Here are two excerpts from the speech.

EXCERPT 1 (SPEECH OPENING)

In 1959 – right here in Dayton, Ohio – 31 military test pilots landed at Wright Aeromedical Laboratory, determined and eager to be selected as our nation’s first astronauts.

Here they endured one of the most grueling experiences of their lives.

For six days and three nights, these 31 men were tortured to see if they could withstand extreme physical and psychological stress – and emerge all the better for it.

In the end, 24 were sent home. But seven made it through – with flying colors – and were rewarded by making history.

These seven took part in Project Mercury – America’s first manned space program – and became known as the Mercury Seven.

They were cheered. They were celebrated. They were honored as American heroes.

Now why am I telling you all this?

I believe that all the physical and psychological trials those 31 men endured weren’t much different from the ordeals entrepreneurs face as the world tests their tolerance for fear, risk and failure – roadblocks on their path to small business success.

Make no mistake: Entrepreneurs are tested every single day, every step of the way:

• Are they bold enough to risk their entire life’s savings to commercialize a new technology?
• Do they have all the right stuff to endure agonizing setbacks?
• Are they willing to put their family’s well-being on the line – with no guarantees?

Or will they fail and go home – just like those 24 unsuccessful astronauts back in 1959?

Failure. That’s the fate an entrepreneur faces today without something very important – something called nurturing – and that’s what I want to talk to you about today.

EXCERPT 2 (SPEECH CLOSING)

Over the years, experts have debated whether entrepreneurs are born or made – or whether they’re some combination of nature and nurture.

According to a 2011 report by Ernst & Young, entrepreneurs may share some common traits, but these leaders are made – not born.

In effect, nurture wins out over nature.

The report also said the three biggest barriers to small business success are funding, people and know-how.

That tells me if we provide two of these three ingredients – people and know-how – entrepreneurs are at least two-thirds of the way there to building the small businesses needed to bolster our economy.

The late Professor Albert Shapiro of The Ohio State University talked about this debate another way. He said: “Entrepreneurs are not ‘born’ … rather they ‘become’ through the experiences of their lives.”

And so I ask you to consider this: What expertise can you lend – what impact can you make – to help the entrepreneurs right here in Dayton become who they are supposed to become?

And entrepreneurs? My message to you is this: Your tolerance for fear, risk and failure will continue to be tested every step of the way on your journey toward success.

But when you continue to pass these tests – time and time again, with help from those who have gone before you – we will do the same thing for you that we did for our nation’s Mercury Seven astronauts:

• We will cheer you.
• We will celebrate you.
• And we will honor you as American heroes.

Thank you.

This is how I engaged my audience last week with a speech about speech giving – tips on how to “woo, win and wow!! your next audience”:

I’ll never forget the advice I got decades ago from one of my crusty old journalism professors during my first newspaper reporting course at The Ohio State University.

“Check your ego at the door!” he thundered at us – a roomful of byline-hungry college freshmen, all formerly decorated editors of our respective high school newspapers.

“Check your ego at the door because it’s not about you. It’s never about you. It’s about them. Your readers. Those people who are going to sit down with their newspaper and their morning cup of coffee and read every single word you write.”

And he was right. It’s not about us. It’s about them.

And the same holds true for us as speakers.

It’s never about us. It’s always about them. Our audience.

But funny how so many speakers forget this.

All caught up in a tizzy over being asked to be the “keynote speaker,” they make their speeches all about me, me, me. My experiences. My travels. My family. My work. My career. My adventures. My blah, blah, blah.

They make their speeches all about me, me, me and forget about you, you, you – the only ones who matter. The audience.

So today I’m going to borrow a phrase from my dear professor – check your ego at the door – and clearly demonstrate four key ways to woo, win and wow!! your audience the next time you’re asked to speak. …

So there you go.

One story (highly personal, complete with dialogue) + one transition to connect the dots = one engaged audience.

Try it the next time you’re asked to speak.

EXCERPT (SPEECH OPENING)

Let me tell you a true story about something that happened in a Dayton school about three years ago.

Now this is a school where the vast majority of students participate in the National School Lunch Program – a federal program dating back to the days of Harry Truman – that provides low-cost or free lunches to children each and every school day.

Three years ago, school supplies at this school were very scarce, and you can probably guess why.

