Evaluation of a Speech by Mark Bezos
I not too long ago got here throughout this TED Talk by Mark Bezos, the Senior Vice-President of Development, Communications and Events at Robin Hood, a leading poverty-combating charity in New York City. He's also the Assistant Captain of a volunteer fire company in Westchester County, New York, where he lives along with his wife and 4 children.
Firefighters are bona fide heroes. In this speak, nevertheless, Bezos recounts one among his surprising acts of heroism that taught him an vital lesson. Have a look - it’s lower than four minutes - after which we’ll look at the talk from a public talking perspective.
So what can we study public speaking from Mark Bezos? Here are some thoughts.
* What struck me very early on this speak was that Bezos is genuine. He’s the real deal. His fashion was simple and straightforward. There was nothing synthetic in his presentation. He came across as honest and likable. I used to be left considering, “If my house have been burning, that’s the kind of man I'd want to present up to help.”
* I favored the fact that he wore his firefighting outfit. Sporting non-conventional clothing for a speech is a risky proposition. It will probably appear gimmicky or contrived and cost the speaker a lot by way of credibility. In this case, nevertheless, I assumed that the firefighting apparel went nicely with the discuss and really enhanced Bezos’ credibility.
* I favored Bezos’s fast introduction of what he does and I appreciated the symmetry in the phrase, “once I’m not fighting poverty, I’m fighting fires” (zero:20).
* Bezos conveyed an important message but wrapped it in a story. Telling tales is without doubt one of the most necessary things that a speaker can do to make his message memorable. I notably appreciated how he rapidly set the scene of his first fire (and the premise for the story): “When I found the Captain, he was having a very partaking dialog with the house owner who was surely having one of many worst days of her life. Right here is was, the center of the night. She was standing exterior, within the pouring rain, underneath an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot while her house was in flames.” In 20 seconds, I understood the state of affairs in which Bezos discovered himself. I was there with him.
* He spiced up his discuss with some nice humour, significantly with respect to his firefighting “rival”.
* He used simple words. One does not have to make use of fancy words with a view to give an effective speech. On the contrary, as Winston Churchill mentioned, “Broadly speaking, the quick phrases are the most effective, and the outdated phrases best of all.”
* He made good eye contact with the audience. I significantly appreciated the truth that he didn't forget the individuals alongside the sides.
* He projected his voice nicely and had good vocal variety when telling his story.
* Bezos used gestures effectively, notably from 1:10 to 2:15 when he describes his “rival” getting to save lots of the canine, his own directions to get the woman some shoes, and the good pose with his helmet and the assertion: “But I’m no hero.”
* At 2:50, we see what I like to name “the pivot statement”. It’s that a part of the speech the place the speaker makes the transition from the story that he has been telling to the message. Discover how Bezos moved from the girl’s appreciation for his act of kindness in getting her sneakers to the significance of acts of kindness and generosity (large and small) that we will all do.
* There was some good pausing for emphasis toward the end of the talk: “And you realize what I’ve discovered? [pause] They all matter.” (3:05); “I'd supply this reminder. [pause] Don’t wait.” (3:18); “If in case you have one thing to provide, [pause] give it now.” (3:25). Pauses are tremendously vital for getting your audience’s consideration and driving residence your key points.
* I very a lot preferred the symmetry within the necessary sentence, “Not day-after-day goes to offer us the chance to save lots of somebody’s life, however day-after-day provides us a chance to affect one.”
* He ends with a name to action and likewise a intelligent callback to his story about getting the girl her footwear: “So get within the game. Save the shoes.”
What could Bezos have finished to make the speech even higher? Actually, not a complete lot in my opinion. It was a touching speech, with an essential message, delivered very well. Just watch the viewers’s response at the end.
If I had one suggestion for Bezos, it would be to slow down a bit more on the beginning. For the primary minute of the speech, he spoke extra quickly and did not pause as much as he did afterwards. I put it down to nerves and the thrill of talking at TED.
To avoid this sooner or later, I'd recommend doing a little heat up workout routines earlier than occurring stage - swinging the arms; stretching; clapping the hands; voice exercises - anything to get the blood flowing and the vocal chords warmed up. Watch the athletes earlier than any sporting event. What do they do? They warm up. Audio system ought to do likewise.
