The 110 techniques of communication and public speaking | David JP Phillips | TEDxZagreb

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker shares his journey of analyzing 5,000 public speakers to identify 110 core skills that distinguish good, great, and outstanding speakers. He highlights key skills, including effective body language, vocal techniques, and gestures, emphasizing that anyone can learn and improve these skills. Through demonstrations, he shows how subtle changes in presentation can significantly impact communication effectiveness. The talk concludes with practical tips on body language, voice modulation, and the importance of a genuine smile, inspiring listeners to enhance their public speaking abilities.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **110 Core Skills**: The speaker analyzed 5,000 public speakers to identify 110 core skills that contribute to effective public speaking.
• 📈 **Skill Application**: The more of these skills a speaker can apply, the more impactful their presentation becomes.
• 🤔 **Mediocrity vs Mastery**: There's a clear difference between a mediocre communicator and one who has mastered the art of public speaking.
• 🧍 **Body Language**: Open body language is crucial for connection and trust, while closed body language can signal a feeling of threat.
• 🙌 **Functional Gesturing**: Use hand gestures to emphasize points, show progression, or illustrate comparisons.
• 🤓 **Voice and Pace**: Speaking at a calm pace can make the content seem more important, whereas a fast pace may indicate a lack of interest or confidence.
• 📢 **Pause for Impact**: Pauses are powerful; they give the audience time to process information and can increase anticipation.
• 😊 **Duchenne Smile**: A genuine smile, engaging both the mouth and eyes, can make the speaker appear more approachable and can actually make them feel happier.
• 👀 **Eye Contact**: Making eye contact with the audience increases a speaker's presence and helps in building a connection.
• 🎤 **Voice Control**: Controlling the pitch, volume, and tone of your voice can greatly affect how your message is perceived.
• 🤝 **Combining Skills**: Just like in boxing, combining different public speaking skills can create a powerful and memorable presentation.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial goal when embarking on the journey to analyze public speakers?

The speaker's initial goal was to analyze 5,000 public speakers from all over the world, both amateurs and professionals, in order to understand what makes a good speaker good, a great speaker great, and an outstanding speaker outstanding.

How many core skills did the speaker identify as a result of his analysis?

The speaker identified 110 core skills with loads of sub skills.

What is the implication of the number of skills identified for a TED talk?

Given the large number of skills identified, it is not feasible to go through all 110 in a single TED talk.

What is the significance of the chair in the speaker's demonstration?

The chair represents an idea or concept that the speaker wants the audience to believe in or buy into, symbolizing the power of effective communication.

What are the two options the speaker presents regarding communication?

The two options are: being on one side of the chair as a mediocre communicator who hopes for the best, or being on the other side as a skilled communicator who knows exactly what to do to increase focus, empathy, trust, and anticipation.

What is the speaker's stance on whether everyone can become good at presentation skills?

The speaker believes that everyone can become good at presentation skills, as they are not innate talents but rather skills that can be acquired and improved through practice and coaching.

What are the five most important skills the speaker focuses on for coaching?

The speaker does not explicitly list the five skills in the provided transcript, but he mentions that he will focus on certain skills when coaching someone and also provides four bonus skills at the end.

What is the importance of open body language in communication?

Open body language is important because it signifies a lack of threat and a willingness to engage, whereas closed body language can signal that a person feels threatened or defensive.

What is 'functional gesturing' and why is it important?

Functional gesturing is the use of hand movements to emphasize or illustrate a point, showing that something is getting better, worse, or indicating a sequence. It is important because it enhances verbal communication and helps to convey meaning more effectively.

How does the pace of speech affect the audience's perception of importance?

A slower pace can make the audience perceive the content as more important, as it suggests the speaker is taking time to ensure the message is understood. A faster pace might imply the speaker is not invested in the content.

Why is pausing considered an important aspect of public speaking?

Pausing is important because it allows the audience to process the information, gives the speaker a moment for emphasis, and can create anticipation for what is coming next.

What is the 'Duquesne smile' and how did the speaker incorporate it into his personal development?

