OK, here goes....first of all, et me say that public speaking is like swimming and braces. it's something you should begin trying when you are young, because it really sucks to learn it when you are older. That's why I require it for my night school class.
I was once taken cliff diving by my friends. I froze at the top. i didn't want to die. My firends yelled every catcall in the book at me. Finally I jumped off. It was a blast! I was up at the top as fast as I could run to do it again! My point is that the first time is by far the worst, after that it gets easier and easier, since you can tell yourself, "Hey! I did it before and I didn't die!"
So now to the tactics: THINGS TO DO:
Make sure your speech is clear and well-written. I frown on "reading" a speech word for word. it will sound stilted and unnatural. Instead, give yourself an outline of clear notes. Allow yourself to improvise and talk normally about what you believe.
Be passionate. Get excited about what you are speaking about, it will make it so much easier. You want to tell these people about your material. They need it! Understand that these people are just like you. they may have more education, more experience, and may even be ahead of you in the command structure....but they are still human beings just like you . No more no less.
1. Hand gestures - The most difficult and yet critical part of a presentation. To get an idea of this, watch an actor on TV or in a movie. Their hands are always moving as they speak. to help you with this and make it seem more normal, try to get away from the podium. Walking back and forth helps give the audience your body language as well as your voice. have you ever seen a professional motivational speaker? They do this constantly.
Hotsauce, you are a speech pathologist and you do this every day without thinking about it, so you have this skill already. Don't let the artificial environment of a presentation shut you down. Get up, move around. Use hand and arm gestures. Be animated. It's engaging and fun to watch for the audience.
2. Eye contact - look around the room. Try to get eye contact with each person at least once or twice. When you are looking at them, pretend you and that peson are the only ones in the room. You are conversing with them just like you do many times a day. The problem with this is losing your place or forgetting what you are about to say, so here are the tricks that the News Anchors use:
A. Keep your speech in your right hand (if you are right handed) as you go down the page, slide your thumb down to the line you are on. Then, when you look away and come back, you can find your place again easily and quickly.
B. Read the sentence and the paragraph, until you come to a point where the rest of the sentence, or the end of the paragraph, is all in your mind. Then look up and say the last few words. For example: In the sentence previously, I would have looked up at the audience right when I got to the words "is all in your mind". Especially do this when there is something you think is important.
3. Diction / Vocabulary - Make sure that the words you use in your speech are ones that you are comfortable with. For example I never use the word, "anecdote" because I feel funny using it. Instead I use "short story" Of course you should never talk down to people, but taking over everyone's head is just as bad.
4. Enunciation - speak clearly, and the biggest impediment to this is talking too quickly while speaking (more on that later.)
5. Emotion - Get excited about the exciting parts! Get sad at the sad parts, get serious at the serious parts. Don't speak in a monotone. Smile a lot! Use humor!
THINGS TO NOT DO:
Watch out for personal nervous habits. Do no touch your hair or play with it constantly. don't speak in a monotone. Don't hold the paper in front of your face. Absolutely DO NOT put your hands in your pockets. Don't touch your face, except to make a thinking gesture.
The worst habit, by far, and one that will instantly label you as unintelligent is using the words "Umm" and "Ah" in between pauses while you are thinking. Practice ahead of time until you can say your entire speech without saying Umm or ah once.
Avoid slang and vernacular unless you are trying to make a point about it. Don't call people "homies" for example, unless you are trying to be funny. And avoid the word "like" like the plague unless you are impersonating a Valley girl.
Avoid casual clothes. Dress up! The clothes make the man, or in this case the woman. Want to be taken seriously? Wear serious clothes.
And last, but by far not least....slow down. Most people begin to speak more and more wuickly as they get more nervous. Force yourself to slow down.
There you go! with those tactics YOU (jives points directly at hotsauce and looks her in the eye) will be a fiery and engaging orator! I GUARANTEE IT! (jives slaps the table with his palm, then crosses his arms , then stares confidently at hotsauce)
