“當(dāng)我們陳述演講時,大概擁有60秒的時間來抓住聽眾的注意力,建立信任感,引向話題并引發(fā)他們繼續(xù)聽下去的欲望。”美國Well Said公司主席兼《說得好!如何演講和對話才能起到效果》的合著作者達(dá)琳•普萊斯(Darlene Price)這樣說道。
If you waste those precious opening seconds with a joke, an agenda, an apology, housekeeping details, a string of thank-yous, or a rambling pointless paragraph littered with “ums” and “uhs,” your audience’s minds are likely to drift, and you may not get them back. “You, your message, and your audience deserve much more,” Price says. “You need to put the art in the start, the most important part of the work.”
如果你將這寶貴的開場白時間浪費在講笑話,日程安排,致歉,客房詳情,一連串的感謝以及一段充滿了“嗯、呃”等語氣詞的毫無意義的段落時,聽眾的思緒就可能會容易轉(zhuǎn)移,你也無法將他們的注意力再次集中回演講之中。普萊斯對此表示:你,你所傳達(dá)的信息,以及你的聽眾理應(yīng)獲取得更多,因此在開場中賦予藝術(shù)手法便是工作中的重中之重。
That’s a tall order for any speaker — and it requires us to develop and rehearse a well-crafted attention-getting opener. Price offers seven options.
這對于任何演講者而言都是一個很高的要求——這同時也需要我們認(rèn)真設(shè)計并精心排練開場獨白,以此來吸引聽眾的注意力。對此,普萊斯提出了7條建議。
1. Tell a captivating story. 講述一個吸引人的故事
"Of all the starters in your tool kit, storytelling is among the most powerful and consistently successful,” Price says. “As humans, we’re hard-wired to enjoy and learn from stories. ”
普萊斯說道:“在所有開場演講方式的手段中,講故事當(dāng)屬最強(qiáng)大也是最具有持續(xù)成功力的手法。”“作為人類,我們天生便會欣賞故事并從中受益匪淺。”
The story can be about you personally, which tells the audience first-hand why you’re invested in and passionate about the topic. Or you can tell a story about another person who the audience can learn from. “Another option: tell a fable, wisdom tale, historic event, or anecdote,” Price says. “The idea is, start with a brief 60- to 90-second narrative that launches your speech and captivates your listeners, and make sure the story encapsulates the key point of your message.”
開場故事可以涉及個人,這樣便能先入為主告訴聽眾為何你如此關(guān)注這一主題,你也可以講述一段事關(guān)他人的故事讓聽眾從中學(xué)到一些知識。普萊斯說道:“另一個選擇便是講一段寓言,智慧故事,歷史事件或軼事,這樣做的目的在于通過簡短的60-90秒敘事開啟你的演講并吸引在場觀眾,并確保故事中包含了你想要傳達(dá)的關(guān)鍵信息。”
She suggests you consider these questions as you craft your version of “Once upon a time”: What challenges have you (or another) faced in relation to your topic? How did you (or another) overcome them? Who or what helped you or harmed you? What lessons were learned? What do you want your audience to gain, feel, or do as a result of the story?
普萊斯建議通過“很久很久以前”的故事版本構(gòu)建演講框架,具體涉及:你曾遇到過與主題相關(guān)的怎樣的挑戰(zhàn)?你是怎樣克服困難的?誰曾經(jīng)幫助了你抑或傷害了你?從中吸取了怎樣的教訓(xùn)?你希望你的聽眾們能收獲,感受或者并根據(jù)故事結(jié)局做出怎樣的反應(yīng)?
2. Ask a rhetorical thought-provoking question. 提出一個發(fā)人深省的反問句
“As a speaker, you ask rhetorical questions for persuasive effect; you don’t expect the audience to answer aloud, rather silently to themselves,” Price explains. When crafted and delivered well, rhetorical questions influence an audience to believe in the position of the speaker. “Clearly, Shakespeare’s character Shylock is leading his listeners to think ‘yes’ four times in order to justify revenge against Antonio. What do you want your audience to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to?”
普萊斯解釋道“作為一個演講者,提出反問句便是要收獲一種說服效果,你并不能指望聽眾們會大聲做出回答,多數(shù)情況下,他們只是安靜地在心中做出回應(yīng)。”一旦構(gòu)建并提出一個出色的反問句時,這便能說服聽眾信任演講者陳述的觀點。“顯然,莎士比亞(Shakespeare)作品中的夏洛克(Shylock)為了證明報復(fù)安東尼奧有理便引導(dǎo)讀者四次思考“是”的問題。你希望你的讀者表態(tài)是或否嗎?”
In addition to yes or no questions, you can also arouse curiosity and motivate your audience to think about the answer, she says.
她表示,除了是與否的問題,你還可以借反問引起聽眾的好奇心并刺激觀眾去思考問題的答案。
3. State a shocking statistic or headline. 陳述匪夷所思的數(shù)據(jù)或標(biāo)題
“The statistic, bold claim, or headline needs to be directly related to the main purpose of your presentation,” Price explains. “Its impact ideally persuades the audience to listen and respond positively to your recommendation and next steps.”
普萊斯表示:“數(shù)據(jù),大膽的斷言以及標(biāo)題往往要直接與你所要陳述的主要內(nèi)容相關(guān)聯(lián)。”“這將影響到說服你的聽眾繼續(xù)聽下去的心理,積極回應(yīng)演講中的提議并涉及到下一步行動。”
4. Use a powerful quote. 引用強(qiáng)大有力的引言
“Employ the wise words of a well-known person because the name allows you to tap into his or her credibility, likeability, and notoriety,” she says. The quote must have meaning and relevance to the audience.
