Craig Valentine's "Edge of Their Seats" Public Speaking Blog!

2 Delivery Tools to Uncover Humor in Your Speech

Obviously content and structure are important for uncovering humor. However, so is delivery. Here are 2 delivery tools you can use to make your speeches more humorous.

Humorous Delivery Tool #1: The Look before the Line

As you probably know, you should never add humor to a speech, you should uncover humor within it. It's already there. Where? It's in your story. More specifically it's in your characters' dialogue with each other. However, here's what can turn a chuckle into a full-blown laugh.

Many speakers spend so much time trying to create humorous content when, in reality, a change in delivery can make their already-existing content funny. Here's an example of The Look before the Line.

I have a story where I go to a KFC drive-through and place an order. I say the following:

I drove up to the intercom and the lady said, "Welcome to KFC, may I help you?" I said, "Yes, I would like to order three thighs." She said, "Small or large?" Right here is where I pause and look confused. Why? Think about it. If she said this to you, what would you be thinking? Well, whatever you are thinking, show it before you say it.

In this case, I was thinking, "What? Is there a difference in the sizes of chicken thighs?" The look I show on my face is what creates the humor at this point. Then, after I give the look, I say the following: And before I could even comprehend what she said I unfortunately blurted out, "Do you have large thighs?" Now, once I say this line and realize how crude of a question that can be, what do you think I was thinking? "Uh oh" is right! However, instead of saying "Uh oh," I show it with my face. So it's the look before the line and the look after the line that makes the line more humorous.

Unfortunately far too often speakers just give the lines. They give one line of dialogue and then the other character responds with another line of dialogue. The secret to the effectiveness of the dialogue is the look between those lines.

The Key to tool #1

The key to tool #1 is to always ask yourself, "What am I thinking or feeling after that line of dialogue?" Then, once you know the answer, show it on your face before you say it from your lips. And, if you are truly under the influence of your character's emotions, the look should automatically come.

Humorous Delivery Tool #2: Stop on a Dime

So much is said during a speech and it's easy for the audience to tune some of it out. However, delivery gives us a way to make sure some of our content jumps out to be remembered. This tool helps add to the twist we make in some of our content. For example, I used to say the following in my speeches:

Write down your perfect day. Everything I wrote down years ago has come to pass. I said I wanted to be a professional speaker; I'm a professional speaker. I said I wanted to own my own business; I own my own business. I said I wanted a white Mercedes Benz Convertible; I have a white Honda Accord...I'm getting there!"

In the past, the content itself carried the laugh. However, overtime I realized a delivery tool that can help. Anytime you have a twist in your content, you can use this tool. As I go through all the things I wrote down in my perfect day, I walk continously in one direction. Then, when I get to the twist in the content (i.e. White Honda Accord), I physically stop and look back in the direction from whence I just came. The physical stop along with the twist in content makes the twist more dramatic and more humorous. What was the result? The laughs got louder.

This Stop on a Dime tool works great with drama as well as humor. For example, I have a story where I go to visit a bookstore to try to find a lady who encouraged me many years beforehand. I say the following:

I walked out of my car just as I did years ago, walked up to the...

It's at that moment that I stop on a dime. Guess what my audience knows based on that delivery move? They know that the bookstore is gone. In fact, I can literally hear them say it as soon as I stop. It's not the content that tells them, it's the delivery. The Stop on a Dime tool is awesome for making the humorous more funny and the dramatic more heartfelt. Use it.

The Key to Using the Stop on a Dime Tool

Figure out what content you have that gives any kind of twist. Then, when you get to the twist part, physically stop as you give your twist line.

These tools will help you uncover the humor in your speeches.

My Biggest Mistake and the Two Tools That Fixed It

I've always prided myself in being a content-rich speaker so imagine my surprise when I had the following conversation after a speech. A couple ladies cornered me and said, "You had a lot of content in your speech." I said, "Thank you." Then they said, "We mean you had too much content." At first I thought, "Too much content? I've spent all this time striving to be a content-rich speaker and now they're telling me I have too much content?" Guess what? They were right.

The problem with having too much content is just what one of the ladies told me. She said, "As soon as I'd begin writing something down, you'd say something else worth remembering and I wouldn't catch it. Because you shared so many points, I'm afraid I won't recall any of them."