The 'Duquesne smile' is a genuine smile that involves the entire face, including the eyes. The speaker incorporated it into his personal development by practicing it for six months until he could naturally produce it, which resulted in increased personal happiness and a more engaging presence on stage.

Outlines

00:00

🎤 The Art of Public Speaking Mastery

The speaker begins by sharing their passion for public speaking and their journey of analyzing 5,000 speakers to identify the core skills that differentiate good, great, and outstanding speakers. They introduce the concept of 110 core skills and sub-skills that contribute to effective communication. The speaker demonstrates how understanding and applying these skills can transform one's ability to communicate and persuade. They emphasize that anyone can acquire these skills through practice and experience, not just innate talent. The paragraph concludes with the speaker's intention to highlight the top skills that they focus on when coaching others.

05:01

🤔 The Impact of Body Language in Communication

This paragraph delves into the importance of body language in public speaking. The speaker discusses common closed body language positions that convey a sense of threat or discomfort, such as the fig leaf, double bunny, and Merkel positions. They advocate for open body language to enhance communication. The speaker also introduces the concept of functional gesturing, which involves using hand movements to emphasize points effectively. They illustrate the power of nonverbal communication by demonstrating how it can contradict or reinforce verbal messages, thereby affecting the audience's perception and understanding.

10:03

🎭 Enhancing Speech with Voice Control and Expression

The speaker shifts the focus to voice control and expression, starting with the pace of speech. They contrast a slow, deliberate pace that conveys importance with a rapid, monotonous pace that can bore the audience. The speaker then discusses the power of pauses, emphasizing their role in allowing the audience to process information and feel the speaker's emotions. They also address common filler words and phrases, such as 'um' and 'uh,' which can detract from a speaker's credibility and ethos. The speaker concludes this section by demonstrating the effectiveness of pauses and a measured pace in capturing the audience's attention.

15:06

😊 The Psychological Benefits of the Duquesne Smile

The speaker explores the impact of facial expressions, particularly the Duquesne smile, which involves smiling with both the mouth and the eyes. They discuss the psychological benefits of this genuine smile, including increased happiness, contentment, and relaxation. The speaker shares a personal anecdote about learning to perform the Duquesne smile and the positive changes they experienced as a result. They also provide a visual demonstration of the smile's evolution over several years, highlighting its transformative effect on their demeanor and well-being.

🥊 The Knockout Combination of Public Speaking Skills

In the final paragraph, the speaker likens the art of public speaking to a boxer's knockout combination, suggesting that certain skills, when combined, can have a powerful impact on the audience. They outline a sequence of skills, from body language to voice control, that can be used effectively in a public speaking engagement. The speaker concludes by reiterating the potential for anyone to become a great public speaker through the application of these skills, inspiring the audience to embrace the challenge and strive for excellence in their communication.

Keywords

💡Public Speaking

Public speaking refers to the act of addressing an audience in a formal setting, typically to inform, influence, or entertain. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of public speaking skills and shares insights on how to become an effective communicator. The entire transcript is centered around the concept of enhancing public speaking abilities.

💡Body Language

Body language is the non-verbal cues and gestures that people use to communicate. The speaker discusses the significance of maintaining open body language to appear more approachable and confident. He also demonstrates how certain closed positions, like crossing arms, can signal a defensive or uncooperative stance.

💡Core Skills

Core skills are the fundamental abilities or competencies that are essential for a particular activity or role. The video mentions 110 core skills identified by the speaker through his analysis of public speakers. These skills are crucial for anyone looking to improve their public speaking and communication abilities.

💡Functional Gesturing

Functional gesturing involves using hand movements to emphasize or illustrate points being made during speech. The speaker advises against keeping hands in pockets or using closed gestures, and instead, recommends using gestures to show the progression or importance of the information being shared.

💡Voice and Pace

Voice and pace refer to the tone, speed, and modulation of speech. The speaker highlights the importance of maintaining a calm pace when speaking, as it can make the content seem more important and engaging. He contrasts a slow, thoughtful pace with a rapid, monotonous one to illustrate the point.

💡Pause

A pause in speaking is a moment of silence used for emphasis or to allow the audience to process information. The speaker stresses the importance of pauses, stating that they can give the audience time to absorb what's being said and can increase the speaker's credibility.

