Public speaking

Public speaking is a process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners. It is closely allied to "presenting", although the latter has more of a commercial advertisement connotation. Public speaking is commonly understood as a kind of face-to-face speaking between individuals and audience for the purpose of communication.

In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?" The purpose of public speaking can range from simply transmitting information, to motivating people to act, to simply telling a story. Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them. Public speaking can also be considered a discourse community. Interpersonal communication and public speaking have several components that embrace such things as motivational speaking, leadership/personal development, business, customer service, large group communication, and mass communication. Public speaking can be a powerful tool to use for purposes such as motivation, influence, persuasion, informing, translation, or simply ethos.^[1]
In current times, public speaking for business and commercial events is often done by professionals, with speakers contracted either independently, through representation by a speakers bureau paid on commission of 25-30%,^[2] or via other means.

Presentation Skills Success

 Strategy and tips for you to prepare, write, rehearse and deliver your next presentation – based on the experience of the “Speech Coach for Executives”. You can speak with confidence, clarity and conviction when you polish your presentation skills. The power of public speaking is a key leadership skill. Your ability to communicate will take you farther than any other skill set. Communicate well. Communicate effectively and communicate your message so that others listen, understand and act. This article can be a career enhancing opportunity for you. Study this article and watch your presentation skills achieve greater success. You will be amazed at what you can do when you polish your presentation skills to deliver your message with impact.

First thoughts on your presentation

 

Why you?

How can you get more done? By being a superior communicator. The secret of managing people is to master the art and science of communication. Superior communication skills are a combination of listening, negotiating and speaking.

Public Speaking, Presentation or Speech?

Deliver your message with impact. It is not just a speech or presentation. I use the words speech, public speaking and presentation interchangeably in this article. It is your message that is important. Your presentation is the vehicle for delivering your message and to create results. A successful presentation is one that moves people to action. You know it was a success if after you speak, they buy, work or follow. To do that requires skill. Devour this article. You will capture the essence of superior presentation skills.

First Rule of Great Presentations

A great presentation does not just happen. It is planned, rehearsed then delivered with flair. A good presenter is one who learns the skills of presentations - not one who hopes for talent to carry them. Public speaking is a set of skills not a talent. You can be a good presenter if you learn the skills for presentation success. You will be a great speaker if you learn from every presentation you deliver. Great presenters start as poor speakers – then they get better.

Learn from other Great Speech Makers

Who are the public speakers you admire? Ask yourself why you admire them. What techniques do they use in their speeches that you can use? What principles can you adapt to your presentations? It could be a great political leader, business executive or innovator. Whether it is a Churchill, Henry Ford or Einstein – ask yourself, “Why does their delivery work so well? How can I use that technique or principle in my speech?” Look for the skills they used and make them your own.

· Preparing your Presentation

Purpose of your presentation

Imagine that you have been scheduled to speak to a group. An important question for you to review is “Why am I delivering this presentation?”  Don’t answer, “Because I was asked.” Instead ask why does this group need to hear from you? What message is so important that you must take their time to speak to them? You must be clear on the purpose of your speech before you can write it. Please don’t give a speech just because you are the boss. Don’t waste their time and embarrass yourself. Have something worthwhile to say. If you start by knowing what you want to happen then you will begin to create an effective speech.

Your audience is the reason you are there

Understand your audience. What do they want? Why would they listen to you? If you want to reach them with your presentation you must reach them through their needs. While you are talking they are asking themselves, “What’s in it for us?” If you have not spoken to this group before, interview a few of them before your presentation. Mention the names of some audience members during your presentation. It will help you connect with the group.

Design your presentation backwards

The most common way to write your speech is to start at the beginning and write to the end. That is not an effective way to write a speech. Instead write the speech backwards. Start with the destination and work back to the opening. You will write your speech faster and clearer if you start with the end in mind. Know your purpose. Write the closing line that hammers home your message. Then write the points to support that close. Then write your opening that launches you into that presentation. Designing your speech is also a set of communication skills.

Presentation Structure

There are many presentation structures that you can choose from. When you speak to a business group the most effective approach is to state your conclusions first, the actions required then follow with supporting information. That would be an effective business speech.

