No one likes a spoiler, so don't use them in your next talk
Over the holidays, in between consuming an unmentionable amount of pecan pie and watching all the football games, I caught up on some reading.
I read two wonderful books, “West With Giraffes” and “The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards.”
Apparently I was on a spotted animal kick.
Both books were beautifully written — memorable in their own ways and the epitome of page-turners.
Once I started “West With Giraffes,” I barely put it down. Much to the chagrin of my family, who nearly had to pry the book from my hands so that I’d make dinner (I’m the cook in our family).
The action and the “will they or won't they?” anticipation of the main characters’ journey had me tethered to my seat on the couch, reading as fast as possible to find out how it ended.
And by the time I finished “The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards,” I was so enthralled with the narrator’s story that I darn near started to write a novel of my own.
And...come on...what an amazing book title, amiright?!
I’ve been recommending both books to anyone and everyone.
And so, to make you want to read them, I’m going to tell you how both of them end.
*insert record scratch*
.
.
.
Don’t worry. No spoilers here.
Yet, much of the public speaking advice you’ve likely been given goes something like this:
Tell them what you’re going to tell them
Tell them
Tell them what you’ve told them
Seriously? Giving away the ending, the point, the aha moment right from the get-go?
That’d be like a comedian delivering the punchline to a joke and then giving you the set up.
When you think about crafting a talk or a speech, telling the audience what you’re going to tell them right from the jump forfeits your ability to use the enchanting parts of storytelling that the best literary authors use to keep us hooked.
Foreshadowing.
Open loops.
Anticipation.
Intrigue.
Unanswered questions.
A stodgy university professor might use the Tell Them 3x method, but hopefully you aspire to deliver more than the equivalent of a sleep-inducing lecture.
Much like “West With Giraffes” and “The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards,” your next talk can be the on-stage equivalent of a gripping page-turner, so long as you don't spoil it for us.
How do you make this happen?
First, you have to deeply know the story or stories you want to tell that help you illustrate your talk's main idea or point.
To do that, you need to ask yourself some questions that help you get past the clichés and throwaway one-liners that fail to elicit that “I gotta know what happens next” feeling.
Then, you want to take those stories and weave them together so that they begin to create a narrative arc, where you jump forwards and backwards in time, or you introduce new characters along the way, or you insert cliffhangers that make the audience squirm for the answer.
Finally, you want to make the payoff at the end count by bringing a satisfying resolution to all of the above — questions answered, loops closed, cliffhangers ... um ... unhung?
You get the point.
Just because you’re on a stage or in front of an audience doesn't mean you have to leave the best of storytelling to those that craft their tales within the ink-stained pages of print.
The Tell Them 3x method is uninspiring because it's boring as heck, and worse, it’s a major spoiler.
And no one likes a spoiler.
As always... keep asking questions.
Interested in improving your speaking and communication skills to more confidently deliver your message? Learn more about what it’s like to work with me as your speaking coach.
