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Insights From 2012 Toastmasters World Champion Ryan Avery

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Each year, 30,000 of Toastmasters’ more than 280,000 members compete to determine who will be crowned the greatest public speaker in the world.  On August 18, 25-year old Ryan Avery took home the prize with his speech entitled “Trust Is A Must.”

I interviewed Ryan on November 5th and asked him just one question: “What are your three best pieces of advice on how to win the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking?”  Here is Ryan’s deep wisdom:

Tip #1: Train Like A Champion

Ryan credits his mentor, 2004 World Champion Randy Harvey, with teaching him the first piece of advice.

“The first thing I tell everyone is to practice how you play. If you think like a champion and train like a champion, then you will be a champion.  I woke up every day at 5:00am and practiced for two uninterrupted hours.  Over the course of a year, the difference between my waking up at 5 am and you waking up at 7 am is 31 extra days – the equivalent of an extra month.”

“I practiced, I practiced, I practiced at every single opportunity that I could.  I spoke countless times in my (Toastmasters) District.  Every time I traveled for work, I set up speeches with local clubs.  I wouldn’t just practice with Toastmasters; I practiced anywhere that made me feel uncomfortable… in the middle of Downtown Pioneer Square Portland, in the gym sauna where people would look at me funny, at jails… even underwater so that I could learn when to pause and come up for a breath because I am a fast speaker.”

“I practiced my semi-final winning speech ‘Push Past It’ for five months up through the District contest. I then switched over to preparing ‘Trust Is A Must’ for the next three months.”

“I practiced everything including entering and leaving the stage with energy.  I even practiced wearing a suit from 5 am to 11 pm because I knew that is what I would be wearing (at the competition) in Florida and needed to know I would be comfortable.”

“You want to practice to the point where you send the same message no matter how you deliver your speech.  My message of “Trust Is A Must” needs to be just as powerful whether you read it, watch it, or listen to it.  Practicing by videotaping is essential.  Watch yourself.  But, more importantly, send it to your mentors for feedback.”

Tip #2 Think Like A Champion

“You have to tell yourself that you are stronger than your mind.  I would catch myself sometimes saying things like ‘Hey, if I get 2nd place this year, then that is fine.’  But I then thought ‘Why is that fine Ryan? You are putting yourself in a position to fail.’ A champion does not think she is going to get second place.  She thinks she is going to win.  When people don’t laugh at your speech or when people give you feedback that throws you off, you must go back to the message you want to deliver and how you can connect with your audience and inspire them.”

“Just before I walk up to deliver a speech, I think about the Lady Gaga’s song ‘Marry The Night’ to build my confidence. When I heard that for the first time, it really moved me.  She wrote that song in a coffee shop one night when she said ‘From this point forward, I am going to marry myself to my music.’  That is how I feel about speaking.  I am there for the audience and for the message.”

“You can use a song lyric or you can think about a time when you felt confident. Maybe you got a good grade on a test.  Maybe you asked someone out on a date and they said yes.  Put that in your mind right before you speak and you will exude confidence.”

Tip #3: Surround Yourself With Champions

“You have to surround yourself with people that are better than you.  Randy Harvey was the 2004 World Champion and I would not have been able to win without him.”

“I broke people up into certain categories (of expertise).  I like you for your humor… I like you for your body language… I like you for your vocal variety.  I recorded myself and sent videos out to my League of Extraordinary Mentors and asked for specific advice on areas that they were great at.  That helped me build the different chucks of the speech.”

“I would have people turn around and listen to me. I would have others watch my video without sound.  And, I would have some who would both watch and listen.  When all three groups got the same message, I knew I was on the right path.  Your mentors are the ones that will help you do that.”

“You should have one primary mentor; Randy is the Chairman of my speaking Board of Directors.  My League of Extraordinary Mentors rounds out my Board with expertise in specific areas.”

Try it out!

When you watch Ryan speak and when you talk to him one-on-one, you get the sense of someone who is deeply authentic and passionate about sharing messages of love and compassion with the world.  Here are the words he ended our interview with:

“When I went up there, I just kept thinking how lucky I am to give ‘Trust Is A Must.”  The best part was that my family was there to support me.  (The contest organizers) did not let you sit with your partner.  Your partner had to sit in the next row. I like to hold Chelsea’s hand (before I speak) so I was reaching back behind the chair. We were preparing for what we were about to accomplish together.”

You can read Ryan’s blog or book him as a speaker at http://www.averytoday.com.   Also, be on the lookout for Ryan’s upcoming book on personal productivity entitled “P3X” which is shorthand for “P” – prioritize, publicize, and practice – three times a day.

