Public Speaking And You

renjith krishnan/freedigitalphotos.net

Public Speaking And You

By: Archan Mehta

I'm not sure about you, but?delivering any kind of public presentation gives me the heebie-jeebies. After all, many of us are not naturals at making speeches.
?
To add salt to my wounds, I have always been intrigued by the questions: What exactly is speech writing? How do you deliver an effective speech? What does it all mean?
?
Well, let's make our jobs a little easier?shall we??and find out what a speech is all about.
?
Speech writing is putting words into someone else's mouth. To be sure, that is not an easy task at all. It requires that you intimately know the person for whom you are writing. Thus, you need to know his or her style of speaking, body language, tone of voice, speech patterns, and, most importantly, personality.
?
When you write a speech, you become the person who you are writing for. To an extent, that person will become you at the moment when he or she begins to speak your words. Thus, speech writing is a collaborative effort. It requires the cooperation of all parties involved. In fact, let us think of famous speeches that you may have heard or read about:

• Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death."
  
• ?Winston Churchill's "Blood, sweat and tears."
  
• ?Martin Luther King's "I have a dream."
  
• ?John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you."
  

Often, famous speeches such as these were written by the speakers themselves. However, just as often, they were also collaborative efforts by the speakers, professional speech writers, and others with valuable input into the process. As in all forms of writing, everybody has something to say about what you write. In fact, speeches are usually classified by purpose:

• A speech to inform seeks to clarify, instruct or demonstrate.
  
• A speech to persuade is designed to convince or influence and often carries a call to action.
  
• A speech to entertain covers almost everything else, including celebrations, euologies and dinner speeches.
  

?The type of speech that you use will be determined largely by the topic and the audience.
?
The method of delivery and the degree to which the speech relies on audiovisual aids will also depend on these factors.
?
In fact, there are four basic modes of speech delivery: extemporaneous, impromptu, scripted, and memorized.
?
For extemporaneous and impromptu speeches, the writer is responsible primarily for the research and compilation of information, usually in outline form. The speaker then studies the notes carefully and is (theoratically) prepared to speak knowledgably and fluently on the topic. Speeches delivered from the script or from memory can be written entirely by the writer. For all modes of speaking, once the speech is prepared, the primary responsibility of the public relations practitioner is to coach the speaker.
?
This means, of course, that you must know how to give a good speech yourself.
?
If you don't?and many communication professionals don't?find someone who can and have that person coach the speaker. This often means hiring outside professionals to do the job, which can be costly. However, in the long run, it may well be worth the effort and expense.
?
Preparation is the most important element in any type or speech or presentation.
?
Although some of us are able to speak off the cuff, it is a dangerous habit to get into. Think of the politicians who have lost elections because of candid off-the-record remarks or unwise ad libs.
?
Thus, it is important that you prepare in advance everything that you will say and do during a presentation. Do not leave anything to chance. Thus, the nuts and bolts of an effective presentation include the following:? Specific purpose.

• ?Clear understanding of your audience.
  
• ?Ideas which are well-organized.
  
• ?Adequate support.
  
• ?Effective delivery.
  

?However, please keep two important principles in mind here.
?
First, your speech should be results-oriented. In fact, think of the effect that you want your speech to have on your audience. Decide whether you want the audience to be persuaded, informed or feel entertained by your presentation.
?
Second, the purpose of your presentation should be the basis for all the other decisions that you make. This means that the way to organise your ideas, the amount of audiovisual support material you will use, even the way you deliver the presentation, will depend on why you are giving it in the first place. Afterall, your presentation is given for your listeners. Even if you think it is the best presentation that you have ever given, if it does not affect them, it will have failed.
?
Here are a few tips that may be helpful to you:

• Analyze the occasion. What is the reason why this group is together at this time? What do they expect to hear from you?
  
• ?Analyze the people. What experience and knowledge about the subject do they bring to the presentation? What is their attitude toward the subject? What is their attitude toward you?
  

Moreover, good organization lets your audience know that you know what you are talking about. A confused speaker loses credibility and wastes valuable time. Remember: nobody will sit for long if you do not make any sense. And the only way to make sense is to be organised.
?
The best way to organise a speech is to think of its purpose. Use that purpose as the basis for deciding what goes on in your speech, how you structure it, what data you present, and even how you choose your style or wording.
?
Here is a typical speech format:?

• Attention getter: Tell people why they should listen.
  
• ?Establish rapport. Create a bond with your audience. Let them know what you share in common.
  

Preview. Tell people what they are going to hear. Arrange the main points logically, usually in the order of importance. Introduce data which supports each main point. In the conclusion, summarize the key points the audience has heard. Use a memorable statement, that is, create a desired frame of mind which will stay with your audience. If applicable, conclude with a call for action as well.

Thus, building a speech is like building anything else. You will need a solid foundation. It helps if what you build has a look of continuity, coherence and completion. After all, nobody likes a structure that looks loosely constructed and haphazard. For speechmakers, a solid structure implies a solid idea.
?
Go for it.
?
So, did this article resonate with you? Have you ever delivered a speech? How about a presentation? Every time I make a speech, I tend to have butterflies in the stomach? How about you? Please feel free to share your ideas and/or experiences in the comments. We would love to hear from you. Thanks for your patronage.
?
??

Tagged as: presentation, public speaking, speech, writing speech

Source: http://www.ad-virtualassistance.com/public-speaking

cough crystal cathedral new facebook layout new facebook layout yalta dancing with the stars results ron artest