Because the parents of these children were struggling to provide the essentials for life – things such as food and shelter – there was little money left over to provide the essentials for learning – things such as paper and pencils, crayons and notebooks.

Now a teacher at this school – let’s call her Mrs. Meyers – routinely dipped into her own pocketbook to buy school supplies for her students so they’d at least have the basics required for learning. In fact, each year she spent at least 500 dollars of her own money – sometimes as much as 1,000 dollars of her own money – to buy the school supplies her students needed to do their classwork.

One day, Mrs. Meyers was literally down to her last pencil. But in front of her stood two students.

So she faced this dilemma.

She thought, “If I break this pencil in half to help two students in need, which student gets the half with the eraser?

It’s a dilemma that teachers in our community should NEVER have to face.

But they do. 

# # #

EXCERPT (SPEECH CLOSING)

On Feb. 28 this year, Crayons to Classrooms reached a milestone – a “Million Dollar Moment,” if you will – when we surpassed 1 million dollars in school supplies distributed to Dayton-area teachers to help students in need.

It was indeed a milestone marking our momentum.

But in spite of all this progress, the reality is this:

• Without more resources, we can’t restock our free store for teachers so students at our 34 schools continue to have the tools they need to learn.
• Without more resources, we can’t expand our shopping hours, improve services or add new products.
• And without more resources, we can’t begin to help the remaining 54 high-need K-12 schools – 13,000 more students who desperately need school supplies.

Ultimately, that’s our goal: to make sure all 26,500 students at all 88 high-need K-12 schools in our region have the school supplies they need to learn.

# # #

For decades it seems, the great national debate about how to improve education has raged on. It’s complex. It’s political. It’s expensive. And it’s ridden with controversy.

It’s easy to feel completely helpless.

But consider this:

Before we can tackle some of the larger, more complicated challenges related to education, why don’t we do First Things First?

Why don’t we get paper and pencils and crayons and notebooks – the basics! – into the hands of EVERY Dayton-area student in need?

After all, it’s so simple!

And it’s something each and every one of us can do, right here in Dayton, to make a difference.

# # #

At Crayons to Classrooms, we believe if teachers and students have the tools to succeed – they will.

So today I challenge you to make an impact on education.

I challenge you to help local students in need.

I challenge you to donate money or school supplies to Crayons to Classrooms.

If you want to make an even greater impact, also consider donating equipment or services. Or, you might want to host a school supply drive. And we’re always looking for volunteers in our free store.

# # #

I’m sure we can all agree that no child should go to school without the basic supplies needed for learning.

And I believe that if we do First Things First, together we can make an impact on education.

Because after all:

We don’t want any more classrooms in our community to end up like Mrs. Meyers’ classroom three years ago – where the teacher must resort to breaking a pencil in half to help two students in need. #

Here’s a creative experiment I tried and shared today with my Downtown Morning Toasters group of Toastmasters International. Enjoy!

“CAN YOU HANDLE THE TOOTH?” (A Tooth Fairy Roast)

Good morning! And a warm, toothy grin to all of you: mothers and fathers … grandmothers and grandfathers … guardians and foster parents … all of you here with us today to celebrate this marvelous occasion – the 100th anniversary of our one and only Tooth Fairy!

Yes, it’s true, Tooth Fairy. You’ve been pretty flighty now for an entire century: 100 years!

Some people might say, “Wow – 100 years – that’s a little long in the tooth!”

But let’s not go there. After all, ladies your age don’t want folks to know how old they really are. Right?

All I can say is this: Today, oh dear Tooth Fairy, we’ll be honoring you with an old-fashioned, good-natured roast.  So I have one very good piece of advice for you.

Please – just grin and bear it.

Because truly – I’m just going to wing it.  

Now everyone here has a pretty good idea about what you’ve been doing every night for the past 100 years.

Armed to the teeth with a large empty sack, night after night on a wing and a prayer, you’ve had the nerve to flit from house to house, sneaking into children’s bedrooms, around teddy bears and under pillows, to snatch away no-longer-useful, fallen-out baby teeth – treasured by mothers everywhere! – and trade them for petty cash or puny prizes.

But wait a minute!

Stop right there, oh dear Tooth Fairy!

