More about professional public speaking

Professional public speaking has a long history, and my students often want to know how to get started. Russell Conwell, the founder of Temple University, gave countless speeches at Chautauqua programs around the country. His theme, "Acres of Diamonds," was that riches await anyone who takes advantage of opportunities. He made a fortune from speaker's fees. William Jennings Bryan, better known for his three presidential campaigns and his testimony at the Scopes Monkey Trial, earned an even larger fortune on the Chautauqua circuit, often speaking on a religious topic, "The Prince of Peace."

William Jennings Bryan giving a speech, image from the Library of Congress collection

A successful speaker's most important quality is to master a subject that people want to learn about: people who hire speakers want good, solid, useful information, and the speaker needs to provide it. Speakers must practice and master their art. The market is very competitive; dull, boring, or confusing speakers will find no customers. Speakers can start by giving free presentations at schools, community groups, church meetings, and so forth. This helps them polish their skills and develop a reputation. A brush-up college speech course could be a good plan for anyone. (I'm a college professor; you knew that I needed to say that.)

Most professional public speakers today work through speakers' bureaus, which connect speakers with programmers. Business conventions are among their biggest markets. Speakers create marketing materials such as brochures, one-sheets, sample videos, and souvenirs such as coffee cups, planner books, pens, and so forth. Many speakers also write books; if they cannot find a publisher, they can self-publish, often through CreateSpace. Speakers often make substantial additional money by selling their books, souvenirs, and videos in the back of the room after the presentation.

My favorite book about professional public speaking is Dottie and Lilly Waters' Speak and Grow Rich. Of course, like most self-help authors, they make getting started sound much easier than it really is. Professional speakers should consider consulting with an attorney to establish and license a business entity and to comply with all business regulations.

Top business speakers today continue to receive an excellent income, and this career path can also be an option for part-time work. Some excellent speakers moonlight from their day jobs when they are invited to speak. So, outstanding speakers will find that this old, honorable, and potentially lucrative career path continues to be available. Good luck! And good speaking.

"Just because we're magic..." Jesse Williams's Award Speech

Once again, a speaker shows that a ceremonial speech can provide a powerful occasion on which to spread a controversial message. Accepting the 2016 BET Humanitarian Award, sponsored by State Farm, actor Jesse Williams gave a passionate discussion of the importance of Black lives, expressed the need to continue a fight for freedom, and praised the contributions of Black women. He ended with a call to action.

I can't say that his speech was highly polished. It wasn't. But Williams' specific examples, powerful imagery, and carefully balanced phrases brought his sympathetic audience to a height of enthusiasm. He used his very public moment to talk about issues he cared about. His speech did not explain why he received the BET Humanitarian Award; it proved that he had earned it. He didn't tell his message; he showed it. The speech has aroused some controversy, of course, but much less than one might have expected--perhaps the speech's power overcome some of the people who might have opposed him.

Firewalking? There are other ways to motivate your audience.

The news recently reported that motivational speaker Tony Robbins encouraged his audience to walk across hot coals. Some of them were injured.

Tony Robbins may be the most successful professional public speaker ever. All the same, public speaking textbooks do not discuss firewalking as a way to motivate one's audience.

On a more general note, I tell my students that visual aids should be big, simple, and safe. I, for one, am against silly, dangerous stunts.

Dramatic events do not necessarily produce long-term motivation. If a speaker wants to motivate an audience, the time-tested methods are to relate personal experiences, cite evidence, and relate the speaker's topic to the audience's needs. People are attracted to flashy stunts--thus Robbins' prominence--but real change often requires more thoughtful methods.

On a broader note, the most famous professional speakers may not always be the best.

Free speech on college campuses--time for some humor?

Following up on my post about free speech on college campuses, I noticed that the Brewster Rockit comic strip ran a hilarious week-long series on the subject, examining how easy it was to offend students at the comic's Mad Scientist College. The fictional college's professors needed to avoid a long list of offensive words that students could not deal with. Have today's college students really gotten so delicate that they cannot handle controversy?

Maybe it is time for more humor in college, just to help us professors and our students keep things in perspective.

Casey Gerald's business school speech told stories and discussed his life experience

Speaking at the Harvard Business School in 2014, Casey Gerald, soon to work on MBAs Across America, gave a powerful speech about how important it is for a business person to overcome fear. He made effective use of parallel structure in his introduction:

"I arrived four years after applying..."

"I arrived after spending a year in the hallowed halls..."

"I arrived after a failed attempt..."

Parallel language like this ties a speaker's ideas together. Parallel phrases create a sequence in the audience's minds.

Gerald wove his speech around the terrifying personal experience of being a crime victim. He overcame the horror, and it motivated him to maximize his accomplishments. He showed how to turn the negative into the positive. He continued to show how to work for a cause greater than himself. He illustrated his points with many specific examples. He ended with a call to commitment and action.

These are good lessons for any speaker. People identify with specifics, not with generalities. People care about a speaker's personal experiences. Never underestimate the power of an energetic young speaker.

Once again, studying excellent speeches is the best way to learn to give good speeches.

Should ceremonial speeches cause controversy?

Is it OK for a ceremonial speaker to say something controversial? Many people say no, but there is a long, long history of great ceremonial speeches talking about controversial issues. Most recently, filmmaker Ken Burns' commencement speech at Stanford University quoted Lincoln, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." He took time to put down anti-government attitudes and reinforced the United States' greatness. He caused some controversy by condemning Donald Trump's presidential candidacy.

This speech tactic was nothing new. In his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln honored the dead, but Lincoln took time during his very brief speech to advocate fighting the Civil War to ultimate Union victory: "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced."

William McKinley's Atlanta Peace Jubilee Speech included a plea to annex the Philippine Islands, which had been recently conquered during the Spanish American War. He praised the American flag and then advocated his policy: “That flag has been planted in two hemispheres, and there it remains the symbol of liberty and law, of peace and progress. Who will withdraw from the people over whom it floats its protecting folds? Who will haul it down? Answer me, ye men of the South, who is there in Dixie who will haul it down?" 

President Barack Obama's eulogy to the 2015 Charleston shooting victims took time to advocate gun control. 

All of these speeches caused controversy at the time. Although people often say that a ceremonial speech is not a time for policy or controversy, speakers often think that it is the best time. A good ceremonial speech is never just about feelings; it is also about values. A tragic death, a wedding, or a life's milestone gives people a chance to discuss the future: future decisions, future policies, future actions. Ceremonial speakers who cause controversy are following a long tradition. 

Michael Bloomberg's 2016 Commencement Speech at University of Michigan

I just spotted Michael Bloomberg's 2016 commencement speech at the University of Michigan, which gained attention for his support of campus free speech. Bloomberg did a wonderful job of adapting to his audience. He took time to visit various campus hangouts before the speech so he could mention some aspects of the students' lives.

Early in his speech, he noted that college helps students learn to think critically and to work together. He said that this was more important than choosing a major. He also illustrated his points with stories, his own life experiences, and a long (and accurate!) quotation from George Washington.

One of the best ways to become a better speaker is to listen to speeches like Bloomberg's. We can see the techniques that successful speakers use and adapt the best techniques to our own speaking.