PRIDE! Kent
Speaker’s Bureau
A Speaker’s
Handbook
Table of
Contents
Tips for Speaking in Public - 2
10 Tips for Public Speaking -2
Speech Delivery Tips - 2
The Moment of Truth - 3
Speech Anxiety - 4
Public Speaking - The Art of Speech Making - 4
Questions & Answers - 7
Handling Q & A - 7
Seven Secrets to Handling a Hostile Audience - 9
Visual Aids - 10
Using Visual Aids - 10
Evaluation - 11
30 Questions For Speech Evaluation
- 11
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. (http://www.toastmasters.org/)
Speech Delivery Tips
(http://www.presentationstraining.net/)
Gulp. So you are sitting there, about to be introduced. Now what? (http://www.kumc.edu/)
Speech
Anxiety
What happens when you have to speak in public?
Did you know that public speaking tops the list of phobias for most people? Not spiders or heights - public speaking - speech in public! Well, if you didn't know that, we bet your body does. It will do all kinds of unpleasant things to you when you have to stand up and face a sea of faces with the hope of getting your message across in a compelling and interesting way. Your hands may sweat and your mouth goes dry. Your knees may shake and a quaver affects your voice. Your heart may race and those well known butterflies invade your stomach. When all that happens most people don't think of getting their message across in a compelling and interesting way; they just think of getting off the 'stage' as quickly as possible!
Have we frightened you sufficiently yet?
It's normal. We don't really mean to frighten you, just remind you that your body reacts 'in extremis' when put under pressure, and for most people, public speaking is just about the worst pressure they can be put under. It's normal to be nervous and have a lot of anxiety when speaking in public. In a way, it's less normal not to have nerves or anxiety; in fact, to feel you have a phobia about public speaking.
Fight or flight
Our bodies are geared to fight or flight from ancient time - fight that mastodon or get the hell out of the way. We don't have too many mastodons around these days, but the body still reacts as though we do. So, if we have to get up and speak in public, all that adrenalin and noradrenalin goes coursing through our bodies - way more than we need.
We can't run away (well, we could, but we'd be out of job pretty quick if we did it too often), so our only option is to fight. But in terms of speaking in public, it can be hard to define just what we're fighting.
Why does public speaking do this to us?
Good question. You'd think that for most people, being given the opportunity to impress their audience would be a fantastic one. There you are in front of a group of people, the spotlight is on you and for the length of time you've been give, the world is yours. Or is it? The very fact that the spotlight is you is enough to trigger every fear, anxiety and phobia you've ever had about public speaking.
Here's why
· You may be judged by all those people, and judged badly
· You may feel like a fool
· You might make mistakes and lose your way
· You'll be completely humiliated
· You'll never be as good as _________ (fill in the blank)
· 'They' won't like you
· 'They' won't 'get' what you're trying to say
What good are Nerves
Public speaking may not be comfortable, but take our word for it, nerves are good. Being 'centre stage' is not a good place to feel too comfortable. Nerves will keep you awake and ensure you don't get too complacent. Hard to feel complacent when your heart is beating so hard you're sure everyone watching you can hear it. If channeled well, nerves can make the difference between giving a humdrum presentation and giving one that keeps people listening.
Get your attention off yourself
It's very tempting to keep focused on how you're feeling, especially if you're feeling really uncomfortable. You'll start to notice every bead of sweat. To make your nerves work for you, you need to focus on just about anything other than yourself. You can distract yourself by paying attention to the environment in which you're speaking and seeing how you can make it work for you. Once you're actually in front of your audience, pay attention to them. If you can, notice how people are dressed, who's wearing glasses, who has on bright colours. There will be dozens and dozens of things you can pay attention to help you trick your mind into not noticing what's going on with you. Anything will do and you will find that the less you concentrate on how you are feeling and the more you concentrate on other things, the more confident you will feel.
Your audience can be your friend
Unless you know you're absolutely facing a hostile group of people, human nature is such that your audience wants you succeed. They're on your side! Therefore, rather than assuming they don't like you, give them the benefit of the doubt that they do. They aren't an anonymous sea of faces, but real people. So to help you gain more confidence when speaking in public, think of ways to engage your audience. Remember, even if they aren't speaking, you can still have a two-way conversation. When you make an important point pay attention to the people who are nodding in agreement and the ones who are frowning in disagreement. As long as you are creating a reaction in your audience you are in charge.
Keep them awake
The one thing you don't want is for them to fall asleep! But make no mistake public speaking arenas are designed to do just that: dim lights, cushy chairs, not having to open their mouths - a perfect invitation to catch up on those zzzzs.