The most boring and ineffectual presentation style to use with a business group is the scientific method that many of us learned in school. The scientific method starts with a problem, followed by a hypothesis, a method, results and conclusion. That sounds logical but most people in business today do not have the patience to listen to that litany. We want the answer first. Speak – don’t lecture.

 

Q&A structure

Another simple presentation structure that works is to tell your audience that you will answer the most common questions you have heard. Then you state the question and answer it. This is one of the easiest ways to give a speech. It sounds like a conversation and you will find it easier to remember. All you need to remember are the questions because you already know the answers. The best speech feels like a conversation.

Pain and Relief

An effective sales technique is to first reveal or describe their pain, fear or problem. Then you offer the relief to the pain. The relief from pain and desire for pleasure are powerful motivators. Just don’t dwell on the pain too long. Think ‘plop, plop fizz, fizz.’

Illustrating your main points

We need images to understand. A good image for the accountant and numbers type is a chart. Bankers, financial planners and money folk love charts and graphs. Use pie charts, bar graphs and piles of coins to illustrate and emphasize your points when talking to financial types. Images can contribute more to the success of your presentation then words.

Telling Stories

Tell stories. Paint word pictures that create images in the listeners’ minds. If they can see it they are more likely to understand and remember your message. The best public speakers are storytellers Use stories and anecdotes to illustrate and reinforce the main points of your presentation. Learn to master the skill of storytelling. Listen to newscasters, entertainers and other speakers.

 

The best stories are personal. Because they are yours - they are easier to remember and they make your presentation unique. We listen to stories. We hate lectures. If you forgot that lesson - just ask your kids. The way to find personal stories that can be used in your presentations is to write them down. Make a list of significant things that happened to you and those around you; the first time… the best, the worst, the biggest mistake, the best break, the greatest ah-ha, the funniest moment, the most frustrating incident, the dumbest thing you did, the most embarrassing moment…

The things that hurt you the most make the best stories to tell in your presentations. Rehearse your stories to edit them down into a short story that is easy to listen to. The hardest thing for you might be to leave out details. The hardest thing for your audience is listening to you describe unnecessary details. Just make the point.

Researching your presentation

Get your facts straight. Don’t stand there saying, “I think so” or “I’m not sure.”  Don’t lie and pretend to know something you do not. So spend time collecting and confirming your information. Too many public speakers are quick to present their opinions without providing clear substance. Avoid that trap.

Be careful of presenting hearsay as evidence – unless you preface it as that. You might interview customers for their comments or check with the front lines for their unofficial feedback. That is ok – but present it honestly. Do a quick search on one or a few of the Internet search engines to find some new insights on the topic of your presentation. These Internet ‘facts’ might not be confirmable so present them as what you found – ‘Stuff from the Internet’.

Test for relevance

Review your speech for relevance to your audience. After every statement that you plan to make ask yourself, “So what?” Because that is what your audience will be asking. If you cannot answer this question clearly and succinctly – then rework it or remove it from your speech. What do you want them thinking, “Yeah right on!” or “So what?”

Remembering your speech

The best public speakers do not memorize their presentation. Instead know your topic and the issues. Then make notes for yourself. But don’t read your speech. That is so boring. Instead write key words that remind you of your messages. Write your speech notes on index cards. That is much easier to handle instead of fumbling with a sheet of paper.

Rehearsing your presentation

Rehearse your speech on your feet at least three times. It is okay to rehearse parts of it in your car or sitting at your desk. But because you will deliver in on your feet – you rehearse the speech on your feet. It feels different when you speak on your feet. Get used to the feel of delivering your presentation. The best way to reinforce a set of skills is by repeating the pattern the way you plan to deliver. Golfers and musicians rehearse their patterns so the skills of the big day are natural to them.

The fear of public speaking

Studies show that our number one fear is the fear of public speaking. Hard to believe but it is more prevalent than the fear of death. If you have a fear of public speaking or feel some anxiety you are not alone. Even great speakers like Churchill experienced this fear. But he worked on his delivery skills so he could deliver even when he was nervous. I am a professional speaker who has spoken to audiences all over North America yet I also experience speech anxiety. The fear of public speaking might be with you forever. But your audience does not need to know.

