1. Start with the Questions

The questions are:

• Why am I giving this speech? Why do I care?
• What is the purpose of the speech?
• Who is the audience?
• Why should they care?
• What is the point?

Do those sound familiar? If you're old enough or know your classic movies, you should be hearing Mr. Miyagi saying, “Wax on, wax off” right about now. (And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, you need to watch Karate Kid, vintage 1984, which is the source material for Cobra Kai on Netflix.) The point is that all the lessons you've learned in this section have intentionally led to this. If you did your work in Chapters 8 and 9, you've basically completed this first step.

2. Brainstorm Using a “Mind Map”

A mind map is simply a diagram used for the purpose of visually organizing information. It's been around for a while, but I've found it works especially well as a brainstorming tool. Because it is a tool, you shouldn't feel chained to a specific method, but start with this one and then figure out what works best for you.

Mind mapping is primarily a brainstorming session, and the most important principle of brainstorming is no filter. Write whatever comes to your mind without editing—yet. In his presentation on creativity, Monty Python's John Cleese talked about the two modes of thinking and their respective value:

We all operate in two contrasting modes, which might be called open and closed. The open mode is more relaxed, more receptive, more exploratory, more democratic, more playful, and more humorous.

The closed mode is the tighter, more rigid, more hierarchical, more tunnel‐visioned. Most people, unfortunately, spend most of their time in the closed mode. Not that the closed mode cannot be helpful.

If you are leaping a ravine, the moment of takeoff is a bad time for considering alternative strategies. When you charge the enemy machine‐gun post, don't waste energy trying to see the funny side of it. Do it in the “closed” mode.

But the moment the action is over, try to return to the “open” mode—to open your mind again to all the feedback from our action that enables us to tell whether the action has been successful or whether further action is needed to improve on what we have done. In other words, we must return to the open mode because in that mode we are the most aware, most receptive, most creative, and therefore at our most intelligent.²

His point throughout the presentation is that open and closed thinking are necessary at certain times. Create in open. Evaluate the creation in closed. Brainstorming must be done in open mode—stream of consciousness, quantity over quality, there is no such thing as a bad idea, and so forth. You need to get into an almost playful mindset to brainstorm well. Yes, this even applies to more serious topics, such as quarterly reviews, board presentations, and memorials. It can open your mind to unexpected insights.

When brainstorming, I use a mind map to both gather and guide my work. A mind map can be created electronically, using a computer or tablet, or by using a physical medium (such as paper or sticky notes on a board). Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The electronic form is easier to save, edit, and share but is more prone to distractions (such as technical difficulties and having easy access to the internet). The simplicity of paper and the tactile nature of handwriting allow creativity to flow, but it's easily lost and harder to edit. Experiment with each and see which works best for you.

Begin by writing the one‐ to two‐word version of your point in the middle of the page.

Now, brainstorm any material you might want to share about your topic. Here are some questions to get you started. The purpose of your speech may affect which questions are more relevant, but don't try to guide your brainstorming (remember, you're in open mode now):

• What do my listeners need to know about my topic?
• Why do I care about it? What is my personal history with it?
• What sort of things do I tend to say about my topic in casual conversations?
• What proof or evidence do I have?
• What are some common objections?
• What are some supporting materials—statistics, examples, stories, analogies, etc.—I can use?
• What are some parallel ideas to my topic?
• What have others said about it?
• How has my topic shown up in the business world or popular culture?

Notice that I didn't use full sentences or complete thoughts. You only need enough to remember what you meant. As you brainstorm, you might see some sort of order develop. Maybe certain ideas easily lend themselves to ones already on the page, so you cluster them around each other. This is where the sticky note method can be advantageous.

Ideally, you shouldn't do all your brainstorming in one session. Your brain will keep working in the background even when you walk away. It's not uncommon to get your best material in the second session—or even when you're doing something completely unrelated.

When are you done? The short answer is when you have a good deal more material than you'll need. Think of it this way: Imagine that you're building a tree fort in your backyard. The cost of the materials is no issue, but the hardware store is two hours from the house. If at all possible, you want to get all of your supplies in one trip, so you get extra of everything. Better too many nails than a trip back to the hardware store. At the same time, you wouldn't want to go crazy because you'll have to sort and carry everything you buy. You'll basically keep your purchases proportional to the size of the tree house you have planned. That is to say, the longer and more complex the topic, the more material you'll need.