Here's the problem many speakers will face if they are not careful

When we start to know more and more about our topic, inevitably that "more" ends up finding its way into our speech. What's important to realize about speaking is that oftentimes less is more. Just because you know more doesn't mean you have to show more within that speech.

Here are two great solutions to keep your audience from feeling lost or overwhelmed

1. Tighten up your structure by calling back to each major point before you move onto the next point. For example, if my point is on Facing Reality, once I make the point I can transition by saying, "So you face reality with whatever measurement scale you use because, remember, you master what you measure. Once you face reality, the next step is to..." Then, every time I finish my other points, I make sure to call back to every single one of the points I already covered. For my four Rs, I'll call back to Facing reality, Relinquishing what's in the way, Relying on the people and processes, and Reforming to a better way. Regularly calling back like this makes your message very clear and keeps your audience members from getting lost.
2. Use my 10 to 1 Rule of Thumb. Part of my mistake was that I tried to fit too many points into too little time. Now I use my 10 to 1 Rule of Thumb. For every 10 minutes I speak, I feel I can make an average of one point that I can illustrate effectively and make palatable for my audience. Therefore, if I'm asked to speak for 45 minutes, I'll do my 4 Rs to Remarkable Results speech. If I'm asked to speak for 30 minutes, I'll do my 3 Rs to Remarkable Results. The key is to heed the old speaker proverb that, "When you squeeze your information in, you squeeze your audience out." By using a similar formula to my 10 to 1, you'll move towards much greater clarity and your message will be easily digested.

So What Can We Learn  from This?

Being content-rich should not include filling your audience up with content until they overflow. Instead, it should be about giving them a few solid, memorable, and actionable ideas that they can use to improve their situation. Indeed less is more. I'll leave it at that.

A Key to Public Speaking: No Phrase, No Stage (Video)

Have you ever wondered what to keep in your story and what to take out?

Have you ever wondered how to tighten up your message?

Have you ever wondered how to find the phrase that makes your story stick?

Watch the video below and see one of the most important processes for making a point that resonates and sticks.

 

 

For more on the Foundational Phrase and the structure for a keynote speech, visit http://www.createyourkeynote.com/ and take advantage of a limited-time offer.

25 Phrases to Guide You to Greatness in Speaking

Every now and then it is important to remind ourselves of some of the foundations that can lift us to great heights in speaking. Here are 25 phrases to do just that.

1. Speak to one but look to all
2. When you lift yourself up you let your audience down
3. What gets recorded gets rewarded
4. Don’t add humor to a speech; uncover humor within it
5. What’s loose is lost
6. When you squeeze your information in, you squeeze your audience out (this one is not mine. It’s an old speaker proverb).
7. You master what you measure
8. Conflict is the hook and Dialogue is the heart
9. Put the process, not the person, on a pedestal
10. The phrase determines what stays
11. To be a great speaker you must be a great tease
12. Be a similar person with a special process
13. Never sell a product, always sell a result
14. Let your story lead to their story
15. Never end with the Q&A
16. People remember best what they hear first and what they hear last
17. Don’t tell; ask
18. You can’t affect if they don’t reflect
19. Become niche and famous (If you try to speak to everyone you will end up speaking to no one)
20. A confused mind says no but a clear mind says go
21. Give the visual before the verbal
22. Give the look that goes with the line
23. Reactions tell the story (Darren LaCroix)
24. Too many speakers try to get across too much information in too little time
25. Don’t speak for standing ovations, speak for standing invitations

To get a better understanding of what these phrases mean and how life-changing they can be for your speaking, see the World Class Speaking book.

 

Be Funny and Clear by Using the Rule of Three

If the most important word in speaking is ‘you,’ the most important number in speaking is three. The Rule of 3 manifests in many ways. It helps make your speech more humorous, clearer, and more memorable.

Use it For Humor

Let’s start with the humor. The Rule of Three applies when you have three examples that you mention back to back to back, and the third provides a twist. For example, when I talk about writing down your perfect day, I say the following:

“I did this years ago and everything I wrote down has come to pass. I wrote down, I wanted to be a professional speaker— I’m a professional speaker! I said I wanted to own my own business – I own my own business. I said I wanted a white Mercedes Benz convertible – I have a white Honda Accord. I’m getting there.”

As you can see, the third example is the twist, and that makes it funny. The interesting thing is this; I’ve actually tried four examples before, thinking it would build up the twist even more, but guess what happened? It fell flat. It just doesn’t work as well. There’s something magical about the Rule of 3. So use three examples, not four, two or five.