Did you ever consider what kind of a role model you really are? (You’re teaching children they can sell their body parts for money!)

But nevertheless, into your sack they go – bicuspids, molars and incisors galore.

Some cracked. Some with cavities. Some still sporting brownish, sticky, goey, Tootsie Roll residue. (Blech!!!!)

On the face of it, Tooth Fairy, it seems like you have a pretty gross, really disgusting and totally thankless job.

And I hear it’s not as easy as it sounds.

A little fairy godmother told me you sometimes have to fight tooth and nail to reach that faraway incisor that winds up STUCK – somewhere under Polly’s puffy pile of princess pillows, or way, way down in the deep, dark depths of Sean’s snarled up, superhero sheets.

And I have to ask: What do you do with all those teeth anyway?

Make eclectic jewelry out of bicuspids, molars and incisors? String thousands of Christmas trees with strand after strand of dirty, stinking, rotten teeth? Make handcrafted shakers filled with cracked up molars for kids in the preschool band?

Well, I can see you’re not talking, so I guess we’ll never really know the tooth – the whole tooth – and nothing but the tooth.

But that’s OK.

Because I have a secret, too.

I know for a fact that not every kid believes in you, oh Tooth Fairy.

That’s right.

What? You’re surprised?

(Yeah – the tooth hurts, doesn’t it?)

And here’s more for you to chew on:

It’s the parents who are the ones telling lies about you!

Did you hear what Doubting Thomas asked his mother the other day?

He said, “Mom: Are you the Tooth Fairy?”

And his mother – absolutely lying through her teeth! – said, “Yes, Thomas, I am the Tooth Fairy.”

But! You’ll be glad to know that Thomas quickly stood up for you – and completely outsmarted his mother – with this retort:

“Wait a minute, Mom! If you’re the Tooth Fairy, then how do you get into other kids’ houses?”

Ahh. The wisdom of the toothless ones.

(Touché, you’re saying – right?)

That’ll teach mothers to lie about you – the honest to goodness Tooth Fairy!

But now I must close this roast, tongue in cheek, for I fear I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.

So I’d like to leave everyone here with these parting words – your words, actually, oh Tooth Fairy.

These are the words of the precious thank you note that you tuck oh-so-gently under the pillow after each and every one of your toothy, snatch-and-swap adventures.

It goes like this:

   Last night while you silently slept,

   Into your room I quietly crept,

   I found the tooth you left for me,

   And left a surprise for you to see!

   Thanks for the tooth!

And thank you, oh dear Tooth Fairy, for being part of our lives for the past 100 years. After all, in the words of author Azu “Betty” Espezia:

   Other than a dimple in a cute little chin,

   What’s more adorable than a toothless grin?

Did you get a bunch of high-fives?

Did you hear things like, “Wow – thanks! That was such a great story!”

Or did you hear absolutely nothing?

If so, that can be telling. Perhaps the problem lies in how you interview your sources.

1. Do you settle for your source’s first answer? Remember: The good stuff always lies beneath the surface. So keep probing. Challenge your source with “devil’s advocate” questions. The first answer is rarely your source’s best answer.

2. Are you getting canned quotes or “corporate speak”? Don’t stand for it! Instead, dig in. Try picking out one word from that stilted response and ask, “What did you mean by that?” Ask for evidence; can your source prove it? Or, ask your sources to share a story that illustrates the point they’re trying to make. Avoid writing quotes from corporate folks that you’ve read elsewhere a million times before (you know what I mean – things like, “We provide high-quality products and the best customer service.”) Ask more questions so you can write something different.

3. Are you ever short on examples or struggling with weak ones? You’ll be surprised what you get if you ask, “Can you give me another reason why this is the case?” or “How else have you used this technology in the field?” And then you can ask a couple times more: “What’s another reason this happens?” This prompts your sources to think harder about what you are asking and respond with more reasons or examples, giving you more meat on the bones. 

4. Are you ever stuck with just 5 or 10 minutes to interview a busy VIP? Don’t let that stop you or intimidate you. Prepare plenty of probing questions ahead of time and then prioritize them. Resolve to keep the interview on track so you don’t waste a minute on irrelevant or predictable responses you can’t use. Know exactly what you want from your source – and keep those questions flowing. (If you’ve prepared well and engaged your source in good conversation, don’t be surprised if you’re rewarded with a 20-minute interview chock full of really good stuff.)

