Most of my comedy life consists of going on stage and telling jokes. Most of my professional life consists of standing in front of people as a teacher or keynote speaker. All my life I live as a person who stutters. People who stutter (and even those who don’t) are amazed that a person who stutters can dominate a room or have the “guts” to stand up in front of people and speak. I enjoy it and, with the exception of neck, back and jaw pain on some days, it doesn’t affect my speech too much. Of course, there was a day when I stuttered and a piece of my breakfast flew out of my mouth and landed on one of the participants’ fingers, but other than that, stuttering doesn’t interfere with my stand-up or when I lead and train. groups
People who stutter email and message me all the time on Facebook asking me how I can stand up in front of people and talk and if I have any advice. I thought I’d offer a few suggestions that would help my brothers and sisters who stutter, but might also help a broader audience.
1. “I stutter and you’ll have to wait patiently for all my brilliant ideas.”
When do you tell a person that you stutter? Do you let it happen organically? Do you talk around the words you think you might stutter and strive for complete fluency?
These are all questions I have asked myself. I remember being in high school speech class and building speeches where I cut out every word I thought I would stutter. Once I even did a horrible rap (with Doxidan, a popular laxative at the time) because I knew I could speak fluently if he rapped or provided vocals. My God, it was horrible! On another occasion I had to work with a colleague to review a film. We chose “Strange Brew” and I spent the entire time speaking like Bob and Doug McKenzie with a Canadian accent (“take off, huh?) to get fluency.
Through the years I have embraced my speech. Being around other people who stutter has helped significantly, so I highly recommend finding a chapter or conference of the National Stuttering Association or similar organizations. Seeing and experiencing people who talk like you is validating and is an important step in self-acceptance. With self-acceptance comes a level of comfort with the way you speak and, subsequently, self-disclosure. Personally, I disclose my stutter in sitcoms or when doing presentations as soon as possible. If I’m doing stand-up, I do the first part of my series on stuttering. If I’m giving presentations or even when I’m in a job interview, I say “just so you know, I stutter, so you’ll have to wait for all the brilliant things I have to say.” This usually breaks the ice and I have also told the people I meet with how I want them to respond to my speech and that I am a capable person. The reality is that most people don’t know how to respond to our speech, as we might be the first person they meet who stutters. If we can shape your response to us, we can save you some awkward moments later. If time allows in my presentations, I’ll go deeper and share more tips and even talk about the cause of stuttering (current research indicates it has a neurological basis).
Everyone is going to reveal their stutter differently. He should develop a form that he is comfortable with and even try it out with different friends and family to see their response. Remember, it’s your stutter, your presentation, and your audience. Many times as people who stutter we feel that our speech is out of our control. When giving presentations, you may not be in control of your stutter, but you are in control of your presentation because, you know, it’s yours! So sixteen!
One more thing. Don’t apologize for your speech. Your stutter is separate from you. Why would I stand up in front of a group and apologize for having my grandmother’s brown hair and big butt that I inherited (in Italian they used to call her “ass”)? It’s important that you stay in control of your speaking opportunities. This shows that she knows what she’s talking about and that she has nothing to regret unless, of course, her breakfast flies out of her mouth and lands on someone in the front row.
2. Be passionate about what you’re talking about!
You know what I don’t do introductions or jokes about? Things I don’t care about! As a person who stutters I know that what I want to say is sacred. I have not always felt comfortable speaking up and when I have chosen to intervene it is because it is something that I am so passionate about that I cannot remain silent. When presenting on a topic, be passionate and knowledgeable about it. If it’s the civil war and the modes of transportation used during that time that you like, then make your presentation about that (although make sure you have the right context for presenting). If you love what you’re talking about, your audience will appreciate what you have to say and the excitement about the topic will be contagious. I always speak from my heart and try to relate to practical things in my own life. Over the years I have developed an arsenal of stories that I use on different topics. These stories can be planned into a presentation or, better yet, they can pop up in spontaneous moments, making it seem like you’re speaking off the cuff when, in fact, it was already planned.
Loving what you speak gives you context and experience. Participants will be impressed with your knowledge and you’ll feel like you’re in a zone to succeed.
3. “I just said three P words in a row. Try saying that if you stutter!”
There may be times when stuttering gets in the way or comes to the fore of your presentations. For example, in my stand-up, when I quote someone who said something terrible about my stutter and I stutter about what they say, I add “but they didn’t stutter when they said it, that’s probably a key point.” .” I recognize that my stutter is somewhat out of context. I make fun of the process of speaking, but I don’t necessarily make fun of myself. Another example of my stand-up act is when I say three P-words in a row (for the sake of keeping this article rated PG, I’ll leave the direct quote.) After saying the sentence, I add “try saying if you stutter, I had to practice a lot in the car on the way here to say it fluently.”
The other day I was showing Google’s speech-to-text software where you can speak on your phone and it shows up in Google docs. One of the workshop participants said that she wanted to learn about “hieroglyphics”, a word that she would definitely stutter, which I did when I spoke on my phone for the demo. The software mangled my word and came out funky. I said, “Obviously Google Speech doesn’t like people who stutter.” This showed that the software had some problems for people who might not have standard speech and that I could have a sense of humor about the process of speaking, but I was still a good communicator.
4. Remember, a good presentation is not just about you!
Not everyone understands this, especially my college professors. When presenting, yes, you are the center of attention, but it’s not just about you. I think sometimes as people who stutter we feel like we have to dominate the room at all times and talk all the time. It is more helpful to think of yourself as a facilitator rather than a speaker. Your goal is for your audience to take ownership of the topic you are presenting. Helping them develop what this means to them is a big part of that. Some ways to do this include:
-Pair and Share: Put people in pairs (sometimes I’ll ask them to find someone with the same sock color, eyes, or hair) and direct them on what to discuss.
-Walking and Talking Activities: Have participants walk around the building or block for a few minutes and discuss a topic you give them. This engages them in the topic and rejuvenates their brains so they can sit through the next part of your presentation.
-Discussion in small, medium and large groups. People need to build their own knowledge of a topic in order to buy it. Just sitting there listening to you is not going to do that.
5. People who stutter can be good communicators!
Many people who stutter have internalized the fallacy that we are poor communicators. One has nothing to do with the other. There are many fluent people who could improve their communication skills and many people who stutter and maintain strong communication skills. Strong communication skills to present, whether or not you stutter, include good eye contact, fluctuating the tone of your voice and/or body language, and using distance to emphasize your talking points. Using these techniques in a way that is authentic to who you are is key. I tend to be a goofy and downright weird person at times and even in professional situations I try to stay true to who I am. Using different voices, hand movements, walking around the room, and making eye contact with each person in the room helps convey my goals.
The use of multiple modes of expression (visual, auditory and practical) also helps communication. Using PowerPoint slides with images, videos, and music can also make what you’re presenting easier. I even do an interpretive dance to describe the brain of someone with dyslexia. Using other presentation modes is just good teaching and presentation. You are more than a speaker, you are orchestrating the learning of your audience and your mouth is just one of your instruments.