Carnegie Language Breakthroughs and the Art of Communication

Chapter 14 Speech Speakers and Audiences (3)
The same goes for everyday conversations.What we have said before about the finer points of speaking in public applies equally to conversation in general.It is the details that bring life and luster to a conversation.Anyone who wants to become a better conversationalist will benefit greatly from following the advice in this chapter.Salespeople, too, will discover how magical these principles can be in the sales process.Those in positions of authority, housewives, and teachers will find that their results are greatly improved by the use of concrete and practical details as to the manner and effect of giving orders and imparting knowledge and messages.

Let's take a look at an award-winning speech.It follows these principles we mentioned above.This speech was given several years ago at the National Association of Realtors.This speech won No. 27 out of a competition of 1 speeches from other municipalities—a prize that would be awarded even today.The speech was perfectly structured, presented facts, and the narrative was clear, lively, and entertaining.The whole talk is aggressive and inspiring, and well worth reading and studying.Please see:
Chairman, dear friends:
As far back as 144 years ago, this great country, the United States of America, was born in Philadelphia where I live.It was only natural, then, that a city with such a record should have that strong American spirit that makes it not only the greatest industrial center in this country, but also the greatest and most beautiful city in the world.

With a population of nearly 200 million, Philadelphia is the size of Milwaukee and Boston, or Paris and Berlin combined.And in the city's 130 square miles of land, we have provided nearly 800 acres of the best land to build beautiful parks, squares and avenues, so that our citizens have appropriate places for leisure and entertainment, as well as belonging to everyone. Just the normal circumstances of an American citizen.

friends!Philadelphia is not only a great, clean and beautiful city, but also a world-famous "world factory".And it's called "the factory of the world" because we have 40 people employed in 9 factory enterprises that turn out $200 worth of product every 10 minutes of every working day.According to a noted statistician, no city in the United States produces as much wood, leather, hosiery, textiles, felt hats, hardware, tools, batteries, iron-hulled ships, and other things as Philadelphia. Many items.We produce a locomotive every two hours, day or night.In this country, more than half the population rides the trolleys made in Philadelphia.We produce 10 cigars per minute.And, in the previous year, our 1 hosiery factories made two pairs of socks for every man, woman, and child in our country.We produce more rugs than England and Ireland combined.In fact, the amount of our business transactions is too large.The total transaction amount of our bank last year unexpectedly reached 000 billion U.S. dollars, which can repay all the wartime bonds issued by Britain in the First World War.

But, friends, as proud as we are of our great industrial progress, as proud as we are of being the greatest center of medicine, art, and education in this country, we are even more proud of the fact that Philadelphia's The number of private houses far exceeds any metropolis in the world.We have 397 private homes in Philadelphia alone.If you put these houses on a 000-foot lot, one right next to the other, in a single row, you could go all the way from Philadelphia to the Kansas City Convention Hall where we are now, and on to Denver , with a total length of 25 miles.

Philadelphia was not a fertile ground for a European monarchy.Because our families, our education system, and our vast industrial system were born out of the true American spirit born in our cities and the legacy of our ancestors.Philadelphia is the mother city of this great nation and the foundation of American freedom.The city where the first American flag was made; where the first U.S. Congress met; where the Declaration of Independence was signed; where America's most beloved national treasure ——The Liberty Bell has inspired tens of thousands of our compatriots, men, women and children.So we firmly believe that we have a sacred task: not to worship the Taurus, but to spread the American spirit and keep the fire of freedom burning.Thus, under the grace of God, the governments of Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt will be revelations to mankind.

Let's analyze this speech.Let's take a look at its structure and see how it plays into the power of the speech.First, it has a beginning and an end.It's rare—more rare than you might imagine.It starts somewhere, and it flies straight to that spot like a wild goose on the wing.It doesn't idle, it doesn't waste time.

This speech is fresh and personal.The speaker begins by stating a feature of his city that no other speaker could have said of theirs—his city is the birthplace of an entire nation.

He said his city was the biggest and most beautiful city in the world.But this statement is commonplace and corny; it does not impress people by itself.The speaker knew this, and to help his audience get a sense of the size of Philadelphia, he said, "Philadelphia is the size of Milwaukee and Boston, or Paris and Berlin combined." That statement was specific, clear, interesting, and Surprising.This statement works far better than a page of statistics.

