My using humour effectively blog prompted some requests to also elaborate on good use of quotes in a speech. I know I’ve touched briefly on the topic in the "getting your speech off to a good start" blog and in reading it again, realised that I keep the reader hanging and possibly created an expectation for more practical tips. So here goes…

The primary reason to quote material in your speech should be to reinforce the credibility of your message right from the start. That is all. You are not Winston Churchill… nobody likes a show-off. A quotation offers a second voice endorsing your claims and it implies that your source agrees with the rest of your argument. Hence, the more respected the source of the quote, the more authority it lends to the content of your speech.

A sales director addresses his regional sales team and wants to convey the message that good salesmanship requires self-motivation. A good application of a quote in this instance could be by starting his speech off as follows: Donald Trump once said: “Without passion you don’t have energy… and without energy you have nothing!”

You see how that sets the audience up with anticipation? The speaker is borrowing Donald Trump’s reputation as a prolific salesman to boost the credibility of his speech. They want to know what he is going to say next. His audience believes that by listening up, they are getting a page out of Donald Trump’s recipe book for success.

But what if your source is not widely known by the general public? Then simply add a short description after his name, e.g.: “Karl Jung, the pioneering psychotherapist said…” or Thucydides, the infamous ancient Greek General believed that…”

In this way, you can also demonstrate your preparation by using a quote well - and that instils the belief that you know what you’re talking about. This helps of course to get the audience interested in what you have to say.

1. Make an effort. Quoting inaccurately makes you look sloppy and in the same vein using a very common quote like “LIFE… is full of surprises” makes you look lazy. Neither case will help your credibility.

2. Pause for impact. Pause briefly before using the quote to create a little suspense… Then pause a little longer after the quote to allow the meaning of the quote to hit home.

3. Use positive quotes. Stay clear of quotes with negative language. For example the quote: “If you work just for money, you’ll never make it” doesn’t quite have the impact of: “If you love what you are doing, and always put the customer first, success will be yours.” (both by Ray Kroc).

As always, remember to practice at home and to get feedback from your family before venturing out into the spotlight. Till next time…