For the first

time in aviation history, United Airlines had decided to enforce the two-bag limit. (Sigh) I did

the math. There was no way I was going to make my flight. I said to myself, Its going tobeone of those days.

Now, I was upset with United Airlines and the police officer. Between these two they had

conspired to make me late. At least, that was going to be my story. I noticed on the departureboard there was a two oclock flight leaving for Phoenix. I said to myself: I am premier

executive with United Airlines. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars with this airline.They had better figure out a way to get me on that flight or I was going to give them a piece

of my mind!

I walked over to customer service. In line ahead of me there was a couple. There was this tall,

young man and his girlfriend. Now the conversation between the tall, young man and the

customer service agent went something like this: (Man yelling): What do you mean theresnot enough room for us on the two oclock flight to Phoenix? Its because of United Airlines

we missed our connection in the first place. I am a premier executive. I have spent tens of

thousands of dollars with this airline. You had better figure out a way to get us on that flight!(Audience laughter).

The customer service agent went, Sir, I am so sorry. The next flight where I can get you

both on is at six oclock.

He said, Do the math, lady. The wedding is at five! (Audience laughter)

And then he committed what I call the unpardonable sin. He called her the B-word. And the

silence was deafening. (pause)

Then he storms offa-a-a-nd I was next (Audience laughter) . Its going to beone of those

days.

I made eye contact with the customer service agent. All of a sudden, it occurred to me, she

was just trying to do the best she could. She, like myself, was just trying to earn a living forher family. I said, Mam, take your time. Im in no hurry. Not anymore.

She said, Sir, what can I do for you?


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I said, I couldnt help but overhear that the next flight to Phoenix was booked, but if youcould put me on any flight to Phoenix today, that would be fine.

And her fingers, they danced across the keyboard. And then she presented me with the final

seat on the two oclock flight to Phoenix. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! (Audience laughter)Thats

not what I really did. (Audience laughter). But it was close! (Audience laughter)

I thanked her enthusiastically and I told her, Dont let it be one of those days.

I had a little time to kill so I decided to go over to the food court and get something to eat.And who is in the line ahead of me? The tall, angry young man and his girlfriend. And I

remember thinking to myself: You know? Someone ought to give this guy a piece of theirmind.

And then I heard this voice and it said, Ed, its not you (Audience laughter)

And then I heard this other voice and it said, Ed, if not you, then who? If not here, then

where? If not now, then when?

Folks, clearly, I spend way too much time talking to myself. (Audience laughter)

I approached him. By the way, did I mention he was tall? 64, about 220. Folks, I am not a

big man. I said, Sir, excuse me. I realize its none of my business, but it its true what you

say, if its true that you are a frequent flyer, then there are two things you know. The question

is not if, the question is when will you miss your next flight. The second thing to know: The

customer service agent over there? Shes not a pilot. She had nothing to do with missing your

flight. The next time this happens, and it will happen again, I want you to be nice.

Then, all of a sudden, Pow! (pause). His girlfriend hits him in the arm and said, YeahBe

nice. (Audience laughter)

Now some of you all thought I got hit, didnt you? And I notice something unusual. Now,

typically, a gate is operated by uniformed personnel. But on this particular occasion, inaddition to the uniformed personnel, there was a man in a suit. And suits usually mean

trouble. And I thought, momentarily, maybe that customer service agent wasnt supposed to

give me that ticket. Now, Im keeping this ticket.

Its my turn in line. I hand my ticket to the gate agent. The gate agent whispers to the suit,

This is the guy.

Im going: Oh, man. Theyre going to take my ticket! Im keeping this ticket!

The man in the suit reaches across the counter to shake my hand. He says, Mister Tate, I

want to thank you for what you have done. Earlier today, one of our customer service

agentswe had a problem with one of our passengers. And we had a supervisor behind the

counter and she noticed how graciously you had treated her as one of your own. Mister Tate,

may I please have your ticket?

I hand him my ticket, and all of a sudden, the gate agent, his fingers are dancing across thekeyboard. And he presented me with a first class ticket to the two oclock flight to Phoenix.

