The Nuts and Bolts of Public Speaking (Preach!)

Eventually, I get around to doing things. I'll move fast to get to a call. I'll move faster to eat food before I get that same call. I can even move faster than if I am in the middle of eating the last honey bun before my kid comes down the stairs.

Otherwise, I get to things when I get to them. So I've never needed to be the first to do something. Or the first to be somewhere. Definitely not the first to have the new thing.

Thanks to the internet, I never have to watch anything on TV when it happens. I love this! When I was a kid, if you missed a show, you had to wait at least a day, maybe even a week, before you caught the next episode. And not even the show you missed - the next one in the series.

But not now. Now I can watch stuff whenever I want. And I find that I tend to watch things I probably wouldn't have watched otherwise.

For example, I had no intentions of watching the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle live. I was certainly glad they got married, but I had other things to keep me occupied that particular morning.

A few days later, social media was flooded with all the royal wedding happenings! A friend of mine shared the video of Bishop Michael Curry speaking during the wedding. Folks were buzzing about how powerful his message was. Some say that he preaches with an anointment. Others say that his message of love is needed not just for the couple but for the world as a whole.

But not me. I know the real reason why people are so into his 13 mins of speaking.

‍Did you feel that?

‍Richard Greene's TEDx Talk, "7 Secrets of the Greatest Speakers in History", mentions something that most people learn in classes about public speaking. He explains that words communicate only about 7% of the impact of a message. 38% is voice tone. Body Language is a whopping 55%! 

Bishop Curry had a simple message - love is the way. HOW he gave that message is why people are hooked on it. Watching the video, you will hear his voice increase and decrease at various points. The rate that he is speaking slows down to be heard and speeds up to get attention.

And then there is his movement around the podium. He moved all around with a passion that could not be contained. Kids at Christmas probably don't move that much.

Yet, Bishop Curry is not like some speakers who just make you dizzy. He moved with purpose, and it magnified the delivery of his message. His passion can be heard and seen. In short, he did 93% of what a great speaker needs to do to get their message across.

What does this mean for you as a storyteller, a presenter, an instructor, or a leader? If you're trying to communicate some critical message, you need to make people feel what you have to say. So be sure to work on the delivery of your message just as much as you work on the message itself.

That's the nuts and bolts of public speaking. If it can get the attention of the royals at their wedding, it can certainly work for you.

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Nick Baskerville has had the honor of serving in the United States Air Force for 10 years, followed by 4 years in the United States Air Force Reserves. Nick also has 22 years of fire service time, with 19 years of that being in a career department in Northern Virginia. Nick has had the opportunity to hold positions in the Company Officer's section of the Virginia Fire Chief's Association (VFCA), The Virginia Fire Officer's Academy (VFOA) staff, and past Virginia state rep for the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters (IABPFF).

Nick is also a professional storyteller that tells personal narrative stories. Examples of his work can be found on shows such as The Moth, Better Said Than Done, and The Story Collider. He is currently one of instructors for storytelling taught by the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP). He has delivered workshops on crafting stories for work, for teaching, and for entertainment in other events and venues. He currently as a one person show “Once I Learned the History” with the National Storytelling Network (NSN) (https://storynet.org/product/nick-baskerville) . You can also follow Nick at his blogs Stories, Jokes, and Talks with Folks http://storiesjokesandfolks.com and Story Telling On Purpose at www.stop365.blog.

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