Talking In Public: a Critical Analysis of Joyce Meyer Speech “What Is the Problem?".
TALKING IN PUBLIC: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF JOYCE MEYERS' SPEECH "WHAT IS THE REAL PROBLEM?"
INTRODUCTION
Cicero, the renown ancient Roman sage once said: "In an orator we must demand the thought of a philosopher, the subtlety of a magician, a diction almost poetic, a lawyer's memory, the voice of a tragedian and the consummate bearing of an actor." Much as it may seem daunting, the art of public speaking incorporates, in varying degree, all the qualities espoused by Cicero.
On the other hand, Anne Nicholson opined in her book that: "A good speaker does not need to necessarily know a lot about the subject, but he must be passionate and enthusiastic about the subject in order to be convincing." (How to Master Public Speaking - How to Books Limited, 2nd Edition 2000)
The art of speaking, an essentially human activity, is a powerful and dynamic mode of communication. If employed by the most adept and skillful orator, it could be a catalyst of immense change and far-reaching reaction. Public speaking is very much an art, a skill that can be learned and mastered like any other. Although some people may be naturally better equipped for the role of public speaking by virtue of their innate personality trait. Nonetheless, a truly effective public speaker learns the craft and applies certain techniques that are essentially derived from experience, learning, and practice.
Public speaking can be analogise as follows:
The speech - the itinerary of a journey
The audience - the people the speaker is trying to take with him/her
Objective - the destination
TECHNIQUES OF TALKING IN PUBLIC
The major golden rules in the art of public speaking are:
Know your audience (the passengers)
Understanding the needs, nature and attributes of the audience is vital to a successful and effective public speaking. In the same vein, the speech content, the delivery method, and the speaker's ultimate aim(s) would be derived from an understanding of the complexity and character of the audience. The subject matter must be relevant to the overriding needs and the principal interest of the audience. Stuart Turner remarked in his book that: ". . . Not all great public speeches are high on reason, but they are usually high on emotion. It's not the subject, it's about connecting with the audience and holding them". (The Public Speaker's Companion - Thorsons, 1994)
Set your objectives (the destination)
A good public speaker needs to set for himself some objectives, which encompasses the things he would like to have achieved at the end of the speech. Concrete aims and objectives facilitates clarity of purpose which in turn helps the speaker to be focused, firmly directed and convincing. Objectives are like 'landmarks' through which the speaker could map the course of his journey.
Setting an objective(s) is about working out what action or feeling one would like to provoke during the course of the speech. "If you don't know where you are going, how do you know when you've got there" - Rosemary Riley (Successful Public Speaking - Straightforward Publishing, 2001)
The Speech (the map, the delivery)
The speech itself is the end-product of research, rehearsals, and several preparatory activities. To deliver a succinct and interesting speech the speaker would necessarily has to employ a plethora of verbal and non-verbal communication techniques. The audience via visual interaction or observation makes out 55% of their opinion and impression of the speaker. 38% through the sound and voice intonation of the speaker, whilst a paltry 7% is influenced through the actual content of the speech.
It is important that the speaker maintains a coordinated and rhythmic verbal and non-verbal communication elements, that way he stands a better chance of winning the undivided attention and respect of the audience.
"What Is The Real Problem?" By Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a renowned American Christian Pentecostal preacher/evangelist. She is an experienced preacher and a skillful public speaker of immense worldwide acclaim and followership. Her career which spans over 20-years has taking her to over 72 countries and she has addressed diverse audience of varying racial, cultural, religious and socio-economic background. Yet, she never fails to captivate her audience with superlative eloquence, impeccable delivery, and her deft ability to move the congregation into frantic rhapsody.
Analysis of Joyce Meyer's Techniques
Opening:
It is imperative that the opening part of every speech is laden with 'killer punches' that would grab and retain the attention of the audience for a considerable time. A good captivating opening is undoubtedly synonymous with the overriding needs or yearnings of the audience. The audience, by way of the speaker's opening remark/statement/gesture, sizes him up and they would without- further a do determine if he's worth listening to at all!
