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Delivering A Public Speech

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34 views3 pages

Delivering A Public Speech

Uploaded by

nkonkar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Delivering a Public Speech

 Know Your Audience


You should know your audience in order to know how to address them. Addressing a
room full of preschoolers will vary from how you address a group of professors at an
academic conference. Not only does it require a change in vocabulary, but it might also
require altering your pacing and tone as well.
Knowing your audience also means tailoring your information to them. Try to keep things
straight and to the point; leave out unimportant anecdotes and irrelevant statistics.

 Organize Your Speech


Organizing your information in a logical way not only helps you keep track of what you
are saying, but it helps your audience follow along as well. Try to emphasize a few main
points in your presentation and return to them before you conclude. Summarizing your
information at the end of your presentation allows your audience to walk away with a
clear sense of the most important facts.
Regardless of your topic, your speech will have three main parts – an introduction, a body
and a conclusion. Your first job in the introduction is to get the attention and interest of
the audience. You can do this by posing a question, telling a story, making a startling
statement, or opening with a quotation. The purpose of all these methods is to create a
dramatic, colorful opening that will make your audience want to hear more.

 Don't be Afraid to Show Your Personality


Delivering information without any sort of flourish or style can be boring. Allowing your
personality to show through your speaking keeps you feeling relaxed and natural. Even if
you’re speaking about something very scientific or serious, look for ways to let your
personality come through your speech.

 Use Humor (When Appropriate)


Using humor at appropriate moments can keep your audience engaged and entertained.
While not all occasions are appropriate for humor, look for moments where you can
lighten the mood and add some humor.

 Don't Let Visual Aids Distract From Your Presentation


Visual aids, such as PowerPoints or handouts, should often have minimal information and
images in order not to distract the audience from you. The topic of your speech will
determine the amount of aids required. A research that relies on tables or figures will need
more images for example.
 Be mindful of your voice
Everyone has a unique voice, and you do not need a golden voice to present a good
speech. The aspects of your voice that you should try to control are volume, pitch, pauses,
pronunciation and articulation.
o Volume
Adjust your volume to the acoustics of the room, the size of the audience and the
level of background noise. Do not yell, nor speak too softly.
Remember: your own voice always sounds louder to you than to a listener.
Tip: After beginning your speech, glance at the people farthest away from you. If
they look puzzled, are leaning forward in their seats or are otherwise straining to
hear, you need to talk louder.
o Pitch (Do not speak in a monotone)
Pitch is the highness or lowness of the speaker’s voice. Pitch can affect the
meaning of words or sounds. Changes in pitch reveal whether you are asking a
question or making a statement; whether you are being sincere or sarcastic. They
can also make you sound happy or sad, angry or pleased, tense or relaxed,
interested or bored.

o Pauses
A pause can signal the end of a thought, allow an idea to sink in, or lend dramatic
impact to a statement. Knowing when to pause is a big challenge that will require
developing a keen sense of timing. Do not fill the silence with fillers.
o Pronunciation
We occasionally stumble when speaking words that are part of our reading or
writing vocabularies. We might also mispronounce words out of habit. You
should practice your speech in front of as many trusted friends and relatives as
you can so that they can help you catch mispronunciations. If you have any doubts
about the pronunciation of certain words, make sure to check a dictionary.
o Articulation
Articulation is producing clear and precise sounds through the lips, tongue, jaw
and soft palate. In your speech, your words need to be clear. Avoid common
misarticulations such as:
- “Lemme” instead of let me
- “Gonna” instead of going to
- “Didja” instead of did you
- “Otta” instead of ought to
- “Dunno” instead of don’t know
- “Wanna” instead of want to
 Be Aware of Your Body Language
Nonverbal communication is as important as the content of your speech. This includes
posture, gestures and movement.
o POSTURE
Having confident posture can make or break your speech. Stand up straight with
your shoulders back and your arms at your sides. Slouching or crossing your arms
over your chest makes you appear smaller and more insecure. However, do not be
too rigid. Just because you are standing up tall does not mean you cannot move
around.
o EYE CONTACT
Maintaining eye contact with your audience makes them feel connected to you,
and allows you to gauge their response to you. Connect with different audience
members instead of staring at the same person the whole time.
o AVOID DISTRACTING OR COMPULSIVE GESTURES
Hand gestures help point out information in a slide or poster, but large or quick
gestures can be distracting. Try to make your gestures appear natural. Do not slip
into nervous gestures like touching your hair or wringing your hands
o TRAVEL (IF POSSIBLE)
Walking back and forth can help you stay relaxed and look natural. However, you
should be walking slowly and confidently using a good posture. Avoid pacing as it
makes you look nervous.

 Practice, Practice, Practice (if Possible)


The difference between knowing your subject and rehearsing comes down to how you
ultimately present your information. The more you rehearse, the more likely you are to
eliminate filler words such as like and um. If possible, try practicing with a friend and
have them count the filler words you use. You can also record yourself and play back the
video. The more you rehearse, the more confident you will feel.

 Finally, Relax!
Everyone feels nervous before presenting a speech. Public speaking takes time and
preparation, but it is very important that you appear relaxed, allowing your personality to
shine through.

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