Winston Churchill: Find Your Voice
“Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king. He is an independent force in the world. ”
Politician. Writer. Army Officer. Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. First Lord of the Admiralty. Winston Churchill’s bold, daring leadership—and mastery of oratory—led Britain to victory in World War II.
Winston will live forever as one of history’s greatest orators. Through the power and purpose of his words he galvanize a nation—and a world—against fascism and tyranny.
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The key to Winston’s public speaking:
Preparation.
Churchill wrote, memorized, and practiced every word. In doing so, delivering the speech became the easiest part of his presentation. So immersed in his material, the presentation flowed naturally.
It did not start that way.
At the age of 29, a young Winston speaks to the House of Commons. Once into his speech, Winston’s mind wanders. He loses his focus, stumbling for words that will not come. Minutes roll by. Heckled by The House, Winston sits down—head in hands—humiliated, embarrassed; defeated.
Winston was unprepared. It would be the last time.
He now immersed himself in his speeches word for word, relentlessly committing them to memory.
Winston learned the lesson:
There is no speaker who can “improvise” an impactful presentation.
Not one.
It is not possible.
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Find your Voice.
The greatest professional skill s finding your voice in front of others.
Find comfort in knowing no one is simply “born with it”.
No one.
Those who appear to “just have it” have put in endless effort. It only appears seamless because the real work—the relentless preparation—was done well in advance.
The presentation is an afterthought of the preparation process.
The power of Winston’s voice is within you—eagerly awaiting discovery. He changed the world through words.
So can you.
Here’s how.
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PX3
PX3: our presentation roadmap. We’re going to nail it.
Our three P’s:
Prepare.
Practice.
Present.
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PREPARE. Practice. Present.
Story.
We start with story—the ultimate tactic to hook an audience. Make it something unique to you. A hobby, passion, talent, you choose. Make it yours. The most powerful stories come from personal experience. Your story leads into the body of your presentation; a bridge to what follows.
Body.
We do the heavy lifting here. If we’re discussing three major points of our topic, we structure the best topic for last. We end with impact.
We focus on brevity and economy of words. Use the fewest words, and simplest words, necessary to make your point. We want to pack punch.
When presenting, less is far more.
Call to Action.
What good is your discussion if it does not incite change? If it does not create curiosity, or compel action? Always end with a call to action. How your audience can learn more, can contribute to a cause, can follow up with you directly—give them a tangible next step. Without a call to action, you are not an influencer. You are not an agent of change. You are only an entertainer.
Prepare. PRACTICE. Present.
Practice.
It’s life or death for your presentation. Prepare; it’s life. “Wing it”—it’s death.
We are practicing our full presentation, spoken out loud, three times a day for three days.
Presentation day. One final practice. We wake up, going through our final recital, and realize it’s automatic at this point. We barely need our notes—if at all. We’ve got it. The pre-game is now over. It’s time to roll.
Prepare. Practice. PRESENT.
Confident presenters do not run a verbal 40-yard dash. They are calm, cool, collected; in control of their stage presence and themselves.
We’re going to slow down. At the same time, we’re going to boost our confidence.
There is a moment when it feels like it’s time to start. We aren’t going to. A brief pause builds the tension. It shows you are comfortable. It shows you are confident. The room quiets. The audience leans in. They are now yours.
When we think it’s time to start, we PAUSE.
Our inner monologue:
Own the moment. Own the moment. Own the moment.
Now we start.
We slow down. We. Slow. Down.
WE SPEAK UP.
We keep a calm, controlled pace, speaking with confidence and clarity.
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The greatest leaders have one thing in common—none were born great speakers, and all worked very hard to earn it.
As it worked for them, it will work for you.
We’ve gone through some basic strategies above. I encourage this as a first step on a journey you never stop taking.
Encourage your children to join debate teams. Acting classes. Vocal lessons.
They don’t have to be politicians, actresses, or singers for these to give them confidence in finding their voice.
And the same for you. Join them. You’ll learn and grow together.
It is a skill. You learn it.
The good news: implementing the basic presentation strategy above will immediately put you in the top 20% of speakers. Most simply don’t know the tactics to do it, or understand, like anything else, it is a skill no one’s born with. It must be learned, and can be learned by anyone.
Going from the top 20% to the top 5% will take an enormous investment of time, practice, and diligence.
You can—and should—do it.
Buy three books on public speaking. I’m less concerned with you getting the one “right book” than making a habit of studying the skill. Each book has something to teach you.
Presenters in the top 2% are elite. They are also, like Winston Churchill himself, qualified to change the world through mastery of this critical skill.
And you have the ability to join them.
Find your voice.
It will change your life.
It will change your world.
Mark Joseph Huckabee
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”