Overcoming the fear of public speaking

In most cases the symptoms of the fear are not noticeable to your audience. You might feel terrified but your audience doesn’t know. There are several ways to get past speech anxiety. Focus on the success of your presentation. Before you step up to speak take a couple of slow deep breaths. Speak slowly. Don’t let it run away from you.

Post Presentation

 Post Presentation

Review your presentation and grow

Ask a trusted colleague to attend your presentation and give you constructive feedback. Be specific in what you ask from them; e.g. “How well was my point illustrated? Did my humor work well? Did I connect with them?” When you ask specific questions you will get specific answers. The most important question you can ask yourself is, “Did I make happen what I wanted to happen?” If the answer is yes – it was a successful presentation. Did they buy, were they convinced, did they march in the direction you pointed? That is the measure of a successful speech. That is the purpose of your presentation skills in action. Also look at where you might still improve your skills. And plan to work on this before your next presentation.

When someone compliments you on the presentation be gracious and ask him or her, “What was the best idea or strongest message that you will take away and use?”  You might be surprised at what they ‘heard’ versus what you ‘said’. The fastest way to improve your presentation skills is to review every presentation you deliver. What worked well? What could you change?

Leverage your presentation

Make your presentation more than an event and part of the process. Summarize key points and questions from the presentation in your newsletter and send a note to everyone. Perhaps the speech would make a good article with some editing. Speaking is only one part of your overall set of communication and leadership skills. These skills are meant to help you get done what you need to get done – by you and by others.

Your next presentation

File your notes from the presentation so you can refer to them next time you present. Include in the file your comments about what you thought worked well and what you need to improve. Include suggestions to yourself on what to try differently next time. Remember the great masters of golf and music are continually improving their skills. They never sit back on rely on talent alone.

Final Words of Encouragement for you

· Final Words of Encouragement for you

Public Speaking is a set of skills. It is not about talent. It is a set of techniques practiced, rehearsed and delivered. You will never deliver the perfect speech. But you might deliver a powerful and effective speech. I know many wonderful presenters – but I do not know one who has ever delivered a perfect presentation. The skill of public speaking is both an art and a science. The more you learn and practice the science the easier the art will work for you. You can be a powerful and skillful presenter. But it will take time, practice and energy. And those are the elements of greatness.

For success with your presentations:

Speak well;

Speak effectively;

Speak with confidence;

Speak to make things happen;

Speak imperfectly – and speak again.

10 Tips for Public Speaking

10 Tips for Public Speaking

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:

1. Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say. 2. Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all 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. 3. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers. 4. Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. 5. Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm. 6. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence. 7. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you. 8. Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it. 9. Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience. 10. Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.

The Truth About Your Public Speaking

 The Truth About Your Public Speaking
Any time you feel nervous about public speaking, help yourself get over it by asking yourself what you’re making up about the speaking situation. Here’s how…

I noticed a few weeks ago that I was nervous about a public speaking workshop I was just about to run. That’s a workshop I run a lot – and sometimes I get really nervous about it (yes, that’s right, even public speaking coaches get nervous!). The difference between me and a lot of my public speaking clients is that when I get nervous, I don’t let it destroy my confidence. Instead, I look for what I’m making up about the situation that makes me feel nervous.
So what was I making up that made me feel nervous? It wasn’t that I couldn’t do the workshop, or that people wouldn’t like it, I’ve taken thousands of people through the programme and they have universally enjoyed it… What was it then?
I discovered that I was thinking of a couple of people in the group and making up that :

1.      They are very serious people who don’t like to laugh
2.      If my workshops are going to be effective the person has to laugh
3.      Therefore (my logic goes) the workshop is probably going to fail, because if they don’t laugh they won’t see any value in the workshop.

Now, as it happens 1) wasn’t true – the group was very friendly and we laughed a lot together, they learned a lot and the workshop was a big success. But that’s not the point, nor the problem here.
The real problem was number 2) – that I was making up that my workshops can only be valuable when people laugh. This made up belief is incredibly disempowering, because it means that if I have a certain type of person in my group, I just can’t help them.
Now of course, that isn’t true- it’s made up.
So if that’s made up, what is true about public speaking?
What’s true is people have different ways of being in the world. And it’s the same when they’re listening to public speaking. Some people like to laugh at everything and others… well, let’s just say they’re laughing on the inside. I don’t think there are any scientific studies to show that laughter equals value.
And what’s even more true is that whatever your audience’s reaction, you are still the same person, with the same abilities, the same qualities, the same capacity to help others. That doesn’t go out of the window even if one person in the audience didn’t rate you. The trick is to find the unshakeable place inside you that will keep trying, whatever voices try to tell you you’re no good.
Even the most seasoned public speakers can make things up about themselves or their audience. Try to remember the truth about your public speaking and you’ll be on your way to a realistic positive image of yourself and your speaking ability.