Use Word Choice To Project Your Speaking Persona

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I recently listened to a senior executive deliver a Town Hall presentation.  During the course of his speech, he reiterated variations of the refrain “I am so proud…”  When I asked the speaker if his word choice was intentional, he revealed that it was not.  However, he immediately realized that this word choice positioned him as a father figure for his team.

Every speech should have a purpose – to educate/inform, inspire, motivate/call-to-action, persuade, or entertain.  Every speech should have a core message or theme as its backbone.  Every speech should have a central metaphor.  The Town Hall speech opened my eyes to how important it is to premeditate the persona that the speaker wishes to project.

In the realm of corporate branding, this is an old concept.  Especially in the business-to-consumer world, companies strive to project a particular brand archetype.  This concept was popularized by Carol Pearson and Margaret Mark in their 2001 book “The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through The Power of Archetypes.”

12 Brand Archetypes

With full credit to Ms. Pearson and Ms. Mark, here is my adaptation of brand archetypes to the language of public speaking. I have provided in parenthesis example companies that embody each one.

1. Everyman: The “Everyman” affects change through selflessness and belonging with words such as “we” (instead of “I” or “you”) and “together.” (ex: Levi’s)

2. Caregiver:  The “Caregiver” affects change through compassion, safety, generosity, and protection with parental language such as  “pride” and “support.” (ex: Volvo)

3. Sage: The “Sage” affects change by sharing knowledge with a words such as “teach” and “share”. (ex: New York Times)

4. Explorer: The “Explorer” affects change through independence and daring with words such as “discover” and “uncover.” (ex: Jeep)

5. Hero: The “Hero” affects change through courage and competence with words including “overcome” or “conquer.” (ex: Nike)

6. Magician: The magician affects wondrous change through cleverness and will use words including “astonish”, “surprise”, and “reveal.” (ex: Disney)

7. Revolutionary: The “Revolutionary” affects change by challenging authority and the status-quo.  This persona is also known as the Outlaw or Rebel.  As such, speakers projecting this persona might use “overthrow”, “challenge”, or “struggle.” (ex: Harley Davidson)

8. Jester: The “Jester” affects change through mischief and fun.  This persona will be expressed principally through a tone of humor and ridicule rather than by means of specific words. (ex: Burger King)

9. Lover: The “Lover” affects change through hope and sensory experience with words such as “delight”, “feel”, and “dream.”  This persona is also known as the Idealist or Dreamer. (ex: Godiva)

10. Ruler: The “Ruler” affects change through status and power with language such as “I” and “tell (you)”.  Too many executives intentionally or unintentionally project this persona which project authority without building loyalty. (ex: Mercedes)

11. Creator: The “Creator” affects change through innovation and imagination with words like “create” and “invent.” (ex: Lego)

12. Innocent: The “Innocent” affects change through simplicity and morality with words such as “faith” and “ease”. (ex: Cotton)

Try It Out

The words you choose will affect the way that your audience receives your message.  Some archetypes put you on an authoritative pedestal including the Ruler, the Magician, and the Sage.  Others may be too irreverent for corporate settings such as the Jester and the Revolutionary.  I feel the most appropriate personas keep you eye-t0-eye with your audience.  These include the Everyman, the Caregiver, and the mentored Hero.  Next time you speak, premeditate the persona you wish to project and tune the language and tone accordingly.

Invite Your Audience To “Imagine”

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One of the most powerful ways to inspire your audience is kindle deep introspection during your speech.  The more concretely listeners visualize their own participation in your story or with your ideas, the more likely they are to take the actions required to change their world.

Fortunately, there is one magic word – “IMAGINE” – that triggers the brain to instantly visualize almost anything.

Tip 1: Ask listeners to imagine themselves

In her TEDIndia 2009 talk, Jane Chen shared a concept for a low-cost, life-saving incubator with the potential to save the lives of millions of premature babies in the developing world. She began her talk as follows:

“Please close your eyes and open your hands. Now imagine what you could place in your hands: an apple, maybe your wallet. Now open your eyes.  What about a life?”

As she asked “What about a life?”, Ms. Chen revealed an Anne Geddes image of a tiny baby sleeping in the palm of pair of aged hands.  In this instance, the question was abstract enough that the image added specificity and emotional intensity.  Most of the time, it is best to just let people’s imaginations run wild. The freedom of imagination explains why the book is always better than the movie.