J. Meyer: Her opening statement was deft and brilliant. She got the audience going almost immediately ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
Analysis of Joyce Meyer's Techniques
Opening:
It is imperative that the opening part of every speech is laden with 'killer punches' that would grab and retain the attention of the audience for a considerable time. A good captivating opening is undoubtedly synonymous with the overriding needs or yearnings of the audience. The audience, by way of the speaker's opening remark/statement/gesture, sizes him up and they would without- further a do determine if he's worth listening to at all!
J. Meyer: Her opening statement was deft and brilliant. She got the audience going almost immediately by asking them to:
"Turn to the person next to you and say what's
wrong with you? What's the real problem anyway?"
This was a simple but remarkably effective opening, which undoubtedly deliver to JM, on a platter of gold, the undivided attention of the audience. Not only was she able to introduce the subject matter of her speech with a bang, she also succeeded in profusely whetting the appetite of the audience.
Critique: A rather grandeur opening of this kind is best suited to the seasoned and experienced speakers. By its nature, it raises the expectations of the audience to the apex; a bland satisfaction of their primary need may not suffix their 'fired up' yearnings. A rabble-rousing opening of this kind only merits a brilliant, poignant, and captivating speech like JM's. An average lackluster speech would not deliver the people to the Promised Land.
Respond to Audience:
A skillful speaker would always keep the audience in mind by positioning and projecting his speech in such a way that it caters for the varying needs and interests of the audience. Not only that, it must recognise and efficiently deal with the varying levels of understanding and cognitive tendencies represented in the audience.
"A good speech must address the audience's needs and engage their interest, using language that they would understand" (Speaking In Public - Collins Pocket Reference, Harper Collins, 1994)
J. Meyer: Recognizing the varying levels of understanding and the individual and group dynamics of her audience, Joyce in her opening section gave her audience two interpretation of her speech title. Initially she said:
"I want to finish this section with a message
that I'm calling, what's the real problem..."
And in the same breath she said:
"I want to talk to you for just a minute about what do you
gain if you gain the whole world yet lose your own soul"
With remarkable deft and ease Joyce used this technique to pitch her message within the variable frames of understanding and cognition obtainable amongst the audience.
Critique: Much as Joyce effectively used this technique to reach the generality of her audience: there is the inherent danger that there may be a significant few members of the audience (at the lowest rung of the intellectual ladder) who could have misconstrued the speech. They may have failed to spot or grasp the underlying similarity or connection between the two variant speech titles.
Sharing Personal Experiences:
Good speakers consciously seek to endear themselves to the audience by sharing their personal experiences, which in turn enhances their credibility, originality, and commonality before the audience. Also, sharing experience makes the speaker and his message more perceptually accessible to the audience. Importantly, the speaker's point is illustrated by a perceptible experience, which he alludes to in order to reinforce a point of discussion.
J.Meyer: Joyce shared with her audience a recent experience she had while she was on visit to London:
" I recently was in London and I had the opportunity
to see the crown jewel, and I got me a revelation..."
Joyce efficiently employ her personal experience to drive home the point that God does not have a problem with excessive wealth - for He created it all to start with!
Critique: Much as Joyce tried to mentally depict the magnitude, quality, and the awesome value of the "crown jewel"; it is possible that a cross section of her audience would have failed to grasp the propensity of the impression she tried to recreate.
Since the audience is essentially American, the probability is that a vast majority of them would not have been privileged to see the queen jewel. A more American experience would have had a common and deep-seated impact on the audience.
Sound bites, Claptrap and Musicality of Voice:
Highly skillful speakers always employ a combination of techniques to trigger or prompt a response from their audience. Seasoned speakers could use a combination of two to three inducing speech techniques in the same breath of statement. When used alone or in a surging sequence, they act as 'landmarks' for the speaker to ascertain his performance via the level of accolade and response which this triggers from the audience. They are like a guidepost to the speaker to verify if he is on the right track to the 'promised land' and of course, if the multitude are still with him.