Use it For Clarity

Now let’s move on to clarity and making your message memorable. I used to give a one-hour workshop in which I gave my audience 7 Secrets to Speaking Success. It was an okay program, but do you know what took it to a much higher level? I changed the program, and instead of offering seven secrets, I offered three sections. For example, instead of saying, “You’re going to pick up seven strategies,” I said the following:

"If you look at your handout, you’ll see you will first pickup strategies on how you can breathe life into a speech and make your audience come alive. Then you’ll pick up tools on how you can bring the audience to you and keep them engaged at all times, and hopefully awake. And third, you’ll pick up tools on how you can build a message that sticks, so that people will rehire you time and time again."

Do you see the three sections? Instead of having seven spots on my handout for them to fill out, I simply put the following three sections:

1. Breathe life into your speech
2. Bring the audience to you
3. Build a message that sticks

I don’t know why it makes such a difference, and frankly I just don’t care. The bottom line is that it works. Today my audience grasps my message much easier and deeper than they did when I had seven points.

Use it to Make Your Message Stick

Here is the most interesting part. Today I actually give many more than seven pointers in my speech! However, because my audience can fit all of the pointers I give them into the three sections – Breathe Life, Bring Your Audience In, and Build a Message That Sticks – they get the message much clearer, and for some reason it sticks with them better.

Anytime you want to make nine points in a speech (which is probably a speech of at least 90 minutes), separate those points into three sections of three points each. If you have 27 points to make in a day-long workshop, separate them into three sections of nine points each, if possible. Whatever you do, find a way to use the Rule of Three. It flat out works! People remember best in threes.

One caveat:

In a 5-7 minute speech, using the Rule of 3 for humor is fine. However, in terms of points, refrain from trying to make more than one because that’s all the time you have to support and illustrate it. Trying to make 3 points in 5-7 minutes is futile.

3 Keys to Closing your Speech with Impact

In speaking we have to understand that audiences remember best what they hear first and what they hear last. Therefore, the way we open a speech is critical and the way we close it is just as important. There are 3 tools you can use to make sure your closing makes an impact.

3 Keys to a Powerful Closing

1. The Signal

Signal that you are closing. Like I say in my speeches, “Always tell your audience when you’re closing so they’ll listen again.” It’s true. Audiences won’t always listen to every single thing you say. Sometimes their minds might wander. However, when you tell them you’re closing, they perk up and peak up and they think, “He’ll probably be summing up the message now.”

How do you do this? I like to paint a picture by saying, “Let’s wrap up this message...” or “As we wrap up this message...” or “as we bring this event to a close...” What you want to guard against is the old, “In conclusion” or “In summary.” Be more creative than that. Your speech deserves it.

2. The Call Backs

As we close we should also call back to our main points and anything else that might be worth revisiting. For example, with my 4 Rs to Remarkable Results, it goes something like this:

“So you  face reality with whatever measurement scale you’re using, because you master what you measure. Once you face reality you have to relinquish what’s in the way, because you’re either on the way or in the way. Then you rely on the process of change by creating a vision that keeps people fired up rather than fed up. And finally, you reform to a better way. Is it by changing everything at once? No, it’s by changing small and changing often. So you have the message, but what about the motivation?”

As you can see I called back to my main points (i.e. the 4 Rs) and revisited some of the memorable lines of the speech. In fact, because I do call backs throughout my speech, by the time I reach the end, my audience usually says the phrases along with me. That’s powerful because, if they say it, they buy into it.

3. The Closing Bang

Once you signal that you are closing and you call back to your main points, you must finish with a bang. In my experience, the very best way to finish a speech is the same as the very best way to open one and that’s with a powerful story. What should this closing story do? It should give hope. Hope for what? Hope that your process or formula or main points of advice will work for them. For example, I often end with a story about how I went from being a kid with a speech impediment that had others refer to me as Daffy Duck to me changing and growing into the World Champion of Public Speaking. The 4Rs were my process. When my audience realizes the 4Rs worked for me, they gain hope that the 4 Rs will work for them too. Close with a story that gives hope. That’s a great way to leave your audience.

