Public Speaking

Public Speaking

Where do we start ??

Select a topic !!

Selecting a Topic

Selecting a speech topic sometimes feels like shooting an arrow in a random direction and hoping that it hits a target. If this is your approach, it may lead you to frustration.

Why Select a Topic so carefully

Your topic and, more specifically, your core message must be selected carefully. If it isnt, then you wont be able to effectively deliver the speech, and your audience wont be interested or prepared to receive your message.

Lets see what needs to be kept in mind while selecting a topic

What is your General PurposeTo Educate e.g. information about Dengue fever, studying abroad To Motivatee.g. a candidates election speech; a fundraising pitch; a business proposal to investors

To Entertaine.g. a story read to children; a dramatic tale; a humorous after-dinner speech

General Purpose

Decide which of these you want to accomplish as your general purpose. This decision will influence many decisions you make as you prepare for your speech

Your Core MessageYour core message is the central idea of your presentation. All other speech elements should support the core message.Clarity: Aim to express your core message in a single sentence. If you cannot do this, you need more clarity.Passion: Your core message must be something you believe in.Knowledge: What do you know about this core message? Have you researched the topic?

Core Message cont..We like to believe that our entire presentation will be remembered. The reality is that the audience will retain only one or two points. Your speech should be designed to ensure that your audience remembers your core message.

a successful speech is one where the audience receives the message.

Know Your AudienceConsider the level of education of your audience You don't want to lose your audience by speaking about something that is completely over their heads, or by delivering content in such a basic way that it sounds condescending.Consider the needs and interests of your audience.What would your audience need to know, and what would interest your audience

Know Your Audience cont..Audience analysis is needed to determine whether the audience is interested in the topic or notConsider the key audience demographic?Are they technical or non-technical? Students? Elderly? Parents? Athletes? Business leaders? Predominantly male or female?

Consider the audiences relation with you?Is the audience filled with your peers? Subordinates? Superiors? Are you an outsider? Are you viewed as an expert? Are you unknown to them?

Can my speech fail?If you are passionate, but the audience doesnt care, your presentation will fail. (They will tune out.)If you deliver what the audience desires, but you dont care, your presentation will fail. (Your delivery will be flat.)If you attempt to speak on a topic where you have no expertise or experience to draw from, your presentation will fail. (Your content will be empty and shallow.)

Selecting the Most Appropriate Topic

However, if you find a topic where you have both expertise and passion, and the audience is interested, you will succeed.

Topic decided! Lets start Ladies and gentlemen

Wait!!!

Plan your Speech !!

Why Plan ?The purpose of planning a speech is to discover what you want to say, what you ought to say, and what you should omit from your completed speech.

Planning your speech well will also give you confidence at every step on the way to your speech.

Lets see how to plan.

Get to the Heart of the matter

Spend a little time formulating a focus sentence, a statement that embodies the essence of your message and conclusion.

What is a Focus SentenceA young playwright once said to Leonard Bernstein (author/composer), "I have a fantastic idea for a stage play." Bernstein replied: "I would love to hear it - write it down on the back of your business card and give it to me." Astonished, the young man said, "I can't possibly put the whole idea on the back of a business card." Bernstein replied: "Then you don't have a valuable concept." Your focus sentence is exactly the same.

Why do I Need a Focus SentenceThis single operation will cut heaps off your preparation time, for with this one stroke you will have formulated both your conclusion and the destination of where you want to take your listeners.

Narrow Your FocusNarrow your focus to give this specific audience what they want.

Ask yourself: What motivates these people to be here? What are their needs, their desires and achievements? Keep the responses of these questions foremost in your mind as you formulate your talk to achieve the purpose embodied in your focus sentence.

Plan Your Talk with the End in MindTo be clear and to the point with your talk you've got to have a clearly defined path with interesting points along the way, all leading to a precise destination of where you intend taking your listeners.What do you want them to be thinking, feeling, acting upon when you step down from the platform.

Knowledge and InterestConsider the interest knowledge of your audienceBe sure your speech picks up where the audiences knowledge leaves off and takes them in a useful direction. -Don't bore your audience with information they already have.-Don't confuse your audience with information they are not able to make sense of.-Don't disorient your audience with information that seems irrelevant to them.

Time Allowed

Suppose your core message is Live your dreams. If you have two minutes, then the scope of your talk is probably going be one story illustrating that message. Theres no time for more. On the other hand, if you have four hours, then you may study biographical details of famous dreamers, discuss methods for aligning your life decisions with your dreams, or explore other avenues.