J.Meyer: Being a professional preacher and a seasoned public speaker, Joyce deployed these techniques on several occasion with astounding ease and to a magnificent effect. Occasionally, she used one or two of the techniques in isolation but in two remarkable instances she used a combination of these techniques on the trot. Expectedly, the audience accorded her a thundering acclamation and ovation.
"What we think is the problem is not really the
problem, and what we really like to be the
problem is not the problem"
"The thing we've got to understand is, God does
not have a money problem. . . we are the one who
makes an issue of money not God!"
"People start mistreating other people to get more
money . . . they use people to get money instead of
using money to bless people"
Critique: Expectedly, (in a solemn religious congregation situation) the level of response accorded Joyce by the audience when she used these techniques was somewhat ambivalent. I believe her spiritually challenging utterances had a dual impact on the listeners: a muted, pensive, and thought-provoking acknowledgement and/or a cheerful, open acclamation of agreement. As such, it would have been absolutely difficult for Joyce to measure her performance on the basis of the response from the audience.
Figures of Speech:
Practised public speakers often lace their speeches with glossy figures of speech to add glamour, charm and enchantment. Their aim is to poignantly convey to the audience a salient point of discussion in varying mesmerizing style. Figures of speech helps the speaker to grab and retain the attention of the audience by appealing to their sense of imagination.
J.Meyer: Overall, she masterfully employed one form of figures of speech or the other to rekindle the attention of her audience at various juncture in her speech.
Rhetorical question: "Who do you think God made all these
stuff for?"
Imagery: " . . .they got diamond this big, and I mean
rubies on the king's robe. And a sword
that's made of solid gold . . ."
Hyperbole: "There was much money in those cases
than I need to build this whole building
and buy an aeroplane and everything else
I can think of"
Critique: Much as figures of speech can embellish a speech, there is however, the inherent danger that a superfluously use can negatively boomerang on the speaker. It could lead to a situation where some sceptical and incredulous members of the audience would start to cast mental aspersion on the credibility and integrity of the speaker.
Damage Control:
Regardless of the level of experience, skill, and competence, every public speaker is bound, in varying form and manner, to fall into one form of unintelligible vocal pitfalls. The seasoned speaker would even capitalize on this situation by turning a disaster into delirious humor.
J.Meyer: In an instance of stupefying incoherent mispronunciation, Joyce turned the spotlight on herself by temporarily making herself an object of attentive ridicule. And she momentarily joined the audience in a hearty laughter of rekindled excitement.
"I mean it almost looks like a flag! fla! fla!flar . . .
eh!eh! That's a word I don't know very well, I'm
just trying to use a big word"
Critique: The instance of Joyce turning what was an obvious goof into a golden opportunity goes to show that a confident, passionate and unassuming speaker can turn sawdust into gold - once he's got the audience where he wants them. Joyce got it spot on! And to think she improvised without any forethought of such a tongue-twisting gaffe was indeed remarkable. And for her openness and honesty: she revealed her originality and simplicity of character to the audience - which in turn, must have endeared her greatly to the minds and soul of the congregation.
Closing:
A good, effective and poignant speech deserves an equally captivating and resonating end. John Bowden remarked in his book that: " Experienced speakers learn to assess their audience reaction to determine whether or not they have succeeded in their objectives to provoke a particular feeling." (Speaking In Public - How to Books Limited, 1999)
It is imperative that the speaker does not leave his audience hung on the strap-lace of misty confusion and suspended comprehension. Many speakers achieve this by linking their opening statement/claim/assertion/puzzle with the closing remark thus availing the audience with the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle. It is usually at this juncture that the speaker reveals his primary objective(s), aim and purpose as a parting final onslaught.
J.Meyer: Appropriately, Joyce finished where she began. She began the speech by asking the audience to turn to the person next to them and ask, 'What's the real problem, what's the problem with you anyway.' It was only logical and pertinent that she ended the speech by imparting to the audience what the real problems are.
"Do you know what the real problem is? I've
got things in need that needs to be dealt with,
that's the real problem! You have things in you
that needs to be dealt with! We want to come
to the point church, where we can say Satan
has no part in me, he has no power in me."