For more on how to master openings, closings, and everything in-between, visit http://www.createyourkeynote.com/

3 Keys To Hook Your Audience Into Your Story

Tap, Tease, and Transport

Most speakers start their stories and hope their audiences will come along on those journeys. That's average. World Class Speakers don't do that. Instead, they make their audiences curious so that they want to come along. So here is the secret: it's what you do before your story that really matters.

 

Example

For example, before one of my stories, I say the following:

"What do you think is the number one thing that stands between most people living their dreams?" The audience yells out various responses. Then, in a friendly/humorous way I say, "Those are all great answers and if you listen closely they all have the same thing in common. They're all wrong." The audience laughs. Then I say, "No, they're not wrong. They're just not the number one thing in my opinion that gets in the way. The number one thing is not what you think."

What do you think the audience is thinking at that point? Right, they are thinking, "Okay, what is the number one thing?" And that is the key to curiosity. You have to get them to ask themselves a question and let them know the answer is coming up in the story.

 

Tap, Tease, and Transport

This is what I call the Tap, Tease, and Transport method. It is a three step process which includes:

1.   Tapping into your audiences' mind with a question

2.   Teasing them to want to know more

3.   Transporting them into your story

 

The Method in Action

Tap: I tapped into their mind by asking, "What do you think is the number one thing that stands between most people living their dreams?" That was the tap. I got them thinking about themselves!

Tease: Then, I told them, "Your answers are wrong. The number one thing is not what you think." That’s the tease. Now they know they'll find the number one thing inside my story so they are amped up to come along. Why? It is because they know they are going to be given a point that will help them reach their goals.

Transport: Finally, I transport them into my story in stealth fashion. What I mean by that is you should never say, "Well, listen to my story" or "Now I'm going to tell you a story" or anything like that. Instead, sneak into your story. Get them into your story before they realize you're going to tell a story. Once you say something like, "I'm going to tell you a story," many audience members put down their pens and let their minds wander elsewhere. Instead, sneak them into it.

For your next story, try this 3-step method out. When you use the tap, tease, and transport method, you'll look up and see you have everyone's undivided attention as they join you on your journey. Tap, Tease, and Transport.

5 Ways to Use Statistics for Maximum Impact

Note: This blog entry is an excerpt from my latest book World Class Speaking that I co-authored with Mitch Meyerson.

1. Do not Drop Stats off; Drive them Home

Many times you will see a speaker go into a list of statistics in order to prove his or her point. Statistics are certainly desirable in speaking, but only if you use them in an effective way. Simply listing statistics is not enough. You must interpret them so your audience knows exactly what they mean to them.  For example, I have often used the following statistic when driving home a point about life-long learning: "Each year you will spend between 500 and 1000 hours in an automobile." This statistic might be interesting but it certainly is not compelling. That is because it has not been driven home. Here is how you might drive it home:

"Each year you will spend between 500 and 1000 hours in an automobile. If you live to be 75 years old, you will spend approximately 7-10 years of your life in an automobile. Seven years! Here is my question to you. What are you doing with that time? [pause]. Are you simply passing time or using it? Do you know 10 years is enough time for two PhDs? Again, what are you doing with that time? [pause]. I suggest turning your car into a rolling university. You can listen to audio books and quickly become an expert compared to the rest of the country. Oh, but there is one caveat. Please do not use any meditation tapes in the car!"

This is how you can drive a point home by showing your audience exactly how that statistic affects them and what they can do about it. Don’t just drop off the statistic, but drive it home.

2. Use Statistics within a Story

One of the best ways to drive home statistics is by using them inside of your stories. For example, I tell a story about a homeless woman who began teaching me the power of using my imagination to create my future. In the middle of the story, I state the following:

"She struck a chord in me, and anytime someone strikes a chord in me, I go to my rule of three. By the way, if you use this rule, you will be light years ahead of most people in any endeavor you choose. What is it? It is simple. I read three books on that topic. Why? Unfortunately, the average American reads less than one book per year. And 58% of Americans, that is almost 6 out of every 10 Americans, never read another non-fiction book after they finish with their formal education. I have to tell you that the world is wide open for people who are willing to read! So I read something somewhere that said if you read 3 books on any one topic, then you are an expert on that topic compared to the rest of the country. [pause] Do not too get excited; you are an expert by default because nobody else reads! Nevertheless you are ahead of the game. So I read 3 books on Imagination, one was Creative Visualization by..."

