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Laser Talks Epic Speech
- 1. Laser Talks Communicating Your Message and Being a Powerful Advocate!
- 2. E = Engage P = Problem I = Inform C = Call to Action
- 3. E = Engage Your Audience Get your listener's attention! Dramatic fact or short statement A brief anecdote or story can also work Keep to one sentence if possible. "We know you share our concern about improving the quality of teaching for all students.“
- 4. P= State the Problem Present causes of the problem you introduced in the first section. How widespread or serious is the problem or issue? How do you know? Use specific examples and details to explain and make your case "Too few students experience great teaching every day, too few educators experience professional learning that has a powerful impact on teaching and student performance, and too few schools prioritize high levels of learning every day for both adults and students.“
- 5. I = Inform People about Solutions Inform (or inspire!) listeners about solutions to the problem Focus in on what you are proposing as a solution, grounded in the reasons "We need to ensure that every teacher has access to high-quality professional learning every day so every student achieves. That can happen if Congress passes Senate Bill 1979 which includes a change in the definition of professional learning in No Child Left Behind. This improved definition would ensure that teachers have time to work and learn with colleagues every day, that their learning is aligned with standards, and that their learning is built on a continuous cycle of improvement.”
- 6. C = Call to Action Be specific about what you want the listener to do. Present this action in the form of a yes or no question, or a simple way they can join in Paint the picture of an action they can take Enables you to follow up "Will you support Senate Bill 1979 which refines the definition of professional learning in No Child Left Behind? Would you become a co-sponsor for that legislation? If so, sign this form.”
- 7. Nowyou will hearsomeexamples… Which was good? Which was bad? Think aboutwhatmadeeachonegood/ bad
- 8. Activity Pair up and brainstorm Write a short speech – we will be presenting and giving feedback Keep in mind your audience
- 9. Critique Thumbs up on... Note specific examples or reasons that this laser talk was effective. Did you get the idea? What phrases worked well? What about the delivery? Something to think about... Note specific questions or suggestions, if you have any. What might you add or change?
- 10. Guidelines Be specific. Claim your feedback using “I” or “We” statements. Be grounded. Be constructive (not negative).
Editor's Notes
- Powerful speaking is the key to being an effective advocate for your social justice issue. Activists can speak powerfully by telling gripping stories, and by giving brief presentations that we call "laser talks". Let’s say you have the chance to speak with a member of Congress at a town hall meeting, connect with a busy editorial writer on the telephone, or catch the attention of a friend. Typically, you will only have one or two minutes to get your point across. By using the “laser talk” format, you’ll make the most of your opportunity. So, you could potentially use this in lobbying or advocacy, like we talked about on Monday, but it is a good, flexible format that really can be used for many different things, like volunteer recruitment. Or, it could even be used as an email or a different format than speaking if that’s more appropriate for you.“I’m proud that the U.S. has played a key role in saving 4.9 million lives since 2002 through our contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.”
- Each laser talk has four sections. In the first section, you engage the listener's attention. Next, you present a problem you want them to know about. Then you inform them about a solution to the problem. And finally, you call them to action. An easy way to remember these four sections is to use the word EPIC:E stands for engageP stands for problemI is for inform, andC stands for call to Action
- Let's look at each section in more detail. The first section, which is E for Engage, is probably the easiest. Here, you draw your listener’s attention with a dramatic fact or short statement. A brief anecdote or story can also workKeep to one sentence if possible.For instance, you could say:
- Follow that with the second section of the talk, in which you discuss a problem you want your listener to know about. Try to connect the problem to an issue the listener already cares about, and to provide information without going too in depth or losing their attention.Some things to consider How widespread or serious is the problem or issue? How do you know? Use specific examples and details to explain and make your caseFor example, if you’re speaking to a member of Congress about the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, you might say:“But we have much more work to do, since nearly six million people die annually of these three preventable and treatable diseases of poverty. The Global Fund is prepared to help developing nations save more lives, but it needs $5.25 billion in the coming year. This funding gap means real people are not getting access to care.”
- In the third section of the talk, inform the listener about a solution to the problem you just presented. Give examples of how and where the solution has worked, how it has proven to be effective, and how it benefits the people most at need or your population of interest. You might cite a recent study, or use other credible statistics. Here's an example:U.S. leadership is needed to fully fund the Global Fund. For every dollar the U.S. contributes, other donor nations typically contribute $2. The U.S. share of the need for 2011 is $1.75 billion.
- The final section of the laser talk is the Call to Action. Calls to action should be concrete, specific, and formed as a yes - no question or a simple way they can join in. Make it clear that there is an action they can take to help solve the problem. This can also enable you to follow up to see if they took action if you made it a simple thing. An example is the following request made to a member of the House of Representatives:“Currently, a sign-on letter to appropriators is being circulated in the House requesting at least $1.75 billion for the Global Fund in 2011. Would you sign this letter? I would be happy to provide you with a copy.”
- Give 5 minutes?
- Before you give a laser talk, it's a good idea to practice it. Say it out loud to yourself, and then to another person until you feel comfortable with it. Soon you'll be able to make the talk your own, using different sections as you need them and adapting them to different situations. Learning a good repertoire of laser talks to use when the time is right will help make you a powerful advocate