HOW TO REGAIN YOUR CONFIDENCE (Speak in Public with full Confidence)
GOLDEN RULES OF
PUBLIC SPEAKING
WHAT IS PUBLIC SPEAKING
Public speaking is the practice or deed of performing a speech before a live audience. This type of speech is intentionally structured with three universal intentions to inform , to convince and to entertain the audience . Public speaking is vital when representing and expressing ideas.
Public speaking has evooolved from the 19th century recitation of the classic speeches to the elocution of the 20th and 21st centuries.
ANXIETY DURING PUBLIC SPEAKING
Does speaking in public make you anxious ?
* I am a bit nervous in front of large crowds.
* Sometimes I become anxious in front of strangers.
* I am very confident and I often speak in public.
* I would rather die than speak in public.
The task for any speaker is to deliver the message. If speakers are unable to articulate their messages , the intended conveyance of information catastrophically fails.
Speaking and writing are alike in many respects; both involve creative use of words.
First Rule :
Be Yourself
An ancient Chinese proverb states that “Knowing others is knowledge, knowing yourself is wisdom”
In order to be yourself, you must know yourself. You should analyze your strengths and strive to maximize them. Your weaknesses should be analyzed and then minimized.
Second Rule :
Communicate Clearly
Public speaking is a form of art. It has two primary characteristics: subject matter and presentation. Subject matter is concerned with what we say while presentation is concerned with how we say it.
The functions of a speech are:
- To influence behavior
- To impart information and knowledge
- To direct thought
- To stimulate the audience
- To convince
- To inspire action
- To console
Third Rule :
Always Prepare
Absolutely nothing can substitute preparation. Only a handful of speakers have the innate natural public speaking aptitude. Many successful orators prepare for months and practice for years to hone their public speaking abilities.
The greatest orators of our time – Churchill, MacArthur, Roosevelt, King and Obama all spent hours upon hours working on the proper wording for the message they wished to convey, and then more hours upon hours practicing the manner of presenting those words. They did it in front of mirrors or friends.
Public Speaking
Public Speaking
Fourth Rule :
Know Your Audience
Knowledge of the audience imbues the orator with the power to design bespoke messages and the insight to anticipate queries and concerns.
Fifth Rule :
Time is of the Essence
Time is considered precious by many. A wise man once stated that a person who dares to waste even one hour does not know the value of life.
One needs to consider the length of a speech. Ideally the speech should be about 20 to 25 minutes long.
Sixth Rule :
Your Title is Critical
There are four crucial components of a good presentation: title, introduction, body and conclusion.
Two 2 millenniums have passed since the Greek philosopher Plato said, “Every speech ought to be put together like a living creature, with a body of its own, so as to be neither without head nor without feet, but to have both middle and extremities, all composed in such sort that they suit each other and the whole.
The title acts the first point of contact with the audience. The title chosen for the speech can attract or repel listeners before a person commences speaking.
For example, you will probably repel listeners if the title of your speech is ‘Work Place Demographics and their Relationship to Leadership However even if the content of the speech is the same, you will probably attract listeners if your title is ‘Do Women Make Better Bosses?’
The first title is long and ambiguous. It does not evoke much emotion from the listeners. In comparison, the second title is short and sweet. It hits the right spots; it certainly elicits motions from the listeners.
- The title can put your speech in focus. It can also provide you with a refrain – or a theme – that can appear in the three other components of your speech – in the introduction, the body and the conclusion.
Let us take a look at attention-grabbing’ titles. We will consider the following sources:
i. Take a phrase from your presentation that encapsulate your theme. Some famous speeches (and speakers ) have used this technique:
- President Roosevelt, in 1941, after Pearl Harbor- “Day of Infamy.”
- Winston Churchill, following the Battle of Britain –“So much owed by so many to so few.”
- Douglas MacArthur- announcing his retirement – “Old Soldiers Never Die.”
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – in pursuit of equal rights – “I have A Dream.”
ii. Alliteration, where the same letter begins successive or key words that relate to your theme, is also a proven method that enraptures enthralls an audience. For example:
- Good as Gold
- Pretty as a Picture
- Hale and Hearty
iii. Rhyme can also be used in designing a title; for example
- Is there a Spy in the Sky?
- Quality and Equality
- Love from above
Use powerful words in your title; for example
- Power
- Golden
- Miracle
- Magic
- Secret
iv. The title can pose a question that evokes emotions or sparks interest; for example:
- Why Aren’t Women Equal to Men?
Extreme care should be taken when evoking emotions. The objective is not to infuriate the audience but to attract their attention. Evincing the wrong emotion could lead to jeers and boos directed at the orator or at worst items thrown at him or her.
The most frequently used technique for choosing a title for a speech is to find a quotation in famous works of literature or writings; for example : Shakespeare has been a pretty popular source for title. The following well-known excerpts from his writings have stimulated ‘attention-grabbing’ speech descriptions: From Shakespeare's As You Like It “The world is a stage and all men and women just players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays numerous parts…”
Title One Man In His Time
Old proverbs are also a great source of titles, for example: “Out of sight, out of mind”. “Feast today, fast tomorrow.” “Cold hands, warm heart.” “Waste not, want not.”
Many speakers alter memorable quotations, clichés or maxims to get a “catchy” title for their remarks. For example “You can’t fool any of the people any of the time anymore.”
Public Speaking
Seventh Rule :
Open their minds
Let us now examine the three components of a speech - the introduction, the body and the conclusion.
Each one has a specific purpose, but all should have some common characteristics.
a) Use short words that are vivid and familiar to the listener. For example: begin, instead of initiate; move rather than relocate; use, as a replacement for utilize.
b) Use your own words- specific words; for example: use car, not sedan; use apple pie, not pastry; use pork chop, not meat.
c) Use active words that demand action. For example write, consider and permit.
The first part of the speech that should be written down is the opening. The following five objectives should be borne in mind. The opening statements should be designed to:
- Establish rapport with the audience;
- Engender the goodwill of your audience;
- Spark the interest of the audience in the subject;
- Set the tone for the body of the speech;
- Create balance for the presentation;
Eighth Rule :
Present an Information Flow
The body of the speech contains the theme of the message. The body of the speech should provide the audience with a logical flow of information. This will prevent the speaker from leading the audience astray.
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