And our speaker today is …

When it’s you that’s got to

say a few words

some thoughts to help you with your

public speaking

My past experience of public speaking does not qualify me to be called

an expert. However, I've certainly had my share of triumphs and

disasters when it comes to public speaking and it is on that basis that this

presentation has been put together. It is what has worked and not

worked for me.

Like all skills, to get better you must practice and also increase your

knowledge. There are public speaking groups you can join where you can

gain both experience and knowledge. There are lots of excellent books

and articles and if you are free or cheap enough, there are social groups

who will volunteer to listen to your words.

This presentation is about what I have learnt about public speaking.

You may not agree with all my points and you will certainly gain different

and possibly more experience. Whatever the case, we should certainly

agree on one point: public speaking is a skill worth developing

Public speaking is a skill worth developing

but before you start public speaking

Get used to the sound of your voice in public For example: when you go to a meeting, stand up and ask a question

Practice your Elevator Pitch You don’t have to be in an elevator to make an Elevator Pitch. You are supposed to imagine that you have stepped into a lift and have come face-to-face with a sales prospect, potential employer, very-important-person, or just someone that you’d like to get to know a lot better. You have a limited time in that very enclosed space, before one of you has to exit, to say who you are, what you do and, most important of all, why your listener would do well to meet you again. Of course, this scenario is pure fantasy as talking to complete strangers in lifts could cause you some problems. The Elevator Pitch is a complicated way of teaching yourself to say, in a confident and unflustered way, who you are and what you do in under 30 seconds—the amount of time your are in the lift (I said it was complicated) It’s a confidence builder, essential for networking meetings, and will make your public speaking debut far less stressful You don’t have to be in an elevator to make an Elevator Pitch

(best not to point, though)

It takes courage to stand up at a

meeting and ask a question or

make an Elevator Pitch at a

networking meeting. If you’ve

managed either or both,

congratulate yourself: you are on

your way to becoming a more

confident and a better public

speaker

But what if you really hate public speaking?

If you really hate the idea

of public speaking,

then try and avoid it.

But if it's just a few nerves

and you really want or

need to be able to

speak in public,

then stick with it.

You won't regret it

a few thoughts

on public

speaking

Believe that you need better public speaking skills

You will gain much more

than just being a better

speaker

You will feel more

confident about your

communication skills

Meetings, interviews and

presentations will become

easier for you

How to give a good speech: only your audience matters Your speech, even a

serious one, has still got

to be interesting.

But public speaking is

also entertainment.

Humour is OK, but don't

be too funny.

Always remember where

you are and who you are

talking to

Public speaking still makes you nervous?

First write a good speech

Second be well rehearsed with timing, emphasis & pauses just right

Don't worry about a bit of nerves - they give you the edge

Your audience wants your speech to be a

success don't let them down

How to make your speech Part 1

• A 10 minute speech will be about 500 to 600

words

• Speak at a normal pace or you'll run out of

words before your time is up

• Enough rehearsal will make sure you don't

speak too fast

• Reading from notes is fine - shows you don't

want to forget anything

• Don't write your speech out in full and read

from it - it never sounds right

• Know your speech well enough just to have

keywords as notes

How to make your speech Part 2

Give your speech a title that will attract attention

“Astrology and how planetary aspects may affect the daily lives, decisions and actions of individuals”, will have them yawning before you start

Try: “Astrology - what's in the future for you?”. “You” in a title attracts attention

What is the purpose of your speech? Part One If you are looking for support, your speech must motivate

Use facts to back up your case and don’t be too emotive

Present three strong points that your audience will remember

What is the purpose of your speech? Part Two

If you want people to act on what you are saying, then say so

Say what they have to do - don't assume they will know

Unless it's a social speech, have something to give away, such as information packs

Make use of your (captive) audience, but don't overdo it

Would you say a few words …..? When you have to make an impromptu speech

Never decline an invitation to speak - you never know who may be in your audience

The event may not be that interesting, but your speech could make it memorable

Have a small bank of interesting stories you can tack on to the hello/goodbye/congratulations you are speaking about

Speak about what you know - or your audience doesn't

If you're speaking at an event, speak about what you know Everyone loves an entertaining expert, so make sure you are Don't falsely claim knowledge you don't have - someone will be waiting to catch you out

Although the rest of the audience said the speaker didn’t know his subject and wasn’t worth listening to, Billy couldn't wait for Questions and Answers so he could point out the 137 errors he had noticed in the speech

“.... and I am very pleased to welcome our speaker today, who is here to

entertain and inform us with an interesting talk on ....”