Context of PresentationWhat is the context of your presentation?There are dozens of factors that come into play which only you can know, but one of the most common is knowing whether or not others will be speaking at the same event on similar topics. If so, then your scope will generally be very narrow (and perhaps quite deep). If you are a keynote speaker and nobody else has touched on your domain, then you may choose a broader, more shallow scope.

Start Jotting Down

First, brainstorm ideas for content (information/ideas and development), language and structures.Jot down your ideas on a paper under the focus sentence. Note any extra points of relevant information and/or ideas, e.g. in relation to your general knowledge, interests and any research on the issue , give reasons and justifications, details, descriptions and explanations, etc

Planning the End

Echo the central idea of your focus sentence at the end as it encapsulates the heart of what you want to say. You'll now have a crisp, clear, deliberate ending that ads impact to your presentation and ties it all together. Makes sense doesn't it!

Planning Done!

Ladies and gentlemen.

Wait!!!

Organize your speech !

The Three Ts

Tell what you want to tell (introduction)Tell (body)Tell what you told (conclusion)

Introduction

Gains listeners attentionGains good will (audiences respect/positive feeling for the speaker)Develops Interest (audiences involvement/concern)

Lets see how this is done

Parts of IntroductionAn intriguing statement = Attention grabbing device (optional)Transition Sentence (optional)Thesis Statement (compulsory)

Attention Grabbing DevicesThe first goal in introduction is to grab the reader's attention. To generate some interest about the topic. one might present . . .an interesting facta surprising piece of informationan exciting quotationan intriguing paradoxan explanation of an odd terma short narrative/anecdote (not fiction)a provocative/rhetorical questionPersonal reference

Thesis StatementThe speaker must identify the specific purpose and create the thesis statement

ExampleSpecific purpose: Today I want to talk about how terrorism has weakened our roots.Thesis statement: It has resulted in deteriorating economy, terrifying people and bringing us disrespect around the world.

Main Points

Deteriorating economyTerrifying peopleBringing disrespect

Body

Main points in an organized pattern.Presents supporting information for the main points.

Organizational PatternsChronological Order: The order in which things happenSpatial Order:The organization of things in spaceTopical Order:Breaking topic into parts and rearranging Climatic Order:Order based on importance of things

Organizational Patterns cont..Cause and Effect Order:Arranging information to show causes and their effectsCompare/Contrast OrderOrganizing items of information to show similarities and/or differences between the items

Supporting Information for Main Points Supporting points are examples or pieces of evidence that support the claim you have made. They can be:FactsExamplesAnecdotes (Stories)Expert Testimony Quotes ObservationsStatistics

Conclusion

Emphasizes the key ideas of the speechLeaves the audience with heightened interest in the topicLeave the attention of the audience on a high note

How to Write the Conclusion

SummaryShort restatement of key informationRecommendationBriefly suggesting to audience the specific behaviour to follow

Tip: Do NOT bring a new concept in conclusion

Where do I Start?

The body of the speech should be developed first followed by the conclusion. The introduction should be developed at the end.

Each part needs to be looked at in depth.

What Next ??Topic decided !Planned !Organized!

Can I deliver Now?? Yes. I cant !! I am scared!

Anxiety- A Common Problem!Fear of public speaking is the most common of all phobias. It's a form of performance anxiety in which a person becomes very concerned that he or she will look visibly anxious, maybe even have a panic attack while speaking.

What do Scared Speakers do?Read it/ don't look at the audience Rush through it/ skip portions of talk Tell themselves it'll be over soon Consider audience a silly bunch of people Cough, pretend to have a sore throat Clench fists beneath lectern Keep swallowing Let a colleague do most of the talking Wear their lucky shirt

Dont be the UnspeakerFearful speakers create trouble for themselves when they don't embrace the role of Speaker. Instead, they try to be the Unspeaker. They try to "get through" the experience without committing themselves to the role of Speaker.The result of this resistance is, typically, that it gives you more public speaking anxiety, not less - just the opposite of what you want.

How to Fight AnxietyFigure out what scares youInvestigate your fears by making a list of the specific things that make you feel anxious or afraid. Then make a corresponding list of ways you can cope with or address these fears. Consider the Worst Case ScenarioWhats the worst thing that could happen? What will you do if that does happen? Often, even the worst possible situation isnt as bad as you think. Breathe deeplyPractice breathing deeply and slowly. Think yoga stylebreathe deeply while youre practicing, before you go on stage, and during your speech. You can also try the calming sigh exercise: Inhale deeply, then let out a vocalized sigh as you exhale.

