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Effective Public Speaking for Officers
by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.
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Why should officers develop public speaking skills?
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Public speaking is an important leadership skill.
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Police administrators are often called on to speak at government and community meetings.
They’re frequently interviewed by TV and radio reporters.
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Schools, colleges, and service clubs sometimes invite police officers to talk about crime prevention and careers in criminal justice.
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There’s another good reason for working on your speaking skills.
You’ll build confidence and poise – valuable traits in law enforcement.
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You can improve your speaking skills in a number of ways.
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Seek opportunities for practice.
If you’re a member of a club or a church, volunteer for speaking roles when they come along.
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Take an active role at meetings and classes.
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Consider joining Toastmasters, an international organization that has helped countless people develop their speaking skills.
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Here are some tips for effective public speaking.
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Stand still. Shifting from foot to foot is distracting.
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Don’t fidget or jingle keys or change in your pocket.
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Use your smartphone or tablet to make videos of yourself talking.
Study the videos and look for ways to improve.
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Speak slowly, clearly, and loudly enough to be heard.
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Sharpen your skills.
Most people have a few speaking
habits that need
improvement.
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Are there any words you mispronounce?
Do you make usage mistakes?
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Ask your friends and family members for feedback so that you’ll be error-free the next time you speak before a group.
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Carefully plan your talk ahead of time so that you can present a crisp, well-organized speech.
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Tell stories. They increase your audience appeal and have lasting impact.
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Never say “finally” or “last but not least.”
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When you say “Finally…,” your audience will decide you’re almost done and stop listening.
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Say “most important” or
most seriously” when you get to your final point.
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Learn how to handle questions from the audience. Here are some tips:
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When you ask for questions, don’t assume that a quiet room means nobody has questions.
Always pause for five seconds. (It’s longer than you think!)
Shy people in the audience need that time to get ready to speak.
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Always repeat the question before you answer it.
- Your questioners will feel you’re taking them seriously.
- The rest of the audience will know what’s going on.
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If you’re using technology, check the equipment ahead of time.
And make sure a tech-savvy person is available in case help is needed.
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Public speaking skills make you more valuable to your agency and your community, and they’re important for career growth.
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Seize every opportunity to sharpen those skills.
The time and energy you invest now will pay off again and again.
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Be sure to visit www.YourPoliceWrite.com for
professional writing tips.
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All the resources there are FREE: www.YourPoliceWrite.com.
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And if you’re looking for a low-cost, practical book…
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Criminal Justice Report Writing is available from www.Amazon.com.
View a free sample online.
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A discount price is available for class sets (minimum five books).
Send your request to jreynoldswrite @ aol.com.
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An e-book edition is available from www.Smashwords.com.
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A free Instructor’s Manual is available on request: Send an e-mail to jreynoldswrite at aol.com.