Public Speaking is a Combat Sport – Bertrand Périer

Improvisation: The Product of Preparation

Bertrand began by demystifying a common misconception: improvisation is not the absence of preparation, but its culmination. As Churchill said, “my best improvisations are those I have best prepared.” The real complexity is not reading a text, but having sufficiently immersed oneself in a subject to be able to give it a free form in the moment.

This approach revolutionizes the preparation for presentations: one must delve into the subject, absorb it completely, then accept to let go when speaking. Speaking should be an encounter with the present moment, full of surprises and interactions that paper does not allow.

Fighting Verbal Tics: A Constant Battle

We all have verbal tics, and Bertrand shares his method for eliminating them: record yourself and listen. The problem with the famous ‘du coup’ lies in its abusive use as a crutch to avoid silences. When there’s a causal link (“it’s raining, so I took an umbrella”), it’s acceptable. But “so, are you well?” makes no logical sense.

The solution? Develop constant vigilance, like seeing a radar ahead on the road. Anticipate the incoming tic and replace it with a deliberate silence rather than a verbal crutch.

Structure: The Roadmap of Your Speech

Bertrand emphasizes the crucial importance of structure: “It’s like going from Paris to Marseille without a roadmap; you risk passing through Strasbourg”. There are several types of structures depending on the objective:

• Chronological: yesterday, today, tomorrow

• Thematic: economic, societal, ecological arguments

• Analytical: narrate, analyze, argue (what’s happening, what we learn from it, what to do now)

Edgar Faure’s anecdote is revealing: his entire political career with three words – “success, progress, hope” – applicable to any inauguration!

The Art of the Pitch: Only the Story Matters

To captivate in a pitch, Bertrand reveals the secret: to use storytelling. Only an embodied story can attract attention. You can have a thousand figures and a thousand business plans, but without a story that embodies the product, you won’t succeed.

It’s the only thing one remembers from a speech: the story we were told. The figures are all the same, as are the business plans. What makes the difference is the story of the product’s birth, its use, its impact.

Crisis Communication: Truth and Action

In a crisis situation, Bertrand advocates two fundamental principles:

1. Only say what you know and do not lie: you don’t have to say everything, but what you say must be true. A single lie poisons the entire well of communication.

2. Communicate about action, not just the findings: say what has been done (compassion if there are victims) and especially what will be done (investigation, negotiation, corrective measures).

In a nutshell…

Here are the three major lessons to remember from this Masterclass with Bertrand Périer:

• Prepare to improvise better: Completely immerse oneself in the subject to be able to free oneself from it when speaking and create a true encounter with the audience.

• Structure like a roadmap: Have a clear plan from the starting point to the destination, by choosing the structure adapted to the objective (chronological, thematic, analytical).

• Tell embodied stories: In a pitch as in any speech, only the story leaves an impression and creates differentiation.

Don’t miss the next Masterclass!

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