This is why people loved Paul Harvey. The man could tell a story.  Notice, the details. We pay attention because we want to find out what will happen next. And we pay attention because of his interesting, staccato delivery.
Joey Asher
This is why people loved Paul Harvey. The man could tell a story.  Notice, the details. We pay attention because we want to find out what will happen next. And we pay attention because of his interesting, staccato delivery.
Paul Harvey, who died this weekend, never used PowerPoint. He never interacted with his audience using webinars or modern gizmos like “twitter.”
He just sat in front of a microphone, spoke with energy, and told stories. And people listened.
I used to love Paul Harvey. Not because I agreed with his conservative politics. I think the the obituaries have over stated that stuff.
I just loved hearing him tell stories. When he came on the radio, I would sit in my car until his broadcast was done. So would millions of others as they waited to hear “The rest of the story.”
And he always had something uplifting to say.
Paul Harvey said, “Â Â
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“In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.â€
Most of us know that using foul language in a presentation is a bad idea. But now we have some research to help us understand why.  According to studies detailed in the New York Times, curse words certainly do a nice job of getting an audience’s attention. But they also distract the audience from your core message.
The article provided a fascinating overview of the history of vulgarity. Who knew that “wretchâ€, “rascalâ€, “punkâ€, “gadzooks†and “meddle†were once considered no less vulgar than George Carlin’s famous “seven words you can’t say on television?â€
But the article also detailed the scientific evidence for how foul language can impact listeners and ultimately undermine a presentation.
First, there is ample evidence that “bad words†do a great job of eliciting a response from listeners. The article detailed a study in which researchers measured the physiological response to curse words through the use of electrodes on the arms and fingertips. Upon hearing foul language, the article said, “Their skin conductance patterns spike, the hairs on their arms rise, their pulse quickens, and their breathing becomes shallow.â€
So if you want to get a rise out of an audience, some juicy swear words will certainly do the trick.
The problem is what happens next. Once they hear the words, the audience then becomes very distracted and has a hard time getting the rest of your message. In another study, researchers showed subjects lists of words including a few obscenities. The subjects did a great job at remembering the vulgarities.  But they had a very hard time remembering the other words.Â
Once in a while we have discussions with our clients about the use of foul language and when, if ever, it’s appropriate. The research on the issue is pretty clear. Sure the bad words have impact. But they also distract the audience from your message.
“A healthy male adult bore consumes each year one and a half times his own weight in other people’s patience.â€
Those are the words of John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize winning author who died Tuesday.
Of course, he wasn’t talking about public speaking.
But don’t you love it anyway? And it certainly applies.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV7uQsUMT9c
I guess the apple fell a long way from the tree.
Caroline Kennedy, who is pursuing the US Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, is being rightly criticized for her horrendous speaking skills. Her father, John F. Kennedy, who was a legendary speaker, might not be too impressed.
According to the New York Daily News, Ms. Kennedy used the words “you know” in her interviews more than 400 times since Friday with several media outlets.
Here are the “You know” counts:
To reduce filler words, Kennedy needs to learn how to pause. Close your mouth instead of uttering the filler word.
If you want to inspire, you need to speak with passion.
“My old drama coach used to say, ‘Don’t just do something, stand there.’ Gary Cooper wasn’t afraid to do nothing.”
Those are the words of Clint Eastwood, one of my favorite actors, and whose new movie “Gran Torino” opens today. Â I don’t need to see the reviews. I’m going. That’s all there is to it.
One of the reasons for Clint’s on-screen presence is, as the quote suggests, his ability to stand and say nothing.
If you want to have presence in front of an audience, you should also be willing to stand and say nothing. Sometimes, a pause is best way to get the audience’s attention.
From the “language connects you with others” department, here’s a study that indicates that foul language can help you connect with others.
Researchers at England’s University of East Anglia Norwich looked into leadership styles and found that using swear words can reduce stress and boost camaraderie among coworkers.Â
Professor Yehuda Baruch, professor of management, told the BBC thatÂ
In most scenarios, in particular in the presence of customers or senior staff, profanity must be seriously discouraged or banned. However, our study suggested that, in many cases, taboo language serves the needs of people for developing and maintaining solidarity, and as a mechanism to cope with stress. Banning it could backfire.  Managers need to understand how their staff feel about swearing. . . . The challenge is to master the art of knowing when to turn a blind eye to communication that does not meet with their own standards.
As always, consider the audience.
“No one can dub you with dignity. That’s yours to claim.”
Those are the words of folk singer and civil rights legend Odetta, who died this week. Â If you don’t know about her, check out her obituary in the New York Times.
She wasn’t a noted public speaker. But the above quote touches on what great speakers do. Great speakers claim dignity by trusting in their own voices and speaking with passion.
Yesterday, I was in a workshop where one of the participants made a large stride in improving his ability to connect with audiences. He really was getting it. He was speaking with a kind of passion that anyone could see was real and unique to him. Â And when he saw himself on videotape, I could see him getting nervous.
“I’m not sure I can do that,” he said. “Everyone is going to wonder what happened to me. It’s not what they’re used to seeing.”
But great speakers embrace how good they can be without fear. They realize that their passion is their dignity. They embrace it rather than run from it.
That’s what Odetta did.