He went on to declare that Philadelphia was "the factory of the world known to all."That sounds a bit bragging, doesn't it?More like propaganda.If he had talked about the next issue right away, no one would have believed him, but he didn't.He cites the products in which Philadelphia leads the world: "Woodwork, leatherwork, knitwear, textiles, felt hats, hardware, tools, batteries, iron-hulled boats..."

In this way, it doesn't look like propaganda, does it?
Philadelphia "produces a train locomotive every two hours, day or night ... over half the population rides on Philadelphia-made trolleys."

Hearing this, we must have thought, "Oh, I never knew that, maybe I was on one of these trams when I went into town yesterday. I'll have to watch out tomorrow, the trams in our town Where did you buy it from?"

"Produces 1 cigars per minute...makes two pairs of socks for every man, woman, and child in the country."

We were even more impressed: "Perhaps my favorite cigar is from Philadelphia...and, these socks I'm wearing right now..."

What did the speaker do next?Going back to what he said about the size of Philadelphia in the first place, and telling us some facts that he forgot at the time?No, it is not.He only focuses on one problem, and after talking about it, there is no need to go back to it.For this, I am still extremely grateful.What could be more confusing and bewildering than a speaker who jumps from one question to another and then goes back to talking about it again like a bat flying through the night?However, there are many speakers who do this, and instead of talking about issues in the order of one, two, three, four, five, they talk about issues like a football team call signal: 27, 34, 19, 2.No, they are worse than this.The order in which they talked about the problems was like this - 27, 34, 27, 19, 2, 34, 19...

But this speaker went straight ahead at the appointed time, never loitering, never turning back, never turning, nor turning left or right, like those locomotives he himself mentioned.

But he now brings up the weakest point of the whole speech: he declares that Philadelphia is "the greatest center of medicine, art, and education in the country." He just declares it; then rushes on to something else Come—just a short sentence, it is impossible to use it to describe the facts, to describe it vividly, and to be deeply rooted in people's memory.Of course not, the human mind is not a tape.He spends so little time on this one question, and speaks so generally, so vaguely, that he seems to have little impression on himself, and has almost zero influence on his listeners.So what should he do?He knew that he could apply the same technique he had just used to explain that Philadelphia was the factory of the world.But he also knew that someone with a stopwatch was counting the time he spent during speech contests.He only has 5 minutes, not a second more.Therefore, he must ignore this point, or ignore other points.

"Philadelphia has far more private residences than any other metropolis in the world." How does he deepen people's impression of this sentence and increase its credibility?First, he cited numbers: 397.Second, he made the figure concrete: "If these dwellings were placed on a twenty-five-foot lot, one next to the other, in a single row, they would go all the way from Philadelphia to where we are now." Kansas City Convention Hall, and then continue to Denver for a total of 000 miles.”

Perhaps before he finished his sentence, the audience had forgotten the figures he cited.But it's almost impossible to forget what he's describing.

Cold data and facts are important, but eloquence cannot be brought out of them.The speaker is trying to create a climax, to move the hearts of the listeners, to provoke their feelings.So when it came to family issues, he dealt with them with emotional material.He praised Philadelphia as "the cornerstone of American liberty."free!It was a magic word, an emotional one, for which millions of people died.The sentence was good on its own, but he made it a thousand times better.Because he cites historical events and documents to support his statement, it is very dear and sacred to his audience: "In this city the first American flag was made; the first Congress of the United States In this city was met; in this city the Declaration of Independence was signed...the Liberty Bell...a sacred mission...to spread the spirit of America, to keep the fire of liberty burning, so, by the grace of God Next, the administrations of Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt will be revelations to mankind." What a climax!
The layout of this speech has many merits.But what is most admirable is that, from the point of view of its structure, if this speech is delivered with a calmness that lacks energy and vitality, it may fail, and easily, for nothing.But the speaker delivered it with the same sincerity of emotion and zeal as it was written.No wonder this speech won the first prize of the "Chicago Cup".

Bring your speech to life
For each of us, strong physical strength is what everyone yearns for.When I hire speakers and instructors for speech classes, the first thing I look for is energy, liveliness, and enthusiasm.People like to gather around energetic speakers, just as wild geese like to gather around autumn wheat fields.

Not long after the First World War, I worked with Lowell Thomas in London.He was delivering a series of marvelous lectures on Lawrence of Arabia to packed audiences.One Sunday, I wandered in Hyde Park and came near the entrance to Marble Arch.Here, speakers with various doctrines, races, politics, and religious beliefs can talk about their opinions without legal interference.I listened to a Catholic explain the Infallibility of the Pope, then I went to the outer edge of another group to hear what a socialist had to say about Karl Marx, and then I wandered over to the third speaker There, he is explaining why it is correct and appropriate for a man to have three wives and four concubines!Then I walked away again and looked back at the three groups.