I felt panic when I was introduced like this - could I live up to it? But this can also be a good opportunity to use some gentle, self-deprecating humour before you start your speech And in your speech, subtle humour is fine But don't try to be too funny - someone in the audience is always funnier And never ask “can you hear me at the back?”. There is always the risk of someone saying that they can hear you but will gladly swap with someone who can’t. (It never fails to get a laugh)

Don’t try to be too funny—someone in the audience is always funnier

Practising your public speaking will improve your

skills - and so will watching

someone else Watch other public speakers and copy their best skills MPs are generally good speakers and can come across better in person than they do on television Many local politicians and community activists are used to speaking to groups of people and build a good rapport with their audience But it’s also worth sitting through a really bad speaker as well—you learn so much about what not to do

Your speech may not be remembered, but make sure you are

Unless your speech was absolutely awful, you may be remembered more than your speech You can't help how you look but make sure you look right for the occasion Be “bigger than you are” by projecting yourself Be aware of your body language and the pitch of your voice

Public speaking - keeping your audience engaged (& awake)

No matter how hard you try, not everyone will like your speech - get over it But what if everyone looks a bit bored and one or two are dozing off? If your speech is not engaging your audience, act immediately You can't rewrite your speech while you are standing there, but you should know your subject well enough to be able to amend what you are saying Sometimes asking a question helps or a change in your speaking style You may be too formal or informal Do something Doing nothing is not an option

No matter how hard you try, not everyone will like your speech

Not-so-inspirational quotes on public speaking

The quote: “Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening” (Dorothy Sarnoff) What do I think? Good advice on not speaking too long. But better advice is to be interesting for the entire time you are to speak The quote: There are only two types of speakers in the world: 1. The nervous and 2. Liars (Mark Twain) What do I think? Never admit to being nervous or a liar

The quote: All the great speakers were bad speakers at first. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) What do I think? Don't agree. No one need be a bad speaker, even at their first attempt. Have good copy to work from and keep rehearsing until you think you’re good enough Remember the advice given to the tourist asking how he could get to the Royal Opera House: “Sir, you've got to practice really hard”

Conclusion Public speaking is more than a useful communication skill; it’s essential If you think you don't have the skills, go and get them Remember - we are all a bit shy. But shyness holds you back, so if it's that bad go and get some help You won't believe how good it feels hearing applause when you have finished your speech

This is someone who was applauded after they had finished their speech

Small print stuff (but made a bit larger so you can read it) Whilst I’m sure that no one is in any doubt, I have to make it quite clear that the content of this presentation consists of my opinions and is for information and entertainment only. Whilst every effort has been made, there are no assurances, guarantees or warranties that the information contained therein is current, accurate or correct, and no responsibility is accepted for any errors, omissions, damages arising thereof or any other consequences. You are encouraged to confirm information with other sources and seek qualified advice before commencing any actions that carry personal or organisational liabilities. Nothing in this publication constitutes advice or a recommendation

This presentation started off as …….

This presentation started off as an ebook on public speaking. But as it was too long and boring, I abandoned most of it as unreadable, keeping only the points based on my own experiences. On learning about Slideshare (http://www.slideshare.net/) from Nicky Kriel (http://www.nickykriel.com/), I thought I would have a try at turning these points into an online presentation and compare the results with my infrequent blogging posts. I have found blogging a surprising medium; in my case, I started off enthusiastically and published quite a few posts. It seriously tailed off as I became busier with other things, but instead of going into decline, readership levels have been maintained. Like old magazines in a waiting room, there is always someone new to read your dated work. Although for me it’s too early for analysis, I am thinking that Slideshare and online presentations may be good for promoting your business. If you are also interested, feel free to contact me at dennisyeomans@hotmail.com Dennis Yeomans http://uk.linkedin.com/in/dennisyeomans