Le Secret des orateurs

[The secret of public speakers]

The author is a teacher in public speaking. In this book, he shares his many observations of political debates and speeches by businesspersons, and spots what gives impulse to a speech or weakens it. He notices that we focus a lot on contents. This leads us to rely on written supports to avoid forgetting such or such striking expression, running the risk to lose touch with our audience.

When we give a speech or a presentation, we sometimes neglect that we are in a representation, even when sitting on a chair in the meeting room. This is why the author recalls the necessity to respect the three rules of theater: the speaker is sole responsible of the audience’s state of mind; he/she must respect the masque, i.e. he/she must keep to the character he/she is playing; finally, no matter what happens, the show must go on until the end.

The author underlines the three key points of a successful presentation. The first is verticality, i.e. the fact of standing straight, even when seated. This may seem insignificant, but the vertical posture has a notable impact on the image we project and on the quality of our voice. The second, “active, global looking”, encourages us to ensure we speak to everyone with active eyes, seeking to read on their faces the impression our speech is making. This enables us to adjust in real time, function of the reactions. Lastly, the third point, the “vocal will”, consists in working on our voice to project it without stressing it.

Even if your intention is not to play in a theatre or to lead a political campaign, you will find in this book points of improvement to implement for your speeches and presentations.