The Wisdom of Bear Grylls and Sir John Mills
2 easy principles and a bonus tip that can instantly improve your public speaking.
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👋 Hey, it’s John and Scott. Welcome to our weekly newsletter for leaders who want to master communication, drawn from 20+ years of public speaking, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership.
Read time: 2.5 minutes
Let’s pose a scenario.
You have to give a speech in five minutes, and I'm given two minutes to offer you coaching. What tactics would I tell you to use to immediately make your speech more impactful?
I would offer two principles from Bear Grylls and Sir John Mills, along with a bonus tip for kicks and giggles.
Bear Grylls. Yes, that Bear Grylls.
The one who jumps out of helicopters, eats appalling meals, and battles the wild on TV. He also happens to be quite the dynamic communicator. In 2015, he published a British GQ article on how to give a speech that's quite helpful.
He shares a story about how actor Sir John Mills offered him public speaking tips at an event. Mills said, “Be sincere, be brief, then be seated.”
That's brilliant advice! Let’s begin with the first. Be sincere.
Be Sincere
At its core, sincerity is a form of vulnerability. Vulnerability is how humans connect. Thus, sincerity is a way that you can genuinely connect with your audience.
What does it look like in your speech?
It means that if you're nervous, tell the crowd you are nervous. If you're excited, tell them you're excited. It means to speak without any pretense, as your authentic self.
Begin with sincerity.
Be Brief
Brevity covers a multitude of public speaking offenses! No one complains about a short speech, but they complain about a long one. In your presentation, less is more.
Keep your speech concise and short.
If you have a 15-minute time slot, speak for 12. If you have a 30-minute time slot, speak for 25. Leave the crowd wanting more, not wanting it to end.
“Be sincere, be brief, then be seated.”
Bonus
The last coaching point might surprise you, but I enjoy keeping you on your toes.
My last point would be to “breathe!” Full stop.
Breathing exercises, such as the 4-7-8 technique, can help regulate your nervous system. Inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and then exhale for eight. Repeat this cycle three times.
How is that going to help you with your speech?
It will calm your emotions before speaking.
It will provide a sense of peace, which will help with memory recall.
It will slow down your breathing so you don't speak too fast or “breathy” at the beginning.
There you have it.
Be sincere, be brief, and breathe.
Thank you for reading, and see you next week!
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Thanks,
John and Scott