If I had stopped at the fact that the average American reads one book per year, then I would have simply dropped off the statistic instead of driving it home. I drove it home by letting my audience know how it affects them and how they can use it to their advantage. In other words, they can get light years ahead of any competition by reading 3 books on a single topic. After this statistic, I continue my story about the homeless woman and how the 3 books on imagination lead to me winning the 1999 World Championship of Public Speaking. Because I cited the statistic within the story, my audience was able to see first-hand how using the statistic to my advantage really paid off. Therefore, they were sold on the benefits and primed to take action (i.e. read 3 books).

3. Statistic vs. Story

The problem with simply listing statistics is that they are relatively impersonal and unemotional. Of course we think, "Oh that is terrible" when we hear about millions of people with AIDS or thousands upon thousands of people living in poverty. However, those statistics will not bring us to tears like the story of one person will. A story will outdo statistics every time. Please remember that your audience makes decisions based on emotion backed up by logic. The story is the emotion while the statistic is the logic. Stating that 1000 people were mugged this year will not touch us like the one story about little Jenny being mugged will. Little Jenny will outdo big statistics every time. Use statistics to back up and give depth to Little Jenny's story.

4. Literally point us to the source

Whether you cite statistics or a sentence from someone's work, please attribute them. In addition, there is an advanced way to have your audience members leave your speech thinking, "Wow, I really got more out of that than what I expected?" What you can do is not only mention the source where you got your statistic or your statement, but point them directly to it. This gives them the opportunity to further their research it if they want. For example, in my speech, I say:

"If you pick up Michael Port’s book called Book Yourself Solid, thumb through to page 36, and look down at the very last sentence in the second paragraph, you will come across the following powerful statement: 'Most business problems are personal problems in disguise.'"

Now isn't that much more visual than simply saying, "Michael Port once said..." It is better because it builds credibility for you. Your audience knows you read it firsthand. Plus, it gives your audience a page to turn to in that book and a reason to purchase it. Remember, if they leave your speech and purchase a book you referred, then you are still touching their lives long after you left the speaking platform. That is the kind of impact you want as a speaker. Point them directly to the source.

5. Use Statistics for Involvement

Finally, you can also use statistics to get your audience involved and to strengthen the kinesthetic connection you have with them. For example, I once heard a fantastic motivational speaker say this to a conference of aspiring speakers:

"Look around you. Look to the person on your left. Now look to the person on your right. Next year at this time, only half you will still be in this organization. Statistics show that half of you will give up. Half of you will not renew your membership. You will give up and quit. Those of you who stay will be winners."

That was very powerful to us newbie speakers because nobody wanted to be in that bottom half of quitters that would be absent next year. When I have my own tough speeches today, I still think back to what that speaker said. As a result, I keep thinking, "I'll keep coming back no matter what." His long-lasting effect is what you want as a speaker and the proper use of statistics will help you make it.

Final Thoughts:

If you put these 5 ways to work for you, that is exactly what they will do. They will work for you. Most speakers list their stats and lose their audience. You can use these 5 ways to win time and time again with your audience. Keep speaking up.

For more ideas that can make you a speaker in high demand, click here to get the World Class Speaking Book

Video: 3 Keys to Opening your Speech with Impact

Did you know that, within the first 30 seconds of your speech, your audience members will have decided whether or not they want to hear more? What are you doing with your first 30 seconds? Most speakers open with Unpleasant pleasantries by stating something like, "Thank you so much for having me here. It's a real pleasure." The problem with this kind of opening is two-fold:

1. It's too normal and expected and therefore does not gain attention.

2. Nobody cares about how great you feel.

The first 30 seconds is only part of the opening. Here are 3 keys to making the rest of your opening compelling:

1. Come out with a Bang. The two best ways to open most presentations are the following:

Go right into your story

Ask a powerful question

 

2. Make a Big Promise. Sell your audience on what they will be able to do or understand by the time they walk out of those doors

3. Provide a Roadmap. Explain the path they are going to follow for your presentation. For example, in my Change keynote, I say, "This comes to you in the form of the 4 Rs to Remarkable Results." In that way my audience knows I plan to go from one R to another R and to next R and so on. That makes it easy for them to follow.

What is one additional MUST for your opening that most speakers neglect? Get your audience members to nod their head in agreement with something in your opening. This greases the tracks and makes it easier for your message to come through. Believe it or not, a little agreement (nodding of the head) up front often leads to a larger agreement in the end.

