TThhee PPoowweerrffuull SSppeeaakkeerr BBlluueepprriinntt

bbyy JJoonnaatthhaann BBeennddeerr,, MMSS,, MMFFAA

The Blueprint is part 3 of a free course, Your True Voice: How to Speak

with Power and Presence… to Increase your Influence, Income and Impact.

Be sure to get your other teachings on authenticity as well as transforming

public speaking anxiety.

WWhhyy aa BBlluueepprriinntt??

If you don’t have a clear idea of what it means to be a great speaker – and

how to get there – it’s doubly costing you. First, you may have less peace

of mind (and more self-doubt) if you’re worrying about what it takes.

Second, it may literally be costing you. For example, mistakes in nonverbal

communication alone will reduce your credibility… that then affects your

ability to make sales or get a promotion.

In any professional field, there’s a standard. However, since anyone can

get up and speak (even if not that well), and there’s not exactly a

certification process to be a speaker, most people have no idea of the

criteria for great speaking!

This blueprint aims to improve that.

TThhee BBlluueepprriinntt ccoonnttaaiinnss 33 sseeccttiioonnss::

1) The 5 Keys to Powerful Speaking

2) The 3 Levels of Speaking

3) How to Increase Your Skills and Speaking Mastery

Let’s get started.

TThhee 55 KKeeyyss ttoo PPoowweerrffuull SSppeeaakkiinngg

To become a masterful speaker, you need all 5 areas. Please carefully

review all 5 areas – and watch the video for greater detail.

11.. CCoonntteenntt

Content covers the words you say – or, how you craft a talk. There are

MANY things that go into crafting a talk; it would take its own book to

cover all of them!

So let’s talk about the one thing that is absolutely essential, and that most

speakers don’t do well, with which you can start improving your talks right

away: the ssttrruuccttuurree.

If you don’t have a good structure, people will be wondering how long

you’ll be talking for… where it’s headed… and what’s for lunch. That is,

you may start to lose their attention.

And, if you don’t have good structure but you plan to offer a service or

free consultation at the end… it may not go so well.

IInn oorrddeerr ttoo kkeeeepp ppeeooppllee’’ss aatttteennttiioonn tthhrroouugghhoouutt,, aanndd ttoo lleeaadd tthheemm ttoo yyoouurr

ccaallll ttoo aaccttiioonn,, yyoouu nneeeedd aa Progressive Structure..

In a progressive structure, one section organically demands the following

section... that has your audience paying attention and waiting for what

you’re going to say next.

And… it directly leads to your call to action. A call to action tells the

audience to take you up on a free consultation, a service or product you’re

offering, or simply to change their lives or do something differently in their

job. (In other words, to take action.)

While there are various structures, most of the time I recommend using

one particular model, since it works well almost all of the time: Problem,

Cause, Solution. This format can be used for keynotes, offering your

services, and even when speaking up in meetings.

• TThhee PPrroobblleemm – When you clearly articulate a problem that people are

having, it helps them feel acknowledged and seen. They feel that

you get them.

• TThhee CCaauussee – Then, when you can explain why the problem is

happening, it establishes you as an expert and gains their trust.

• TThhee SSoolluuttiioonn – You then give a solution – typically, a series of steps

they can take. However, there is only so much time to go into detail,

and typically people legitimately need more help (often, a more

personalized service, or a deeper level of work than you can do in a

talk or workshop). Which leads to…

• TThhee CCaallll ttoo AAccttiioonn –This could be changing their lives in some way,

inviting them to a free consult, or purchasing a service or product. Or,

if you are speaking to people at a company you work for, to support

your cause or to do their job differently.

Again: while you’ll need to learn many other elements to create a powerful

talk, implementing a progressive structure alone will dramatically help.

AAnndd yyeett……wwhhyy iiss ccoonntteenntt nnoott eennoouugghh??

No matter how well you craft a talk, you have to remember that people

will be paying a lot of attention to your nonverbal communication – that is,

your tone of voice and your body language.

NOTE: Many coaches say that nonverbal communication constitutes 93%

of communication. This is NOT TRUE.

It was a misinterpreted study; the researchers never even concluded that.

The real number is…

50% to 80%.

So yes, it’s still a large number. (But it’s not 93%.) This means that HOW

you talk is at least as important (if not more) as WHAT you say.