💡Ethos, Logos, Pathos

Ethos, logos, and pathos are appeals to credibility, logic, and emotion, respectively, often used in rhetoric. The speaker briefly mentions these concepts, suggesting that understanding and incorporating them can enhance the effectiveness of a speech.

💡Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication encompasses all the ways people communicate without using words, including facial expressions, gestures, and posture. The speaker demonstrates how nonverbal cues can contradict or reinforce verbal messages, impacting the overall effectiveness of communication.

💡Duquesne Smile

The Duquesne smile is a genuine, warm smile that involves not just the mouth but also the eyes, often signaling happiness and approachability. The speaker shares his personal journey of learning to perform a Duquesne smile and its positive impact on his well-being and communication.

💡Audible Inhale

An audible inhale is the act of taking a noticeable breath, which can be used in public speaking to create anticipation or to signal that something important is about to be said. The speaker uses this technique to grab the audience's attention before making a point.

💡Self Laughter

Self laughter is when a speaker laughs at their own joke or point, which can create a sense of camaraderie and make the audience more receptive. The speaker mentions self laughter as a technique to increase anticipation and engagement.

💡Skill Combination

A skill combination in the context of the video refers to the strategic use of multiple public speaking skills together to create a more powerful and effective presentation. The speaker illustrates this by combining various skills like body language, voice control, and pauses for a knockout public speaking performance.

Highlights

Embarked on a journey to analyze 5,000 public speakers to understand what makes a good speaker, great speaker, or outstanding speaker.

Identified 110 core skills with sub-skills that contribute to effective public speaking.

Demonstrated how body language and gestures can significantly impact communication.

Highlighted the importance of maintaining open body language to avoid appearing threatened.

Explained the concept of functional gesturing and its role in emphasizing points during a speech.

Discussed the power of a calm pace in speech to convey importance and hold attention.

Emphasized the significance of pauses in speech for allowing the audience to process information.

Shared insights on the psychological impact of maintaining eye contact and its effect on presence.

Introduced the concept of the Duquesne smile and its positive effects on personal well-being and audience perception.

Provided a practical example of how to use small skills like audible inhale and self laughter to increase anticipation.

Stressed the importance of aligning body language with verbal communication to avoid discrepancies.

Outlined a combination of skills that can be used for effective public speaking, similar to a boxer's knockout combination.

Encouraged the audience to learn and improve their public speaking skills for personal and professional growth.

Suggested that anyone can become a good, great, or outstanding public speaker through practice and skill acquisition.

Presented a personal anecdote about learning the Duquesne smile and its transformative effect on happiness.

Used a metaphor of boxing to illustrate the power of combining different speaking skills for maximum impact.

Concluded with an inspiring message that public speaking skills are learnable and can lead to becoming a greater speaker.