Take a look at the following 7-minute video of an opening I gave for a speech about the art of public speaking. See if you can find some of the elements I mentioned above. Hint: You should find at least 3 pieces where my audience is most likely nodding their heads (and not from being asleep).

How to Clarify your Message, Shorten it, and make it Stick

Would you like a surefire way to clarify your message, shorten it, and make it stick? One of the best ways to do this is to relate the unknown to the known. In textbook language this is referred to as activating prior knowledge. Analogies help tremendously in this area. Webster’s New World Dictionary’s definition of analogy is “similarity in some ways.” Let me give you an example of an analogy I have used that was extremely effective when I used to give this particular message.

A Powerful Analogy

In one of my stories, I start off by saying, “Nobody has ever died from a snakebite.” After the audience tries to figure out what the Dickens I am talking about, I say, “It is the venom circulating throughout your body afterwards that kills you.” With the audience still a bit confused, I go into a story of how one of my ex-girlfriends wronged me, and I compare this to “being bitten.” To carry the analogy further I compare the “anger and hatred” I felt towards her to the venom circulating inside of me. Finally I state that the only way to get rid of that anger, hatred, and venom is forgiveness. Why? “Because just as a snake will bite you and crawl back in its hole, so will a friend hurt you and go right on with his or her life leaving you to be hurt over and over again.” I then go into selling the benefits of forgiveness.

Why is an analogy important?

Analogies are so important because of the following scenario that occurs quite often with me. Someone approaches me and says, “Craig, I saw you speak 9 or 10 years ago and you talked about the snakebite. Something happened to me and I remembered what you said about nobody ever dying from a snakebite. Man, I realized I had to forgive the person and it really helped me get through that situation.”

The point here is that whether it is one year ago or 10 years ago, people remember your message more clearly if you provide an analogy. Whether you have ever seen a live snake or not, everybody knows what a snakebite is. But not everybody knows that anger and hatred can work the same as venom and be just as destructive. As I often tell my audiences, “If you are holding a grudge, that grudge is also holding you.” Next time someone in my audience is emotionally bitten, hopefully that person will vividly recall how to get the venom out (forgiveness) and return to a grudge-free life.

Other examples:

I’ve heard speakers (including myself) relate the following:

·         Crabs in a barrel to negative people

·         Being hungry for food to being hungry for their dreams.

·         A malignant growth to slavery.

·         Not setting goals to drifting aimlessly on a raft.

·         Refusing to change to being stuck in the mud.

·         A beautiful symphony to racial harmony.

·         Opening holiday presents to using your gifts.

·         Never going for their goals to living life on get-set

·         A telephone call to your life’s calling.

·         A train coming to your purpose in life.

·         And many more

How do you develop analogies for your points?

Simply keep asking yourself, “What is this similar to? What else has some of the same traits in common?” Do this on a daily basis and in no time at all you will have a habit of finding and thinking in analogies. You do not have to carry the analogy out too far but just far enough to see some similarities between two different entities. Go back to Webster’s definition of “similarities in some ways” and understand that, through training your mind to see similarities, you will be able to find them. Again, keep asking, “What is this similar to?”

Here is a 3-step process for developing your own analogies

1. Take your main message and ask yourself, “What is this message similar to?”

2. Make a list of all the ways the two things you are comparing are similar. For example, with a    snakebite compared to being emotionally hurt, I might start my list with the following: 

• The bite is similar to being hurt by someone emotionally

• The snake crawling back in its hole is similar to a person going on with her life after she has hurt you

• The way the venom destroys your body is similar to how a grudge destroys your mind and life

Staying with the snake theme, I could use an analogy for a speech about change by comparing it to a snake shedding its skin. In that case I would make a list like the following:

• A snake that is not shedding completely is similar to a person who is holding on to some old habits and ways

• The temporary sight impairment a snake has during shedding is similar to the unknown zone we must go through during the change process

• A snake’s inability to shed leads to death, which is similar to an organization’s inability to change which leads to closing up shop.

3.                  Once you make your list and draw out the analogy for several levels, then simply go back and pick the best one or two levels upon which you should focus. Don’t use all the levels because your audience will tire of it and say “Enough already.”

One last thing to keep in mind

Check to make sure the analogy you use is appropriate for your specific audience. In other words, it may not be a good idea to use hunting analogies when speaking to an animal rights organization.