5. Do you hear things you don’t understand – but move on anyway? Although interrupting is usually considered impolite, don’t be afraid to stop a source – midsentence if necessary! – if you’re confused or hear a term you’ve never heard before. If you don’t understand, always ask. Otherwise, you may write a story with errors. Or, you may completely misinterpret something your source said, damaging your credibility and your source’s trust in you. (Here’s a bonus: A source who explains a key point again often does a better job the second time around, allowing you to capture a more colorful response.)

6. Do you proceed from question to question – never doubling back to connect the dots? Summarizing what you just heard gives your source confidence in your ability to listen, interpret and bring meaning to the message. What’s more, summarizing gives you a moment to process and think – and ask those all-important, unscripted, follow-up questions that could help you craft a clever lead.

7. Do you use the same interview style for every person you interview? Be willing and able to quickly adapt to your source’s style. Within the first 90 seconds, listen for clues to decide how the pace and tone of the interview should go. A serious, cautious source, for example, will feel more at ease if you slow down and stop routinely to paraphrase the most important points. A high-spirited source, on the other hand, will do better if you conduct the interview in a similar, lively manner.

Remember: Great stories spring from great interviews. So take control. Make sure your interviews are giving you everything you need to tell the stories that people will read, enjoy – and remember.

Goof 1: Writing “it’s” when you really mean “its” (or vice versa)

Remember: The word “it’s” is a contraction for “it is.” And the word “its” is the possessive form of “it.” It’s really that simple!

Wrong: Turn the box on it’s side. (You would not say “it is” side.)
Right: Turn the box on its side (possessive form of “it”).

Wrong: I saw the movie, and it’s similarity to the book was amazing. (You would not say “it is” similarity.)
Right: I saw the movie, and its similarity to the book was amazing (possessive form of “it”).

Wrong: Its the right way to do things.
Right: It’s the right way to do things (the contraction for “it is”).

Goof 2: Joining two sentences with a comma

First, recognize when you have two sentences. You can join sentences with a semicolon, colon or conjunction.

Wrong: I like this, it is simple and to the point. (This is a run-on sentence.)
Right: I like this; it is simple and to the point.

Wrong: I am sure of one thing, you can’t get blood from a turnip. (This is a run-on sentence.)
Right: I am sure of one thing: You can’t get blood from a turnip. 

Wrong: Sheridan is a girl, Kim is a boy. (This is a run-on sentence.)
Right: Sheridan is a girl, and Kim is a boy.

Goof 3: Using an apostrophe to make a word plural

Use an apostrophe to form the possessive of a word or to form a contraction. An apostrophe is not used to form the plural of a word.

Wrong: Attached is important information for this year’s 10 mentor’s.
Right: Attached is important information for this year’s 10 mentors.

So before you hit “send” on that all-important document you’re writing to impress a client or potential employer, make sure you’re not making one of these three very common mistakes.

One final tip: If you’re on a tight deadline and something about your prose doesn’t sound quite right, or you fear you’re breaking a grammar rule, simply recast your sentence. (When in doubt, throw it out.)

Job 1 is creating the right environment so your source feels comfortable sharing information. Here are 13 ways to create a good rapport with your story sources – right upfront.

1. Tell a source you simply want to have a conversation. People tend to find a “conversation” enjoyable but may find an “interview” intimidating. Choose your words carefully to put your source at ease. If you create trust early on, your source will share more – and you will get a richer story.

2. Never ask for an “endorsement” or a “testimonial quote.” Both requests are immediate turnoffs.

3. Recognize that some sources may hesitate because they’ve been burned by unskilled writers in the past. Assure them you are interested in and want to tell their story. Say things like, “We’re on the same side here.” Remind sources that you’re happy to share the story with them before sending it off to the printer.

4. Avoid conducting cold interviews. Instead, set up a mutually convenient interview time ahead of time. A scheduled time will make your source more committed, more prepared and more focused during the interview.

5. Check any preconceived notions at the door. Don’t make assumptions about sources based on their title or position. Be eager and ready to listen and absorb their unique story.