Transcripts

alright ladies and gentlemen welcome to

to my passion and to my love and

according to my wife my mistress in life

seven years ago I embarked on a journey

to analyze 5,000 public speakers from

all over the world amateurs and

professionals in order to distill and

understand what makes a good speaker

good what makes a great speaker great

and what makes an outstanding speaker

outstanding the result 110 core skills

with loads of sub skills so what does it

look like it looks like this these are

the 110 core skills and the equation is

simple the more of them you fulfill the

greater you are now 110 skills that's

quite a tad too many to go through in

one TED talk don't you agree so what

I've done is I've picked out my absolute

favorites and I'd like to show you a

demonstration of what it can look like

imagine that this chair is something

that you want somebody else to believe

in you want somebody else to buy into

this this is your idea this is you

wanting to make your voice heard this

gives you two options either you're on

this side of the chair and you're a

fairly mediocre communicator you shoot

from the hip you hope for the best and

sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't

option number two is that you're on this

side of the chair and you know exactly

what you're doing in every instance of

time you know that by taking a step

forward you increase focus you know that

by tilting your head slightly to the

side you increase empathy you know that

by changing the pace of what you are

saying you increase focus

and you know that by shifting yourself

lower you increase trust and you know

that by lowering your voice

you get anticipation and you know for

absolute certain

you pause you get absolute and undivided

attention now the question then is can

everyone be on this side of the chair

can everyone become good at these skills

what do you think the answer is of

course it is why because it's cool

presentation skills skills skills skills

skills skills

it is not has never been I shall never

be called the talents you're not born

with a particular gene that makes you

brilliant on stage

something you acquire through life now

as I said 110 skills that's quite the

number so what I've chosen to do is I've

picked out the five would I say most

important skills whenever somebody comes

to me and they want coaching this is

what I focus on and then I'll actually

give you four bonus skills at the end as

well sounds okay so let's start with two

of my favorites from body language which

is skilled 34 and skill 69 that is not

intentional not 34 what am i doing what

could I be doing differently in this

case ladies and gentlemen it is an

absolute pleasure to have you here today

good of you to come what should I have

avoided

I should have avoided closing my body

language because whenever a human being

closest their body language it is a sign

that they feel threatened in one way or

another so I should have continued with

an open Lambada language so let's have a

look at number 69 which looks like this

I'll have to start up here so when a

presenter starts like this they go what

should I do better now ladies and

gentlemen welcome to one of the most

influential subjects known to mankind

now this will be super interesting we'll

be going through this you'll happy

having an amazing time

Wow it'll blow you away what should I

have avoided reversing look what a

double incorrect looks like it looks

like this ladies and gentlemen

absolutely pleasure to have you here and

good of you to come well a double

correct looks like this ladies and

gentlemen an absolute pleasure to have

you here

good of you to come is there a

difference of course there is the

biggest difference is in here I can feel

a difference while doing those two

versions you become what you are now

let's ask ourselves yeah but David the

clothes body language things what shall

I do with me hands what sure how where

shall I put them and the interesting

thing with the clothes body language is

that wherever I went all over the world

studying these people it seems like

we've got a general kind of locked body

language positions and I'll show you my

favorites that I've found we've

obviously got the classical fig leaf

position then we have the double bunny

position you have the right bunny

position the left bunny position their

right ha killed and the left tackle then

you have the forklift you of course have

the peacock with flapping elbows you

have the major the Merkel the prayer and

the beggar

one of my personal favorites is the the

British horse rider and the British

shores chloride er it look it's a person

who holds their hands like this puts it

just above the chest it's it's like

they're off somewhere Oh God Fox over

here and then we found two t-rexes as

well in the study such a weird thing

presenting like this or like this okay

so so you mean David that we need to

have an open body language yeah that's

what I mean and I'm not allowed to have

them in my pockets not allowed to have

them in my major or the double bunny

no shall I do with them then what you

should use them for is what is called

functional gesturing to show that

something is getting better well that

something is getting less good or that

it's one two three four five that we are

going to go through use your gestures

for what they're supposed to be used for

and what's interesting with this is that

if you imagine the time we've spent on

this planet as our race how much of that

time have we spent using gestures and

nonverbal communication in order to

communicate what we're saying is that

more than verbal absolutely give me let

me give you a demonstration of how

important this

I'll say something now and everything I

say will be super positive my facial

expressions will be super positive and

the way I say it will be super positive

but my hands will be saying the opposite

are you with me does this require some

focus all of you should learn more about

public speaking because if you do that

you will become better you will grow and

you will develop as a human being people

will love your presentations listening

to your arguments in just generally

loving whatever you're doing so do

yourself a great favor learn more about

this particular subject because you'll

be thanking yourself for the rest of

your life and particularly you have been

absolutely incredible so I thank you for

listening yeah

[Applause]