All in all, however, an amazing speech by Mark Bezos.
Firefighters are bona fide heroes. In this speak, nevertheless, Bezos recounts one among his surprising acts of heroism that taught him an vital lesson. Have a look - it’s lower than four minutes - after which we’ll look at the talk from a public talking perspective.
So what can we study public speaking from Mark Bezos? Here are some thoughts.
* What struck me very early on this speak was that Bezos is genuine. He’s the real deal. His fashion was simple and straightforward. There was nothing synthetic in his presentation. He came across as honest and likable. I used to be left considering, “If my house have been burning, that’s the kind of man I'd want to present up to help.”
* I favored the fact that he wore his firefighting outfit. Sporting non-conventional clothing for a speech is a risky proposition. It will probably appear gimmicky or contrived and cost the speaker a lot by way of credibility. In this case, nevertheless, I assumed that the firefighting apparel went nicely with the discuss and really enhanced Bezos’ credibility.
* I favored Bezos’s fast introduction of what he does and I appreciated the symmetry in the phrase, “once I’m not fighting poverty, I’m fighting fires” (zero:20).
* Bezos conveyed an important message but wrapped it in a story. Telling tales is without doubt one of the most necessary things that a speaker can do to make his message memorable. I notably appreciated how he rapidly set the scene of his first fire (and the premise for the story): “When I found the Captain, he was having a very partaking dialog with the house owner who was surely having one of many worst days of her life. Right here is was, the center of the night. She was standing exterior, within the pouring rain, underneath an umbrella, in her pajamas, barefoot while her house was in flames.” In 20 seconds, I understood the state of affairs in which Bezos discovered himself. I was there with him.
* He spiced up his discuss with some nice humour, significantly with respect to his firefighting “rival”.
* He used simple words. One does not have to make use of fancy words with a view to give an effective speech. On the contrary, as Winston Churchill mentioned, “Broadly speaking, the quick phrases are the most effective, and the outdated phrases best of all.”
* He made good eye contact with the audience. I significantly appreciated the truth that he didn't forget the individuals alongside the sides.
* He projected his voice nicely and had good vocal variety when telling his story.
* Bezos used gestures effectively, notably from 1:10 to 2:15 when he describes his “rival” getting to save lots of the canine, his own directions to get the woman some shoes, and the good pose with his helmet and the assertion: “But I’m no hero.”
* At 2:50, we see what I like to name “the pivot statement”. It’s that a part of the speech the place the speaker makes the transition from the story that he has been telling to the message. Discover how Bezos moved from the girl’s appreciation for his act of kindness in getting her sneakers to the significance of acts of kindness and generosity (large and small) that we will all do.
* There was some good pausing for emphasis toward the end of the talk: “And you realize what I’ve discovered? [pause] They all matter.” (3:05); “I'd supply this reminder. [pause] Don’t wait.” (3:18); “If in case you have one thing to provide, [pause] give it now.” (3:25). Pauses are tremendously vital for getting your audience’s consideration and driving residence your key points.
* I very a lot preferred the symmetry within the necessary sentence, “Not day-after-day goes to offer us the chance to save lots of somebody’s life, however day-after-day provides us a chance to affect one.”
* He ends with a name to action and likewise a intelligent callback to his story about getting the girl her footwear: “So get within the game. Save the shoes.”
What could Bezos have finished to make the speech even higher? Actually, not a complete lot in my opinion. It was a touching speech, with an essential message, delivered very well. Just watch the viewers’s response at the end.
If I had one suggestion for Bezos, it would be to slow down a bit more on the beginning. For the primary minute of the speech, he spoke extra quickly and did not pause as much as he did afterwards. I put it down to nerves and the thrill of talking at TED.
To avoid this sooner or later, I'd recommend doing a little heat up workout routines earlier than occurring stage - swinging the arms; stretching; clapping the hands; voice exercises - anything to get the blood flowing and the vocal chords warmed up. Watch the athletes earlier than any sporting event. What do they do? They warm up. Audio system ought to do likewise.
All in all, however, an amazing speech by Mark Bezos.
