The Holy Trinity of a Great Speech
Simple Tips for Speaking Like You Mean It
Ethos — credibility
Who are you, and why are you talking?
Why should I listen?
What about you makes me believe that you are worth my attention?
What do you have to say that could possibly affect my life in any meaningful way?
Why are you here, and why should I care?
Logos — logic
Does what you’re saying make sense?
Does it connect in a way that I can follow clearly?
Can I follow and agree or disagree with your thesis?
Does what you’re saying have a reason to be said?
Pathos — emotion
Does what you’re talking about make me feel something?
Are you actually saying something that I can connect to?
Do you hit a nerve or spark a feeling that engages my humanity?
Do you ebb and flow or are you a PowerPoint presenter?
Do I leave your speech feeling inspired, guilty, hurt, worried, fearful, empowered, embarrassed or grateful?
Do I think about the presentation long after it is over?
Pro Tips:
The truly ground-breaking, life-changing ones max out all three. As Neil Gaiman says, you don’t even need all three. For you to make an impact, you really only need two, and to do them well.
Ethos + Logos (ie a judge or detective)
You don’t need to be emotional or sensitive, which is occassionally useful, but much more for utility
Ethos + Pathos (ie Trump or a famous critic)
You can bridge the gaps between logic by getting people riled up and engaging the lizard brain, the superego, or the heart
Logos + Pathos (ie early Obama or street activists)
People will listen if you are engaging and well-thought-out in your presentation, regardless of your social status
Best to think about which two you will focus on:
Connect the dots and speak with great conviction, and your reputation will grow.
Clearly articulate and leverage your social standing, and you will be forgiven for being dry.
Raise the emotional temperature and find the right audience, and you can be freeform without losing attention.
And always be your best, most honest self.