I Like Public Speaking!!

          When I say to people 'I like public speaking', some people look at me with the 'are you insane?!' look. It really isn't that big of a deal to me. I just had to face the fact that public speaking was someting that I was going to have to do sometime or another in a class that I would take in high school or college and I was right. 
          Currently in my English class, we are giving informative speechs. Now the fact that I'm kind of chill about this may be due to the fact that I'm on the Fremd Speech Team, but when we were first told about the speeches, I was nervous like everyone else. I'm not on the Informative part of the speech team, so informative speeches aren't really my thing. However, I soon accepted the fact that I would just have to give my speech and whether people liked it or not was up to them.  

I like public speaking because it gives me a chance to show my speaking talents and also for me to build up my confidence of speaking in front of crowds. I look at speeches in a positive light instead of making them out to be the most terrible thing in the world. It's interesting to me to see how much of the world fears public speaking more than death, when really it's not something to be that afraid about. The more practice that you have under your belt, the better off you'll be! 


Here's a web link talking about public speaking, why it's feared by so many people, and how to deal with it.

So what do you think about public speaking? Do you like it to? And if so, for what reasons? Do you hate public speaking? How come?

Public Speaking and Communicating in the Classroom

90% of college students report moderate to high levels of anxiety around public speaking.  As teachers and researchers, graduate students frequently find themselves in public speaking situations.  Here are a few tips to help with public speaking anxiety:

1. Plan and practice your movement for during your talk
2. Don’t begin until you’re ready
3. Practice concepts, not words
4. Exercise before your talk
5. Do deep breathing exercises
6. Warm up your voice
7. Drop your hands when you aren’t gesturing
8. Acknowledge your anxiety and address any unrealistic fears
9. Have a gimmick in each part of your talk
10. Mingle before your talk to increase your comfort level
11. If maintaining eye contact makes you nervous, look at the audiences ears instead.

What You Will Learn From Public Speaking Training

What You Will Learn From Public Speaking Training

Public speaking training are what we can call the best options for those who want to learn how to succeed in their careers but have to face and talk to people, but are afraid to. With the training, you will learn the abilities not only how to speak effectively in public, but also how to communicate well to different kinds of people regardless of the setting. Corporate leaders are good examples of public speakers. They do address large number of people that are usually their employees and business partners and yet they can also talk to people who are recognized to be the best in the industries they are working in.

Within the public speaking training are special classes. In these classes you are required to do your work and also your homework. So just to be able to become an expert in speaking in public, you should know your goals to help you decide which part of the training you want to focus on and specialize.

The following are the things public speaking training can empower you.

Overcoming your fear in speaking to the public. This is the number one factor why it is so hard to become an effective public speaker. With regular public speaking classes, you will be taught how to overcome this form of anxiety.

Learning the quickest and best methods in creating your effective presentation with different scenario. You will be equipped with knowledge on how to produce presentations for different audiences and for various scenarios.

Learning to be more concise and how to build your power of persuasion. Learning to be an effective public speaker is not only about earning the knowledge on how to deliver or convey your messages well but also how you can convince your audiences on the things that you want to express.

Enhancing your speech deliveries by doing hands-on practices during public speaking classes. In this manner, you will learn how to design your speech and delivering presentations along with your group. Your group may also serve as your audience to help you get through your anxieties and obtain constructive criticisms.

Teaching you how to use your voice effectively. Sometimes it is the tone of your voice and the way how you pronounce every word that can convey your messages effectively and this you will learn from public speaking training.

Learning how you can convince people with your eyes and convey your message with your body language during your speech delivery. Your eyes and body movements are powerful message conveyors that can generally influence audiences.

Gaining confidence on stage. Confidence is weapons that can make your audiences sense you have the authority to reach out to them. If you have the confidence, you have the power to be in control. If you don't have it, your audience will also feel that you are not ready to take the lead.