One thing you don’t tend to hear a lot about…

WWhheerree ddooeess yyoouurr nnoonnvveerrbbaall ccoommmmuunniiccaattiioonn ccoommee ffrroomm??

It comes out of your habitual expression and your internal experience. This

means that if you are nervous, you are likely sending signals (by doing

things like pacing, or saying fillers like “um,” or many, many other things)

that undermine your credibility.

AND… when you DO have training… and learn to be comfortable being

seen, being open and relaxed, and have more tools to work with… you

have intentionally trained your habitual expression to be compelling. And,

if you are confident, your internal experience makes your nonverbal

communication even more powerful.

The next 4 keys teach you how to do this.

22.. CCoommffoorrtt aanndd CCoonnffiiddeennccee

Why is this one of the 5 keys? Because… it’s very important to realize that

fear and nervousness can be transformed! You must find greater

confidence to be an effective speaker.

You’ll find much greater detail about confidence in Part 2 of the Your True

Voice course, which focuses on transforming public speaking anxiety into

confidence.

Here are brief reminders.

1) WWaarrmm uupp!! You need to be ready physically, vocally, emotionally, and

mentally. And yes, review your content as well.

2) Know how to pprreeppaarree effectively for talks.

3) Grow your ability to be ttoottaallllyy rreellaaxxeedd and to breathe deeply,

anywhere you go.

4) Get a CCoonnffiiddeennccee MMiinnddsseett!

5) Grow your COMPETENCE as a speaker to increase your

CONFIDENCE.

Remember: no matter what your level of experience… or how much

anxiety you have…this can be changed. Really.

33.. TThhee AArrtt ooff CCoonnnneeccttiioonn

Connecting with your audience is absolutely essential. If you don’t connect

well, your audience won’t feel your energy… or might feel it too much if

you’re not tuned into what they need!

Over the past many years, I’ve developed a framework for connection that

applies both to public speaking and to everyday life. The Spiral Path of

Connection is a multifaceted framework for…

• Connecting with an audience

• Staying connected with yourself – that is, not losing yourself around

others (especially important for those who identify as introverts)

• Connecting with others in your personal life

• Impacting people intentionally and effectively

• Healing the wounds around connection that most people have.

We’ve all learned to defend ourselves in different ways, which

inhibits connection.

There are 9 points on the connection spiral. While this a much longer topic

(as in, the topic of a forthcoming book), here’s what to focus on to start.

TThhee ppaatthh bbeeggiinnss wwiitthh INNER ccoonnnneeccttiioonn.. You need to know how to stay

true to yourself, and have good self-care, when you are with others. Inner

connection also involves connecting with the earth, as well as with

something greater than yourself.

Important: Connect with yourself before you connect outwardly, in order

to not lose yourself when interacting. Keep inner connection going while

you move into…

INTERconnection. Interconnection is a whole art unto itself. So much

miscommunication can occur. Make sure the first thing you do is…

RECEIVE. Tune into your audience (or into other people in your everyday

life). Be curious. Go beyond surface appearances.

Receiving will then help you…

IMPACT, or give, intentionally. Creating effective impact is essential in all

communication, be it to make sales when speaking, or simply to

communicate cleanly and clearly with others in your life.

Cultivating these skills also reduces the “freeze” response, because you

break out of being frozen (where you’re really not connecting) when you

focus on receiving and impacting.

Be sure to watch the video at 9 minutes to find out about potential

problems with under- or over-impacting.

ALSO – one essential connection practice is to master strong EYE

CONTACT. With great technique, you can speak to an auditorium of

thousands… and have every single person feel like you’re talking directly

to them. Get my best tip at 9:29 in the video.

44.. CChhaannggee:: VVooccaall aanndd PPhhyyssiiccaall DDyynnaammiiccss

CHANGE means two things:

First, you need to learn the foundational vocal and physical dynamics that

help you both look and feel confident.

Second, get training in how to vary your body language and voice to

maintain (or recapture) your audience’s attention.

See the 3 Levels of Speaking below for greater detail.

55.. CChhaarriissmmaa aanndd PPrreesseennccee

Charisma and presence are two sides of the same coin. The most

important thing to know is that both can be learned and grown.

As Part I of this course stated, PPrreesseennccee iiss bbeeiinngg pprreesseenntt…

• PPhhyyssiiccaallllyy. Being embodied… not “stuck in your head”

• EEmmoottiioonnaallllyy. Be emotionally open and real!

