PAST EVENT
Public Speaking: conquering the fear that tongue-ties us
November 19, 2003
|
Whether you are
an experienced public speaker or one who abhors the idea of
standing up before an audience, this program on public speaking
provided positive guidelines on how to gain confidence and
improve your speaking style. The speaker, David Hancox, offered
several practical concepts on how to prepare yourself to give
a presentation. After a short warm-up, he presented the participants
with an exercise that allowed everyone to experience speaking
in front of a group.
According to Hancox, there are 10 main ways to prepare yourself
for a good experience in front of an audience: |
| 1. |
Use an icebreaker. From a joke to a simple exercise, this
can help to warm up your audience. |
| 2. |
Prepare in advance. It pays to prepare your talk or presentation
early, then take a break, and walk away. This gives you a chance
to really think about the topic and provides you with a sense
of ownership of the speech. |
| 3. |
Relax and tell your story. The best communicators are storytellers.
Have a story to tell. |
| 4. |
Don't fear your audience. According to Hancox, there are two
types of people in every audience - those who you know and have
an established relationship with; and those who you will never
see again. The first group tends to not be overly critical of
you, and the second group, well - who cares? |
| 5. |
Practice. Practice. Practice. |
| 6. |
Anticipate the questions you might receive. Be ready with
an answer, and defer the unanticipated with a "I'll be
happy to talk with you after the program" if a question
may require additional information or time and continue with
your talk. |
| 7. |
Stay on the right topic. Make sure you define the parameters
of your talk to fit the subject and your audience. |
| 8. |
Use visual aids or props. |
| 9. |
Don't dread the experience; work to create a successful mindset.
If it seems overwhelming, Hancox suggested co-presenting with
someone else to help deliver the message. |
| 10. |
Be prepared for known and unknown hazards! Try to think through
the worst case scenario (e.g., AV equipment failure) and have
a back-up plan prepared. |
 One
of the communicators present at the program suggested that you may
never get over the feeling of "butterflies" before giving
a talk or presentation. The good news is that it may be part of
what keeps you on edge and makes your message interesting. So, if
it's your goal—conquer that fear…and try some public
speaking!
Quotes and presentation
slides used in the session.
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