Thursday, November 3, 2016

It's Not WHAT, It's WHY

Lance Miller, the 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking, often sends great information in his email newsletters. I encourage you to subscribe to them. Here is his latest, with a powerful technique that can help you be a more effective speaker.

When tasked with looking for a speech topic and searching for subjects that can captivate and influence your audience, the question of,
"What should I say," may well be the wrong question. The correct question may be, "Why should I say it?"
 
There is no question that it is important to determine What you believeWhat you valueWhat you feel is important when speaking.

Examining Why you believe it,
Why you find it valuable
Why you feel it is important

brings both motive and purpose
to your words and intentions.

By answering the question "Why?" the speech almost writes itself.
 
I regularly teach that "you have to connect with yourself, before you can connect with the audience." A thorough examination of "Why" your topic is relevant and important will help connect the speech topic to you and the audience.
 
In all aspects of life, it is vital that we each examine our beliefs, motives and values and ask ourselves why we embrace them. It is quite easy to get caught in socially indoctrinated values without examining them for ourselves.
 
If we don't ask "Why" we blindly forward the unexamined thought be it is good or bad. A personal examination of "Why" will reinforce the good values of honesty, integrity and love in each of us and help identify unfounded bias and prejudice.
 
So, why not ask Why??