These are the Craig Valentine public speaking resources that I used to win 2nd place at the 2013 Toastmasters International Semifinal Speech Contest in Cincinnati, OH!
Sandy’s coaching session with Craig Valentine (2011) – 3 videos
Video 1 of 3
- What do you want your audience to “Think, Feel or Do Differently” as a result of experiencing you?
- Qualify your position, opinion, experience with this underlying principle: “Don’t Tell, Ask”
Video 2 of 3
- Tap, Tease, and Transport (Tapping into your world with a question, before I transport you into my world with a story. And a Tease bridges the two).
- The bus should have a place on the stage (for visual and verbal call-backs).
- There are 2 major reasons for moving on stage:
#1: The action in your story prompts your movement on stage.
#2: The stage is a timeline. (see video Part 3) - “People won’t remember what you say, as much as they’ll remember what THEY SEE when you say it.” – Patricia Fripp
- Use “minimal hints” to describe characters in your story (e.g.: my wife: big brown eyes)
- The stage is what your audience actually sees.
- V.A.K.S. (whenever you create a scene, use VAKS): Visual; Auditory; Kinesthetic; Smell
Video 3 of 3
- V.A.K.S. (whenever you create a scene): Visual (black couch); Auditory (my wife said); Kinesthetic (“what could you feel?”: leather); Smell (the cookies).
- There are 2 major reasons for moving on stage:
#1 The action in your story prompts your movement on stage.
#2: The stage is a timeline. (for visual & verbal call-back) - Dialog breathes life into a speech. Instead of narrating, use dialog. (Even if it’s a thought that you’re having to yourself, present it as dialog). When you’re “reliving it” you see the facial expressions.
- Storytelling is about dialog. And then it’s about the reaction to the dialog.
- Underlying principle: Reactions tell the story. It’s the “reaction”; it’s the look-before-the-line that matters. It’s not the lines, it’s the reaction between the lines.
- Generalizing. Be careful not to generalize.
- Don’t make yourself the Hero of your own story.
Paul’s Coached by Craig Valentine (2011)
- When you set up a scene [on the stage], and then move back-and-forth, you demolish your scene.
- Move with purpose. Paul was moving around without a purpose.
- Don’t re-tell; re-live.
- NEVER add humor to a speech; uncover humor within it. Dialog + reaction, that’s where you’ll uncover the humor.
Henrik’s Coached by Craig Valentine (2011)
- Pause
- When you ask a question
- Present Problem before Solution
- Then, Now and How approach
- Make them Curious
1999 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking Craig Valentine Shares His Insights by Jeremey Donovan from Speaking Sherpa
A Key to Public Speaking: No Phrase, No Stage – Craig Valentine
3 Ways to Avoid Preaching when you Speak – Craig Valentine
Craig Valentine’s #1 Delivery Tool for Speakers to Make a Deeper Connection
Be Funny and Clear by Using the Rule of Three – Craig Valentine
My Biggest Mistake and the Two Tools That Fixed It – Craig Valentine
Presentation Skills Training from World Champion of Public Speaking Craig Valentine
- Tell a story and make a point.
- Start off with a foundational phrase – the takeaway message (eg: “Your Dream Is Not For Sale”).
- Foundational phrase MUST be fewer than 10 words.
- Before you even start creating your speech, and constructing it and all the humor, you’ve gotta start off with a foundational phrase.
- Foundational phrases upon which I’ve built my story/activity to make my point.
- Quick physical description: “She looked up at me with her big brown eyes…”
52 Speaking Tips from Craig Valentine
Keep Your Audiences on the Edge Of Their Seats – Craig Valentine [PDF]