September 18, 2011 | Read Time: 7 minutes
When Our Voice, a rape-crisis center based in Asheville, N.C., advertised in May for an executive director, one of the job’s listed qualifications was public-speaking skills.
Katherine Cross got the job after giving a required five-minute presentation during the interview, demonstrating how she would advocate on the charity’s behalf.
The requirement is a new one for leaders of the nonprofit, says Barbara Anderson, Our Voice’s former executive director, who helped choose her successor. “It’s always been important, but it’s critical now,” she says. “You have to be out in the public and over and over again talking about the organization.”
In the past, she says, it may have been assumed that a CEO candidate would be a good speaker, but charities can’t take that for granted now. “What has changed in the past three-and-a-half years is the lean economy,” Ms. Anderson says. “The needs aren’t going away, and the money is less. You have to be clear and loud in a good way.”
More nonprofits are placing greater emphasis on public-speaking skills for the people who represent them to potential supporters. An argument could be made that public speaking is fund raising, says Suzanne Morse, president of Civic Change Inc., formerly the Pew Partnership for Civic Change, in Charlottesville, Va.
“People are more likely to contribute to a cause or make grants to a cause if they understand where an organization is going, why it’s important to solve a problem, and the group’s impact on society,” says Ms. Morse, who says she has given more than 1,000 speeches over the past 30 years.
In a time of austerity for many charitable groups, a rousing speech can also help rally morale for nonprofit workers themselves, say some observers.
Julie Manworren, executive director of Simpson Housing Services, a homeless-services charity that is facing cutbacks stemming from the Minnesota government shutdown in July, says she drew strength from an elegantly worded pep talk given in late June by Richard “Rip” Rapson, head of the Kresge Foundation, to members of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, in St. Paul.
The message she took from Mr. Rapson’s speech, she says: “As much as we would like to duck and cover, this is the time for us to stand up and lead.”
Impatient Audiences
While inspiring and moving people to action remains the great promise of in-person presentations, performance standards have changed, communications experts say. There is less patience than ever for boring speakers and more competition for audience members’ attention.
The stakes are higher because of smart phones and social media, says Nancy Duarte, author of Resonate, which presents ideas on how to make better use of creativity in speeches.
“While you’re speaking, people in the audience can be texting each other about your presentation,” she says. “The audience members have a way to talk to each other, and they can revolt.”
Public speaking doesn’t come naturally to many people, but it can be learned, most experts agree. In fact, overconfident leaders who just step up to the podium without prepared remarks often fall flat, while novice speakers who have taken time to prepare, and who perhaps care less about their own egos and more about their issue and their audience, are more likely to have an impact.
Following are some tips even the most anxious public speakers can use to help make their case:
Embrace the nervousness. Melany Brown, president of the Alliance of Nonprofits, an umbrella group in Seattle, gives up to 15 speeches every year to groups small and large. She has developed routines to calm herself before stepping up to the podium.
When she arrives at an event at which she’s scheduled to speak, she says, she makes the rounds to say hello to people she knows as well as newcomers. It helps her feel more connected to the audience as a group of friends. Then, before she takes the stage, she finds a private space, gives herself a final pep talk, and takes 20 deep breaths. It works for her.
“A little bit of anxiety is actually good,” she says. The adrenaline energizes her.
Prepare. There’s no better way to quell stomach butterflies than knowing one’s material. When Ms. Brown is readying a speech, she outlines key points, then writes the speech out by hand, not by keyboard. Then she writes another outline, this one to take on stage.
In May, Ms. Brown spoke for about 20 minutes to 800 people at her group’s annual conference. She spent more than 10 hours preparing the speech but says she has spent up to twice that long on other important speeches.
Even short ones take time, she says, because every word counts.
Mr. Rapson, the Kresge Foundation head whose recent speech so inspired Ms. Manworren, says he plans his talks around a central argument related to Kresge’s mission, then adds anecdotes and strategies tailored to each audience.
Have something to say. The toughest part of public speaking is not standing at the podium but deciding what matters, says Ms. Morse.
Her message generally is about hope and possibility, she says. She gives examples of people and groups who have accomplished things. Audiences want usable success stories.
“I have never been asked to tell about what hasn’t worked,” says Ms. Morse.
Streamline. Public-speaking experts warn against talking too long. Most agree that the ideal length for a speech is somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes. And don’t use extemporaneous answers to audience questions as opportunities to pontificate.
Most public-speaking experts recommend limiting a speech to no more than three points, while Ms. Duarte thinks one great point is enough.
Use numbers creatively. When using statistics, Ms. Duarte says, try to translate them into concrete, human terms.
“If 5 million people are affected by a certain disaster, compare that to the number of people who died in plane crashes, armed conflicts, or tsunamis,” she advises.
Tell stories. To gather those tales, charity leaders need to get out of their offices as often as they can, says Pamela Ziemann, a Seattle public-speaking coach and author of Giving Voice to Your Cause: Speaking Tips for Nonprofit Professionals.
“It makes a big difference if they can tell a first-hand story rather than one that has been told to them,” she says.
Tailor the speech to the location. An important way to break through emotionally with an audience is to acknowledge local events, says Ms. Morse. “People are proud of where they live,” she says. “It’s not ever too cheesy to congratulate a local team for last night’s victory.”
Don’t ask for money. Instead, “talk about the results you want to create in the community,” suggests Hildy Gottlieb, a consultant in Tucson, Ariz., who specializes in advising nonprofits and produces a podcast on social change for The Chronicle. “Everyone cares about the community.”
Look alive. “Even the most brilliant speech isn’t bearable if the speaker spends 30 minutes standing behind a podium, just droning on,” Ms. Ziemann says. “Find a balance between structure and spontaneity. That means not just reading a PowerPoint, or going totally unscripted. Your audience expects you to be well organized, and that means clearly planning your presentation.”
Keep it real. Audiences, especially those filled with younger people, value genuineness from speakers more today than in the past, says Ms. Gottlieb.
“It isn’t about who tells the best jokes but who can speak with the deepest passion and authenticity,” Ms. Gottlieb says. “Nonprofit leaders have a clear advantage over professional speakers, especially when they can tap into stories close to home.”
Five Tips for Thinking on Your Feet
- Listen to the question. Focus on the words the speaker emphasizes.
- Repeat and restate the question. It will clarify the issue and give you some time to frame the answer.
- Pause and think before answering.
- Respond honestly. Don’t say something just because you think it’s what the questioner wants to hear. The audience will recognize sincerity.
- Provide a succincet answer—and then stop.