How to Fight Anxiety cont..Warm up your body before speakingExercise reduces tension and helps you concentrate. Try taking a walk outside, doing arm circles, or stretching gently. Get enough sleep and have a good breakfast.Visit the space ahead of time.Get as many details as you can about the room, the audience, the equipment, your time constraints, etc. Do you need a watch, or is there a big clock at the back of the room? Will you have a podium? Where will the audience be around you? Is someone going to introduce you or will you need to introduce yourself? If youre speaking on a panel, find out about the set-up, etc.

How to Fight Anxiety cont..Practice, practice, practice! Rehearse out loud with all the equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; practice, pause, and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.

Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. Its easier to speak to a group of friends than it is to speak to strangers.

Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. Theyre rooting for you.

How to Fight Anxiety cont..Dont apologize for any nervousness or problemthe audience probably never noticed it.Concentrate on the message, not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.

How to Fight Anxiety cont..Take the pressure off yourself.Very rarely does anyone give a completely perfect speech. Even the President of the United States has room to improve when it comes to public speaking, and your audience will understand if you make mistakes. Think of every speech you give, and the mistakes you make, as a stepping stone toward becoming a more effective speakerVisualize successPicture yourself succeeding and having fun.

Ok! No more fears. But.. Will my speech be effective??

How to deliver an effective speech

Importance of DeliveryRemember that the words you use can be effective and meaningful, but the real strength lies in their delivery.The better the delivery, the better connection with the audienceYour delivery may kill or enhance your messageYour style, tone, pace and speech tactics ,all make a great difference

Make an ImpressionThe audience gains the first impression of the speaker from four areasAppearance : dress and groomingOrderliness: being organizedQualities as a host : making audience feel comfortableCredibility : Knowledge of the subject

Make an Impression cont..Audience want to feel positive by hearing you. Dont sound empty. Create emotions and connection.People connect at the heart. Thats where non verbal elements come into play.The audience is watching your eyes. They are looking to see how much you care about what you say.Your gestures, the way you sit, move, stand, speak and look, affects how audience receive your message. If you look enthusiastic , sincere and, confident they are more likely to believe you. Your non-verbal message MUST match your verbal message, otherwise there will be a barrier.

Non Verbal Communication

Eye contactVocal qualityPostureGesturesExpressionsAppearance

Verbal VS Non-verbal CommunicationWords count for a small percentage of your message. The biggest part of message is conveyed through :

Body languageFacial ExpressionTone

Eye ContactTHE most effective way to bond with your listener.It creates appearance of movement even when you are standing stillEyes are the most effective way of convincing audience of your honesty, confidence and passionEye contact enhances your rapport. Try to have eye contact with the people at the back as well to convince each person individually.Try to hold your gaze fixed in a specific direction for 5-6 seconds and move your eyes to different directions.

The VoiceA strong voice shows confidence while a weak ,lack of confidenceDont scream or yell. Just Speak!Do not speak in monotone. Try to vary your pitch and speedTry to proceed each new sub-section with a pause and change in tone. A change of pace attracts peoplePronounce your words clearly and speak at an appropriate speed.Check your pitch

Posture Your posture should convey strength, power and steadfastnessAppear alert, engaged and authoritative. Do NOT lean Move purposefully from one side to anotherUse movement as punctuation. Stop when making an important point

GestureUsing gestures adds emphasis to key points, provides visual interest and makes you look relaxed.Do not fold your arms or put them in pocket or play with a pen, pointer or prop.The key is to keep your hands still by your sides or use them in unison with your speech

ExpressionThe audience looks at your face. If you look distracted , they get distracted. If you look focused, they will be focusedYou can enhance the meaning of what you say by your facial expressionMake sure your facial expressions are natural and relaxed with a soft smile on your face.

AppearanceWhen you are speaking in front of people, you dress for them. If they think you look out of place, then you are!!Dress formal and conservative. It shows respect towards the audience. Choose colors/shades that project authority.

Steps to a Successful SpeechSelect the topic very carefullyPlan your speechOrganize it cautiouslyOvercome anxietyDelivery whole heartedly

The stages you have crossed

Well Done!!