Believe it or not, the guys who preach polygamy are the least listened to, only a handful.However, the crowd surrounding the other two speakers continued to increase dramatically.I asked myself, how could this be?Could it be that the titles are different?But, I think not.I watched and found that the answer to this phenomenon lay in the three speakers themselves.The fellow who talked about how wonderful it is to have three or four wives did not seem to be interested in having three or four wives himself; but the other two speakers, from almost completely opposite points of view, argued that they Completely ecstasy into their respective topics.They are talking with their lives and souls, they are waving their arms and making fierce gestures, their voices are high and full of conviction, and they exude enthusiasm and vitality.Lively, eager, and vital are the three qualities that I always think a speaker should possess first.

How do you deliver such a lively speech that keeps the audience's attention uninterrupted?Below I'll give you three great ways to infuse enthusiasm and enthusiasm into your presentations.

1. Choose a topic you are passionate about

We have repeatedly emphasized before that it is extremely important to have a deep feeling for the topic you want to speak.Unless you have a special preference for your chosen subject, do not expect your audience to believe what you say.It is obvious that if you have actual contact and experience with your chosen subject, you are passionate about it—like some hobby or recreational pursuit; Don't worry about lack of enthusiasm when speaking. More than 20 years ago, in one of my shifts in New York, there was a speech whose enthusiasm and persuasive power were vividly displayed before my eyes.I've heard many convincing speeches, but this one—I call it a case of "bluegrass versus hickory ash"—stands out as an example of sincerity triumphing over common sense.

In a well-known New York sales company, a first-rate salesman made the perverse claim that he could make "bluegrass" grow without seeds and without roots.According to the storyline he provided, he scattered hickory ashes in the freshly plowed field, and in the blink of an eye bluegrass appeared!He was convinced that hickory ash had magical powers and that only hickory ash was responsible for the bluegrass.

Commenting on his speech, I gently pointed out to him that his extraordinary discovery, if true, would make him extremely rich overnight.Because bluegrass seeds are worth a few bucks a bushel.I also told him that this discovery would make him one of the most eminent scientists in the history of mankind.I informed him that no one, living or dead, had ever performed or been able to perform the miracle he claimed to have performed, that is, no one had yet bred new life from inanimate matter.

I told him this calmly, because I felt that his error was too obvious and absurd to require any particular refutation.After I finished speaking, all the students in the class saw the fallacy in his exposition, but he himself didn't see it, and he didn't even realize it for a second.He was passionate about his views, almost beyond redemption.He immediately stood up and told me that he was not wrong.He protested that he was not citing a theory, but merely stating his own experience.He knew the person he was talking to very well, and he continued to speak, expanding the original discussion, presenting more materials, and citing more evidence. His voice was full of sincerity and honesty.

I told him again that the chances of his being right were extremely slim.Unexpectedly, he immediately stood up again and offered to bet me $5 that the USDA would settle the dispute.

Do you want to know what strange things happened next?Several students in the class were won over by him to his side.Many people began to be skeptical.If I make a clear vote on this, I believe that more than half of the businessmen in the class will fall to him.I asked them, what had shaken their original argument?One by one they said it was the speaker's zeal and conviction that made them themselves doubt the views of common sense.

Since the students in my class were so gullible, I had to write to the Ministry of Agriculture.I told them how embarrassed I was to ask such a ridiculous question.Sure enough, they replied that it was impossible to make bluegrass or other living things grow out of hickory ash.They also added that they had received another letter from New York asking the same question.It turned out that the salesman was so sure of his proposition that he wrote a letter immediately after sitting down.

This incident made me unforgettable all my life, and also gave me a useful enlightenment.A speaker who believes in something fervently and strongly, and expresses his opinion fervently and strongly, can gain support for his beliefs, even if he claims that he can grow bluegrass from dust and ashes.In this case, if the beliefs summarized and sorted out in our minds are on the side of common sense and truth, they will have a huge driving force.

Almost all speakers will doubt whether the topic they choose will hold the interest of the audience.There's only one way to keep them interested: to ignite your own enthusiasm for a topic, and there's no fear that it won't pique people's interest.

(End of this chapter)