• MMeennttaallllyy. Stay focused and connected, and “in the room.”

• EEnneerrggeettiiccaallllyy. While this may be an abstract concept to many, you

can literally learn to grow your energy so that people feel and sense

it… which also grows your presence.

And as for the other side of the coin…

CChhaarriissmmaa is the art of being you… when you are totally relaxed, at ease,

and safe. The key is to let that expression of you come out in public in

front of a large group! When you’re totally yourself, unapologetically, with

all of your idiosyncratic expressions, that’s pretty much charisma.

Both take specific steps to learn. You can do it. And it’s POWERFUL when

you do – for both you and for audiences.

TThhee 33 LLeevveellss ooff SSppeeaakkiinngg

LLeevveell 11:: TThhee FFoouunnddaattiioonnss

You need ALL of these in order to be a powerful speaker. Note: while

referred to as “foundations,” it’s far more comprehensive than you’ll find

in most speaking trainings. Make sure that you get trained in all of the

foundations, even if you have to seek help in multiple places.

Let’s break it down in terms of what’s needed within each of the main keys

of speaking named above.

1) Content. Know how to craft a powerful talk that persuades and

enrolls – that grabs their attention, sustains it, and moves them to

action.

2) Comfort and Confidence. Have enough comfort so that you can

eliminate most of your discomfort and nervousness… and yet be fine

when it arises… and handle it effectively without it holding you back!

3) Connection. Your eye contact must be great, and you need to know

how to at least somewhat receive and impact those around you.

4) Change. Let’s get into some more detail. Here are the elements

needed you absolutely need at the foundational level.

a. Body language basics include:

i. Planting your feet

ii. Gesturing

iii. Great facial expressions

NOTE: for all of these, you must be relaxed and at ease –

or they’ll look forced and fake.

b. Vocal power:

i. Improved vocal resonance

ii. Reduced vocal strain and good vocal projection

iii. Reduced fillers (Um, Uh, Like)

iv. Powerful pronunciation –or, dynamic diction – that

engages your audience and enhances the meaning and

power of every word you say

When you have all of these foundational skills, and they are integrated into

your self-expression, you are a powerful speaker!

And yet… there are further levels to grow into.

LLeevveell 22:: PPrreesseennccee

In Level 2, when you discover and step into your true presence, you can

truly relax when you’re speaking.

Why? Because when you are fully present, you can trust yourself to be

responsive to the moment. No matter what happens, you can adjust and

handle it easily. You can respond with what’s needed… rather than be

reactive.

When you have presence – both as a speaker and in life – people want to

work with you because they trust you. Presence is compelling!

Here’s the great thing: presence arises out of learning and integrating

many of the earlier levels, especially comfort/confidence and connection.

That is, when you’ve learned to be fully relaxed and embodied… and

you’ve grown your connection skills… this helps you find presence.

So while it takes more practice and training over time, the foundations will

get you started.

LLeevveell 33:: TThhee DDyynnaammiicc,, CChhaarriissmmaattiicc SSppeeaakkeerr

In this level, you take all of the previously named skills to new heights.

As far as content goes… you know how to craft talks so that you get

consistent standing ovations.

With confidence, you can talk to audiences of thousands with little

nervousness.

And as for your connection skills… every single person, even in a huge

conference room, auditorium or theatre, feels you’re talking directly to

them.

What’s especially important to note for dynamic speakers: your vocal and

physical dynamics. Let’s discuss them in more detail.

1) Your BBOODDYY LLAANNGGUUAAGGEE brings out your own charisma… and you

can walk dynamically around a large stage, fully owning it.

2) With improved VVOOCCAALL PPOOWWEERR, you can effectively use vocal

dynamics lliikkee pitch, tempo, volume, enunciation variation and

pausing to engage and move your audience.

3) The best speakers have been trained in how utilize advanced

speaking styles that take their self-expression far beyond their

habitual range, without sounding fake.

4) You can “score” a talk as if it were a piece of music, with all of

these dynamics, to make it consistently engaging.

5) Even if you have your talk entirely planned out, you can adjust and

change your words and delivery in the moment to make your talk

even more amazing!

Finally, your charisma and presence are powerful and engaging… as you

remain totally, uniquely YOU.

In sum: the dynamic speaker is sought-after, because she or he

consistently moves audiences, and can be relied upon to be both inspiring

and entertaining… even when making offers from the stage.

