Three Easy Steps To Be Good In Public Speaking

 

Throughout the history of human civilization, people have been expressing their confidence and strength, not only by force, but also by the noble art of public speaking. The orators of ancient Greece were highly respected and valued in the community. Likewise, today’s world leaders are admired and esteemed when they have the power to address the public with poise and conviction.

 

The average person cringes at the idea of talking in front of an audience no matter how big or small the size. Whether giving a toast at a wedding or delivering a speech to a large assembly, most people make a big deal about public speaking and try to avoid it as much as possible.

 

 

But public speaking should not cause such a big fuss. Challenging as it may be, public speaking can be done with a few simple guidelines.

Before Making The Speech: Preparation

Like any other endeavor, public speaking requires careful preparation to be successful. Many people dream of having those “inspired” spontaneous speeches seen in movies; however, such scenes rarely happen in real life. Even the world’s most famous leaders prepare for public addresses, and most even have teams to work on those plans.

In order to properly prepare for a speech, one should know what the occasion the speech is for. The Gettysburg address would definitely not be appropriate for a wedding; thus, a speech has to fit the event it will be delivered to.

 

Second, one understand and know about the audience who will witness the speech. An assembly of academics might not take a perky speaker seriously; one should choose a suitable public speaking style  and subject based on the audience. A farmer’s association would probably not be interested on a speech about the intricacies of beadwork.

Making The Speech: Writing

Again, dazzling spontaneous speeches rarely happen in real life. Most good speeches have been written before their delivery. While many noted public figures have speech-writing committees, one can create a good speech even without the help of a team of ghostwriters.

When writing for public speaking, one should carefully organize the contents of the speech.

 

Begin with a very strong introduction. It is important to catch the audience’s attention early to prevent them from being bored easily.

 

Next, the body should be purposeful. The contents of the speech should relate well and support each other.  Choose only 2 or 3 points and expand on them.

 

Lastly, one should make a conclusion that sticks to the mind. No matter how stirring a speech is, it is useless if the people forget it the instant they leave the gathering. Conclusions should give a concise but memorable recap of the body of the speech.

The Actual Public Speaking: Delivery

This is the part most people are afraid of; but when proper planning and writing is done well, the delivery should follow easily.

One must decide whether to speak from memory or to use notes. Beginners often benefit from a script or a guide, but when one becomes more comfortable speaking in public, one can speak without notes.

 

Reading directly from a script can be quite boring for the audience; thus, it is important to keep constant contact with them, raising your head and making eye contact.

 

Speaking from memory is quite impressive, but if you are concerned about  missing some parts of the speech, using notes can be a good compromise so long as one is able to expound on the points well. 

Learning More About Public Speaking

Several books and articles about the topic have been published and they can well be accessed through the library or the bookstore. Many companies offer public speaking training, and such services provide in-depth courses that could help one speak well in public. There are also several articles and courses available through the internet, some of them are even posted for free.

 

Another option is Toastmasters, which is an organization designed to help you overcome your fears about public speaking by moving through a specially designed program manual.  You also have an opportunity to develop Leadership skills by taking on roles within a meeting. 

 

For more information on Toastmasters and to find a club near you, click here.

 
Public speaking is challenging, but can be a very worthwhile skill.

To your public speaking success

Fran Watson

P.S.  Click here for some free public speaking tips

Body Language - What Does Yours Say?

An article by my friend Marion Grobb Finkelstein

Your Body Talks ... Do You Know What It's Saying?

 

 

Gut feeling, intuition, hunches. Whatever we call it, we all have feelings about people we meet. Part of the information we're taking in that leads to such conclusions is body language. Whether we realize it or not, we both read and speak it -- some of us better than others.

The old 7/38/55 rule from Dr. Albert Mehrabian is often quoted. In his studies of the 1960s, this UCLA professor deduced that in face-to-face communications, 7% of the message is conveyed through words, 38% through voice and 55% through body. In the 1970s, Australian researcher and author Allan Pease concluded that body accounted for up to a whopping 80%! Even though some more recent research suggests that these percentages may be more equally distributed, the fact remains that our bodies most definitely talk. In fact, at times, they downright scream.

Have you ever seen a certain gesture and felt, for sure, that you knew what it meant? You might be mistaken.

Although it's tempting to witness one action, gesture or reaction and use that one thing to conclusively interpret someone's meaning, it is misleading to do so. Non-verbal communication is best read when using what I call, the "4 Key Cs":

• Context: Here's a news flash -- sometimes people cross their arms just because they're cold. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're closed to what you're saying. Work versus social environment also affects how we interact with others. Before you assess the body language, consider the context.

• Culture: Most countries represent a mix of ethnicities, backgrounds and cultures. Many of us celebrate that diversity. We are also exposed to it, due to work or private life, as we travel to other countries. A caution: gestures that are commonplace to us mean different things to others. For example, the A-OK sign in Japan is a symbol for coin money and in parts of Germany is an obscene gesture. Although eye contact is valued in mainstream North American culture, it is to be avoided in other cultures. Different cultures, different meanings.

• Clusters: As a rule of thumb, using clusters of three actions or gestures, versus just one, to suggest a certain meaning increases your chances of correctly interpreting the meaning. Reading non-verbal communications correctly requires us to refrain from stereotyping or drawing conclusions until we have enough evidence. And even at that, body language is just an indicator, simply one piece in the puzzle of understanding and reading each other correctly.

• Calibration: We all have certain physical actions and idiosyncrasies. Calibrating body signals against a certain individual allows for this fact. Perhaps someone is blinking all the time, not because they are speaking a mistruth or don't believe what you're saying - maybe they just have chronically itchy eyes. Gestures depend on the person.

Next time, before you draw conclusions from someone's actions, consider the 4 Cs of reading body language. When you do, chances are your gut feeling, intuition or hunch will be a more accurate one.

Until next time, here's to ...

Better communication, better business, better life,

 

Marion Grobb Finkelstein

COMMUNICATION CATALYST
Keynote Speaker / Corporate Trainer / Author

www.MarionSpeaks.com

Marion@MarionSpeaks.com

www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks

Recipient of APEX "Award for Leadership in Service Innovation"
© 2013 Marion Grobb Finkelstein\
 

Communication catalyst, author, professional speaker Marion Grobb Finkelstein teaches individuals and organizations across Canada and beyond, how to connect with clients, colleagues, employees and bosses, and how to handle workplace communication challenges to improve morale, confidence and productivity. Chat with her at www.facebook.com/MarionSpeaks and sign up for her FREE weekly "Marion's Communication Tips" at www.MarionSpeaks.com