now the question is this did you listen

to what I was saying or what I was doing

I believe that you focused entirely on

what I was doing and that is the case

with body language and gestures if it's

not saying the same thing as what you're

saying verbally there's a discrepancy

and a disturbance in the communication

let's move on from body language to a

couple of tips on voice and the first

one I'm going to give you is about pace

so listen to this ladies and gentlemen

what I'm going to take you through now

is incredibly important now and for the

rest of your future life we'll go

through the cortex we'll go through the

limbic in the reptilian system we'll go

through a psychological advanced profile

where we tell you take you through the

entire steps of the structure will then

look at how that relates to Aristotle as

ethos logos and pathos and I'll carry on

in this pace compare that to this ladies

and gentlemen I'm now going to take you

through something that is entirely and

utterly boring something that you will

have no use of in your entire life

in every second spent listening to me

now and on will be a waste of time

and now look at your faces you're like

what that last bit I want more of that

that was super interesting the useless

stuff yet another brain so much I want

the second bit why because your brains

they react to when a person has a low

pace you think that what I'm saying is

more important than whenever have a high

pace because that illustrates that I

don't really want to be there there are

exceptions to this rule but that is the

basics so keep a calm pace my next tip

goes on pauses the pause is the pause

important absolutely it is so let me

give you a classical rhetorical proverb

now without pauses and it goes like this

did you know that every single decision

you've taken in your entire life and

will take for the rest of your life is

based on one thing and one thing only if

you give that to the people listening to

you that is the feeling that is what

will move them now allowed pauses and it

sounds like this did you know that every

single decision you've taken in your

entire life and you will take for the

rest of your life is based on one thing

and one thing only and that is an

emotion now if you give that emotion to

the people listening to you they will

take the decisions you want them to take

is there a difference absolutely but you

know what some people are afraid of the

pause so you go like woah am I gonna do

one of those I'm not I refuse I I prefer

to compromise and you know what the

compromise for a pause is what does it

sound like yeah

it's like a skok of sheep when you

listen to certain conferences but now

there's nothing among this 110 skills

that lowers your ethos and your

credibility more than Eng because it's

signals that you don't know what you are

saying and where you're going in your

talk so let me give you a demonstration

did you know that every single decision

you've taken in your entire life and

will take for the rest of your life is

based on one thing and one thing only

and that is a feeling

I think you prefer the one with silence

now those were the five main skills I

wanted to take you through and if you

haven't used them before and you start

using them as a public speaker they will

make a difference to your speech I would

like to treat you two for small skills

as well just to give you an appreciation

of how small a skill can be but still

will have a great impact it looks like

this and those were the four skills

did you follow them number one as I

looked up which illustrates that I'm

thinking which increases your your sense

of presence for me on stage the second

thing I did was that I did a audible

inhale which makes your brain believe

that I'm going to say something that's

exciting

I then combine that with a Duquesne

smile which means that I smile with my

mouth and with my eyes did you fall for

it

because what I did as well was this I

did a self laughter and also that

increases anticipation of what I'm going

to say so for small skills executed in

five seconds changes to the state of

your mind I'd like to pick out one of

those and just end off with that and

that is the Duquesne smile the King

smiles has in studies shown that you are

more likely to be married less likely to

be divorced you're happier you're more

content with life and you actually are

more relaxed in situations like this so

I asked myself am i decane smiling

person and to figure out I walked over

to my computer and I logged in and I

looked at all my 60,000 Google photos

they're not all of me but of family

members and others I looked at mine and

it seemed

my brain required short of a miracle to

do a Duquesne smile you know where you

smile with your entire face I thought

that's not fair

and considering the psychological

benefits I better learn this so I spend

not four but six months learning how to

do a decane smile and suddenly my brain

was launching decane smiles in just

everyday happiness it's beautiful and I

felt happier as a human being I want to

show you what it looks like every time I

go on my summer holidays I I take a

photo of myself and this were the last

year's of those photos this was 2014

there's no decay in smile 2015

definitely no decaying smile 2016

still no decay in smile 2017

no decaying smile this year Duchaine

smile does it make a difference

absolutely brings joy to you and

stability to me now we've come to the

end of this talk and I would like to end

with something that relates to boxing

you know Muhammad Ali and the lights

they have combinations for when they're

going to strike somebody knockout and

the same kind of combinations exist in

public speaking as well so what I'd like

to show you is this combination I'm

going to start with the number 34 go to

number 8 and then we'll carry on to six

to nine and nine to eight to six to

seven and 18 22 and a 101 and 21 are you

ready for the combination okay looks

like this ladies and gentlemen I hope

that you've had fun that you have learnt

but more than anything I hope that you

feel inspired to become a greater public

speaker because anybody can become good

anybody can come great and everybody can

become outstanding because it all comes

down to one

single thing

[Applause]