SSiinnccee tthheerree’’ss aa lloott ttoo lleeaarrnn…… wwhheerree ddoo yyoouu ssttaarrtt??

While the more advanced levels are most desirable, it’s essential to have

the Foundations, Level 1, in place. Once you have that foundation, you

can build your skills higher and higher.

It’s important to note that some people (especially those who have some

speaking experience) possess elements found in higher levels… and yet

are missing foundational elements. If you are neglecting even a couple of

these, it’s like having cracks in the foundations of a house: it’s unstable,

and will cost you (confidence, persuasiveness and sales) if you don’t fix it.

HHooww ttoo IInnccrreeaassee YYoouurr SSkkiillllss aanndd SSppeeaakkiinngg MMaasstteerryy

First, keep in mind that ANYONE can become a powerful speaker. It’s not

a matter of “talent.” The idea of talent keeps many people away from

actually growing their skills, because they either think they’re great… or

they don’t think improvement is possible.

YYoouu nneeeedd jjuusstt ttwwoo tthhiinnggss::

1) Expert coaching. Many coaches don’t have that much experience.

2) Dedication. To learn these skills takes a little time and effort.

HHoowweevveerr,, iitt mmaayy ttaakkee lleessss eeffffoorrtt tthhaann yyoouu tthhiinnkk.. EEvveenn 1100 mmiinnuutteess aa ddaayy iiss

eennoouugghh ttoo ttrraannssffoorrmm yyoouurr oolldd hhaabbiittss iinnttoo ppoowweerrffuull sskkiillllss..

Note: go to 18:10 in the video to hear an example of one of my early

students, back in 1999… when I stopped believing in talent.

If you've already tried improving your speaking, have worked diligently,

and haven’t gotten better, it’s not your fault. You simply haven’t had the

right coaching.

AAnndd ttoo iimmpprroovvee,, yyoouu nneeeedd aa ccoommbbiinnaattiioonn ooff 33 tthhiinnggss..

First, professional speaking skills… obviously you need those! It’s essential

to know what looks good, and what works for all business situations and

applications.

Second: performance techniques. Acting, voice and movement methods

that performers use to enhance presence, confidence and expressiveness

will help you move beyond your normal range of expression.

And finally: personal development. Personal growth methods help you be

okay with being seen, and to step into the version of yourself that you

really want to be. If you don’t do the inner work, the speaking and

performance techniques may feel fake…rather get integrated as a part of

you. And you won’t feel authentic.

(Note: those with significant unprocessed trauma may benefit from

psychotherapy or similar modalities. However, the vast majority of people

get what they need through personal development methods that

specifically apply to speaking and being seen.)

What’s important to note is that all three require learning from a

professional. Just like any other skill, you’ll achieve mastery MUCH faster if

you don’t do it on your own!

Which means… in order to claim your voice, you actually have to get

training. Preferably in a proven system that takes you through everything

you need to learn, step by step.

AAnndd ddoonn’’tt ffoorrggeett……

RReemmeemmbbeerr tthhiiss:: tthhee wwoorrlldd nneeeeddss YYoouurr TTrruuee VVooiiccee..

You have a unique message. Even if you have the same job title as

someone else, and appear similar on paper, your contribution is different -

and is needed.

As you grow your speaking skills and confidence – and significantly

increase your income as a result – you’ll be even more rewarded, knowing

you are making a bigger difference.

AAnndd tthhee wwoorrlldd nneeeeddss iitt..

The world needs you, shining and speaking, with your true voice.

Are you ready to ccllaaiimm it?

Leave a comment below the video, and share how this blueprint has

impacted you. And, if you know the message you want to share with the

world, share a brief note about that, too!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan Bender, MS, MFA has helped

thousands of entrepreneurs and

professionals become confident,

authentic and dynamic speakers who

change lives. Jonathan’s work blends

professional speaking skills with

performance technique (acting, voice

and movement) with personal

development.

The founder of the WholeSpeak™ Method, he also trains and certifies

coaches. Jonathan is also the creator of Connection Jams™ and The

Performance of Your Life™. He holds Masters degrees in both

communication and performance, and is a theatre director, actor and

creator.

A coach for 20 years, he specializes in working with those who care as

much about growing themselves as they do their careers: his clients

range from CEOs to entrepreneurs to actors, and people from 5

continents have taken his trainings.