Advice and Articles

Public Speaking Tips

De Bono, one of the world’s most renowned critical and creative thinkers, says, ‘There’s the car, and there’s how you drive it.’  For the Speaking 4 the Planet competition, we can say, ‘There’s the speech and there’s how you deliver it.’ 

Content and delivery matter. Purpose matters – a lot. Evidence and expression matter. Argument and performance matter. Good public speakers are convincing with the power of their material and the manner in which they present it.

This competition encourages you to research your material thoroughly. If you have good ideas relevant to the topic, research them – see what you can find. High quality content matters. And when you have put the words together, practice them. Ask others to listen to you. Get feedback on the written and spoken words. Refine what you say and how you say it.  

Please remember that reading a speech aloud is not giving a speech. You may want to use cue cards. If you do, treat them only as prompts – don’t have the whole speech written on them!

In opening the Armidale Speaking 4 the Planet event in 2016, Dr Ian Tiley, the Administrator of the newly amalgamated councils, said, ‘Good speeches are succinct and original, and they contain viewpoints substantiated with evidence.’ He also observed that good speakers are prepared even though they might be nervous.  It’s good to be nervous because nerves can keep you focused.

My final thought about public speaking:  slow down, slow down, slow down! Don’t rush your speech.

Here are some more hints on improving your public speaking. Students entering the Prepared and Impromptu Speech sections of the competition will benefit from reading these carefully.

10 Tips for Improving Public Speaking

1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!

All people feel some physiological reactions like pounding hearts and trembling hands. Do not associate these feelings with the sense that you will perform poorly or make a fool of yourself. Some nerves are good. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you more alert and ready to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice—a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.

Before you begin to craft your message, consider who the message is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners as you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization pattern, and motivational statement.

3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your speech. Write down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience’s attention in the first 30 seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Gauge their reactions, adjust your message, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the most devoted listeners.

5. Let Your Personality Come Through.

Be yourself, don’t become a talking head—in any type of communication. You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they can see you as a real person.

6. Use Humour, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you will certainly grab your audience’s attention. Audiences generally like a personal touch in a speech. A story can provide that.

7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message. A brief outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you on task.

8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distraction.

9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Do you enjoy hearing a speech start with “Today I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience is sure to remember.

10. Use Audio-visual Aids Wisely.

Too many can break the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

Practice Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/professional-development/blog/10-tips-improving-your-public-speaking-skills

And here are some more links to great ideas and advice on public speaking.

Direct Speech

http://directspeech.com.au/Tips/ 

Youth Central

http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/government-info-assistance/do-it-yourself-democracy/telling-the-story/speak-in-public 

Toastmasters

https://www.toastmasters.org/Resources/Public-Speaking-Tips