3. Organize Your Points

Once you're satisfied with your material, you'll need to shift from open to closed mode. It's time to evaluate, categorize, and organize everything you did in the last step. First, a general word about the structure of speeches. The specifics will be driven by the purpose of your speech, but every speech consist of three parts:

• The introduction functions the same as the introduction of a book. Its one purpose is to hook the audience and keep them listening. An introduction shouldn't offer any complete ideas but only make promises about what the body will provide.
• The body contains all the actual content of the speech and does the heavy lifting.
• The conclusion should not contain any new information. Its purpose is to summarize what has been said and tell the listener what to do/feel/think next.

The introduction and conclusion each get their own steps, so we're not going to worry about them too much now other than setting aside any brainstorming material that seems useful. Because the body is longer and more complex than the other parts, it can seem more intimidating. But it only has to be as difficult as you make it.

If you're a student of design, you've heard of things like the golden ratio, the rule of thirds, the Fibonacci Sequence, and the principle of symmetry. There are some arrangements that are more naturally pleasing to the human eye and mind. The number three holds the same power in communication. For whatever reason, we are naturally inclined to express and—more importantly—remember things in groups of three. One example is the adage that “bad things come in three.” It's not at all true, but we naturally group events in threes (especially in the Western world). The point is you can use this inclination to your advantage by sticking with the three‐point speech.

Humans are naturally inclined to express and remember things in groups of three.

Sometimes, my clients question my suggestion of three‐point speeches. I can't blame them. I did the same for years. Three‐point speeches seemed so ordinary. Over the years, I've experimented with all kinds of “more creative” speeches. Sometimes, they worked; more often they flopped, and they always took way more time and effort. Remember, your goal isn't to write the next Gettysburg Address. You just want a really good speech that will effectively communicate your main point with minimum hair‐pulling.

Here's the painless way to organize your speech. Begin by going through all your material from the 10,000‐foot view to get a sense of the overarching ideas. Look for the three most important ideas, which will become your three points. What if you can't narrow it down to three? Hang on to the extra ones for now, but keep looking for ways to combine them. You may not be able to—a speech about the six steps of the standard speech system will require six steps. But remember this: The more points a speech has, the less likely your audience will be able to remember them. As I said in Chapter 7, you can't change how much listeners is able to retain, but you can change the likelihood of them remembering the things you want them to.

The more points a speech has, the less likely your audience will be able to remember them.

So, now, you (ideally) have three highly focused points, which I call “buckets.” They are the containers that will hold all the speech's key information. They literally give the audience a place to put everything they hear, so they can carry it away with them. Hence, buckets.

Here's how buckets aid remembrance. If you were to ask me what toys my son likes to play with (which would be kind of weird, but let's go with it), I could pull fifty toys off his shelf and announce them one by one. How many of the fifty do you think you'd remember an hour later? Maybe the first couple and the last one (because you were so relieved it was the last) and maybe a few in the middle.

Let's say I understand the power of buckets, so instead I grab about a dozen toys and items and sort them into the three buckets: action figures, Hot Wheels, and DJ equipment (yes, my six‐year‐old son likes to DJ—he offers a special rate for birthday parties, if you're interested) and then talk about each bucket. An hour later, you might still remember all twelve objects. You would've seen fewer of his toys than with the no‐bucket approach but would remember more (that's key—less is more), and you'd have a far better understanding of my son's play habits.

So, once you have chosen your three buckets, go through all your material again, this time examining each piece and placing them in one of six categories:

1. Introduction: Material that elicits interest, presents problems that need to be solved, makes promises about the body, etc.
2. Bucket 1
3. Bucket 2
4. Bucket 3
5. Conclusion: Material that summarizes the buckets and presents next steps.
6. Unsorted: Perhaps the most useful category because it's easier to set aside the one great idea that doesn't really fit than it is to toss it.

This is where the sticky note method is nice—you can physically move them around and try different arrangements. Does the story about the python in your basement go better with Bucket 1 or Bucket 2? Just move it back and forth, and see what feels better.

Once you have sorted all your brainstorming material into one of these categories (and tossed any that didn't make the cut), step away for a while, allowing yourself to return to open mode. Go do something fun, work on a different project, exercise, sleep on it. Your brain will keep working.