Every now and then you must listen to that voice. That voice inside your head, and the voice

inside of your heart. It is the voice of your conscience. It is the voice that asks: What is the

right thing to do? It is the voice that cries out: If not you, then who? And every now and then,


34/40


when we listen to that voiceIts like I was trying to tell you all along, I knew it was goingto beone of those days (Audience Applause).

*****

This championship speech finished ahead of 175,000 other contestants in 70

countries and earned Ed Tate the title of World Champion of Public Speaking in the

Year 2000. Notice how powerful a story that illustrates a single point can be. Also,

notice how conversational the speech sounds (Chapter 1). If you can master

conversational storytelling with a purpose, you too can be a World Champion!

MISSION 5: Youare Entitledto WatchtheChampionship Video (FREE)

It is always best to WATCHrather than read a championship winning speech. If you

would like to watch Ed Tates performance at the Toastmasters International World

Public Speaking Championships, send me an email at: [email protected] with the

subject line ED TATE CHAMPIONSHIP SPEECH and I will send you the link to the

video. Also, if youd like the expanded version of this book because youve learned

so much for this one:



your copy

2. The Expanded Edition of the book will be sold for HK $125. However,



Code: 6A


35/40


5. The MOST IMPORTANT Wordin PublicSpeaking

Have you ever heard a speaker start of by saying, Today, I am going to talk

about? Have you ever heard a speaker introduce him/herself by starting off

with I am a public speaking champion, I have won numerous titles

Can you spot what is wrong with those two introductions?

Yes, true, they are not exciting enough. They do not start off with a story,

shocking statement or a question, and hence they do not capture audience

attention! Well done, you have been paying careful attention.

However, there is something else that is fundamentally wrong with both those

statements. Need a hint? Well, imagine that I presented you with two ads for the

Expanded Edition of this book.

AD 1:

With the expanded edition of this book:

y You will be able to understand and use the techniques that Barack Obama

uses to inspire and motivate millions so that you can get the reaction you

want from the audience each time!

y You will save yourself time andmoney by learning the essentials of a

winning speech one that not only wins trophies, but also hearts and

minds. You will be able to become a powerful communicator and public

speaker who commands attention on stage.

AD 2:

y I understand and use the techniques that Barack Obama uses to inspire

and motivate millions and I can teach them to you

y I can save you time andmoney by teaching you the essentials of a

winning speech one that not only wins trophies, but also hearts and


36/40


minds. I have used these strategies personally to become a powerful

communicator and public speaker who commands attention on stage.

Which of these two ads is more appealing?

Obviously, the first one.

Why?

Because it is you focused, whereas the second ad is less appealing because

it is I focused. The first two introductions presented at the start of this chapter are

unappealing not only because they are not exciting, but also because they are I

focused.

Heres one very important principle of public speaking and marketing: The

audience never cares about the speaker/marketerthey only can about what

they can learn from you/ what benefits you can provide them with. YOUis the

most powerful word in the English language.

Therefore, whenever you find yourself saying something like, Today, Id l ike

to share with you, instead change it to: Today, you are going to pick up tools

and strategies. ALWAYS make your speeches you -focused, because the you-

focus will keep the audience excited, enthusiastic and awake


37/40


MISSION 6: Make YourStories YouFocused

Go back to Mission 4: Start like a Champ. In Mission 4, you created three

different openings for one story. Now, choose one of those openings and change

it to a you-focused introduction.

For example, if one of your stories was talking about how much you enjoy fishing,

heres how a typical I-focused story would sound like: I really enjoy fishing. Its

such a perfect way to relax and just let go of the tension.

Now heres how you can change it and make it more exciting by making it

you-focused: If you are looking for a way to relax and just let go of the stress

and tension, then let me assure you that there is no better way to do so than to

go fishing.

If you completed all the missions in this book, then well done! You are on your way

to becoming a fantastic public speaker and conversationalistyou can apply the

very same techniques youve learned for speech writing into daily conversations and

you will notice that people are suddenly a lot more interested in your stories.

If you successfully managed to complete all the missions in this book, then send me

an email at: [email protected] offer you a few more resources that you

can use to continue learning. However, this book has covered only the nuts and bolts

of public speaking. The expanded edition of this book will contain 20 chapters ( 4

times the value of this book at only a slightly higher cost).


