![]() These are examples of what we call speaker-centered communications -they are very common and, therefore very cliché. But sadly, the truth about “speaking your truth” is this: If the audience doesn’t understand how your truth applies to them, or what they get by learning about your dreams, they’ll tune out or quickly forget what you’ve said. So many speakers, especially those preparing TED-esque or motivational talks, often create entire presentations around speaking their own truths, finding their authentic voices or following their dreams. This is, perhaps, the most common and most dangerous cliché of all. Cliché Alert #5: Speaker-Centered Communication vs. If so, go for it! If not, replace the quote with an opinion or insight that is uniquely you. What a missed opportunity! So, before including a quote, ask yourself if it will really help your audience better understand what you’re trying to communicate. Not only that, but they often take up valuable space where the speaker could instead, share their own unique opinion or idea. However, more often than not, famous quotes sneak their way into presentations and act more like place holders than actual content that enhances the audience’s experience. “It’s a good thing for an uneducated man to read a book of quotations”įor a long time, using famous quotations was considered a great way to make speeches more interesting and dynamic. Here at TED, we think you should only use slides if they actually help your audience better understand what you’re trying to say or explain. For example, I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen both of these slides in presentations about public speaking. Yes, your slides can be clichés! Cheesy shutterstock images or slides that only include one word can make your speech or presentation feel very standard. ![]() If your story follows a solid narrative arc (setting → characters → conflict → climax → resolution) it will stand on its own. So, instead, skip the tee-up and dive right in. This is a problem because the cliché tee-up might cause your audience to tune out before you’ve even had a chance to tell the story. “I want to tell you a story about Milly…”.Those introductions often sound something like this: But, over the last several years, it’s become a common practice for speakers to introduce stories before actually telling them! This is especially true for stories about individual people who serve as examples of a larger group or trend. Well-told, relevant stories always add a bit of magic to speeches and presentations. Cliché Alert #2: Predictable pre-story introductions We usually don’t use cliché phrases in casual conversation so, speaking to an audience like you would speak to a friend can keep you from falling into the cliché trap. One way to check yourself is by thinking about how you would articulate something if you were having coffee with a close friend. That’s how common they are! This isn’t an exhaustive list, but the general rule is, if you’re writing a speech and a phrase is top of mind, it’s likely because it’s been used too often and should be avoided. In fact, I’m willing to bet you’ve seen a presentation or webinar that included at least one of these cliché phrases (imagine a world, win-win, survive/thrive) or overused audience engagement tactics (close your eyes, raise your hand) in the last six months. Ok, I’m having a bit of fun here but make no mistake, these three sentences are full of some of the most common clichés. And, if your audience isn’t listening, what’s the point?īut fear not, mighty speaker, because in this post, you’ll learn about five of the most common clichés and how to avoid them! Cliché Alert #1: Overused phrases and audience engagement tacticsĬlose your eyes and imagine a world where no speaker ever asks you to close your eyes and imagine anything! That would be a real win-win and help us not only survive, but thrive. Clichés cause your message to lose it’s meaning, and when your message doesn’t mean anything your audience will stop listening. ![]() If you're a speaker trying to capture and hold the fleeting attention of your audience, commonplace is your mortal enemy. In fact, that’s actually the definition of what a cliché is: something that’s become so overly familiar and commonplace, that it’s lost its original meaning and/or power. That overuse is what turned it into a cliché. It’s the fact that The Grandparent Intro has been used so many times, by so many different speakers. It’s not the actual information about my grandma that’s problematic. I’ve decided to include this arbitrary information about my grandmother in the introduction of this blog to help me illustrate one of the most common clichés I see in so many speeches, presentations and even TED Talks. But I’m told she was a delightful woman, who loved a good practical joke and used to soak cucumbers in the bathtub before turning them into pickles.
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