By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to help you more fully prepare to deliver your next speech. Reading time: 2:31.

           “Let’s go. My car’s right here anyway.” The two executives hopped in the car. In a few minutes they were speeding down a country road lined with corn fields that had just been planted.

            The passenger says: “Hey congrats on getting that speaking opportunity at the convention next week. How’s the speech coming along?.”

            The driver says: “Okay, I reviewed it with my speechwriter the other day. But I really don’t have time to rehearse it. Just too busy.”

           “Yeah, I hear ya’. Busy. Yeah, Who’s got time to rehearse anyway,” the executive in the passenger seat opined as the rows of corn fields whizzed by.  “I’m sure glad this farmer rehearsed.” He waved his hands toward the well-hoed corn fields.

          “Rehearsed? A farmer? The driver winced in confusion.

         “Yeah, I love popcorn and a good movie. I love corn on the cob. If that farmer didn’t rehearse there would be less popcorn in the world.”

          The driver was irritated. “What, what are you talking about: farmers who rehearse? They just plant corn don’t they?

         His passenger explained that the literal meaning of the word “rehearsal” comes from the Middle English word that means to dig the earth, to hoe a row, to harrow. Over and over again.

     Clearing away the clutter and  loosening the soil so that the seeds can take root and grow.

      The passenger told the driver that  a written speech is like so many seeds that the speaker/writer has stacked up page by page to feed to the audience.

        “The key is making sure those ideas stick in the minds of your audience and take root in their heart and souls so that your seeds grow to fruition in the audience’s memory long after you have climbed down from your tractor AFTER attempting to plant in THEIR fields.”

       “So what you’re saying is that I have to really STICK it to the audience,” the driver grinned.

       “Well that’s a lot more effective that just trying to shovel it at ‘em,”  the passenger retorted. “Especially you. I know you too well . You need a big shovel and your audience will need big boots.”

         The two friends laughed together. The driver got the point  “Hey, let’s stop at that convenience store up ahead. I need to buy bag of popcorn. You know just in case I get hungry rehearsing my speech over and over and over again.”

Today’s ImproveMINT

Rehearse to add impact to your speech keep your leadership thinking in mint condition.

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