When you return, take a fresh look at your categories and the material in them. Does Bucket 1 need less content? Should more material be sent to “Unsorted”? If you have more than three buckets, can any of them be combined or eliminated?

Now, it's time to examine your buckets individually. As I've already indicated, you must be absolutely clear about the central idea of each point. If it isn't clear in your head, it won't be clear to your audience.

If it isn't clear in your head, it won't be clear to your audience.

One of the best tools for focusing your points is naming them, that is, creating titles. A great title will practically write the point. My fourth book began with nothing more than the idea for a title, Lead with No Fear. These titles can describe the content of buckets, present actions to be taken, be pithy one‐liners, or be chronologically or process‐driven (i.e. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3). When it comes to titles, clarity is better than cleverness. It doesn't matter how creative it is if the audience doesn't understand it. If nothing else, start by writing a summary of the point, and then keep editing it down into the minimum number of words possible. If you can get it down to three or four words, you'll have an effective title. More importantly, you'll have personal clarity.

After you know the point of each bucket, look at all three and how they relate to each other and—most importantly—how they relate to the overarching point and purpose of the speech. Do the buckets flow from one to the next? Do they work together to accomplish your speech's purpose? A great point that distracts from the main point is not a good point.

A great point that distracts from the main point is not a good point.

Does this feel like a lot of work? It's a lot less work to find these problems now rather than in the final draft. And it's even worse to realize, halfway through giving your presentation, that one point is completely irrelevant. Believe me.

Once you know the point of each bucket, you'll be able to sort through material in each with one simple question: Does this explain or support my point? If not, toss it. If you can't bear getting rid of it, move it to Unsorted. Now, you can organize the remaining material within each bucket. Here are some possible structures: (Note: Some of these are also useful for organizing your buckets within the larger speech.)

• Problem/Solution/Testimony
• Problem/False solution/True solution
• Theory/Evidence/Action
• Concept/Explanation
• Mystery/Answer
• Idea/Illustration
• Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities & Threats
• Past/Present/Future
• Finances/Operations/Personnel
• Need/Product/The Ask

Play with these ideas, and see what fits your situation the best but always remember to stay focused on the point of the bucket. How will each thing you say enforce the point? By the way, this is one of the great strengths of the bucket system. When (not if) you realize mid‐speech that you forget to say something, it won't really matter. So long as they remember the bucket, it's a win.

Once you're comfortable with your speech's organization, put it on pause and move on to the next step. We'll refine it in step six, giving your subconscious more time to work on it.

4. Write the Conclusion

I call this landing the plane. Done right, your conclusion will summarize your key points, give your audience clear direction for their next steps, and motivate them to go out and do it. Done wrong, it will undo everything you did right in the rest of the speech. No one cares how good the flight was if the plane crashes on landing. A good conclusion has (can you guess?) three components:

5. Write the Introduction

As I said at the beginning of this chapter, the introduction is the single most important part of the speech. It is your one opportunity to convince your audience to entrust you with their time and attention. In my experience, you have this much time:

• Eight seconds to give a good first impression.
• Two minutes to capture attention.
• Five minutes to give them a reason to listen to the body.

These are the three phases of the opening, each leading to the next, with the single purpose of preparing your audience to listen to the body of the speech with the highest level of receptivity.

6. Edit for Flow

The final step, editing, is the easiest in some ways and the hardest in others. It's the easiest because the uncertainty has been removed. The pieces are in place; now all that is left is grunt work. It's the hardest because now it's time to start reading out loud, which you've probably been avoiding. But I can't overemphasize how important this is. Things that look wonderful on paper just don't work the same when spoken. This is the step where you transform the vision in your head into reality. I like to read through my speeches in three separate stages.

7. (Optional) Create a Visual Presentation

If your speech calls for a visual presentation (such as PowerPoint, Slide Deck, etc.), treat it as a part of the speech, not an afterthought and not as the first act. Speak through your visual presentation, not around it. I cover this more in Speak and Meet Virtually, but you want to make sure that your presentation enhances your message and doesn't distract from it. I've also discovered that creating the presentation often improves my speech. Writing a slide with a main point, for instance, forces me to refine its wording.

Speak through your visual presentation, not around it.

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As I said at the beginning, this is the standard speech system and is the foundation for all the other ones. In the next chapter, we'll explore systems for speaking when you are unable to prepare.