Was Elvis Presley a Speech Coach?

“Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.” “From the time I was a kid, I always knew something was going to happen to me. Didn't know exactly what.” “The image is one thing and the human being is another. It's very hard to live up to an image, put it that way.”

These are all great quotes from Elvis, who also said: “I'm not trying to be sexy. It's just my way of expressing myself when I move around!” If you’ve seen Elvis either when he was living; or now in the movies he left us, you know what that quote meant. Today Elvis and I will share a few thoughts about using quotes in our speeches.

Using quotes by others in our presentations can be "just what the speech doctor ordered" when they specifically prove or relate to a point that we are making. At a convention of business owners in Las Vegas for example, I could use an Elvis’ thought that holds real wisdom. When he said “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine”, he was certainly speaking about his fast rise to fame and this can be the same for a business. And when he said “I'm trying to keep a level head. You have to be careful out in the world. It's so easy to get turned” we can only imagine what trials, tempations, and challenges he was continually facing. Whether we are living in a similar situation as his or not, this is good advice and fit well with an illustration for our audience!

 

Remember though, to be an "Instant Public Speaker" we are adding "you" as the ingredient that sets you and your speeches apart from others. So, come up with your own quotes, or at least those who are close to you. (If you met Elvis, or know of someone who met him, you can use that story or something less known or new for your audience. "Thank you , thank you very much").

The things we all say are based on our thoughts and experiences. When they are profound, funny or unusual, they touch others in a way that we remember them. Then, later some of us, such as myself, try to find the real meaning in them and use them to offer help and hope in our own lives and share with others to offer the same for them. You don’t have to be “famous” by the way, to have some great quotes. I’m sure you remember things that your parents told you as you were growing up, those by a teacher, or anyone else who helped shape your life., I would suggest that you write them down as you remember them and read them from time to time. Also, listen to yourself. You may be inspired with something worth quoting; write it down! Then use them in your own presentations and promotional materials.

Yes, even the man who was shown only from the waist up when performing on Ed Sullivan’s TV show because his gyrating hips were too suggestive, can offer us words of wisdom for living, quotes for giving, and be our speech coach!