And now the basics of Public Speaking....

Ok, so we're going to go over all of this in class, so I'll make it concise for you here:  

Rule #1 in public speaking:  PREPARE & PRACTICE.  Yep, these are TWO SEPARATE THINGS.  Repeat after me.  PREPARING FOR A SPEECH & PRACTICING A SPEECH ARE TWO SEPARATE THINGS.  Ok, more on that later, let's go on with a review of what we've already talked about and how it applies to public speaking. 

The communication process (that we've all done since forever!) is basically the same whether communicating interpersonally or publicly. Remember the Communication Transactional Model?  All those things will still be present in a public setting (message, noise, channel, environment, etc.). Also remember that communication is a continual two-way process.  We are all simultaneously senders and receivers.  

I.  PREPARATION:  So what all does it take to prepare?  Sitting down at your computer the night before, doing some massive Google search, and hammering out a "talk" that you have no idea how long it is, who will care what you're saying, or why you're even giving it?  NO! (don't even try it bucko).  

1.     Know thy audience! Who are you speaking with?  Do some audience analysis. 

·      Who are they? (age, religion, basic values, etc.)

·      Why are they here?

·      What do they expect from you?

·      What did they come to learn?

·      What environment will you be speaking in?           

Answering these questions will help you focus your topic.  The speech itself is organizationally very much like crafting an essay.  Intro, body, conclusion.

2.     Begin with a goal – what do I want the audience to know/feel/believe at the end of my speech? Answer this ONE question with ONE sentence. Now look at your answer.  Is it lame?  If so, scratch it, and do the process again. When you get that one sentence that you are passionate about, and that you know your audience will be too, continue. 

3.     Choose a topic that:

·      Is appropriate to the audience.

·      That you care about – PASSION will hide a multitude of sins. People are basically empathetic. Your audience will care if they feel that you care. Don’t waste your time and theirs by speaking about something that you aren’t passionate about.

·      You know something about. You need to walk into that room THE expert on your topic. If you don’t know – learn! Knowledge brings confidence and allows you to adapt to audience needs.

4.     Identify and research main points

·      Out of all the things you could talk about on this topic, which are the most important?

·      Which are most suited to your audience and goals?

·      Write them down & brainstorm ideas.

·      Eliminate the ones that do not meet your goals.

5.     Start with the body first, THEN craft the introduction and conclusion.

6.     The introduction has four main purposes.  All of which must be met: 

·      First:  To Gain attention. An interesting story (short!), a powerful statistic, a joke (if you tell a joke, make sure that it relates to your topic in some way. Other ideas:  rhetorical question, startling statement, personal reference, analogy, etc.) 

·      Second:  To Establish rapport with audience – they need to see you as a person, not a “speaker.” Make them like you or at least think you have something in common and they are more likely to listen. Sometimes rapport can be gained with something as simple as a smile.

·      Third:  To Provide a thesis statement/preview. People need to know where you are going so they can follow along with you. It fills deep-seated psychological needs for order. Have you ever been listening to a speech and five minutes in realized that you have no idea where this is going? Irritating, isn’t it?  Sum up your speech in one clear concise statement. 

·      And fourth:  To establish motivation – How/why does this affect the listener? Why should they care? Listening is hard work. If you don’t give people a reason to listen they won’t. You have about 30 seconds to a minute to gain their attention or you’ve lost them.

7.     The conclusion also must do four things:

·      First, it must summarize main points – remind them what they have learned.

·      Second, it must restate or re-assert thesis.  Remind them what your main goal(s) was/were. 

·      Third, it must re-establish motivation – remind them why they should care.  Give your audience something to do with your words.

·      Fourth, it must provide closure – don’t just quit, END.

8.     The body of your speech: 

·      Should only contain 3-5 main points.  Too many points and you will lose your audience.  

·      Should state each point as you begin discussing it.  (sometimes called a tag line, or mini-thesis)

·      Should have credible supporting material.  (testimony, analogy, facts/stats, story, example, definitions, etc.)

Think of your speech as a GIFT.  The actual present inside the wrapping paper and ribbon is the BODY of your speech. The wrapping paper lets you know that it’s a GIFT – that’s your INTRODUCTION.  And the ribbon that ties everything together?  That’s your CONCLUSION. 

II. DELIVERY.  93% of a message is non-verbal. This means that 93% of your speech’s impact isn’t going to be the actual words coming out of your mouth. It will be how you deliver it.  Don’t just stand there and clutch the podium, delivering your speech in a monotone (dry eyes guy) voice.

1.     Be Dynamic – do you care? SHOW ME! Show enthusiasm (when appropriate) but always show passion.

2.     Be Direct – focus on audience link! Perhaps the most important concept in public speaking. Established through DIRECT, CONSTANT EYE CONTACT!  **The best public speaking advice I ever received was from Alan Bossard, my old debate coach: “Never speak to an audience. Speak to a collection of individuals, one at a time!”** 

3.     Be conversational – natural. Don’t adopt a “speaker persona,” just talk to your friends. Be unobtrusive – focus attention on the message, not the speaker

4.     Have purposeful movement.  - Movement should be purposeful, not distracting. Think about gestures, posture, feet positioning, etc. Don’t dance, pace, or rock.  Until you feel most comfortable, consider the speaker’s triangle. Works like a charm!

5.     Think about your Appearance – make it appropriate to message and audience.

6.     Be Ethical. Don’t cite sources that aren’t real, or use information that’s not your own.

7.     Show respect for your audience. Don’t insult them if you’re trying to change their mind on an issue. Show respect for all points of view.

8.     Take the responsibility of being prepared seriously. Don’t cheat yourself or your audience by not preparing and practicing. There are few things worse than a bad speech.

III. PRACTICE.  All of the above isn’t going to matter much if you don’t practice. This doesn’t mean just “reading over” your words. This means practicing. Think of the last play you saw. Would it have been different if the actors just read the lines and stood there on the stage?  You would have been asleep before Act II. Speeches are no different in that regard.

·      Practice familiarizing yourself with the actual text of your speech (memorizing can be tricky, and you can lose your place easily). You may want to consider notecards, but they can be tricky too. Nervous hands play with papers or notecards. Find out what works for you.

·      Figure out how to use the technology in the room you are presenting in. Making your audience wait while you work out technical difficulties doesn’t do much for your credibility. 

·      Go to the presentation center many times.  They will help you organize everything, watch you practice, critique you, tape you, anything you need to give a fantastic presentation. Do NOT skip this vital step.

·      STAND UP (in front of a mirror would be perfect), and practice giving your speech. The rule of thumb is to practice at least three times for each minute in length your speech is. That means if your speech is 7 minutes long….you practice at least 21 times. Pay attention to your voice—your movements—your gestures—your facial expressions.  Change them if they are boring. Do silly things like rehearsing your speech in hillbilly language. Do the funky chicken while you practice so you’re not standing stiff as a board. Now that you’ve totally made a fool of yourself, realize that YOU CAN HAVE FUN.

·      Yep, that’s right, PUBLIC SPEAKING CAN BE FUN.

Next blog topic:  PERSUASIVE SPEAKING.  Is there any other kind?