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STAGE TIME: 5 Places to Find Compelling Content
By Darren | May 6, 2010
It was 1994, Nova Scotia, Canada. I was attending a speakers’ conference. There I was, an eager student of humor, just making the transition from comedy to speaking. I was sitting in the forth row, very excited about what I was going to learn from a session titled: How to add humor to your presentation.
I was shocked when I heard the presenter say, “Find old Reader’s Digest Magazines…”
What? Are you kidding me?!
The presenter was basically telling people to steal other people’s stories. Ouch! In the world I grew up in — stand-up comedy — that was the fastest way to get “black-balled” from the stage.
At that exact moment I realized that — although I wasn’t a professional comedian — I could teach humor much better than the presenter. At least I wouldn’t teach people to steal!
I’ve been teaching humor secrets ever since. Now, for the very first time, I’m getting ready to release a Humor Home Study Course of my own.
On a World Champions’ EDGE conference call this week, we covered this subject, and I thought you would appreciate these ideas.
So, where do you find original,
compelling content of your own?
.
#1 ~ Your Ah-ha Moments
While sitting in the audience listening to an incredible speaker, Glenna Salsbury, CSP, CPAE, I finally go it! She made it so simple. I had always wondered why some stories were so powerful and others were just stories. Glenna teaches to look for our ah-ha moments from our own lives. AH-HA! That’s was an ah-ha for me.
Over the years, I’ve been telling the story of my comedy mentor, Vinnie Favorito, when he said, “Darren, if you ever turn down stage time I will never help you again.” Ouch! That story and lesson has literally resonated around the world. Why? Not because I’m an amazing storyteller. (I’m working on it!) It’s powerful because it was one of my biggest ah-has. When it comes from your heart, you’ll connect deeper. What have been your ah-ha’s? Take some time to really reflect.
#2 ~ Relentlessly Research Your Topic
Even if you’re an expert, you are still never done learning about your topic. When I was working on my World Championship speech, my coach, Mark Brown, helped me to parallel my story with the story of Dr. Robert Goddard. He was the rocket scientist who launched the first liquid-fueled rocket, and it happened in my home town.
Although I was quite familiar with his story, I decided to take some of my anxiety and channel it into something positive… research. I relentlessly read books, visited museums, and talked with experts. I learned some fascinating things about Dr. Goddard. Did you know that he invented the Bazooka? And solar panels! And, the first book to land on the moon was his biography, This High Man, the Life of Robert H. Goddard.
As interesting as the research was, not all of it was completely relevant to my speech. But, during the process, I discovered a newspaper headline that read, “Moonrocket misses target by 238,799 and 1/2 miles!”
This would become a funny line — and a very crucial part of my speech. Without the research, I would never have discovered that headline. What are you missing, that could be compelling content? Do the research!
#3 ~ Interview Experts
When I was just getting started in speaking I was still an amateur comedian, and I had no credibility. I took inventory of what resources I had. One of my biggest assets – that I didn’t even realize was an asset — was friends who were professional comedians. So many people in speaking were asking me for humor tips, I thought I’d interview the Boston Headliner Comedians & Humorists from my local NSA Chapter in Boston. I asked them the questions I wanted to know… not only to learn myself, but also to help others, as well. I interviewed each of them for an hour and then distilled the interviews down to 30-minute content-rich sessions. That became my foundation for Learn How the Pros Make ‘em Laugh.
I used the other people’s credibility, and I became the expert by being the guy who collected the information. Using that same idea, I interviewed business owners to write the book Laugh and Get Rich. Who can you interview to get more compelling content?
#4 ~ Friends and Family
I learned from Patricia Fripp, CSP, CPAE about going back to your childhood. She reminded me that we tell some of our best stories over and over again at the dinner table with friends and family. Fripp and I agree that the biggest problem with emerging speakers is they undervalue their own experience. Audiences will connect emotionally to our stories, more than literally.
Ask your friends and family to remind you of the best lessons and stories from your younger years. I was reminded of being born with a club foot, and how my Mom used to say that nothing would stop me. If I wanted something I would just drag my little cast behind me and crawl to get it. What stories have you forgotten about?
#5 ~ Experiments
OK, be creative! How about doing your own experiments or tests related to your field of expertise? I started taking my blood pressure right before I spoke several times last year to see what happened. Hey, I need to do that again! Be creative, have fun. It can be compelling when you’re the one who created the experiment and can share the results as a story. Your story. What experiments could you do?
Where does your best content come from?
Topics: Public Speaking Skills, Stage Time Comments, Toastmasters |
May 6th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
My best content comes from family experiences! When on of my co-workers mentioned how she loved to hear my ‘mama stories’ I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment. I began recording those stories and, before long, had several inspirational speeches (sprinkled with humor) featuring my relationship with my mom. In fact, I’ll be giving one of those next week at a mother-daughter banquet. Family: that’s the first (but not the last) place I look for good, original content.
Enjoyed your article. As always, it was filled with valuable content.
May 6th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I had an Ah Hah moment when I was getting some of my best material.
I was reading my Wife’s Mail.
She came in and screamed, “AH HAH. I KNEW someone was going through my stuff!”
May 6th, 2010 at 4:54 pm
I liked this very much. I have stories but don’t know how to make them funny. I tried one, I thought was funny, at one of my TM meetings but no one thought it was funny. One person said it made him feel sorry for me. How do you make your stories funny?
May 7th, 2010 at 7:23 am
Another compelling newsletter! I tell all new members to talk about what they know and they will not go wrong, from childhood memories to school, work and life and gear them to the objectives of the manual speeches if possible and gnenerally it is possible to do. I too try to do the same with my speeches.
Thank you again for another intersting and valuable how-to lesson!
Patricia Cotton