Was "Matt Foley" a good public speaker? In the early 1990s the late comedian and actor Chris Farley played a recurring character on Saturday Night Live called Matt Foley. Matt was a self-described "motivational speaker" who would "motivate" young people to study and live right so that they did not have to wind up like Matt, who was 35 years of age, divorced three times, and was "living in a van down by the river."
(Above: Chris Farley gives his motivational talk to characters played by David Spade and Christina Applegate on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s.)
In his own odd way, Matt got his message across to his audience which is one important test of how effective any communication is. But Matt could have used some tips from an acting coach like Cheryl Rhoads on how to become a better speaker who could get his ideas across without crashing through a picture window as he did on SNL.
There are common mistakes that many people make if they lack experience in public speaking venues. Most are easy to remedy with a little practice. Are you nervous? Do you speak too fast when you are nervous? Do you lack self confidence or stage presence? Would you be as hesitant in organizing your thoughts if you were speaking to only one person directly instead of a group of fifty?
Can you speak loudly and clearly enough to be heard in a small room without a microphone? Do you have the right skills to use a microphone or a power point demonstration without relying on either one as a crutch? Do people in your audience remember the main points and theme of your talk? Are you enthusiastic when that is called for? Is your speech organized in a way that people understand?
Many principles that Cheryl Felicia Rhoads teaches her acting students can also benefit leaders in sales and business to make more effective presentations. Mostly they are simple and easy-to-undertand ideas such as respect for your audience members, learning and practicing good diction, and trying to think about your audience and their needs instead of yourself. Time is one of the most scarce resources in any business and your ability to use time wisely to effectively communicate the value of your product or service is one of the most important skills you can learn.
David Ogilvy, the pioneering father of modern advertising, often asked his students to imagine the purpose of their speech. "Its not your grass seed that they are interested in, its how their lawn will look." Your audience might be interested in funny stories from your life, but if they can relate to those stories to their own experience and see them as examples that support a more general theme, then they start to see how they benefit from your message. Cheryl has had extensive experience herself talking about the cultural impact of TV shows and movies and about the Golden Age of Hollywood on radio and TV talks shows and on C-SPAN, MSNBC, and other forums. Her acting lessons can also be modified and applied to your public speaking needs. Call Cheryl Felicia Rhoads at 703-300-5441 to find out about her private lessons for business executives who want to be better public speakers. Or, send her an email at chrlrhoads@aol.com. Here is the Matt Foley skit shown above:
CLICK HERE to see Chris Farley in a sample of Matt Foley skits.
Chris Farley gives some good examples of the worst ways to interview a guest.
Farley: "Remember when you were with the Beatles a long time ago?"
Paul McCartney: "Yes I remember."
Farley: "That was awsome."
Farley: Remember how people said if you played the song backwards and it said Paul is dead? That was a hoax right?
McCartney: Well, I wasn't really dead. I'm still here.
CLICK HERE to see the Chris Farley interview with Paul McCartney.
interesting one..
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