[rhetoric] hints on effective speaking
Effective speaking continued here …
Personal engagement with the material: It’s the feeling the audience gets that you are personally involved with what you are saying and are making points through actual episodes from your experience, rather than repeating what it says in a book.
This point comes down to your willingness to ‘give’ of yourself. This is vital to understand. If you are a closed person, self-centred or out for what you can get, you’re hardly likely to give a good speech.
Good speakers give; they are expansive and punctuate their few minutes with tales of what has happened to them in relation to the material.
What if you don’t have a rich life experience? Perhaps you’re still too young. Perhaps you’re a mean-spirited person who has narrow interests. You can still artificially construct your speech by reference to your personal reaction to the topic and how it makes you feel.
Confidence and body language: An audience will always pick up the vibrations of a confident speaker. Not an arrogant speaker who swaggers up to the podium and is ‘full of himself’ but a man or woman who is happy with what he does and is happy to share it with you. Good body language is oh-so-important.
Confidence in speaking comes from practice. Just that. The more speeches you deliver, the more confident you become. It affects how you stand, move, use pauses, introduce humour and so on. It’s always better.
Humour: Do not become a clown, don’t play for laughs but keep up a ‘jaunty’ manner and sometimes put in a humorous incident which happened to you or quote a little joke that applies to the material you’re speaking about.
The speaker who takes himself oh-so-seriously and clearly wants something from you [such as investment] is going to cut no ice. You have to give to get.
Tone: Pitch your manner and substance above the centre. Don’t speak in remote, esoteric terms and equally don’t talk gutter or street talk. Speak of elevated matters but not so elevated that the audience can’t relate to it. After all they’ve come to listen to you because you’re an expert but not someone speaking the language of Mars or Pluto.
Accessibility: Vulnerability is part of this. Speakers are usually terrified of making mistakes, appearing foolish, forgetting their lines, dropping their notes and so on. Providing you know your material and genuinely relate to your audience, any of these errors are going to work for you, rather than against you.
A slight shyness, a tendency to sometimes get it wrong, a word which came out wrongly [oops] – these are welcomed by the audience as showing you’re a real person, not some fabulous, perfect, inaccessible robot.
You have to let the audience in to your soul and any error will engage their sympathy.
Dress: If you are not clean and restrained in your attire, with washed hair and clean shoes, you’re hardly likely to impress, even if it’s a roadworkers meeting. If you’ve seen photos of the old trades literature evenings, they’re always dressed up in smart clothes.
The Oscar Wilde point has relevance here – be well dressed, rather than ‘dressed-up’. What you say should be getting their attention, rather than your latest fashion or chandelier earrings.
And if you insist on bits of metal through your eyebrow or lip, that’s what the audience will be staring at or turning away from, during the entire speech.
Structure: We’ve already discussed the structure of short impromptu speeches:
You need to come into the room already armed with two or three set phrases and one or two difficult words you plan to insert in the speech somewhere. Using cue cards but not notes, the order is:
# Statement of the topic [or maybe you can drop this]
# Personal story or quotation relating to the topic
# There are three things I’d like to say about this. Firstly …
# The other points you wish to make
# Short, sharp ending, leaving the audience with something to think about
Message: You need to leave a message or have used an expression which people will remember long after the speech has finished. The world will little heed nor long remember what we say here today … Remember who said it?
Brevity and point form: An audience does not have sufficient powers of hearing and internalization to remember point after point after point.
They are human and also hungry, with their own daily problems and maybe even a headache or two, so keep your speech to three or four short, sharp points, well delivered.
They can read the full text from your document later, available in the foyer. In the speech, you are only giving the highlights.
The golden rule is to give them only the information they can take in and keep in their heads. This is one of the most critical points in a good speech.
Breathing: Absolutely vital - if you are closed up from nerves, instead of breathing from your diaphragm, the muscles in your neck and throat will become tense.
This can result in a harsh, strained vocal quality. You can’t get enough air to sustain your phrasing, and it will become difficult to control the release of air.
Breathe deeply from your diaphragm twice after standing and before speaking [but don’t make it obvious that you’re doing it]. And if you have the chance – always stand rather than sit.
Voice: Of course this is important and you should use a variety of techniques. Vary the:
# Articulation and clarity – pronouncing ends of and separating words
# Pitch
#Volume
# Rhythm and lyricism
# Speed
# Stress and gestures [closed fingers, open palm, only from the elbows]
# Pauses
Adaptability: Be ready to curtail your speech and wind up quickly, even if half your points still haven’t been made.
Learn to cope with interruptions, the noise of drills and hammering in the room next door and so on with a humorous comment and do the same with hecklers.
Part of this relates to the difficult question asked either innocently or to make you look bad [one of my old tricks with speakers I didn’t like]: If you’re asked something you simply don’t know, don’t bluff but say you’ll find the answer and if the questioner would like to contact you on number …
And do it with a smile – show no annoyance whatsoever. After all, it shows the questioner has at least been listening to you, rather than falling asleep.
Points from various articles I’ve read on the topic of speech giving
4 Great Requirements of Public Speakers
1. Sincerity
2. Knowledge
3. Preparation
4. Practice
A learned speech is unacceptable
Reason #1: It does not allow for a natural delivery; it is difficult to read from a script and sound conversational. There is usually little eye contact, fewer gestures and facial expressions, and a more monotonous voice, plus little rapport with the audience.
"What a waste of time. I could have read this on my own."
Reason #2: A written or learned presentation provides a false sense of security and inhibits flexibility and the ability to change anything at the last minute. Or, when questions interrupt or distract you, a written or learned presenter often finds it difficult to re-find his place and continue.
Know the people in your audience.
Learn as much about them as possible before preparing or presenting the speech. Prepare with the audience in mind. Make sure that your speech fits the audience. Try not to mix languages.
