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Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Public Speaking: Ten 'You's' for Every 'I'

by Rob Sherman

At a recent meeting of the National Speakers Association, platform personality Joel Weldon demonstrated what 'You Power' is all about. He actually gave the same speech twice. The first was peppered with 'I's' and it received polite applause. Then he repeated his address, changing the wording to include 'you' as many times as possible. What a dynamic turnaround! Weldon received a standing ovation.

Make a transcript of your most recent presentation. Now circle every 'I' and every 'you.' What is the ratio? If it's not ten toone in favor of 'you', rewrite your speech.(Excerpted from 'Sherman's 21 Laws of Speaking'; available at: http://www.shermanleadership.com)

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