38/40


CONTENTSofthe EXPANDED EDITION

1.A Matter of Style: How Championship Winning Speeches are

Written, a.k.a.F

orget the English Teachers: A Quick Note onHow This Book is Written

2. The Most Important P in Public Speaking

3. How to Open Your Speech to Create Maximum Impact

4. Stories Sell

a. BONUS: Darren LaCroixs Championship Winning Speech

(2001 World Champion of Public Speaking)

5. The C and D of Story-Telling

6. The Soccer Match where they Shook Hands

7. The Most Powerful Word in the English Language

8. Quotable Quotes

9. How to turn Statistics into something that the Audience Can See

10.How to Keep Your Audience Interested and Awake!

a. Questions they Care About

b. Interactive Activities

11.Check the VAKS

12.Advanced Techniques: How to Use the Techniques that Barack

Obama Uses to Inspire and Motivate People

13.The Formula for a Championship Winning Speech: Darren

LaCroixs Ouch!

14.OneTwoLaugh: Injecting Humour into Your Speech

15.BONUS: Ed Tates Championship Winning Speech

16.FIVE ADDITIONAL SECRET CHAPTERS!:D - SECRETS OF

THE CHAMPIONS


39/40


THE EXPANDED EDITION OF THIS BOOK WILL ALLOW YOU

TO:

y Understand and use the techniques that Barack Obama uses

to inspire and motivate millions so that you can keep your

audiences excited and engagedevery time!

y Save yourself time andmoney by learning the essentials of a

winning speech one that not only wins trophies, but also

hearts and minds

y Learn the formula for constructing a championship winning

speech

y Dissection and analysis ofDarren LaCroixs World

Championship winning speech so you can see all the

techniques and tips learned from this book put to use in one

single speech

y And much MUCH more!

To buy an expanded copy of this book:



your copy

4. The Expanded Edition of the book will be sold for HK $125. However,



Code: 6A


40/40

SECRETS ofWriting SUPERB SPEECHES

By Akash. P. Karia, CC4

About the Author:

Akash. P. Karia is a motivational speaker and public

speaking coach in Hong Kong. In high school, Akash was

considered by his peers as the person least likely to be a public

speaker, least likely to be a comedian, and least likely to get a

girlfriend. Hes proved them all wrong on all three counts!

As a public speaker, Akash has won numerous awards

for his speeches. Among others, he won the awards for Best

Presenter at the Kenyan Economics Symposium, Best

Prepared Speaker at the HKUST Toastmasters Club Contest,

and Best Table Topics (Impromptu S peech) Speaker at the in -house HKUST TM contest. He has served as a workshop

leader on public speaking skills for members of the Life

Underwriters Association of Hong Kong (LUAHK) and the Student Ambassador Program at

the Hong Kong University of Science a nd Technology (HKUST). Furthermore, he has also

worked as a public speaking trainer for high schools such as American International School

(Hong Kong) and St. Marys Cannosian School (H.K). He is an avid Toastmaster who is

currently the President of the H KUST Toastmasters Club (2010-2011).

Akash is the author of three self -published books on Public Speaking: Secrets of

Writing Superb Speeches (HK$125), How to Deliver a Winning Speech: Lessons from the

Champions (HK $149) and Watch That Body: A Pract ical Guide on how to use Body

Language to Enhance Your Message (HK $99). You can contact him (details below) to buya copy of his book.

In his spare time, Akash enjoys doing stand -up comedy shows in Hong Kong. He is

currently studying for his BBA in Mark eting and Management degree at HKUST, while

pursuing his dream of helping other people become more effective leaders by helping them

improve their communication skills. He is available for one -on-one coaching sessions and for

conducting group-workshops. He is also available as a part time English tutor for high school

students and busy professionals who are looking to quickly improve their English -speaking

and writing skills. With Akashs expertise and experience in public speaking, he can help you

dramatically improve your communication skills so that you can clearly convey your vision to

your audiences and get the reaction that you want from them every time! By sharing withyou the process and knowledge he has obtained from his years as a public speaker, Akash

can help you save the money, time and effort otherwise required of you to become a

champion speaker. You can contact him at: [email protected] . Alternatively, you can call

97910262 to book an appointment.

Documents

Secrets of Superb Speeches