Give Your Speech, Change the World. Nick Morgan

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      Give Your Speech,

      Change the World

      HOW TO MOVE YOUR AUDIENCE TO ACTION

      Nick Morgan

      HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PRESS

      Boston, Massachusetts

      Published by the Harvard Business School Press in hardcover, 2003, in paperback, 2005

      Quotation from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is reprinted by arrangement with The Heirs to the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., c/o Writers House, Inc., as agent for the proprietor. Copyright 1963 by Martin Luther King, Jr., copyright renewed 1991 by Coretta Scott King.

      Copyright 2003 Nicholas H. Morgan

      All rights reserved

      No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to [email protected], or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.

       Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Morgan, Nick.

      {Working the room}

      Give your speech, change the world : how to move your audience to action / Nick Morgan.

      p. cm.

      Originally published: Working the room. Boston : Harvard Business School Press, c2003.

      ISBN10: 1-59139-714-6 ISBN13: 978-1-59139-714-4

      1. Public speaking. I. Title.

      PN4129.15.M67 2005

      808.5'1—dc22

      2004024623

      To Nikki

      CONTENTS

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      INTRODUCTION

       The Only Reason to Give a Speech Is to Change the World

       PART I HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

      CHAPTER 1

       How Did We Get Here?

      CHAPTER 2

       What to Do? The Audience-Centered Presentation Process

       PART II PREPARING THE CONTENT

      CHAPTER 3

       Understand the Audience

      CHAPTER 4

       Craft the Elevator Speech

      CHAPTER 5

       Pick the Level of Need

      CHAPTER 6

       Find the Story

      CHAPTER 7

       Structure the Content

      CHAPTER 8

       Make the Journey

      CHAPTER 9

       Involve the Audience

       PART III REHEARSING THE PRESENTATION

      CHAPTER 10

       Search for the Truth

      CHAPTER 11

       Choreograph the Kinesthetics

      CHAPTER 12

       Pay Attention to What Your Audience Needs

      CHAPTER 13

       Conquer Your Fear

      CHAPTER 14

       Get Technical

       PART IV STAND AND DELIVER

      CHAPTER 15

       The Audience-Centered Speech

      CHAPTER 16

       Listen to Your Audience

      CHAPTER 17

       Audience-Centered Speaking for All Occasions

      CONCLUSION

       The Secret of Charisma

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

       ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      My interest in public speaking began in graduate school debating rhetorical points with Professor E. D. Hirsch, and for his tutelage and that of the many other professors and fellow students at the University of Virginia, I am grateful.

      I first learned speechwriting from Chief of Staff David McCloud, Press Secretary George Stoddart, and Governor Charles S. Robb of Virginia. Their teaching was brisk and professional and I will always be in their debt.

      From my students at Princeton University, the University of Virginia, and Lehigh University I learned much, and with their help and constant feedback first developed many of the principles in this book. They have my affection and thanks always. In particular, Andrew Boer has helped me as much as I have helped him over the years. Thanks to Andy and the family. Thanks also to Alex Kinnier, who listened to an early version of these ideas and put them brilliantly into practice.

      It is chiefly, though, to my clients at Gemini Consulting, Index, and many other companies, that thanks must go for helping me to hone the insights contained herein. In particular, the people of Research Services have shared my passion for getting public speaking right, and they have tried out many of these ideas with faith and enthusiasm. Thanks, Richard, for first hiring me and then arguing with me so eloquently over the years. Thanks, Nikki, David, Richard, Espen, Tony, Paul, Tony, Alex, Andy, Anne, Anna, Carole, Cher, Chris, Donal, Chris, Doug, Francis, James, Jane, Guy, Jon, Keri, Kate, Keren, Richard, Lem, Linda, Lyn, Mary, Mel, Piet, Patrick, Tudor, Ian, and Victoria.

      The people of Harvard Business School Publishing have inspired me, taught me, helped me, worked with me, and pushed me always to do better. Thanks, Walter, for bringing me on board. Thanks to the Newsletters and Conferences Group past and present, whose hard work has made it possible for me to get a newsletter out and write a book and consult with clients at the same time. Thanks to the Harvard ManageMentor team for its energy and creativity. Thanks of course to the Press folks, and my editor, Jeff Kehoe, for patiently and expertly seeing this book through to publication. Thanks to the Harvard Business Review for publishing “The Kinesthetic Speaker,” in which the seed of this book first began to sprout. And thanks to my agent, Jim Levine, for spotting the promise contained therein.

      Thanks to Greg and Seth of Public Words. Thanks are also due to fellow journeymen Ruth Mott, Richard Greene, and Jeff Ansell.

      Finally, thanks to my extended families for all their support, love, and forgiveness. Thanks to Marjie. And thanks to Sarah and Eric for patiently hearing many of these thoughts over and over again as they were growing up. For them, the rules of good public speaking are as simple and obvious as Saturday morning waffles.

      INTRODUCTION

      The Only Reason to Give a Speech Is to Change the World

      THE ONLY REASON TO GIVE A SPEECH IS to change the world. An old friend of mine, a speechwriter, used to say that to me. He meant it as a challenge. It was his way of saying that, if you’re