Orbit Activity 12

Many speeches or keynote addresses in the workplace, and indeed in the community are to persuade and influence people to do something. Particularly presentations such as political speeches, environmental speeches or community issues. There are people who have the ability to move audiences to action, and this activity is to give members the opportunity to practice that skill.

Activity 12 – Speech that moves the audience to action

Duration: 4-6 mins
Pre-requisites: Completion of Launchpad Program

Aim

To present a speech which moves the audience so they want to take action.

Objectives

  1. To present the context and the reason why the audience needs to do something
  2. To give the audience a clear understanding of what they can achieve if they do something
  3. To get them to actually take the action

The Why…

Many speeches or keynote addresses in the workplace, and indeed in the community are to persuade and influence people to do something. Particularly presentations such as political speeches, environmental speeches or community issues. There are people who have the ability to move audiences to action, and this activity is to give members the opportunity to practice that skill.

The How

Specific guidelines on how to tackle this activity.

Choose an issue that is broadly relevant to the audience.

It’s wise to avoid political issues, but other broader community issues such as the environment, climate change, road closures, park openings or property development can be useful topics.

Having decided, ask yourself, why is this important to the people who are listening, and why is it important for them to take some action to do whatever it is you want them to do?

As stated in the objectives, follow this sequence when planning your speech:

  • Context: Why does the audience need to take action? What’s the big WHY? What’s the motivation for them to act?
  • What’s Possible: Present the benefits of taking action, and what’s possible. How it’s worked elsewhere, or others who have benefitted from taking action.
  • Call to Action: Give appropriate and easy ways to take action. Then make it a ‘no brainer’ for them to follow through.

Tips and traps

Trap: Don’t choose overtly party political topics.

Trap: Avoid topics which are risque, or of a sexual nature.

Trap: Don’t choose topics which are inappropriate, such as reasons for joining a religion. In fact, it’s wise to avoid religion completely.

Tip: Choose a topic that has broad community views. This doesn’t mean everyone has to agree. It’s just a topic that people will know and care about. Connect with your audience by choosing a topic you know they’ll have a vested interest in (something ‘close to home’).

Tip: Think about your task as ‘making them care about it’. Tell stories of…

  • how the reverse of what you want them to do has impacted people
  • how what you want them to do has impacted positively on people

Tip: This is an activity where using vocal variety with appropriate gestures can be really effective. Use your Warrior Voice with intense gestures to really drive your point home. And your Whisper Voice with subtle gestures can be used to generate empathy for your cause. Your Wise Sage Voice can provide the calm, collected voice of reason.

Tip: Use the ‘Fact-Example-Fact’ method. State a fact, give an example that relates directly to it, then restate the fact in another way. This is a very powerful way of getting your point across.

Tip: Make the first 30 seconds really count. Can you ask questions that trigger the audience into sitting up and listening? Questions about how not taking action could impact their lives or the lives of their immediate families? For example ‘Can you imagine a world where…. <insert bad outcome from not taking action>.

Tip: Make the call to action a ‘no brainer’. Do this by showing them how taking action is going to save them time, money or effort, for them or for future generations. Ensure the call to action isn’t going to be hideously time consuming, expensive or difficult for them to complete, and point that out to them if necessary.

Tip: Many of the tips from Orbit Activity 8 are applicable here. After all, you’re “selling” and “persuading” the audience on the action you want them to take.

Guidelines for Program Director:

This is the last activity in Orbit. It’s a very powerful activity if done the right way.

Choose your members carefully in the order that you roster this.

Give it to experienced members initially to model how to do it.

Don’t do this activity every week. Make sure there’s a space of at least 2 or 3 weeks between these persuasive presentations.

Members who are rostered to do this activity will have been in Rostrum for almost 18 months or two years. Subsequently they shouldn’t need a lot of hand holding, but be conscious this is a very challenging activity.