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ANYBODY can deliver a black and white message.
Color is what makes people listen to YOU.

To Make People Listen, Add Color

Once your presentation is structured and outlined using black and white content cards, the substance of your message is complete.

However, the black and white, by itself, is boring. You don't have to be a great speaker to share the black and white. What will make you stand out from other speakers is color. "Color" is the SpeechDeck metaphor for principles that make people listen, remember, and act on what you say.

In addition to the principle of clarifying your Content, there are seven SpeechDeck principles of color. Associate one principle/color combination with each illustration card.

Step 3: Pick a Principle and Color

Each "color" principle engages the audience in a different way and for a different purpose. Each color is designed around a psychological principle that will yield a specific outcome:
  1. A Interest
  2. R Rapport
  3. M Legitimacy
  4. P Activity
  5. I Relevance
  6. T Focus
  7. S Impact

When you are considering a single illustration, identify what outcome you hope to achieve. Each outcome is associated with one of the seven speaking principles. Look at the Quick Reference Card below.

For example, for some illustrations, you will want to prove that your illustration is "legitimate," that you are credible and authoritative. By looking at the Quick Reference Card, you know that you need to use the yellow principle, "Reveal the Messenger."

On the other hand, if you needed to be more memorable and have more "impact," you would use violet "Engage the Subconcsious" cards.

As a practical matter, don't try to use every principle at once. What makes SpeechDeck simple and fast is that you are only expected to focus on one colored principle/purpose at a time.

The more time you have to present, the more color techniques you will be able to add to each illustration. Each illustration typically only needs to employ one or two techniques.

Step 4: Pick a Technique

Once you have picked a color, it will be easy to find a suitable technique. There are 2 approaches to incorporating the seven principles of color:
  • Principle-centered
    If you prefer the principle centered approach, find the colored "principle" card that matches your selected purpose. Each principle card describes the overall concept, the associated personality of the listener, and a mnemonic for easy remembering. Each principle card also lists three related skills. Click here to learn more about How Principle Cards Work

    Beginners using the principle centered approach never need to remember more than the main letter code for each of the seven principles: A-R-M-P-I-T-S. More advanced speakers may want to learn all 21 skills associated with those principles.

    If you prefer the principle centered approach, you simply use your own style to incorporate those skills, and your speech will automatically be more engaging.

  • Step-by-step approach
    If you prefer step-by-step instructions then you will have at least 12 technique cards matching each color. To make the listener pay attention to your illustration, simply pick any colored "technique" card that matches your selected outcome/principle.

    Not all techniques fit every personality, so pick a technique that feels natural to your style. To incorporate the technique, simply follow the step-by-step instructions on the card. Click here to learn How Technique Cards Work

Step 5: Use multiple Colors

While you don't have to use every color for every illustration, you should use as many colors as possible at some point during the whole speech.

If you insert a different colored technique or principle for each of your illustrations, you will be able to balance your overall presentation. The more colors you include, the more balanced and engaging your presentation will be.

You will be able to see visually if you have incorporated every color of the rainbow. To help you remember the seven color principles, each principle has a key word: Anticipation, Relationships, Messenger, Participation, Individuals, Theater, Subconscious.

To remember the seven principles just remember the first letter of each word, and Check your A-R-M-P-I-T-S!

  • H
    • S-i-i
    • S-i
    • S-i-i-i
The digram at left shows a simple black and white presentation outline. The black and white Headline cards H and story cards S are visible on the left and represent just the core of your prsentation's message. The illustrations i are specific stories, stats, examples and references you use in your speech to prove that part of the storyline.

  • H
    • S-i-i
    • S-i
    • S-i-i-i
To make your presentation engaging, associate a colored technique card with each illustration. In the updated speech diagram at right, notice how each illustration is now associated with a technique that carries the color of one of the SpeechDeck principles.

Deliver your speech

SpeechDeck makes your presentation easy, because you are never expected to mentally navigate a long checklist of do and do not.

As you arrive at each illustration, you simply indicate in your notes which of the several principles you want to incorporate. Whether you are delivering memorized words or talking from the heart, you only have to remember one principle at a time.

As you give your speech, moving from one illustration to the next, you will focus on principles for every color of the rainbow, and by the end of your speech you will have used many different approaches to keep the listener engaged.

The end result will be that people are listening to your highly effective, highly engaging and impactful speech.

You can use the SpeechDeck cards in whatever way is most helpful for your personality and style. Here are some ideas:

  • If you will read or memorize your speech, use the color coding to help in scripting so that you include many different approaches.

  • If you speak with note cards, insert the actual color-coded SpeechDeck cards as cues into a deck of your own 3x5” note cards.

  • Mark each transition on your notes with the letter or color code that will best improve that section. While delivering that section you focus on applying just that one principle.

Start with the basics

The essentials pack includes the black and white, plus 12 techniques each from seven colors. Beginners may be overwhelmed by so many options.

Try creating your own personalized practice deck. Pick just 3-4 colors that you want to personally improve. Then, out of the 12 techniques for each color, pick 3-4 techniques that will best fit your personality.

By using individually selected cards, you will have created your own personal SpeechDeck with just 10-12 cards. Your approach to speaking is as simple as just those cards, and as you practice and improve you can gradually swap out cards, or add additional colors and cards to practice.

All you have to do is Check your A-R-M-P-I-T-S!

What's Next

If you click NEXT you will continue to view this tutorial in series as shown at right.

If you have puchased the Essentials Pack you might want to first view the Complete Working Example that walks you through praparing an entire speech using the SpeechDeck cards.