Ways to keep them away include
· Ask rhetorical questions
· Maintain eye contact for a second or two with as many people as possible
· Be provocative
· Be challenging
· Change the pace of your delivery
· Change the volume of your voice
Get a coach
Whatever the presentation public speaking is tough, so get help. Since there are about a zillion companies out there all ready to offer you public speaking training and courses, here are some things to look for when deciding the training that's right for you.
Focus on positives not negatives
Any training you do to become more effective at public speaking should always focus on the positive aspects of what you already do well. Nothing can undermine confidence more than telling someone what they aren't doing well. You already do lots of things well good public speaking training should develop those instead of telling you what you shouldn't do.
Turn your back on too many rules
If you find a public speaking course that looks as though it's going to give you lots of dos and don'ts, walk away! Your brain is going to be so full of whatever it is you're going to be talking about that to try to cram it full of a whole bunch of rules will just be counterproductive. As far as we're concerned, aside from physical violence or inappropriately taking off your clothes, there are no hard and fast rules about public speaking.
You are an individual not a clone
Most importantly, good public speaking training should treat you as a unique individual, with your own quirks and idiosyncrasies. You aren't like anybody else and your training course should help you bring out your individuality, not try to turn you into someone you're not.
Here are just a few hints, public speaking tips and techniques to help you develop your skills and become far more effective as a public speaker.
Mistakes
Mistakes are all right.
Recovering from mistakes makes you appear more human.
Good recovery puts your audience at ease - they identify with you more.
Humour
Tell jokes if you're good at telling jokes.
If you aren't good, best to leave the jokes behind.
There's nothing worse than a punch line that has no punch.
Gentle humour is good in place of jokes.
Self-deprecation is good, but try not to lay it on too thick.
Tell stories
Stories make you a real person not just a deliverer of
information.
Use personal experiences to bring your material to life.
No matter how dry your material is, you can always find a way to humanise it.
How to use the public speaking environment
Try not to get stuck in one place.
Use all the space that's available to you.
Move around.
One way to do this is to leave your notes in one place and move to another.
If your space is confined (say a meeting room or even presenting at a table) use
stronger body language to convey your message.
Technology
Speak to your audience not your slides.
Your slides are there to support you not the other way around.
Ideally, slides should be graphics and not words (people read faster than they
hear and will be impatient for you to get to the next point).
If all the technology on offer fails, it's still you they've come to hear.
Questions &
Answers
Handling Q & A
(http://members.shaw.ca/toasted/q_&_a.htm)
You have learned how to build an effective presentation, with an opening, body and a conclusion, and how to incorporate gestures and vocal variety. And, now we want you to DO WHAT?? Answer questions!! Your skill and confidence are back at ZERO once again!!
Handling questions can be nerve wracking because of the potential to get questions that you can't or perhaps don't want to answer. However, just as with presentations, preparation is a vital tool to help you perform with ease and confidence in a question and answer session.
Preparation
How can you prepare for something you can't control? It may seem impossible. However, if you think about it, you do have a fair idea as to:
The best way to prepare yourself and build your confidence is to take the time to write down as many possible questions as you can think of, and then practice answering them prior to the event. To get more ideas of possible questions, you can ask others to pose questions to you and practice answering them.
It is particularly important to practice answering what you consider the most difficult questions. Then, if you do get that question or a similar one you will be better prepared to respond than if you received it totally unprepared.
In my experience, unless you are dealing with a very hostile audience, most questions are much easier than you anticipate they will be. If you are prepared to answer the most difficult questions you can think of, handling the less difficult ones will be easy to do.
Some additional tips
for "Acing the Answer":
With experience handling question and answer events you will get an even better idea of what to expect. But there can always be some surprises.
Ending the Session on a High Note
While a question and answer session can be stressful, it can offer you an opportunity to clarify things your audience may not have understood; repeat things you think are important. In ending the session you will usually have the last word ... use it to summarize your position or stress what you think is your most important point of your presentation. This will be your last chance to impress or inform your audience - use it to your advantage.
After the Session
Following the event, take the time to review your performance to identify what you did well and what could be improved. If possible get feedback from others as to their impressions.
With practice and preparation you will be as professional "in the hot seat" as you are at the podium.
Seven Secrets
to Handling a Hostile Audience
http://ezinearticles.com/?Seven-Secrets-to-Handling-a-Hostile-Audience&id=633337
As a speaker there is nothing more stressful than presenting in front of a hostile audience. You may have a heckler or interrogator in the audience. You may speak in front of a skeptical crowd. You may get rude or irritated facial expressions. Here are 7 steps for managing hostility in your crowd.
