Answers to Fill-ins on Milo’s Handouts

Answers for the program “We Gotta Fail…To Succeed!”

Focus Question #1

If we don’t strive for moments of GREATNESS sometimes, accepting the FAILURES that are bound to come with it, when will we have moments of BRILLIANCE ?

IMPROVentures Theorem #1

When we focus on FAILURE itself, we leave no room for new POSSIBILITIES.

IMPROVentures Theorem #2

There are two basic reasons we don’t like to take chances:

  1. SECURITY
  2. NOT WANTING TO LOOK BAD

Focus Question #2

If risk Looking Foolish when we DO take chances but taking chances is our access to opportunity, what is so terrible about looking foolish ?

The Five C’s of Team building

C reativity
C ooperation
C ommunication
C ommunity
C ommitment

What does it take to do this?

25% = Creativity
25% = Listening
25% = Cooperation
25% = Commitment

10 % of attendees ranked in the upper 10th percentile while
50 % of attendees ranked in the bottom half of the class

But 100% of those who did not take the class failed to received any of the benefits.

Answers for the program “Public Speaking: Get A’s, Not Zzzzzz’s!”

Keypoint #1: Never under-estimate the power of story.

Keypoint #2: Capture their attention fast.

Milo’s general speech format:

  1. Capture
  2. Transition
  3. Body
  4. Capper

Keypoint #3: Avoid potential distractions.

Keypoint #4: Watch out for all those ways you can alienate without intention.

Places to be careful with this:

  1. Language
  2. Sex
  3. Politics
  4. Bragging

Keypoint #5: Speak at your audience’s level of experience.

  1. Considerations:
  2. Vocabulary
  3. Industry Jargon
  4. Age
  5. Cultural References

Keypoint #6: Find a common theme for organizing your points

Several ideas on how to do this:

  1. Chronologically
  2. Size
  3. Acronym
  4. Background – Issue – Proposal
  5. Landing Points
  6. 10 Key Points

Keypoint #7: Don’t let Q&A control YOU!

Several thoughts on this:

  1. Never make it your final moment!
  2. It’s okay not to have it.
  3. Compliment and Acknowledge.
  4. Consider pre-collecting. Reflect
  5. Know your answering options.

Six ways to handle a question:

  1. Answer
  2. Scope
  3. Defer
  4. Refer
  5. Reflect
  6. Refuse

Keypoint #8: Warm Up!

Four areas:

  1. Body
  2. Face
  3. Voice
  4. Mind

Keypoint #9: Practice Vocal Variety

Milo’s lesson in “The Seven Variants of Vocal Variety”™

  1. Volume
  2. Pitch
  3. Speed
  4. Breakpoints
  5. Holdings
  6. Emotion
  7. Intonation

Keypoint #10: Use your pacing tools

Including but not limited to:

  1. Q&A
  2. Story Length
  3. Referrals
  4. Interactive Exercises
  5. Homework
  6. A Bonus Point

Answers for the program “Introduce yourself!”

  1. Before you start, smile for one full second. If you can, take a breath too.
  2. Don’t start with your name or your company because we we don’t care (yet).
  3. Grab us with an idea.
  4. Bonus: Find a connection to something someone else said.
  5. At the end, smile again and do it for at least TWO full seconds as you sit.

Answers to the handout with the program “Public Speaking: Get A’s, Not Zzzzzz’s!”

For more on Milo Shapiro and IMPROVentures’ keynotes, team building and entertainment using improvisation, visit MiloShapiro.com.