The Three Pillars of Powerful Public Speaking

When I was a kid, we had a countertop in our kitchen with four wooden stools pulled up to it. 

I used to sit at the counter and lean back on the stool until only two legs were on the ground. 

Of course, my mom would see me and scold me, “Brandon, you stop leaning on that stool. You are going to fall and crack open your head.” 

I’d get upset and bring all the legs back to the floor. But in my mind, I knew that I could handle it. I was good at balancing. I didn’t need all the legs. 

Well, you’ll never guess what happened next. 

One day, I was pushing off from the counter, balancing on the back legs of the stool and one of the legs snapped. 

While falling to the hard tile floor, I learned a hard lesson: Mom was smarter than I thought. 

My brothers laughed, I cried, and my rear was sore and bruised for days. My Mom helped me up, but she had to remind me that this was exactly what she was always warning me about. 

A stool is not made to stand on two legs.

Preaching is similar to that.

Effective public speaking is like a stool held up by three pillars: the who, the what, and the how.

It’s not like you; It can’t stand on two legs. You need all three to be good.

If you want to be effective, you have to understand this basic concept. Let me explain.

1. Who?

Who is speaking? 

The barrier that any speaker must overcome is the question of credibility. The audience unconsciously asks, “Is the speaker credible?”

Why should they listen to what you say? Who are you?

Credibility is huge! If you destroy your credibility, it doesn’t matter what you say; nobody will listen.

If you are not credible, not trustworthy, or your life doesn’t align with your message, why would anyone want to listen?

For example, imagine if Hitler were to given a sermon about loving your neighbor. Who would listen to that? 

The man attacked his neighboring countries and tried his hardest to exterminate his Jewish neighbors. 

Who would want to hear him talk about something he obviously didn’t practice himself?

Trust takes years to earn and seconds to lose.

Many factors could destroy your credibility:

• an affair
• lack of integrity at work
• a dark secret
• lack of education or experience

But on the positive side, you can also build your credibility: 

• further education
• more experience
• repentance of a past mistake
• a reputation of honesty and integrity

Who are you, and are you credible? That’s the first pillar.

2. What?

What did they say?

The second barrier every speaker must overcome is a question of clarity. The audience is subconsciously asking, “Is the message clear?” 

If you don’t have a clear message, it doesn’t matter what you say, nobody will understand. 

This is a struggle with a lot of speakers. You’ll think you communicated until you realize you haven’t because only you knew what you were trying to say.

• If you can’t summarize your message in a sentence or two, it’s not clear. 
• If you have multiple points that don’t relate to one another, it’s not clear. 
• If you have more than one topics, it’s not clear. 

The message may be clear in your head, but the real trick is making it clear for your audience. Can you explain it clearly? If not, you’ve got work to do.

What are you saying, and is it clear? That’s the second pillar.

3. How?

How did they say it?

The third barrier every speaker must overcome is a question of how the message affects the audience. The audience is subconsciously asking, “How does this make me feel?” 

What it boils down to is whether or not your message is compelling. 

A compelling message elicits a response from your audience. It affects them emotionally, causes them to change the way they think, or makes them want to act differently.

If you are not compelling, it doesn’t matter what you say; nobody will change. 

People won’t change unless they see that something is at stake, it’s necessary, it’s urgent, and they dare to admit that need to change.

If your delivery is poor, your message is less compelling.

• poor body language
• nervous habits
• excessive filler words
• lack of confidence

If you don’t frame the message in a way that related to your audience, they won’t be compelled to take action. 

If you don’t engage the mind and the heart, people won’t be compelled to do anything.

If you don’t use words your audience knows, they won’t be compelled to do anything because they won’t understand you. 

Unlike You, A Sermon Can’t Stand on Two Legs

You need all three to be effective.

Think about what it would be like to have only two of the three pillars:

A message with a credible who and compelling how without a clear what is entertaining nonsense.

You like the speaker and are compelled by what they say, but they aren’t saying much of anything.

A talk with a credible who and clear what without a compelling how is a boring lecture.

You trust the speaker and understand what they say, but they don’t compel you in any way. It’s not interesting or relevant to your life.

A speech with a compelling how and clear what without a credible who is an ignorant rant.

The message is delivered powerfully and clear, but the person has no credibility. 

It’s like a single 20-something trying to tell people how to parent. You can’t speak about something like parenting without experiencing it first.

Do you see why all three pillars are so important?

When there’s a credible who, a compelling how, and a clear what, you have the foundation for a life-changing talk.

Just think about a message that has changed your life. Maybe it was a pastor, a teacher, a podcast, or a video.

You found the speaker to be credible. You trusted them. 

Their message was clear. You can still remember the point of it today. 

Plus, they were compelling. They moved you in a way that changed how you think or act. 

Evaluate Yourself With This

Which of the three pillars is your biggest weakness?

What pillar needs the most of your immediate attention?

I still have areas in all three that I could work on, but right now how I deliver the message is still an area that I need the most improvement.

But remember this: The audience judges your effectiveness, not you. 

You may think you are credible, clear, and compelling, but your perspective isn’t what matters. What your audience perceives is their reality.

It doesn’t matter if you find yourself credible, clear, and compelling. What does your audience think?

Whether they know it or not, your audience is already evaluating you by these three pillars of who, what, and how.

Who are you?

What are you saying?

How are you saying it?