Give Your Speech,
Change the World
HOW TO MOVE YOUR AUDIENCE TO ACTION
Nick Morgan
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PRESS
Boston, Massachusetts
Published by the Harvard Business School Press in hardcover, 2003, in paperback, 2005
Quotation from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is reprinted by arrangement with The Heirs to the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr., c/o Writers House, Inc., as agent for the proprietor. Copyright 1963 by Martin Luther King, Jr., copyright renewed 1991 by Coretta Scott King.
Copyright 2003 Nicholas H. Morgan
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to [email protected], or mailed to Permissions, Harvard Business School Publishing, 60 Harvard Way, Boston, Massachusetts 02163.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Morgan, Nick.
{Working the room}
Give your speech, change the world : how to move your audience to action / Nick Morgan.
p. cm.
Originally published: Working the room. Boston : Harvard Business School Press, c2003.
ISBN10: 1-59139-714-6 ISBN13: 978-1-59139-714-4
1. Public speaking. I. Title.
PN4129.15.M67 2005
808.5'1—dc22
2004024623
To Nikki
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Only Reason to Give a Speech Is to Change the World
PART I HISTORY AND OVERVIEW
CHAPTER 1
How Did We Get Here?
CHAPTER 2
What to Do? The Audience-Centered Presentation Process
PART II PREPARING THE CONTENT
CHAPTER 3
Understand the Audience
CHAPTER 4
Craft the Elevator Speech
CHAPTER 5
Pick the Level of Need
CHAPTER 6
Find the Story
CHAPTER 7
Structure the Content
CHAPTER 8
Make the Journey
CHAPTER 9
Involve the Audience
PART III REHEARSING THE PRESENTATION
CHAPTER 10
Search for the Truth
CHAPTER 11
Choreograph the Kinesthetics
CHAPTER 12
Pay Attention to What Your Audience Needs
CHAPTER 13
Conquer Your Fear
CHAPTER 14
Get Technical
PART IV STAND AND DELIVER
CHAPTER 15
The Audience-Centered Speech
CHAPTER 16
Listen to Your Audience
CHAPTER 17
Audience-Centered Speaking for All Occasions
CONCLUSION
The Secret of Charisma
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My interest in public speaking began in graduate school debating rhetorical points with Professor E. D. Hirsch, and for his tutelage and that of the many other professors and fellow students at the University of Virginia, I am grateful.
I first learned speechwriting from Chief of Staff David McCloud, Press Secretary George Stoddart, and Governor Charles S. Robb of Virginia. Their teaching was brisk and professional and I will always be in their debt.
From my students at Princeton University, the University of Virginia, and Lehigh University I learned much, and with their help and constant feedback first developed many of the principles in this book. They have my affection and thanks always. In particular, Andrew Boer has helped me as much as I have helped him over the years. Thanks to Andy and the family. Thanks also to Alex Kinnier, who listened to an early version of these ideas and put them brilliantly into practice.
It is chiefly, though, to my clients at Gemini Consulting, Index, and many other companies, that thanks must go for helping me to hone the insights contained herein. In particular, the people of Research Services have shared my passion for getting public speaking right, and they have tried out many of these ideas with faith and enthusiasm. Thanks, Richard, for first hiring me and then arguing with me so eloquently over the years. Thanks, Nikki, David, Richard, Espen, Tony, Paul, Tony, Alex, Andy, Anne, Anna, Carole, Cher, Chris, Donal, Chris, Doug, Francis, James, Jane, Guy, Jon, Keri, Kate, Keren, Richard, Lem, Linda, Lyn, Mary, Mel, Piet, Patrick, Tudor, Ian, and Victoria.
The people of Harvard Business School Publishing have inspired me, taught me, helped me, worked with me, and pushed me always to do better. Thanks, Walter, for bringing me on board. Thanks to the Newsletters and Conferences Group past and present, whose hard work has made it possible for me to get a newsletter out and write a book and consult with clients at the same time. Thanks to the Harvard ManageMentor team for its energy and creativity. Thanks of course to the Press folks, and my editor, Jeff Kehoe, for patiently and expertly seeing this book through to publication. Thanks to the Harvard Business Review for publishing “The Kinesthetic Speaker,” in which the seed of this book first began to sprout. And thanks to my agent, Jim Levine, for spotting the promise contained therein.
Thanks to Greg and Seth of Public Words. Thanks are also due to fellow journeymen Ruth Mott, Richard Greene, and Jeff Ansell.
Finally, thanks to my extended families for all their support, love, and forgiveness. Thanks to Marjie. And thanks to Sarah and Eric for patiently hearing many of these thoughts over and over again as they were growing up. For them, the rules of good public speaking are as simple and obvious as Saturday morning waffles.
INTRODUCTION
The Only Reason to Give a Speech Is to Change the World
THE ONLY REASON TO GIVE A SPEECH IS to change the world. An old friend of mine, a speechwriter, used to say that to me. He meant it as a challenge. It was his way of saying that, if you’re