Tip 2: Invite your audience into your stories

In the example above, Jane Chen used the word “imagine” to enhance an activity that her audience completed in the room.  However, an even more powerful approach is to use this magic word to invite your audience to be a fly on the wall in your stories.  For example, you might start out as follows: “Imagine you were with me the day I met my wife…”

Tip 3: Pause after asking your audience to imagine

After you ask your audience to imagine, you must give them a nice long pause so that they can create a visual image or scan their brain for a suitable memory.  That requires a much longer silence than many speakers are comfortable with – at least 5 seconds.

Tip 4: Engage your audience’s full sensory imagination

Amateur speakers focus only on the visual.  When professional speakers ask their audience to imagine, they strive to engage all five senses – sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.  For example: “Imagine you were with me the first time I went to New York City.  Coming from a small Midwestern town, I was certain that I was surrounded by muggers at every turn.  Have you ever felt there was danger at every turn?  On that sweltering August day, I choked on the smell of taxi cab exhaust mixed with the sweat of pedestrians pressed shoulder-to-shoulder on every street corner…”

Tip 5: Ask your audience to imagine their bright future

The word “imagine” is just as powerful at the end of your speech as it is at the beginning. In your conclusion, ask people to picture their lives if they apply your inspirational message.  “Imagine what your life would be like if you woke up tomorrow with compassion for your friends.  Imagine what your life would be like if you woke up tomorrow with compassion for your family.  Imagine what your life would be like if you woke up tomorrow with compassion for… yourself.”

Tip 6: Provide just enough specificity

The word “imagine” can be used either to bring your audience into your stories or to prompt them to visualize their past or their future.  When bringing people into your stories, you want to provide a very high level of detail that engages all five senses.  However, if you are trying to get them to think about themselves, then you need to back off on detail and allow them the freedom to explore their mind.

Try it out!

The next time you speak, ask your audience to imagine at least twice.  At the beginning of your speech, draw individuals into a vivid, sensory story.  At the end of your speech, invite your audience to imagine their future if they apply your message. Imagine how much more inspiring your speech will be…

How To Stand On Stage When Not Speaking

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Do you ever feel a bit awkward or uncomfortable when you are on stage but not actively speaking?

With years of practice, I am now reasonably comfortable during my presentations.  When not moving to a new position, I keep my feet parallel, firmly planted, and shoulder width apart.  In the intermittent periods when I am not gesturing, I do one of two things with my arms.  In a casual settings, I allow my arms to rest comfortably at my sides.  When I need to be more authoritative, I hold my hands in a steeple position at navel level with my finger tips gently touching.

The casual position and the authoritative position are fine and dandy for brief moments.  However, they both look and feel strange if assumed beyond the 10 second mark.  That tends to happen at the beginning and at the end of your public speaking performance – when you are being introduced or when you are listening to questions from the audience during Q&A.

This week, I had the great fortune to receive personal coaching from Richard Butterfield at a leadership development retreat.  When I took the stage in my casual base position described above, Mr. Butterfield sized me up and said “Do you know that you have assumed an aggressive posture?”.  I responded “How so?”  Richard explained that the feet square-arms down base position in combination with my height made me look like a linebacker ready to pounce.

He proceeded to make a subtle adjustment that I immediately recognized as comfortable, casual, and invaluable.  I’ll call it the model position – you will see why in a minute.

Step 1: Start in the casual position with your feet parallel and shoulder width apart.  Let your arms rest freely at your sides.

Step 2: Bring your right foot forward just a bit so that your feet are still parallel, but your left toes are parallel with the front of the arch of your right foot.

Step 3:  Keeping your right heel in place, pivot the front of your right foot outward at a comfortable angle – about thirty degrees.

Step 4: Rest your weight on your left (back) leg. This will probably cause your front (right) knee to bend a little.

Step 5: Place your left hand in your pocket with your thumb showing.  You right arm will naturally move an inch or two forward.  (You may want to test the opposite with your right hand in your pocket to see what is more comfortable).

Try It Out!

Don’t just read the steps, stand up and get into position.  When you do, you will feel as though you a posing the way a model does.  Hence, the “model position.”  It is relaxed and casual and will simultaneously make you appear confident and approachable.

How To Speak Behind A Lectern

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A week ago, I watched a live video feed in which three high-ranking speakers gave presentations from behind a lectern.  Each of the three had a different default hand position and a different degree of movement around the lectern.  Though uniformity is decided not a tenet of public speaking, there are several best practices that will make your performance more effective when speaking behind a lectern.

(As every commentator on this topic has done before me, I offer the gentle reminder that a podium is a stage you stand on and a lectern is a stand you speak behind.)

