The other day I had the opportunity to hear Jack Williams, TV Anchor on Boston’s CBS Channel 4, speak at a South Shore Chamber of Commerce lunch networking event. I had never heard him speak before and was really looking forward to it.
I hadn’t intended to learn a public speaking lesson that day, but as I listened to him speak, something clicked in my head. I realized this could be a great public speaking learning experience so I took some notes.
He only spoke for about 20 minutes, but he was engaging, connected and looked the part – all very important as a speaker. There was a flow to his speech that I noticed and had never noticed something like that before. Typically we open, have a body to support the opening, and then conclude by pulling it all together. This is the flow I heard in Jack Williams’ talk:
- Connect to the audience - It was the day after the Red Sox lost game 3 to the Indians and wasn’t looking so good for the Sox. Mr. Williams started with “How are you feeling today? Are you sad or optimistic?” He connected with the audience on a topic that many of us were familiar with.
- Background – Then he went into his background. How he started as a journalist and how he ended up in Boston. We got to know him a bit.
- Inspiration – Then he told us about Wednesday’s Child, the program he started 26 years ago and a program he is very passionate about. Then he talked about how we all can make a difference in the world.
What made this impressive to me was the build up. The connection, the background, the passion. He ended with intense passion. His voice was loud and powerful, his body language in line with his speech, and as his passion increased I truly felt that I could make a change in the world. He was inspiring and he closed on that “high” That was the best part. He didn’t “conclude” in the typical fashion by “closing”. I felt like he gave me an opportunity I didn’t otherwise have.
That’s the beauty of a great speech. To relate, present and inspire. He was brilliant.
The next time you’re out listening to a speaker start to notice the skill, the development and how the speech makes you feel. I was inspired, I felt his passion and I felt like I knew Jack Williams.
He was one of the best, if not the best, speakers I’ve ever heard. Thanks for the learning, Jack Williams.
