The Message of You by Judy Carter

Author:Judy Carter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

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For instance, right before I stepped onstage in Merced, California, they had a demonstration of tactics by the local SWAT team. When I was introduced I ran onstage, asked for appreciation for the emcee, then asked for applause for the handsome and talented SWAT team. During my advance research about the city I learned that the primary industry in Merced is agriculture. So my first moment onstage went like this:

“Let’s hear it for Sandy. Thanks for the great intro.” (APPLAUSE.) “And the handsome and talented SWAT team.” (APPLAUSE.) “Though I’m not sure why Merced needs a SWAT team.” I then acted like a cop aiming a gun at a criminal and shouted, “Drop the strawberries, now!” (LAUGHTER.)

You may not know what this throw-away line is going to be until you actually get to the gig. That might scare you, but here’s the bonus of being spontaneous: you can get a good laugh without having to be über-funny. When the audience knows you just made it up, they give you a lot of leeway. In that one moment of spontaneity, you get instant respect as audiences are usually awed by people who are able to be spontaneous and improvise. Some ideas about who to target for your “spontaneous” moment:

• The guy who just fixed the air-conditioning, the bathrooms, the lights, the mike.

• The very generous bartender from the party last night.

• The volunteers or organizers of the event who have been up since 3 a.m.

• The waiters who served chocolate for dessert.

• The audience themselves for surviving three days of meetings.

Spontaneity is a skill of an experienced speaker. Your ability to risk being spontaneous in the first minute will grow with stage time. If you are a Novice, you will probably spend your first ten gigs just getting comfortable onstage before you dare to improvise in the moment. Give yourself time, but eventually you will need to take this courageous step and trust your instincts.

Okay, now you are ten to twenty seconds into your speech and you’ve gotten a few laughs, a round of applause … it’s time to state clearly and succinctly the promise of your speech, the “why” they should listen, your Core Promise.

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