6. Warm up sources by asking “housekeeping questions” first. Confirm the correct spelling of their name and their current title. Ask about their background. How long have they worked for the company, and what jobs have they had along the way? Housekeeping questions let you ease sources into your real questions.

7. Look for similarities. If you listen and learn you have something in common with your source – perhaps you’re both Ohio State alums? – by all means, say so! When you discover similarities, expect instant rapport.

8. Get your sources on board quickly by focusing their attention. You can say, “Larry, here’s what we’re trying to accomplish with this story” – and feel the immediate engagement.

9. Be conversational yourself. Never read your prepared questions word for word. Talk like real people talk.

10. Encourage your sources along the way. Say things like, “That was a great answer,” or “That makes sense” or “Your example was just perfect.” Such praise tends to give your sources a second wind, especially if you’re discussing a complex topic or a sensitive subject.

11. Smile! Your sources will be able to tell – even if you’re interviewing over the phone.

12. Pay attention to timing. If you asked your source for 30 minutes, respect that. If you run out of time but still have questions, schedule a follow-up interview.

13. Make it fun. As a professional, it’s your job to make an interview pleasant and painless for your source. There’s no greater reward than when a source says, “I’ve really enjoyed our conversation!” If so – then kudos! Mission accomplished.

The deed is done, but many are calling for it to be undone. Here’s what chiselers of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington inscribed on the north face of the granite monument:

“I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.”

Huh?

Here’s what King – whose words are studied and respected by serious speechwriters everywhere – actually said in a sermon to a congregation of believers at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church on Feb. 4, 1968:

“If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”

Eloquent. Powerful. Thought provoking.

The one-sentence paraphrase not only falls flat – but worse – conveys the wrong message.

King was not giving himself an attaboy in that 1968 sermon. He was suggesting what his eulogist might say on the day of his funeral – that his work on earth had been done for a greater good, a higher cause, to fulfill his lifelong mission of service. In King’s words, “I just want to leave a committed life behind.”

Author and poet Maya Angelou gets it. She says the quote makes King seem arrogant and changes the meaning completely. And that’s the danger of changing quotes willy-nilly, all in the name of “we’re just out of space.”

According to The Washington Post, the sculptor told the memorial’s executive architect and planners that King’s entire drum major quote simply would not fit on the north face of the monument.

Sculptors and architects are not editors. If you change a quote, or take it out of context without regard to the writer’s or speaker’s intent – you change the meaning. You change the truth. And in this case, you change history.

And now, unless Maya Angelou gets her way, King’s words will remain twisted for all to see. And that’s a shameful tribute to a man who knew the power of words to inspire – and ultimately change – a nation.

Serendipity is only part of it, according to Sandra Yin, a writer based in Maryland and a colleague of mine.

Sandra recently interviewed me and four other speechwriters from across the United States and in the United Kingdom about how to break into speechwriting.

She shares plenty of secrets and tips in this April 7 Washington Speechwriters Roundtable story.

How to break into freelance speechwriting

by Sandra Yin

What does it take to break into freelance speechwriting?

For a lucky few, serendipity plays a big role. Just ask David A. Green, president of Uncommon Knowledge, an executive speechwriting firm based in Haworth, N.J. He is one of the rare people who managed to break into speechwriting without first landing an in-house corporate communications job.

He got his first big break when he was writing concepts and scripts for live tradeshow theater for a multimedia production company in San Jose. Hewlett-Packard hired the company in the late 1990s to create PowerPoint slides for two VPs for an Internet commerce expo. At the last minute, HP asked if the company could suggest someone to write speeches, because the execs didn’t have time. As a result, Green got a chance to write several high-profile speeches at the beginning of his speechwriting career.

What’s more, that experience led to more steady speechwriting work, thanks to word of mouth. Someone in marketing at HP heard about speeches he had written for the vice presidents and referred him to her husband, the CEO of a networking company. “That CEO became my first big speechwriting client and I wrote all his major addresses for two-three years in the early 2000s [until they cut way back on both outside vendors and speaking appearances],” Green says.

For those who want to break into freelance speechwriting and aren’t relying on luck to send clients their way, here are some tips several pros offered up:

Get experience. To get into speechwriting, you face that old Catch 22: You need experience to get a job, but you must get a job to gain experience, Warren Anderson, who wrote speeches for President Gerald Ford, notes. To get around that, he suggests you work for free or for a stipend for a charity or political candidate. Another option might be to get a job with a nonprofit service company or foundation.

