Carnegie Language Breakthroughs and the Art of Communication

Chapter 18 Different categories of speech concepts (2)
These are the lessons you will never forget, the first essentials of persuasive speaking.Using these examples, you can get your audience to take action—even if it happened to you, let them know that it could happen to them too.Therefore, they better understand and accept your opinion and act accordingly as you do.

B. Recount the example in detail at the beginning of the speech

Get into the example phase right at the beginning of your speech so you can grab your audience's attention right away.Some speakers just can't get the audience's attention right from the start. They often like to quote clichés or trivial apologies that don't interest the audience.Phrases like "I've never been used to speaking in public" are annoying.There are also many clichés that are not suitable as opening remarks, lest the audience lose interest.In addition, babbling on why you have chosen this topic, or expressing that you are not prepared enough (the audience will soon find out this fact), or preaching your theme like a pastor, etc., should be done as much as possible. way to avoid.

Here are some tips from the writers of leading newspapers and magazines: Start your example straight away and your audience will be hooked.

Here are some opening lines that caught my attention: "In 1942, I found myself lying in a hospital bed..." "At breakfast yesterday, my wife was pouring coffee when..." "Last July, I Speeding down Route 7 in my sports car..." "The door to my office was flung open, and I saw our foreman, Charlie Fan, rushing in in a panic..." "I was fishing by the lake, When I looked up, I saw a motorboat speeding towards me..."

If your opening statement can answer one of the "five W's" and "one H", that is, "who (who)", "when (when)", "where" and "what" "why" "how" you're using the oldest form of communication to get someone's attention - like telling a story, "Once upon a time...", the magic word that triggers the wellspring of a child's imagination.Using the same principle, you can use your story to captivate the hearts and minds of your audience from the very beginning of your speech.

C. Describe the relevant details of the example

Details are not interesting in themselves, a room full of cluttered furniture or decorations is not attractive, and a painting filled with too many irrelevant details is not pleasing to the eye.Similarly, too much detail in a speech—trivial, unimportant details—can be overwhelming for an audience.The trick to describing the details is that you must choose a part that is related to the topic and can strengthen the reasons and viewpoints stated by the topic.If you want to tell the audience the concept of "checking the performance of the car in detail before taking a long trip", the detailed explanation at the example stage must focus on "because you forgot to check the performance of the car before the long trip, some kind of accident happened. " on this topic.If you go into details of how to enjoy the scenery along the way, or where you went when you arrived at your destination, you will only confuse or distract your audience.

Detailed descriptions related to the topic, in very specific and vivid terms, can bring your examples to life and make the audience feel like they are there.If you say that a car accident happened only because of "negligence," it must sound very flat and uninteresting, and it is unlikely to induce the audience to want to check the car.But if you vividly describe the process of a car accident and use sentences that can arouse multiple feelings to influence the audience, the effect must be different.The following is an example given by one of the participants in the training class.He vividly pointed out how careful driving is in winter.

In the winter of 1949, just before Christmas, I was driving north on Route 41 in Indiana with my wife and two young children.The car crawled slowly on the mirror-like ice for several hours. I held the steering wheel carefully, for fear that a small movement would cause the whole car to slide out of control.Only a few drivers dared to overtake off-line, and time was sliding forward as slowly as the speed of the car.

Soon, the car came to a wider road, and the ice on the road was also melted by the sun, so I stepped on the transmission, trying to drive some time.The rest of the cars sped up, too, and for a split second it seemed like everyone was desperate to get to Chicago as quickly as possible.The children started singing in the backseat, little did they know that disaster was coming.

Suddenly, the uphill part of the road extended into a woodland.When the speeding car reached the top, I saw the low-lying area on the north side of the hillside, which was covered by trees and could not get sunlight, and was still covered with ice and snow.It was too late for me to slow down.The two cars in front of me had slid down the hill crazily, and I couldn't help sliding down the hill too.We slid across the road and stopped on a snow embankment, but luckily the body hadn't overturned.But the car that was sliding down after us rammed into the side of our car impartially.Not only did the door crash, but the broken glass rained down on us.

The illustration is so detailed that it makes it easy for the listener to get into the situation.In short, your goal is to make the audience see what you see, hear what you hear, and feel what you are feeling at the time.If you want to achieve this goal, you have to use a lot of rich vocabulary to describe the details.As we mentioned in the previous chapter, the homework of preparing a speech is to answer questions like: Who?when?where?how?Why?You have to capture the audience's imagination with a rich vocabulary and a specific tone of voice.

D. Recreate your experience to an audience
In addition to using informative and detailed descriptions, the speaker must also reproduce his own experience when describing events, so that it is possible to achieve the purpose of motivating others to take action.Great orators are endowed with a gift for acting, which is not a particularly rare quality, and many children are endowed with it.Many of the people we know are born with a natural gift for rhythm, facial expression, imitation, or pantomime, all of which are invaluable aptitudes for acting.In fact, each of us has this ability in part. As long as you practice hard, I believe you can improve.

The more action and motivation you use in your illustrations, the more you will impress your audience.If the speaker lacks this kind of enthusiasm for re-creation, no matter how detailed the examples are, they still cannot produce effective power.Do you want to describe a fire?Then think about how you and the crowd escape from the fire while the firefighters are fighting the flames.Do you want to tell us how you got into an argument with your neighbor?Then recreate the experience and emphasize certain features.Have you ever had the experience of escaping death in water?Then tell the audience how hopeless you felt in that horrible moment.You have to find a way to make the conversation special so that the audience will remember what you have said.Only by getting your audience to remember what you have said will you be able to get them to take action.We will remember the honesty of George Washington because of the story of the cherry tree felled by Wim in his biography of Washington. The "New Testament" is also full of examples of strengthening moral behavior, such as "The Good Samaritan" and other stories.

In order for your examples to be imprinted in the minds of the audience, this kind of "example from actual experience" speech will be more interesting, persuasive, and easier to understand.The lessons you have learned from life, when your audience has just received them and is preparing to respond to what you want them to do, is the second stage of the Magic Equation.

2. State the point and what you expect the audience to do

In a persuasive speech, examples take about 3/4 of the time.Assuming your total time is 2 minutes, now you have only 30 seconds left to prompt the audience to take action, explain how taking action will benefit them, and so on.At this time, there is no need to describe the details, but to state your claims directly.This is the exact opposite of news reporting techniques.When you report the news, you first make the main points in headlines and then expand on the news content; while in the speech, you first state the content, then use your arguments to emphasize it, and finally call for action.Pay attention to the following three rules at this stage.

A. Brief and powerful statement of key points
Be very clear with your audience what you want them to do.People usually take the right action only after they clearly understand something.So you'd better ask yourself, what do you want your audience to do after hearing your example?Write down your proposition in as short a sentence as possible, like a telegram.Try to keep your text short, clear, and unambiguous.Don't say: "Please help the patients in our orphanage", that's too far-fetched.It should say, “Register tonight for a picnic next Sunday, we have 25 children to care for.” It is important to demand public action—one visible action is far better than countless spiritual ones.For example, saying, "Think of your grandparents from time to time," is too vague to know how to act on it.It would be much clearer if it were changed to: "Visit your grandparents this weekend".And a phrase like "Be patriotic" should be changed to: "Please go vote next Tuesday."

B. Make focus clear and actionable

Whether or not the subject you are addressing is controversial, the speaker must state his case in such a way that the audience can easily understand and act on it.The best way to do this is to make your claims clear and specific.If you want your audience to strengthen their ability to remember names, don't say, "Now start strengthening your memory of names." That is too ethereal and difficult to practice.Better to change it to: "The next time you meet a stranger, repeat that person's name 5 times within 5 minutes."

Speakers who inform their audiences of their actionable claims in detail are more likely to encourage action than those who only mention them in general terms.Saying, "Everyone, please come to the back of the lecture hall and sign the sympathy card" is more effective than just reminding the audience to send a card or send a letter to a class member who is hospitalized.

As for whether to adopt an affirmative or negative statement when stating your claim, it depends on how you look at it from the audience's perspective.Not all negative rhetoric is bad.Like exhorting listeners to avoid certain attitudes or practices, a negative statement may be more convincing.An ad to promote light bulbs a few years ago: "Don't be a lightbulb snatcher" uses a negative statement, and the effect is quite good.

C. State your claim with confidence

The so-called "advocacy" refers to the theme, or point of view, or main point of your entire conversation.Therefore, you must try to sell a claim of yours, try to convince your audience to accept it.Just as a newspaper headline uses bold boldface, so too should your advocacy be reinforced by tone and forceful tone.This is the last impression you leave on the audience, so try to make your audience feel as sincere as possible.There must be no hesitation or timidity in making a statement.This persuasive attitude continues until the end, which is the third stage of the "Magic Equation".

3. State reasons or benefits for the audience
To state reasons at this stage, conciseness is still the main principle.This is where you give your audience motivation and give them the rewards to accept your argument and do what you want them to do.Specifically, pay attention to the following points.