Tip 1: Use a lectern when you need to project authority

Lecterns are neither purely good nor purely evil.  Let’s start by assuming that you have practiced your material and have your content and delivery solidly nailed.  In that case, you are simply making a stylistic decision about whether or not to use a lectern.  In most cases, the best choice is to avoid the lectern entirely since it creates a physical and psychological barrier between you and your audience.  If you want to motivate and inspire, the lectern is your enemy.

However, you should use a lectern when you intentionally need to project power and authority.  In years past, executives would always speak from behind a lectern.  Today, they reserve the lectern for more solemn occasions such as sharing financial performance or delivering bad news.

When your objective is authority, remember to maintain consistency in your other actions.  President Barack Obama frequently leaves his jacket behind and rolls up his sleeves.  However, when he speaks from behind a lectern, he always wears a formal suit and tie with the jacket buttoned.

To maintain authority, make sure that you and the lectern are completely out of the line of fire of projected slides or images.  For the same reason, if you are very short relative to the height of the lectern, either use a hidden stool or avoid the lectern.

A second reason to use a lectern is when doing so is required by the norms of the event or the audience.  For example, some churches require that speakers talk from behind a lectern to maintain a divine aura.  In this circumstance, the lectern also makes it easier to read long passages from a religious text.  The same logic holds true when delivering a eulogy.

A third reason to use a lectern is when you need to rely on notes and you do not have a teleprompter available.  In most instances, this is a poor justification – with sufficient practice you should not need notes.  However, if you speak often and on a wide range of topics, you simply may not have the time to practice adequately.  In addition, there are situations when the stakes are very high and every word matters, as is the case when a CEO is issuing an apology for a consumer product safety recall.

 

Tip 2: Rest your hands gently on the lectern

From what I can tell, the vast majority of untrained speakers grip the sides of the lectern.  Even more egregious are those speakers who grab its front or back edges or rest their elbows on any part of it.  If those are the worst practices, what are the best practices?

Every time you speak, you should premeditate your default or base hand position.  This is the place you are going to put your hands when you are not gesturing.  When speaking behind a lectern, you have two choices.  I recommend loosely and comfortably resting your hands on the lectern – especially if you are referring to notes.  Any of the following three ways of doing that are acceptable.  The most casual is with your hands fully interlaced with the webbing of the fingers of your right hand touching the webbing of the fingers of your left hand.  When using this approach, be careful not to clench too tightly.  In terms of formality, the intermediate way is to interlace your hands so that the finger tips of each hand touch the webbing of the other hand with palms apart.  Most speakers that apply this technique allow their thumb tips to touch.  The most formal approach is to pair the finger tips of both hands – pinky with pinky, pointer with pointer and so on.

If you are not referring to notes, then the other acceptable base position is to stand about a foot behind the lectern and use one of the three hand positions just out in front of you at navel level.

Regardless of whether you choose to rest your hands on the lectern or hold them at navel level, gesture normally and confidently at or above chest level.  By way of reference, this is a bit higher than when speaking without a lectern due to the obvious obstruction.  Also, unless you are a crazed dictator, please do not pound the lectern.  If you are a crazed dictator, then pound early and often.

 

Tip 3: Move away from the lectern if you can

To break the physical and psychological barrier between you and your audience, you want to move away from the lectern.  Your ability to do so will be limited by the formality of the occasion, audio-video considerations, and by your degree of preparation.

In very formal settings, start, deliver, and end your speech without leaving the lectern.  That means that you need to keep your feet planted firmly, square, and straight for what is likely to be a painfully long time.  Of course you can shift your weight occasionally, and I do mean occasionally, for comfort.  Also remember not to lean toward the lectern, sway, or rock.

Audio and video considerations may also inhibit your ability to move.  Most obviously, if the only available microphone is attached to the lectern, then you are stuck.  Additionally, if your talk is being broadcast over a simple, single camera video feed, then your range of movement should be limited if not nonexistent due to challenges with tracking and focus.

If the occasion is not overly formal, you have a wireless microphone, and there either is no video or very sophisticated video, then you are free to move about the cabin.  Though you may choose to start and end your speech from behind the lectern, move with purpose and with pseudo-theatrical staging in mind.  That means that you are not solely moving for variety or to release your nervous energy.

