No matter how the Oscars turn out this weekend, "The King's Speech" is my favorite movie of the year.
Not that I didn't think "The Social Network" says a whole lot about the way we communicate today -- and says it well.
It's just that "The King's Speech" is about how we have and always will communicate -- one-to-one.
There's a great line from Geoffrey Rush, the speech therapist, just as the film reaches its most exciting moment when King Edward, the stutterer, is about to make his first war-time broadcast.
"Forget everything else and just say it to me," he tells the King at what will be his finest, or worst, hour.
That sentiment is the linchpin of my entire career as a public speaker -- be it on radio or TV or before a crowd.
I've always put it this way, and it goes back to Broadcast 101. To be effective when you are speaking before many, you must speak to only one.
I still use this question when I interview people for radio jobs. When you are on the radio, I ask, how big is your audience? If they don't automatically answer, "One," then I know they haven't quite grasped the concept.
And the concept is this. Effective public speaking is really a conversation. It's just that -- if you are the speaker -- you are the only one talking.
In your mind there must be an 'every person' you are talking with. Notice I said 'with' and not 'to.' To make the personal connection necessary for effective public speaking, you must converse 'with' your audience. And, you do that by creating this 'every person' in your head -- and then talking with them.
It's not as weird as it sounds. I don't, literally, carry around an avatar in my head to have a conversation with. I just carry this thought with me whenever I do public speaking -- the thought of having just one someone listening and reacting to what I'm saying. The mind is an amazing thing, it always comes up with someone for me to speak with.
"The Audience of One" speaking philosophy also eliminates the crowd fear experienced by many. If you are only speaking with one person of your own creation -- there goes the fear of speaking to many who may be judging you!
It's just like a scene in "The King's Speech" when the therapist has the stuttering king read into a recording device while wearing headphones playing loud music. He speaks clearly because he's not hearing (and thinking) about how his voice sounds. Same thing with crowd fear. Eliminate the crowd from your mind and the fear is gone.
If you haven't seen "The King's Speech," I, obviously, recommend it highly... and not just because of what it says about public speaking. It's truly one of the most exciting films I've seen this year. I know what you are thinking -- an exciting movie about a speech?! Well, "The King's Speech" is that good.
Check out the trailer.
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