1. Have an objective. Having a firm objective for your speech, presentation, or discussion can help you stay on message when the audience is unfriendly. A clearly defined objective is imperative in most formal and informal presentation situations, as it allows you to keep your focus on your points, while quickly recognizing when critics are trying to undermine your position. Particularly in an emotionally charged environment where some audience members may become quite vocal in promoting their opposing views, it is perhaps easy to doubt the truth and value of your own position. But if you are clear on what you want your audience to know, you will be more confident when the skeptics and “grenade rollers” are trying to distract you.
2. Stay calm. By keeping your own temper in check and responding to hecklers with reasoning and facts instead of emotional outbursts, you are increasing your chances that others in the audience will see you as the more level-headed communicator and may thus be more inclined to give your position fair consideration.
3. Be positive. Having a positive and optimistic attitude differentiates the leaders from the followers. You cannot expect to make a winning impression and convert others to your way of thinking with a negative attitude and demeanor. Showing an audience the possibilities of your vision with passion and enthusiasm will go a long way in convincing them that you’re on to something. All great communicators know that genuine optimism and enthusiasm are irresistible and often contagious.
4. Get prepared. Preparation is critical when you are facing an audience that is inclined to dismiss or oppose what you have to say. If you know which of your arguments the audience most likely will reject, you’ll be in a better position to prepare an effective talk that addresses these issues specifically and with sound evidence. Gather as much information as you can about the attitudes, interests, motivations, and problems of your specific audience, in order to get a clear idea about their disposition to your ideas. The more detailed information you have, the better you’ll be able to relate to their unique perspectives and prepare for their opposing views.
5. Stick to the facts. Consider the evidence you have collected to bolster your claims. When you’re under the stress of personal attacks, resist the gravitational pull to reach for proverbial straws when making your arguments. Clearly you are on thin ice with this strategy. Stick to the facts, and repeat them often if you have to. But don’t give in to the temptation of using questionable data that you couldn’t verify, and that does not originate from positively reliable sources. Stick to what you can prove beyond reproach when the heat is on as you present your message, otherwise you’ll leave yourself wide open for your critics to jump all over your brittle evidence and shaky argument.
6. Be aware of your body-language. A frequently cited study, conducted by Professor Albert Mehrabian, a researcher at UCLA, found that we get most of our information through nonverbal communication. The language your body speaks is more reliable and telling than anything your words say. Therefore, whenever you find yourself speaking to an audience, you should know that the nonverbal signals you’re sending give them a much clearer idea of what the true meaning of your message is. That’s why, if you yourself have doubts about the credibility of your information or you are not sure if the position you represent will hold up to expert scrutiny, your words and body language will signal incongruence, which a critically thinking audience will immediately sense and draw conclusions from.
a. Make frequent level-headed communicator, optimistic attitude, winning impression, and let your physical expressions and vocal tone naturally support your message. By focusing on your conviction and the value of your message, and maintaining a mental connection with the audience as you look them in the eyes, you are showing them that you stand by what you say and that you mean what you say.
7. Establish common ground. Think about all of what you have in common with your audience. The awareness of important commonalities can be a strong bridge that will support your statements to your listeners. We all share certain universal experiences that connect us as human beings in spite of our many cultural, educational, and socio-economic differences. Particularly in front of an audience that is strongly opposed to your ideas, it is critical that you capitalize on those common human experiences by bringing them up early in your talk. With this strategy, even the most hostile audience can’t help but relate to you on at least some level, and therefore feel less negativity toward you during your talk.
a. When you can handle a hostile audience, you’ve developed top skills as a public speaker. You are ready to shine in any professional speaking situation. Now all you need to do is get out there and share your message so that audiences can benefit from your ideas.
Visual Aids
Visual aids can be powerful tools for effective communication. You are encouraged to use them whenever they might enhance a speech. Why use visuals? They have five important benefits:
Visuals range from simple handheld objects to expensive multi-media extravaganzas. Your choice for a particular speech should depend on several factors including:
The types of visual aids most commonly used include:
There are pros and cons associated with using each of the above visual aids.
Evaluation
(http://www.norwichspeakers.co.uk/30%20Questions%20For%20Speech%20Evaluation.htm)
For a speaker to improve they need feedback from objective
observers. If you are evaluating a speaker here are some topics you can
consider in planning your feedback:
Speech Development
Effectiveness
Speech Value
Delivery
Physical Delivery
Voice
Manner
Language
Appropriateness
Correctness