普萊斯說道:“由于名人本身能夠賜予你名稱所代表的可信度,受歡迎度以及名聲,使用名言名句也將起到良好的效果。”引言必須有特定的涵義并為觀眾所熟知。
Imagine you’re urging a group to reach consensus, or giving a talk on conflict management. You could open with: “Mark Twain once said, ‘If two people agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary.’ Even though some of us disagree on the xyz issue, each of us is necessary in the reaching a resolution.”
試想你正在要求一組人群達(dá)成共識,或是針對一個爭議性話題展開討論。你可以以這樣的方式開場:“馬克•吐溫(Mark Twain)曾經(jīng)說過——如果兩個人總是意見相投,那么其中一人肯定是多余的。即便我們團(tuán)隊中有人并不同意某事,但是任何人都將在達(dá)成決議中起到必要作用。”
5. Show a gripping photo. 展示一張吸引人的照片
A picture is worth a thousand words — “maybe even more,” Price says.
一張圖片勝過千言萬語——“或者更多”,普萊斯說道。
“Use photos instead of text, when possible,” she suggests. A quality photo adds aesthetic appeal, increases comprehension, engages the audience’s imagination, and makes the message more memorable.
對此,她提出了自己的建議:“在可能的情況下盡量使用圖片而非文字,”一個高質(zhì)量的圖片能增加演講的美感,促進(jìn)理解,引發(fā)聽眾的想象力并讓信息更具有可記憶性。
Price offers the following example of an effective use of an image:
對此,普萊斯運用以下案例來論證有效使用圖片所產(chǎn)生的效果:
The president of an electronics equipment company needed his managers to cut costs. Rather than showing mundane charts, graphs, and spreadsheets, he opened the meeting by asking, “What sank the Titanic?” When everyone in unison replied, “an iceberg,” he displayed a beautiful high-definition image of an iceberg on the screen: the tip of the iceberg was clearly visible above the water; the much larger portion was dimly visible below the surface ofthe water.
一家電子設(shè)備公司的總裁要求部門各位經(jīng)理削減成本。運用疑問“是什么導(dǎo)致泰坦尼克的沉沒?”而非展示圖表,圖形和表格來展開演講,當(dāng)大家在齊聲回答“冰山”時,總裁在大屏幕上展示出了一張冰山的高清圖像:水面之上的冰山清晰可見,更多部分則是水面之下依稀可見的巨大冰塊。
“The same thing is about to happen to our company,” he continued. “Hidden costs — the dangers beneath the surface — are about to sink this company. I need your help.” This visual metaphor spawned a creative, productive brainstorming session that inspired every business unit manager to diligently hunt for what they labeled the “icebergs,” says Price. The result was saving millions and ultimately the company.
她繼續(xù)說道:“我們公司也將遭遇同樣的命運,隱藏在表面之下的危險——隱性成本將摧毀整個公司。我需要你們的援助。”普萊斯說:這種視覺性的隱喻催生出了創(chuàng)新且富有成效的頭腦風(fēng)暴效果,從而刺激各個部門經(jīng)理努力發(fā)掘總裁所說的“冰山”,結(jié)果便是節(jié)省上百萬的資金并最終保住了公司。
6. Use a prop or creative visual aid. 使用道具或創(chuàng)意視覺輔助工具
“A prop is a magnetic tool that hooks your audience and keeps them watching — or listening,” Price says. A visual aid can also help emphasize a point.
普萊斯說道:“道具是一種有吸引力的工具從而能夠緊緊“勾住”觀眾并讓他們保持聽講的狀態(tài)。”視覺輔助工具能夠幫助強(qiáng)調(diào)演講重點。
“Think about how you could use items like a big wall clock, a colorful gift bag, juggling balls, a deck of cards, a bunch of carrots, or another prop, to introduce your topic, captivate the audience, inject humor, and drive home your message.”
“想想你怎樣才能利用像大掛鐘的工具,豐富多彩的禮物袋,雜耍球,紙牌,一堆胡蘿卜以及其他道具來介紹你的主題,吸引觀眾,注入幽默色彩并引出你所傳達(dá)的信息。”
7. Play a short video. 播放短視頻
Imagine kicking off a product management meeting with a video of compelling customer testimonials, or opening a fund raising event for endangered species by showing an Amur Leopard playing with her cubs in the wild.
試想用一段引人注目的客戶推薦視頻來召開一場產(chǎn)品經(jīng)營會議,抑或是通過展示美洲豹在野外同幼崽玩耍的視頻來開啟瀕危物種的基因籌款活動。
“Videos evoke emotional responses,” Price explains. “Unlike text and bullet points on a slide, you can employ people, pictures, and sound to reel in the audience, add drama, and communicate the gist of your message quickly.“As Walt Disney said,“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained."
普萊斯表示:“視頻能夠喚起情緒反應(yīng)。與文本和幻燈片上的信息點不同,你可以運用人像,圖片,聲音來吸引觀眾,增加戲劇效果并迅速傳達(dá)信息要點。”正如沃爾特•迪斯尼(Walt Disney)曾經(jīng)說過,“我寧愿娛樂大眾,并希望人們從中學(xué)到一些東西而不是教育人民并指望他們能被我娛樂。”