In a few days, a select group of students will take the stage to deliver graduation speeches. These speeches will either be forgotten or will make their way to hundreds of hearts and minds—but only if they are crafted and delivered in a way that connects with the audience. In 2007, Jessica Javelet accomplished exactly that when she shared her story at the University of Louisville’s 2007 graduation ceremony.
If you just watched the video of Jessica’s speech, you can understand why people are still talking about it years later. Jessica’s speech was memorable and inspiring, unlike presentations that are forgotten soon after they are delivered. It exemplified the fifth type of story everyone must learn how to tell.
The “Values in Action” Story
Annette Simmons, who I have referenced throughout this “Storytellers Rule” blogging series, reminds us that to influence others to embrace a particular value, we must share powerful “Values in Action” stories. That’s exactly what Jessica did. “Take a chance on high risk students.” “It’s never too late to turn your life around.” These are just two of the values in Jessica’s story. There are more. The point is that those who listened will not easily forget them. Chances are that they have already adopted those values.
You can type a list of values, frame them, and hang them on the wall. They will mean nothing unless they connect with others in a very personal way. The “Values in Action” story helps drive those values to the heart and to the mind of those who need to adopt them.
The Gift of Coaching
As powerful as Jessica’s story is, her compelling speech didn’t just happen by accident. Great speeches rarely do. They must tell a story that is crafted and delivered thoughtfully and deliberately. And sometimes, an outsider’s perspective is just what a good speech needs before it will become a great speech.
Mary Ann Mariani has been a professional presentation coach for the last twelve years. Although Mary Ann works primarily with corporate executives and teams, through 2Connect, the elite presentation coaching and training firm I recently joined, Mary Ann is passionate to “Give God’s Glory a Voice” by equipping Christians to deliver their presentations with purpose and impact. That passion led her to launch Kingdom Presenters and to coach Jessica through the preparation of her presentation.
I recently listened to Mary Ann tell the story of how Jessica’s presentation evolved from rough draft to the powerful speech that received a standing ovation. Mary Ann shared four ingredients that can help improve our next faith-based presentation. If you have one coming up, you may benefit from her advice:
Listen to God First: Enter a conversation with Jesus first so that you will know His will and purpose for your listeners.
Organize Your Content: Make it easy for your audience to follow and you to focus on what matters.
Validate Your Audience: Remember it is all about them! Use inclusive language and questions that will engage the audience and acknowledge their experiences.
Enjoy Sharing Your Story: Authenticity is what connects with audiences, not perfection. Practice strategies that will ease your nerves and have fun.
Whether you are getting ready to prepare a graduation speech or to deliver your story to a few of your colleagues, you have the opportunity to influence change every time you take the stage, so to speak. Don’t leave your story to chance, prepare to deliver it with purpose and impact.
And if you need an expert perspective, as I often do, I highly recommend my colleague, Mary Ann Mariani. Although I don’t benefit financially from my recommendation, I think she is the gal to call to make your faith presentation all it can be. Learn more about her vision and services at Kingdom Presenters.com.
What Do You Think?
Do you remember stories that cemented important values in your mind and heart? I’d love to read your comment below. Did you find this information helpful? My goal is to help you improve your communication, so you can move forward. If you can benefit from that type of information, sign up to receive future posts in your inbox.
Related Posts:
Storytellers Rule the World Part 4
Storytellers Rule the World Part 3
Storytellers Rule the World Part 2
Storytellers Rule the World Part 1
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