2. OpeningTechniques
starts by sharing
background stories
to connect audience
RELATES TO
THE
AUDIENCE
AROUSES CURIOSITY HUMOR
"As a kid, I spent my
summers with my
grandparents on
their ranch in
grabs the audiences
attention with a
surprising story makes
them want to hear
more
"At 2 minutes per
puff, youve taken 9
years off of your life!"
to keep the audience
engaged
"I expected to be
applauded for my
cleverness and my
arithmetic skills. Jeff,
youre so smart!"
PUBLIC SPEAKING
5. Closing
Techniques
Finish with a crescendo ending, leaving the audience
with a powerful and thought-provoking message
"IN THE END, WE ARE OUR CHOICES.
BUILD YOURSELF A GREAT STORY."
Reinforces the central theme of his speech
PUBLIC SPEAKING
#1: Hello everyone, today Im going to talk about the public speaking techniques Jeff Bezos - the founder of Amazon applied in his commencement speech at Princeton University.
In his speech, titled "What Matters More Than Your Talents", delivered in 2010, Bezos shared life lessons about the importance of choices over innate talents. He encouraged graduates to focus on building a meaningful life story through their decisions, emphasizing kindness and passion.
Bezos delivered a powerful message to graduates, and he used a variety of effective techniques to capture their attention and make his message memorable. Im going to break down these techniques and explain how they work to make his speech so impactful.
#2:
Lets begin with the opening techniques.
First, he relates to the audience. Bezos starts by sharing stories from his own childhood, particularly his summers with his grandparents. By doing this, he connects with the graduates on a personal level. He doesnt just talk about himselfhe talks about something that many people can relate to, like family and travel.
Next, he arouses curiosity. He talks about how he calculated how many years his grandmother might lose by smoking. This unexpected story catches the audience off guard and makes them want to hear more.
Then, Bezos uses humor to keep the audience engaged. He talks about how he expected his grandmother to praise him for his clever math skills, but instead, she starts crying. This moment adds humor to the speech while also teaching a valuable lesson about kindness over cleverness.
#3:
Now, lets take a look at the body of the speech and how Bezos organizes his ideas.
Bezos uses anecdotes, or personal stories, to support his main points. The story about his grandmothers reaction to his "math" is a great example. It had succeed in make his message more relatable and memorable.
He also uses strategic order in the way he presents his ideas. After talking about his childhood, he smoothly transitions to larger topics, like the importance of following your passion and making choices. This natural flow helps the audience follow his message clearly.
#4:
One of the most powerful aspects of Bezoss speech is how he focuses on the audience. He adapts his message to the graduates, understanding that they are at a turning point in their lives. They are about to start a new chapter, and he encourages them to make choices that will shape their future.
Bezos also understands the egocentrism of his audiencegraduates are naturally thinking about their own lives and what lies ahead. So, he makes his message relevant to what matters most to them.
#5:
Finally, lets look at how Bezos ends his speech.
He finishes with a crescendo ending, leaving the audience with a powerful and thought-provoking message: "In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story."
He also reinforces the central theme of his speech. By reminding the graduates that their choices will define their lives, Bezos brings everything together and ends on a high note.
#10:
Now, lets take a look at the body of the speech and how Bezos organizes his ideas.
Bezos uses anecdotes, or personal stories, to support his main points. The story about his grandmothers reaction to his "math" is a great example. It had succeed in make his message more relatable and memorable.
He also uses strategic order in the way he presents his ideas. After talking about his childhood, he smoothly transitions to larger topics, like the importance of following your passion and making choices. This natural flow helps the audience follow his message clearly.