Foundational Phrase

Nowmostpeopleunderstandtheimportanceoftellingastoryandmakinga
point.Afterall,thatstheessenceofpublicspeaking.Butletmeaskyouthis
haveyoueverseenastorythatwasallovertheplace?Nowbehonest,haveyou
evergivenone?Metoo,andithappensbecausewestartdevelopingourstories
inthewrongplace.

Weneedtostartcreatingourmessagewithourfoundationalphrase.Sowhatis
this?Itsthephraseuponwhichwebuildourstory,ourhumor,ouractivities,or
whateverotheranchorswetendtouse.Itsalsothetakeawaylineforour
audiencemembers.

SohereareacoupleofexamplesoffoundationalphrasesthatIuse:

Yourdreamisnotforsale.
Whatgotyouherewontgetyouthere.
Changesmallandchangeoften.
Actionsspeaklouderthanwords.

Nowwhatdidyounoticeaboutthosefoundationalphrases?Youprobably
noticedthattheyreshortandtothepoint.Soalwaysrememberthisyour
foundationalphraseshouldbefewerthan10words.

WhenIaskmyaudienceswhy,theyusuallysaythingslike,Well,soyour
audiencewillrememberit,orSoyoullrememberit,andthosearegood
answers,buttheresamoreimportantreason.Itsbecausefewerthan10words
forcesyoutobecrystalclearonyourmessage.Trustme.Ifyourmessageisnt
cleartoyou,itdoesntstandachancetobecleartoyouraudience.

Theressomefolksouttherewhowillsay,Well,ifyoucanwriteyourmain
messageonthebackofabusinesscard,thatmeansitsclearenough.

Isaytothem,YouhaveabsolutelynoideahowsmallIcanwrite.ImeanIcan
writeaparagraphonthebackofabusinesscard,butfewerthan10wordsforces
youtobecrystalclear.

Again,thisistheonlylessonthatwillexceedfiveminutes,butIthinkitsso
importantforyoutolistentothisliveexampleofmegivingastorywitha
foundationalphrase.

==========

Beingtheworldchampionisablessinganda.[audienceanswersCurse].You
saidit.

Nowconsiderthis.IfyouhadbeenwalkingtowardsmeintheChicagoairporttwo
daysafterIwontheworldchampionship,youwouldhaveseenmywifeonone
sideofme,andmecarryingthisgiganticcrystaltrophy,justwalkingthroughthe
Chicagoairport.Andofcourseeverybodyslookingatme,likeWhoisthat?
Honey,isthatDenzelWashington?[audiencelaughing]Youdonthavetolaugh
thatmuch!HowaboutBlairUnderwood?FlavorFlav?[laughing]

ButthisiswhenIrealizedthatmylifewouldneverbethesame.Thispetiteladyin
apinkdressrunsuptomeinthemiddleoftheconcourseeverybodyswatching
andshestartsreadingthebottomofmytrophyinfrontofeverybody.

Shesaid,Hmm,1999WorldChampionofPublicSpeaking.Hmm.Saysome
things!andIwasspeechless.ButthatswhenIrealizedthatnomatterwhereIgo
inlife,peoplearegoingtosay,Hey,wouldyoumindsayingsomethings?

RaiseyourhandifyouvebeentotheBahamas.Okay.SoIgototheBahamas.I
attendachurchservice.Thepastorcomesoutandsays,Youknow,weheardyou
werecoming.Whileyourehere,wouldyoumindgivingusmaybea15minute
motivationalspeechbeforeIstart?HowdoyouturndownGod?[audience
laughing]

Haveyoueverbeenonateleseminar,asanattendeebeenonateleseminaror
teleconference?Raiseyourhandifyouvebeenonthetelephone.Youbeenonthe
telephone?[laughing]Yourelookingatmelike,Whatishetalkingabout?

SoImonthisteleseminar.IcalledupandImjustanattendee.Isaid,Thisis
CraigValentinecheckinginfromColumbia,Maryland,andImanattendee.
Craig?Hey,whilewehaveyou,beforewestartcanyougiveusan10minute
motivationalspeech?

Iwaslike,Now?ButthatswhenIcametorealizeafundamentaldifferencein
mylife.Whenitcomestospeaking,Icannolongergetreadytospeak,Ihaveto
stayreadytospeak.Mynewmottois,Dontgetready.Stayready,because
thenyoucantakeadvantageofallthespeakingopportunitiesthereare.

Finishthisforme.Goodluckiswhenpreparednessmeets.[audience:
Opportunity]Youwanttogetlucky?Stayready.DidthatsoundlikeaViagra
commercialatall?[audiencelaughing]

==========

Welcomeback.Didyougetthephrase?Dontgetready,stayready.

Nowherearetwomoreimportantthingsyouneedtoknowaboutthe
foundationalphrase.