If you move, really move.  Do not remain artificially tethered to the lectern by stepping just to its right, left, or front.  Another amateurish maneuver is to return to the lectern simply to advance your slides or refer to your notes.  Use a wireless slide changer; preferably a very simple one that you can surreptitiously advance by pressing on your pocket.  If you do lose your place and need to come back to look at your notes, then do so while taking a drink of water.  This clever sleight of hand distracts your audience from your true purpose.  Doing this excessively will both undermine your credibility and hasten your need for a bathroom break.

When you leave the lectern, leave your notes, water, and any other materials behind so that you leave the stage with confidence and authority.  You can always come back for them at intermission or get them from your host.

Tip 4: Use notes like a professional

As I mentioned before, the best use of notes is to use no notes at all.  That said, as far as I can tell, 99% of speakers that use a lectern use notes.  If you are going to use them, you might was well use them right.

Your best option is to use a single page outline in very large font with text only on the upper half of the page.  Avoid using ALL CAPS since that is much more difficult for you to read.  In addition, leave the clear sheet protector at home (or hide it before you start) since they tend to catch light and produce glare.

If you do need multiple pages of notes, apply the same best practices that you would for a single page.  In addition, keep the pages loose (not stapled or in a three ring binder) and clearly numbered just in case you drop them.  Finally, advance the pages by sliding them over rather than flipping them to minimize movement and noise that distracts your audience from your message.

Try it out!

If you are going to speak behind a lectern to deliver a speech where you need to project authority, then I strongly encourage you to practice using a lectern as well to come as close as possible to simulating your ultimate situation.  At minimum, premeditate your default hand position and any potential movement.  Once you get up there, let your muscle memory take over and focus on your message and your audience.

How To Recover When You Lose Your Train Of Thought

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At the 2012 Toastmasters International Convention, I had the great fortune to attend Jock Elliot’s educational session.  Jock, the 2011 World Champion of Public Speaking, described his 35 year competitive speaking journey masterfully weaving storytelling and presentation tips.

Perhaps the most interesting insight I gleaned came while watching Jock when he lost his train of thought.  There is actually something heartening about the fact that even world champions suffer the occasional memory lapse on stage.  When he realized what was happening, Jock paused and said “This next part is so important that I need to read it to you.”  He then calmly strolled back the the lectern to glance at his notes making an intentionally audible “hmmm…. yes…” as he did so.  He then took back center stage and continued enthralling his audience.

Although I was very impressed by Jock’s recovery technique, I was on the fence about adopting it for myself.  The issue troubling me was whether or not it had crossed the authenticity line.  Everyone forgets, but you should strive to recover authentically.  Surely, I was not the only one to notice it was a well-rehearsed technique.

We have all seen what not to do when speakers lose their train of thought – “I… ummm… forgot what I was about to say… ummm…”  In addition to Jock’s technique, are there other ways to recover?

As fate would have it, my fellow District 53 Toastmasters and I quite randomly shared a cab to Downtown Disney with Matt Abrahams.  Without knowing who Matt was, we invited him to dinner with us.  It turns out that Matt was leading an educational session the next day on how to overcome your fear of public speaking.  In fact, he wrote the book on the subject – “Speaking Up Without Freaking Out.”

Based on my observation of Jock, my conversation with Matt, and excerpts from Matt’s book, here is how to recover gracefully:

Method 1:  Make It Look Planned

This is what Jock Elliot did by pausing, saying “This next part is so important that I need to read it to you”, consulting his notes, then starting up again.  One key lesson here is that you should always have your notes easily accessible.  I keep mine in my pocket as a safely blanket; I rarely need them, but having them there sure make me feel good.

Method 2: Paraphrase Your Previous Content

From Matt’s book: “You will have to excuse me, but I am so passionate about my topic that I sometimes get ahead of myself.  Allow me to review my previous point.”  Nine times out of ten, retracing your steps will help you find the path forward.

Method 3: Ask Your Audience A Thought Provoking Question

Matt’s recommendation is “What seems to be the most important point so far?”  I feel that this technique would work better in presentation that is highly interactive to begin with.  However you can use this as a rhetorical question to either buy time with a long pause or to precede a review of your previous content (i.e. a lead-in to Method #2).

Method 4: Review Your Overall Speaking Purpose

Every speech should have a central theme – preferably encapsulated in a three to twelve word catchphrase.  Repeating your theme is always welcome by your audience so a memory lapse is a reasonable time to throw it back out there.

Try It Out!

Unfortunately, you are going to experience a memory lapse at some time. In fact, the older you get, the more frequently it is going to happen. However, fear of memory lapses should not prevent you from sharing your ideas with the world.  If Jock Elliot can lose his train of though, then so can I.  Pick one, just one, of these methods and have it in your back pocket the next time you need it.