Learning how you can organize your thoughts instantly. You will learn the basic knowledge on how to enhance the flow of logic into your brain and delivering interesting messages instantaneously that the audience can be able to listen and build curiosity in whatever things you say.

Learning how to maintain your poise, coolness and judgment in times of stress are also some of the things you will learn from public speaking classes. You need to be good in these aspects because questions will usually be directed to you regarding your topics so you need to be armed, cool and have a clear mind all the time.
Learning all these from the training in public speaking can help you succeed not only in your career but also gaining your self-confidence which can result in enhancing your personality, relationship with other people and building you a clearer perspective in life. Unfortunately not all people do have the luxury of time in attending public speaking classes or training especially the working people. Therefore, the best way to gain the knowledge in the art of public speaking is hiring a coach or a speech coach for personal speech training purposes.

A speech coach can pinpoint to you what you need to enhance, develop, and eliminate in order for you to become better in speaking in public. He or she can be able to identify which aspect in the way you speak you must improve to make you an expert public speaker. Another advantage of having a speech coach is that he or she can always adapt to your preferred time.

There is now online public speaking training which your speech coach can be able put you in and do one-on-one coaching. And with the use of the technology, this now becomes easy. However, you pay by the hour or by the project if you hire a speech coach. On the other hand, there are more things that you can gain in attending public speaking classes that a speech coach can't be able to provide and this is practicing with live audience which your classmates or group can help you with.

Why is public speaking so scary?

There are few things people dislike more than public speaking. Getting up in front of a group and talking is often rated as more terrifying than death. Even informally introducing yourself to a group can produce nervousness, fear, tension, and anxiety.

I used to hate group ice-breaker introductions…

“Let’s go around the circle and say your name and one interesting thing about yourself.”
I would start planning immediately. What will I say? No that’s no good, what else?
About five people before my turn, I wouldn’t be hearing a damn word they were saying. My heart starting pounding so hard in my chest that I could feel it rattling my ribs.
My turn – Ack!
“Hi, I’m Aziz. Um, one interesting thing about me is I once went one week without eating food and only drinking water.”
Whew, success right? Afraid not.
As I sat back down my mind would keep going – charged with stress, cortisol and adrenaline. Hm, I sounded nervous, people could see I was nervous. People think I’m weird and pathetic. That one guy looked totally bored and annoyed. I bet he doesn’t like me. What’s his problem?
Can you relate?
What is the deal? Why are we so scared of public speaking?
After extensive personal, academic, and clinical research I realized it comes down to one primary fear:
The fear of disapproval.

The fear of disapproval is the primary fear behind all shyness, social anxiety, and social discomfort.

One on one, we can have greater control or influence over whether someone approves of us or likes us. We can read their facial expressions, body language and voice tone. We can change what we’re saying, agree, nod, avoid touchy subjects, and be extra “nice” and do whatever else it takes to make sure they like us.
But when we’re speaking to a group, we can’t possibly say something that makes sure everyone approves of us.
In fact it’s virtually impossible to make that happen, no matter who you are. Some people may like our talk, while other people don’t even want to be there. Some will be restless and looking around the room. Some will downright dislike you – they don’t like your message or your appearance or they are feeling jealous or insecure.
Regardless of the reasons, the end result is the same. When we speak we have 10, 20, or 100 sets of eyes all on us. That’s dozens of times the potential disapproval we would ever face when interacting with people one on one.

As much as we like to think we don’t care how other’s view us, most of us do. And so public speaking is terrifying, and we often try to avoid it.

Other ways we deal with speaking is by over-preparing. Practicing endlessly to make sure we deliver the talk absolutely perfectly. Because if it’s “perfect,” no one could possibly disapprove, right?
Preparing, practicing, and making your presentation top quality are all good strategies to improve your public speaking. They may even reduce your fear some.

But the only way to truly overcome your fear of public speaking, the only way to master speaking , and enjoy yourself while you’re doing it, is to learn to let go of needing other people’s approval.

This is an essential skill in developing social confidence and it is the first, and most important, part of becoming a dynamic, engaging speaker. If you are interested in gaining a complete understanding of how to be less dependent on other’s approval, Confidence Coaching is a good place to start.