Very thoughtful and profound. Every speaker should read this. I feel most bloggers follow these principles you've laid out so eloquently.
Rosa Say
· 1 year ago
What a beautiful posting this is Chris! Fantastic analogy, and yes, we all have a beautiful speech inside us: It is something I fervently believe.
I love and totally agree with what you say about a speaker's (and blogger's) obligation to equip the audience and reader, having them feel they walk away with tools and not just fairy dust in their eyes.
When we speak, and write, we may think we are teaching, but we are actually helping people understand they are capable of learning, ---and of taking more action. We do best when they have both a sense of urgency about taking those actions, and a feeling of self-confidence so they will not easily be derailed.
I have never felt comfortable about having people call me a motivational speaker, for I try to inspire, but motivation is an inside job. Placing a practical toolbox in someone's hand will always be way more effective.
Seamus Anthony
· 1 year ago
Hey that's great, as somebody who is both always looking for ways to be a better blogger and currently feeling a bit nervous about making the leap to public speaking, that killed two birds with one stone. Or at least maimed them - poor little ducks ;-)
Writer Dad
· 1 year ago
I try to treat every day as a stage. After about the second week of blogging, I started writing as though I were speaking to a room full of people. I did this on Monday of this week on a grander scale and it seems to have yielded rewards already.
Alex, aka Socialbutterfly
· 1 year ago
Great post. I liked the inspiration post, outside of the social media realm. Course, that's my 'beat' per say. A quick question: What would be your speech?
As an addition, for now (and since it's late and I should be sleeping!), I also offer that my speech is through action. Words or words, but action speaks for itself.
Make your life - your speech. =)
Mahesh CR
· 1 year ago
Chris, you have pushed the quality benchmark for a post really high with this one..and you always wrote well!!
I typically am comfortable with public speaking but have had an intuitive understanding of the craft I used, not a rational thought out process that I could share with someone. But this posts hits the engineering aspects of a good speech and lays it out with all the finesse of a sculptor!
Will remember this for a while...thanks for sharing!
David Meerman Scott
· 1 year ago
Great post, Chris. As someone who delivers about 100 speeches a year and writes about 100 blog posts a year, I totally agree with this idea.
When I speak, I focus on three things in equal amounts: 1) Entertainment 2) Education and 3) Motivation. The same is true of blog posts.
David
Henry Bruce
· 1 year ago
Stunning post - have followed you only a few short weeks, but am amazed at the breadth and depth of the thoughts you share DAILY!! Very inspiring ... and humbling. This one will guide my next speaking pres this fall. Henry
Louise Branchaud
· 1 year ago
Wow! How inspiring. I will pin it to the wall to share with co-workers... Thanks.
Mark Dykeman
· 1 year ago
Inspiring stuff, man. Keep 'em coming.
Stephen Boyle
· 1 year ago
Nice post and I agree with the position of them as a platform to use wisely in connecting. The last sentence in Mechanics of the Speech is a priceless change up from so many common practices.
Zoey Jordan
· 1 year ago
I really like your ideas about remaining humble, and also offering encouragement to *me* (or the end user) as *I* build my house. It can be tricky to offer insightful or helpful ideas on say an informational type blog because you don't know where you audience is in the learning process. So I think your ideas about treating them with respect while remaining humble allows them to join the discussion, where ever in the process they might be.
Another great Chris Brogan post! Thanks for your insights Chris and for inviting us all to join the discussion.
Paula Thornton
· 1 year ago
As always, a matter of 'both'. Agree with your points, but there's also the "don't care, don't need to" model that goes with a true artist.
You've introduced the science, then there's the art. It's a balance of both. The middle: design -- optimized connundrum of science and art.
Tinu
· 1 year ago
I read your comment on CopyBlogger, and Stumbled this. Also submitted your new Google post to Sphinn. This really is an awesome post.
Monikah Ogando
· 1 year ago
Wow Chris,
Thank you for bringing it back to the core so incisively.
In a day and time when mouthpieces are parroting each other, the truly remarkable voices are those that touch something deeply in their audiences in such a way to inspire them to action.
Well said!
Monikah Ogando The Business Explosion Coach
Steve
· 1 year ago
Thank you for encouraging the best in us as readers and writers. I have a feeling you would also encourage us to do EVERYTHING with this mindset too.
You've set the bar high - right where it needed to be. Thanks again and here's a link to a recent speech: http://bit.ly/4fMOT
Bryan Entzminger
· 1 year ago
Thank you. Excellent posting.
bingskee
· 1 year ago
i like to read speeches but it's always the length that bores me plus the redundancy and repetitiveness of thoughts in the whole speech. what is important is a speaker should reach the audience and get to the point. deception of course is a big no no.
Anthony Citrano
· 1 year ago
Chris,
I love this, such important points for us all - and easily applied even beyond speaking/writing.
All Comments
I love and totally agree with what you say about a speaker's (and blogger's) obligation to equip the audience and reader, having them feel they walk away with tools and not just fairy dust in their eyes.
When we speak, and write, we may think we are teaching, but we are actually helping people understand they are capable of learning, ---and of taking more action. We do best when they have both a sense of urgency about taking those actions, and a feeling of self-confidence so they will not easily be derailed.
I have never felt comfortable about having people call me a motivational speaker, for I try to inspire, but motivation is an inside job. Placing a practical toolbox in someone's hand will always be way more effective.
As an addition, for now (and since it's late and I should be sleeping!), I also offer that my speech is through action. Words or words, but action speaks for itself.
Make your life - your speech. =)
I typically am comfortable with public speaking but have had an intuitive understanding of the craft I used, not a rational thought out process that I could share with someone. But this posts hits the engineering aspects of a good speech and lays it out with all the finesse of a sculptor!
Will remember this for a while...thanks for sharing!
When I speak, I focus on three things in equal amounts: 1) Entertainment 2) Education and 3) Motivation. The same is true of blog posts.
David
Henry
Another great Chris Brogan post! Thanks for your insights Chris and for inviting us all to join the discussion.
You've introduced the science, then there's the art. It's a balance of both. The middle: design -- optimized connundrum of science and art.
Thank you for bringing it back to the core so incisively.
In a day and time when mouthpieces are parroting each other, the truly remarkable voices are those that touch something deeply in their audiences in such a way to inspire them to action.
Well said!
Monikah Ogando
The Business Explosion Coach
You've set the bar high - right where it needed to be. Thanks again and here's a link to a recent speech:
http://bit.ly/4fMOT
I love this, such important points for us all - and easily applied even beyond speaking/writing.
Well put.