Use your connections. Got nonspeechwriting clients? Treat them like gold. Existing business relationships can expand as your repertoire grows. Those connections get you in the door, says Teresa Zumwald, president of Zumwald & Company, a Dayton, Ohio-based communications services firm. She found that demand for speeches rose after she added speechwriting to the menu of services she offers. When the need arises, clients remember and call with work. One longtime client has hired her to write three speeches so far.

With speechwriting, leave nothing to chance, Zumwald says. Unlike other writing projects that will drop into your lap, speechwriting won’t. “You must go out and get it,” she says.

Put yourself out there. Brian Jenner, a UK-based speechwriter who launched the UK Speechwriters’ Guild, said a mix of serendipity and getting yourself out there helps. He got some of his first freelance speechwriting assignments from BP after someone who was at a Toastmasters meeting saw his website.

Here’s another great way to get more exposure: Submit one of your speeches to Vital Speeches of the Day, says Cynthia Starks, executive speechwriter with Starks Communications LLC based in Zionsville, Ind. After one of her speeches got picked up by Vital Speeches, companies contacted her with assignments.

Aggressively market your services. After advertising in the satirical magazine, Private Eye, Jenner got busy writing wedding speeches and memorial addresses. Don’t forget to add speechwriting to your business card and website, Zumwald says.

Shape your client’s expectations. If you’re a speechwriter who is just starting out, Zumwald offers this parting tip. Be prepared to educate your clients about what to expect of the professional speechwriting process.

Many clients believe they can do a “brain dump” and you’ll produce a speech on the other end based on what they’ve told you. Others may assume a bunch of PowerPoint bullet points will suffice for their so-called speech.

“Don’t be afraid to explain the best way to approach a speechwriting assignment for the uninitiated,” she says. “It may take more time upfront, but the incredible results at the other end will guarantee you more business in the future from these clients—and more referrals.”

Sandra Yin is a writer based in Maryland.

How did that happen?

Let me tell you – it didn’t just happen. Each of us had spent a bit of time thinking and preparing before walking into that 2:30 meeting.

It’s something we may not do often enough. In her new book Shut Up and Say Something, author Karen Friedman writes:

“ … there is no such thing as just a meeting. Every meeting poses opportunities for discussion, generating ideas, producing outcomes, and positioning yourself with your peers. Whether it’s a quick update or weekly requirement, the impression you make on peers can indirectly affect your raises and promotions. That means you have to prepare.”

Karen describes one senior executive’s approach to meetings. “Robert” told Karen he doesn’t want to show off, so he often remains quiet at meetings. If he feels he should have said something, he comes up with impromptu remarks (which usually aren’t very helpful). Since he deals with high-level information, he doesn’t feel the need to “dumb it down” for others at the meeting. He also admitted to Karen that speaking up in front of his boss, a savvy and impressive speaker, is intimidating. 

The result? Robert was coming across as a man without a plan and without interest in what others have to say.

Clearly, Robert had to make some changes. He had to start preparing.

All of us can benefit from Karen’s advice to Robert, summarized here: 

1. Don’t treat your meetings as just another meeting. Recognize the opportunity in advance. For example, will managers make a greater investment if they have a greater understanding of the information? Can you put research into perspective to engage others in conversation?

2. Before the meeting, identify two or three things you may want to share. That way, you won’t feel pressured to think of impromptu remarks.

3. Use open-ended and clarifying questions to draw others out and facilitate the conversation. For example, say, “If I understand you correctly, what you are saying is …” and “Does that mean … ?”

4. If you need to give a status report, prepare a brief one-pager to keep you on track and distribute to attendees. Practice your delivery out loud before the meeting.

5. Don’t compare yourself to others or try to impress others. Instead, decide what information you can share to help people make decisions.

6. If you think of an idea while someone else is speaking, jot it down (don’t interrupt no matter how brilliant your idea is). Share your thought at the appropriate time or when the person has finished speaking.

Remember: The best, most productive meetings don’t just happen. For more tips on how to make your next meeting more than just a meeting, check out Chapter 17 of Karen Friedman’s Shut Up and Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners.