Public speaking

[IanM]

A few yearsvago I did some big conference talks.... and most of my job involves talking in front of groups.... it used to scare me but now I enjoy it.

Think about your preferred style of using notes or not. I prefer not too and take the cues off the slides...I tend to be more natural like that. Others are better with notes as it maintains the structure... I feel that damages delivery , but that's just me, plenty of folk are fine like that.... hence do what works for you.

Depending on the context, but stuff from the heart is always good... don't worry about some emotive welly if appropriate.

Think about what the audience want to get out of it...deliver to that agenda rather than yours...and who are the audience?

I did a lot of work with Germans while with Airbus Defence... generally they are more formal at work than Brits and more direct... they tend to like form and structure. But you'll be used to that..

and keep to time..always. Esp with Germans

 

[Crow]

A good thing to slow things down a bit if you tend to talk too fast, which I do when presenting, is to ask a question.
Not one that you expect them to answer but a rhetorical one and then pause, for a little longer, than you feel, is comfortable.

In fact I think the pause is a great tool for public speaking as long as you don't use it too often.

 

[SocketRocket]

Did a lot of it over the years. Like a previous poster I learned a lot with the Royal Navy where I was trained in instructional Techniques, the RN is very good at teaching this.

I also learned how to lecture when I studied Management with the OU. We were taught to:

Tell them what you want to tell them.
Tell them.
Tell them what you told them.

Dont be rigid, move around and use body language (hand gestures).

Hope it works out for you.

 

[IanG]

I lecture for a living and lots of good tips in all the above. I'd especially recommend the speaking the talk out loud standing up in a room in front of your slides. It feels a bit funny talking to yourself for an hour in a hotel room but there is no substitute for having to get your mouth round the sentences in order.

One I use myself if I'm doing a big talk that I'm a bit nervous about (and we all get nervous in a new environment) is to make sure there is a glass of water available. It is a very useful prop that no one in the audience notices :

If you find yourself talking too fast - take a sip to reset your pace.
If you're conscious you meant to say something else at this point but can't quite remember it - take a sip and it may come to you.
If someone asks a question you need to think about how to answer well, take a sip and use the time to think.
etc etc.

.... and sometimes you get a dry mouth too.

If it is a technical talk, have some slides after the end of your presentations which will address the main questions you can anticipate, it not only looks very professional to be able to show you have anticipated that question, but helps answer the question well.

Best of luck

 

[RustyTom]

Not really a big speaker, even between friends i like to sit back and let ithers do the talking but i was best man for my cousin and had to give a speech to about 100 or so. Was absolutly cacking it, but prepared well and it all went smoothly. Alsong as the preps there it cant go too far wrong.

 

[Three]

Who is good at it? I am having to do it more and more for work, biggest audience so far is about 200 people (all german! and i only speak english!)

I have an event in Bucharest next month where i am delivering a 45 minute keynote to 5/600 people! Starting to get nervous about it already!

Anyone actually good at it? any good tips? once i get my flow, i'm fine, but brick it before getting on stage. Find i end up speaking too fast, so worked on some breathing exercises..

I'm a natural, love it. Done some Best Man jobs, stand up and loads of corporate golf gigs, always get them laughing easily.

Conversely, until a few years ago I used to say that I could speak in front of a thousand no problems, but ask me to approach one good looking girl and strike up a conversation, no chance.

As for tips, the more you actually do it, the more you should be comfortable with it. Remember that nobody (hopefully) wants to see you screwing it up.

It's one thing reading it over and over in your head, but quite different actually speaking the words out loud, so you must practice doing that. I had to give a witness statement once, I'd read it over and over in my head but the first time I heard myself speaking the words was much more difficult.
The same on my wedding day. That was much more difficult than I thought. Should have taken the hint and stopped. 😃