I’m basking in the glow of a speaking job well done in Las Vegas at Alan Weiss’ and Patricia Fripp’s Odd Couple Seminar. How can I tell?

Dan Janal and Patricia Fripp

Dan Janal and Patricia Fripp

Well, I attended Patricia Fripp’s Speaking School on Friday and spoke on Sunday by using a number of her very interesting and powerful techniques to tell stories, create content and bond with the audience. It must have worked because half the people in the room came up to me to give me their business cards – and half a dozen people left their business cards at my seat! That’s never happened before. And here’s the kicker – I didn’t try to sell anything. I just wanted to share ideas and teach them how to become thought leaders! You can read a number of my “keepers” from Patricia Fripp’s Speaking School.
Points of wisdom from Patricia Fripp, in no particular order:

·      It is better to be consistently good than occasionally great.

·      Our goal is to speak to be remembered and repeated.

·      Use personal stories.

·      A good speech is not a conversation, but a good speech is conversational.
·      A speech makes it more specific and uses more specific words. For example: Not a bunch of business cards, but a handful of business cards.
·      To develop content, mine your life for turning points and influences. What do your friends laugh about at the dinner table?

·      As you review your life story, where was the conflict? What was your decision? What did you discover?

·      Don’t say, “I’m going to tell you.” Instead say, “You are going to learn.” Or “You will hear.” Or “You will experience.”

·      Use specific words because they create pictures in a person’s mind.

·      Review by asking rhetorical questions and/or ask audience to summarize what they got out of it.

·      Use short sentences.

·      Creating a speech is a messy process.

·      The audience doesn’t know how you feel. They only know how you project.

·      Populate your stories with flesh and blood characters that the audience can relate to. Give the best lines to your characters.

·      The answer to life is discipline.

If you’d like to read Patricia Fripp’s excellent articles on speaking, go to www.Fripp.com