A PR Lesson From Ashton Kutcher

We already know that public relations involves a lot of writing.  Whether it's press releases, media advisories, social media, or event plans, PR professionals are always writing something.  One of the things that falls into our duties and we should be prepared for is speech writing.  Sometimes this also means speech delivery. 

Ashton Kutcher might not be the person that comes to mind when you're looking for a lesson in speeches, but at this year's Teen Choice Awards he gave a speech that critics everywhere are praising.  This article from Entrepreneur highlights the major takeaways that PR people can get from the writing and delivery of Kutcher's speech.

1. Stick to the rule of three
Three main points in a speech seems to be the golden number.  Keeping your points clear and concise ensures that people will be able to understand and retain them. 

2. Keep it short and simple
It's harder for people to comprehend something that they are listening to rather than having it in front of them to read.  Keeping your messages short and your vocabulary simple help make it easier for your listeners.

3. Pick the right message for your audience
Kutcher was addressing a mass of teenagers so he chose to speak about building your life and being the best person you can be.  This message was perfect for an audience who is at a point in their lives where they are growing and changing.  Selecting the proper points for your speech should depend a great deal upon who you are addressing.

Check out Ashton Kutcher's Teen Choice Awards speech here or watch the clip below.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

Have you ever had a speaking engagement that you practiced for, day after day, until you had it memorized verbatim? Ever find yourself stumbling over those same words once you were in front of an audience? Guilty. Here at Temple, StratComm majors are required to take a public speaking course. But one course won't eliminate the occasional slip-up. So what do you do when you're at a loss for words? Below are a few tips on regrouping yourself during a speech:

1.     Incorporate your own experience to answer the question while buying time: It's perfectly okay to say, "I've never been asked that before," or "Let me think back to when I first experienced that." It will buy you time to remember what it was that you wanted to say. If it doesn't then just move along to your next point, don't sweat the small stuff.

2.     Don't um and ah: These two words are tell-tale signs to the audience that you are lost. Use longer phrases to mix it up and buy you more time than two letters will. 

3.     If appropriate to the question, use the time-buying phrase to redirect the answer to a point you want to make: If someone asks you a question that you don't have an answer to, or that a simple no would suffice, use a time-buying phrase to transition into your next statement, or redirect.

4.     Don’t say anything: At least for a couple seconds! It’s okay to just take a couple seconds to recollect yourself, it’s better than stuttering through or peppering your speech with ums and ahs.

What are your best strategies for regrouping during a speech? Let us know!

Tips on Overcoming your Underwhelming Speech

Admittedly, I'm not the best public speaker. In fact, I just finished writing my speech for class, to be presented tomorrow. I always thought that it was the delivery that mattered the most, as long as you have a lot to say, you're in the clear. But what if you don't have anything to say on your topic? How will you gain the attention of your audience? Check out these tips on how to "deliver an exciting speech on a dull topic":

• Put a face on your topic: Connect the subject of your speech to your audience; give them a reason to listen to you or empathize with your call to action. In my case, I told a story of someone who was affected by my topic. Not only does this serve as an effective attention-getter, it also helps your audience to remember your speech over a run-of-the mill informational presentation.


• Take your time: You want to respect your audience's time and get your speech over with. However, if you rush through your speech so fast that you garble your words and neglect to emphasize key points, you will have defeated your purpose. Slow and steady wins the race; pace yourself and make it easy for your listeners to understand the important areas of your speech by both physically and vocally stressing your words.


• Don't rely on your PowerPoint: My teacher stresses this, use your visual aid, but don't depend on it. You should definitely interact with it, show pictures, videos, main points, etc. but try not to read straight off your notes. By declining in your extemporaneous mode, you will lose your connection with your listeners and fail to communicate your points.
  

Do you have trouble 'reviving' your underwhelming speech topic? How do you 'bring it to life'? Let us know!