I once sat next to a retired professional basketball player on an airplane. We talked casually, but I honestly had no idea who he was. He kept giving me hints by saying his last name a few times or by talking about basketball and even the city he had famously played for and coached. Later, as I was driving to my destination, I saw the same basketball player's name on a marquee at a big convention center. Suddenly, it dawned on me who he was and why he had flown into town. I'm sure he must to been amused during our flight, as I didn't recognize any of the clues he was giving me about himself. I don't know if our conversation would have changed too much had I known he was famous. But sometimes those quick conversations we have with the right people at the right place in time can make or break our careers. Have you ever been in an elevator, and the company VP gets on and asks about the project that you're working on? Maybe you're asked to speak at an event because a scheduled speaker is stuck in traffic or maybe you're asked to participate in a panel discussion answering questions from the audience. All of these are presentation situations that are a little different from the planned speeches Andrea discussed. These situations focus on impromptu speaking. Impromptu speaking is what we call it when you are suddenly put on the spot to speak with little to no opportunity for preparation. In this video, we'll talk about how you can take some of the same strategies you use for formal presentations, but also incorporate some tips more unique to speaking spontaneously. So welcome to week five's video of English for Marketing and Sales. This type of impromptu speaking is sometimes called an elevator pitch. Meaning that it's a short persuasive sales speech lasting only as long as, say, an elevator ride. This pitch may be about you, your product, or your current projects. Freestyle rapping where a music artist rap out their lyrics on the spot or spontaneously or where lyrics are improvised, sometimes leave us in awe. How did they do that, we may say. Or that was so clever. But here is a huge surprise, these rappers aren't working impromptu style at all. Just half impromptu style. They say rhyme in your mind ahead of time. They've anticipated what words they need to rhyme. Furthermore, they've created lists, both in their minds and on paper, with all the words that rhyme with them. Additionally, they've memorized these lists. Now, you don't want to come out with a rhyme or a song in your impromptu speeches, but you do want to plan ahead and practice. So the first step is to anticipate how you think the situation will go. And yes, you will have great success, if you've taken the time to memorize or at least become very familiar with what you'd like to say. As you memorize, however, practice sounding natural. You don't want to sound like a robot resume. I'm an entrepreneur who started an online sporting goods company now worth $42 million. By the way, I graduated top 5% in my class. And my company is internationally recognized with 120 employees. If you talk in that tone, those potential prospects will lose interest and think you're a bit conceited. Even though you are in a professional setting, you'll want your words to sound natural and humanlike. Is this pitch something you could say to your family or your friends at a barbecue? To keep a natural tone, focus not on your accomplishments but your motivations. As you brain storm your pitch ask why questions. Why do I like doing what I'm doing? Why is my product what they need? Why am I here in this job? Next, use a pattern to keep your ideas organized and free from rambling on and on. For example, a successful speech pattern is PREP, which means point, reason, example, point. Say your point in direct language. Give a reason. Then give an example or a short story. Then conclude by repeating your same point again. Another question pattern is the 5W pattern. We're using the question words, who, what, when, where and why. Suppose you're asked to speak spontaneously about the marketing plan for a new line of clothing. Tell the audience who is involved with the marketing. Then explain what it is. When will it be launched? And where you see the product in a few years? And why consumers may need it? Or why you're involved with the project? An additional pattern to use is the Q & A or question and answer method. This can be accomplished in several ways, you can ask a rhetorical question to your audience, and then continue speaking as you answer. You can ask your audience questions that they answer, or even let the audience ask you questions that you answer. This helps to keep ideas flowing and assures the audience that they will get to talk about what they want to talk about. Even though you are being asked to speak in an impromptu manner, write ideas and speech patterns down in your free time. Create situations that are likely to occur and actually write three to five minute pitches or speeches. Go through all the motions, including editing and final draft stages. Then study it like you would your college textbooks. This is a difficult one for me because I don't like to start something that I may never use. But those who do take the time to really anticipate and write short speeches down have higher success rates because over time those words and personal stories have become familiar and easier to recall. Also, I've heard it suggested to call your voice mail on your phone and give your speech. Keep practicing until you sound natural and have your patterns memorized. This is what we keep emphasizing that impromptu speeches are really only half impromptu. The rest is hidden preparation. Other tips are to stand tall, breathe deeply, smile, and don't apologize. You don't need to tell your audience your sorry that you only had five minutes to prepare or that you're not ready because of this. They don't want to hear that. They've all been in your shoes before, and had to create impromptu speeches or elevator pitches of their own. No one is feeling sorry for you. They're only expecting your confidence to shine. Andrea explained the importance of a strong conclusion. Even though you are thinking very quickly, memorize a few lines to help with closure or to wrap things up. An easy way to conclude is to summarize your main points or to give information that looks to the future, such as answering the question of what you like about your industry or why you want to stay in your field, what you think your upcoming years will bring for your product. This'll leave your listeners, even if it is just one listener in an elevator, feeling positive and enthusiastic about you or your product. Whew! That was a lot of information. What are the key takeaways from this lesson? Anticipate what situations where you'll speak on the cuff or spontaneously, and plan and prepare for them. Memorize personal stories and speech patterns that can be used in several situations. Take the time to write several types of these speeches ahead of time. And then practice them until you sound natural. Be confident, and don't apologize. Conclude with something that looks to the future. Well, I'm sure glad these videos aren't impromptu, it's a skill that definitely takes practice, like learning to play an instrument. But keep practicing, you can do it. Thanks for joining me in this lesson of English for Marketing and Sales.