1. Itsthebarometerforyourstory.

Haveyoueverasked,IwonderwhatIshouldteachinthisstory,andIwonder
whatIshouldleaveout.Well,theansweriseasy.Ifitsupportsthefoundational
phrase,keepitin.Ifitdoesnt,throwitout.Thephrasedetermineswhatstays.

2. Thephraseisthetakeawaymessageforyouraudiencemembers.Itswhat
theyshouldrememberforeachstory.

NowIllbethefirsttotellyou,Iusedtotellstoriesforthestoryssake,buttoday,
becauseIbuildmystoriesonfoundationalphrasesformyaudience,it
automaticallykeepsthefocusonwhattheywillgetoutofit,somymessagesare
muchmorevaluablenow.

Sothatsit!Thatsthelessonforthisweek.Doyourselfafavorandbuildupona
foundationalphrase.Illtalktoyouagainnextweek.Untilthen,keepspeakingup.

Craigs Top 10 Recommended Resources

1. http://www.edgeoftheirseats.com/
2. http://www.createyourkeynote.com/
3. http://www.dynamicdeliverydevices.com/
4. http://www.learntoownthestage.com/
5. http://www.wcspeaking.com/
6. http://www.askcraigvalentine.com/
7. http://www.audioforspeakers.com
8. http://www.resourcesforspeakers.com
9. http://www.thebookonspeaking.com
10. http://www.automateyourspeaking.com

Craig Valentines Background & Results

CraigValentine,MBA,anawardwinningspeaker,managementtrainer,andspeechcoach,has
traveledtheworldhelpingspeakersbreathelifeintotheirpresentations.Hehasspokeninthe
UnitedStates,Taiwan,Canada,Jamaica,Qatar(Doha),England,Bahamas,HongKong,and
China.In1999hewontheWorldChampionshipofPublicSpeakingforToastmasters
Internationalaftercompetingwithmorethan25,000contestantsfrom14countries.

Theconferencewasthispastweekendandwithyour"virtualcoaching"Iwasableto
givemyown"KillerKeynote".IstoodonthatstageandgavethespeechIhadalways
dreamedofgivingtheylaughedwhereIwantedthemtolaughtheytearedup
whereIwantedtotouchthemthemosttheycameintothesceneofmystories
theyheardmymessageandbelieved.ItwasawonderfulmomentformeandIwill
alwaysconsideritagift.NowIwouldbelyingifIsaidIdidn'tenjoythestanding
ovationattheend...SusanLambRobinson,Speaker;Toronto,Canada

"Inowdeliverbetterpresentationsin20minutesthanIdidin60minutes;moreover,
myclosingratiohasincreased350%thankstothelessonslearnedinTheEdgeofTheir
SeatsStorytellingHomeStudyCourse.Craig's9StepFormulahaschangedmy

life."KevinD.Gross,MBA,President,AlumniConnection.com
www.AlumniConnection.com

IlearnedmorefromyouinonehourthanIhaveinyearsofgivingspeeches.Youarea
masterofyourgame.Thankyouforinspiringmetofindmyownvoiceandgreatness
asaspeaker!!Thankyou!PeleRaymondUgboajah;Author,Speaker,BusinessCoach;
DreamBanc,L.L.C.

CraigValentineisoneofAmericasfinestspeakers,1999WorldChampionofPublic
SpeakingandauthorofwhatIconsidertobethebibleofpublicspeaking,Nutsand
BoltsofPublicSpeaking.HesalsogotseveralaudioandDVDsonthesubject.Craig
wasthedrivingforceandthebiggestreasonImadeittotheWorldChampionships
lastyearinCalgary.ThetwodaysIspentwithhim,inhislivingroom,inBaltimore,
completelychangedthewayapproachpublicspeakingMartinPresse,2008Finalist
forWorldChampionofPublicSpeaking

HeymanIknowyouarebusybutIwantedtobringyouuptospeedonus.Wejust
returnedfromSanFranciscowherewespokeatthenationalconventionofNAMI.It
wasgreat.Nonotes,webothspokeforaboutanhour.Basedonallthecomments
theylikedit.Therewereanumberofpeopletherewhohadheardusbeforeandthey
wereamazedatthechangeswemade.Thanks!BillNeely;www.billandtena.com;
CourageinCrisis

Thankyou1000timesover.IjustcamehomefromNiagara,whatafantastictimeI
had.Allofyourtechniquesworked.Ioffered7free,1hourconsultationsifbooked
todayofferedonlyinJanuary.InotonlybookedthoseIhadalineupafterward.
SarahHilton;SpeakeronMentalHealth,Toronto

Thanksforyourchanges...IgavethespeechlastMondayandeveryoneravedaboutit.
Thankyousomuchforyourhelp.Iwentinveryconfident,knowingitwasaverygood
speechthankstoyouradviceandchanges.Infact,theyhopetogetmebackagainand
severalsaidtheywanttofindoutwhereelseIamspeakingsotheycancomehearme
again.ChristineDuvivier;ManagingDirector,ImpactPartners