A. Tie the reason to the case
I have mentioned the motivation for speaking in public a number of times.It's a big topic, and one that's extremely useful for any "persuasion to action" conversation.We're talking about simple talk here, so all you have to do is use a sentence or two to emphasize the benefits your audience can get from it.But most importantly, the benefits you mention must relate to the examples given.For example, if you tell your audience how you saved a fortune by buying a used car, you want to encourage them to buy a used car.At this point, you have to emphasize what is the financial benefit to them if they buy a used car.If you're talking about how used cars are better designed than newer models, etc., then you're off topic.

B. You have one and only one reason

Many salespeople can tell you a host of reasons why you must buy their product.So you should also be able to prepare a number of examples-related reasons ready to supplement your argument.But it is better to find the most appropriate and special reason as evidence for your entire argument.Your last few words to your audience should be as crisp as an advertisement in a high-quality magazine.If you take a good look at these adverts, which are the result of a lot of wisdom, you will definitely improve your skills in how you present your claims and reasons.Typically, an ad can only promote one product or idea at a time.In magazines with high circulation, it is rare for an ad to use many reasons at once to persuade readers to buy a product.The same company is likely to do different promotions in different media, but it is rare to do different promotions in the same advertisement.

If you study these advertisements carefully and analyze their content, you will be surprised to find that these advertisements always use the "magic formula" to persuade the audience to buy the product.

Of course, you can also use many methods to cite examples, such as displaying samples, demonstrating performances, citing authoritative figures, comparing, citing statistics, and so on.In short persuasive speeches, the "Magic Equation" is by far the easiest, funniest, most dramatic, and therefore persuasive way to speak.

explanatory speech

In one instance, a high-ranking administration official was invited to report to a Senate investigating committee.He doesn't have any speech skills, he just keeps talking and talking, not only is his language vague and his thinking is unclear, but also his speech is not focused, making people incomprehensible.The committee members were at a loss.Finally, Congressman Samuel Owen from North Carolina seized the opportunity to stand up and speak.He said the officer reminded him of a couple's story.

A gentleman told his lawyer to handle the divorce procedures for him.Of course, he does not deny that this wife is beautiful, has good cooking skills, and is a model mother.

"Then why did you divorce her?" asked the lawyer.

The gentleman replied, "Because she talks all day long."

"What did she say?"

"That's the problem," said the gentleman again. "She never made it clear."

This is where the problem lies.Many speakers, of both sexes, often do not make their listeners understand what they are saying, they never get their meaning across.

Now, I'm going to show you how to express a certain information accurately and clearly when you convey it to others.

Several times a day we make announcements to instruct others how to do something, to explain or report something, and so on.The ability to express oneself clearly is actually more important than the ability to persuade others to act.Irving Young, a famous American entrepreneur, strongly emphasized that in modern society, the ability to express one's thoughts clearly has become a necessity.He once said that when a person tries to make others understand himself, he actually opens the door to practicality.Yes, in today's society, people need to cooperate more and more with others, and therefore, they also need to understand each other more and more.Language is the main tool for conveying information and enhancing understanding, so we must know how to use it—not simply use it, but use it flexibly with distinction and depending on the situation.

Lavigne Weizerstein once said: If a thing can be thought about, it must be thought clearly; if a thing can be said, it must also be said clearly.

Here are some suggestions to help you appreciate the use of language so your audience can fully understand you.

1. Limit the time to match the topic of the presentation

Professor William James pointed out in a talk to teachers that in a speech, it is best to limit yourself to only one argument.By a speech he was referring to one that lasted up to an hour.But recently, I heard a speaker start out by declaring that he was going to mention 1 points in the allotted 3 minutes, which means that each point was allocated only 11 seconds!It's unimaginable!Who would have thought it a good idea, but this example is unique, and if the situation wasn't so serious, too large an argument is bound to go wrong for any novice.It's as if a travel guide wants to take a tourist around Paris in one day.

Of course, this is not necessarily impossible. Of course, we can walk through the "Museum of American History" within 30 minutes, but the result must be neither clear nor interesting.The reason why many speeches are unclear is that the speaker is trying to set a world record in the allotted time.He leaped eagerly from point to point with the swiftness of a gazelle on a high mountain.

Suppose you are now invited to give a speech at the "Labor Union", don't try to tell them in just 3 minutes or 6 minutes why the union was born, how it hired employees, what tasks it accomplished, and what it did wrong things, or which disputes were resolved, and so on.No, this will not work!If you insist on this, no one will have a very clear idea of ​​what you are talking about, they will even be confused, and have only a vague outline of each subject without a clear content.

(End of this chapter)