Joyce went on to say in conclusion:
". . . know where your problems are, know yourself.
We've got to stop living in this cloud at somewhere,
thinking everyone else has got a problem but there is
nothing wrong with me. We've got to know ourselves,
know our strength and ask God to fill up our weaknesses. . ."
Critique: Joyce ended her speech with a parting shot at the audience, which ultimately resolve the initial opening question. However, unlike the opening remark and entreaty the speech ending lacks resonance and vibrancy. The rather sober and moderate closing did match up with the somewhat splendid and spectacular opening. In effect, the audience did not have the benefit of a buzzing and reverberating caption or gesture that would engrave the speech in their minds for a considerable time to come.
Overall, Joyce proved herself to be an undoubtedly magnificent speaker of immense oratory and public speaking prowess. Her knowledge and understanding of audience psychology helped her to ride on a sustained crescendo vocal resonance and topical pertinence.
Joyce used many other techniques that I could not elaborate in this essay. Notable amongst them was the silky and adept manner she interacted with her audience as if she knew them intimately. At one point she said:
"Hello! Oh no! Don't you go getting tense on me? I'm not
going to have a fur coat offering or diamond ring offering. . ."
In addition, Joyce made her speech remarkably interesting and she projected herself unto the audience with exceptional simplicity and originality. She made her human existential circumstances fundamentally synonymous with that of every individual within the audience - women especially. Hear her:
"If you've got a problem with my rhine stone,
you'll be very uncomfortable in heaven. . ."
And after taunting the audience with the idea of 'fur coat offering and diamond gold offering' she conclusively said:
"I certainly hope God does not ask me to do that: he'll
have to make a personal appearance"
Above all, Joyce was passionate, enthusiastic and convincing. Her passion was indeed infectious and she conveyed the depth and the substance of her conviction to her audience in an unequivocal manner. She entreated her audience 'to go talking to' their prized possessions:
". . . say to that fur coat you've got: I like you but I don't
love you . . . I can't take you with me. I'm going to enjoy
you here but I don't know for sure if I'd get to keep you
all my life. And if God ask me to give you away; then bye-bye!"
Outline Title
Introduction:
I. The first sub-topic
A. First supporting information for the sub-topic
. Detail of the information
2. Detail of the information
B. Second supporting information for the sub-topic
. Detail of the information
2. Detail of the information
II. The second sub-topic
A. First supporting information for the sub-topic
. Detail of the information
2. Detail of the information
B. Second supporting information for the sub-topic
. Detail of the information
2. Detail of the information
III. The third sub-topic
A. First supporting information for the sub-topic
. Detail of the information
2. Detail of the information
B. Second supporting information for the sub-topic
. Detail of the information
2. Detail of the information
Conclusion:
Report Title
First paragraph. All paragraphs in the body of the report are indented and double-spaced.
Additional paragraphs.
Works Cited
First reference. The text begins at the left margin of the paper. Lines are double-spaced. When the entry is longer than one line, the second line is automatically indented five spaces.
Additional references
.
CHECKLIST
. The outline
* The introduction states the main topic or idea of the outline, and the conclusion summarizes it.
* Each sub-topic describes the main idea for a paragraph.
* Supporting information and details for a sub-topic are listed under the sub-topic with each piece of information listed separately.
* When supporting information is listed under a sub-topic, there are at least two pieces of information listed. If there is only one piece of information to support a sub-topic, the information is included in the sub-topic.
2. The report
* The report follows the organization of the outline.
* Each paragraph in the report matches a sub-topic in the outline, and presents the information and details listed under the sub-topic.
* Each paragraph includes a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of the paragraph.
* Every sentence begins with a capital letter.
* Every sentence ends with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark.
* All words are spelled correctly.
* There are no missing words.
3. Works cited
* Every source has a specific reference in the report. Include only the sources that are mentioned in the report.
* Each entry follows the correct format for the type of reference.
* Entries are listed in alphabetical order according to the author's last name.
