Update: On a Thursday afternoon Gloria asked me to fill in for her one minute talk for Friday morning's meeting. I wasn't ready to do it, but I didn't want to disappoint her. She is such a cool lady and is well connected within the community.

I couldn't let her down and decided to shorten a lengthier speaking tip that's been permeating in my cerebral cortex. That was challenging. Did I pull it off? Read on...

Feature Article: The One Minute Speaker

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It was a crisp, clear Friday morning in Del Mar: a quaint, quiet and slow-paced beach town far removed from the busyness of downtown. Everyone involved with the morning event showed up at the hall. We gave the pledge of allegiance, took our seats and the meeting began.

After the first two speakers ended, it was my turn. I sauntered to the front of the room, gave my talk and sat back down. From the audience's reaction I thought it went well.

Susan admitted she was so moved, she felt tingling in her hands.

Donna, who spoke after, said I stole her thunder.

And Laura accused me of being so bad. (The naughty kind of bad.)

So this was a homerun message. Everyone got something out of it. When people make it a point to speak with you afterwards, you know you've made an impression.

The One Minute Speaker

Dear Associate,

It happens more often than you're prepared for. A busy speaking peer has asked you to fill in for her short talk at your meeting. She's giving you less than a day's notice because she can't find anyone else. She's depending on you.

It's supposed to be easy. Just say a few words to keep the momentum of the meeting flowing. Ideally your short one-minute talk should be upbeat, pithy and maybe tickle everyone's funny bone.

But you don't want to tell a joke. That's not your style. Besides that would seem like you're using filler.

I have a feeling you want to give the audience something of value. Something with substance. Something positive they can take away when they leave.

Maybe it's a valuable lesson you've learned. Perhaps it's a tip to improve their performance. Or how about the time you solved a particular problem.

One thing you don't want is to say something canned like, "My fellow Americans." Some people would feel you're insulting their intelligence. Better stick with something original. Something you're familiar with.

Let's look at three tips for you, the one minute speaker that will WOW your audience:

1) Begin with the end in mind. That's pretty simple. What's the one point you want to make that will leave them breathless? The one point they will think about all day. Something that will remind them of you and your story. Something they will treasure.

The point I left them with was speaking with an original voice. You'd sound natural and look comfortable when you're not copying someone else's style. This is key to becoming a powerful, sought-after speaker.

2) Create an instant connection. What can you start with that will automatically pull them in? Is it a scene or a picture you want to paint? Perhaps it's a story beginning with a happy tune, transitioning into a sad tune, and then resolving into a satisfied tune.

I began with a scene of myself channel-surfing until I found a vocalist on American Idol. The audience immediately surfed with me because this is second nature in the States. Mention American Idol and most American audiences will connect with you instantly.

3) A change of keys. In western music each composition has key changes to vary the feel of the score. These changes create more depth, variety and emotion. It's the same in speaking. The speaker changes keys to take the audience to another playing field.

This is where I switched scenes. I went from American Idol to a personal scenario. To add more flavor and spice I threw in some humor to mix it up, which led to a serious moment right before the close. Total time elapsed was 90 seconds but not one person was counting. They were along for the ride.

With these three tips I know you'll be ready for your next one minute talk. You'll be ready to wow your audience. And you'll be ready to leave them with something significant to take home.

Warm regards,