Anxiety
Even experienced speakers become very nervous just before, and up to 30 seconds into, a speech. It is natural but can be controlled. Uncontrolled, it can ruin a good speech.
1. Develop an optimistic attitude
2. Set realistic goals – don’t try to incorporate too much
3. Put yourself in the place of the audience
4. Know that if you feel warm towards them and believe in yourself, they will usually respond.
A poem to finish with
# Serious is boring, ego is a sin, a touch of humour will always win.
# Create suspense, show some style, do some magic, make us smile.
# Move with power, smiling and calm, let your hands flow, with open palm.
# Don’t quote books, don't talk theory, to make them listen - tell a true story.
# Eye contact is an excellent art, use it and reach into every heart.
# Speak with love, speak with tact, speak from the heart and have impact.
Personal engagement with the material: It’s the feeling the audience gets that you are personally involved with what you are saying and are making points through actual episodes from your experience, rather than repeating what it says in a book.
This point comes down to your willingness to ‘give’ of yourself. This is vital to understand. If you are a closed person, self-centred or out for what you can get, you’re hardly likely to give a good speech.
Good speakers give; they are expansive and punctuate their few minutes with tales of what has happened to them in relation to the material.
What if you don’t have a rich life experience? Perhaps you’re still too young. Perhaps you’re a mean-spirited person who has narrow interests. You can still artificially construct your speech by reference to your personal reaction to the topic and how it makes you feel.
Confidence and body language: An audience will always pick up the vibrations of a confident speaker. Not an arrogant speaker who swaggers up to the podium and is ‘full of himself’ but a man or woman who is happy with what he does and is happy to share it with you. Good body language is oh-so-important.
Confidence in speaking comes from practice. Just that. The more speeches you deliver, the more confident you become. It affects how you stand, move, use pauses, introduce humour and so on. It’s always better.
Humour: Do not become a clown, don’t play for laughs but keep up a ‘jaunty’ manner and sometimes put in a humorous incident which happened to you or quote a little joke that applies to the material you’re speaking about.
The speaker who takes himself oh-so-seriously and clearly wants something from you [such as investment] is going to cut no ice. You have to give to get.
Tone: Pitch your manner and substance above the centre. Don’t speak in remote, esoteric terms and equally don’t talk gutter or street talk. Speak of elevated matters but not so elevated that the audience can’t relate to it. After all they’ve come to listen to you because you’re an expert but not someone speaking the language of Mars or Pluto.
Accessibility: Vulnerability is part of this. Speakers are usually terrified of making mistakes, appearing foolish, forgetting their lines, dropping their notes and so on. Providing you know your material and genuinely relate to your audience, any of these errors are going to work for you, rather than against you.
A slight shyness, a tendency to sometimes get it wrong, a word which came out wrongly [oops] – these are welcomed by the audience as showing you’re a real person, not some fabulous, perfect, inaccessible robot.
You have to let the audience in to your soul and any error will engage their sympathy.
Dress: If you are not clean and restrained in your attire, with washed hair and clean shoes, you’re hardly likely to impress, even if it’s a roadworkers meeting. If you’ve seen photos of the old trades literature evenings, they’re always dressed up in smart clothes.
The Oscar Wilde point has relevance here – be well dressed, rather than ‘dressed-up’. What you say should be getting their attention, rather than your latest fashion or chandelier earrings.
And if you insist on bits of metal through your eyebrow or lip, that’s what the audience will be staring at or turning away from, during the entire speech.
Structure: We’ve already discussed the structure of short impromptu speeches:
You need to come into the room already armed with two or three set phrases and one or two difficult words you plan to insert in the speech somewhere. Using cue cards but not notes, the order is:
# Statement of the topic [or maybe you can drop this]
# Personal story or quotation relating to the topic
# There are three things I’d like to say about this. Firstly …
# The other points you wish to make
# Short, sharp ending, leaving the audience with something to think about
Message: You need to leave a message or have used an expression which people will remember long after the speech has finished. The world will little heed nor long remember what we say here today … Remember who said it?
Brevity and point form: An audience does not have sufficient powers of hearing and internalization to remember point after point after point.
They are human and also hungry, with their own daily problems and maybe even a headache or two, so keep your speech to three or four short, sharp points, well delivered.
They can read the full text from your document later, available in the foyer. In the speech, you are only giving the highlights.
The golden rule is to give them only the information they can take in and keep in their heads. This is one of the most critical points in a good speech.
Breathing: Absolutely vital - if you are closed up from nerves, instead of breathing from your diaphragm, the muscles in your neck and throat will become tense.
This can result in a harsh, strained vocal quality. You can’t get enough air to sustain your phrasing, and it will become difficult to control the release of air.
Breathe deeply from your diaphragm twice after standing and before speaking [but don’t make it obvious that you’re doing it]. And if you have the chance – always stand rather than sit.
Voice: Of course this is important and you should use a variety of techniques. Vary the:
# Articulation and clarity – pronouncing ends of and separating words
# Pitch
#Volume
# Rhythm and lyricism
# Speed
# Stress and gestures [closed fingers, open palm, only from the elbows]
# Pauses
Adaptability: Be ready to curtail your speech and wind up quickly, even if half your points still haven’t been made.
Learn to cope with interruptions, the noise of drills and hammering in the room next door and so on with a humorous comment and do the same with hecklers.
Part of this relates to the difficult question asked either innocently or to make you look bad [one of my old tricks with speakers I didn’t like]: If you’re asked something you simply don’t know, don’t bluff but say you’ll find the answer and if the questioner would like to contact you on number …
And do it with a smile – show no annoyance whatsoever. After all, it shows the questioner has at least been listening to you, rather than falling asleep.
Points from various articles I’ve read on the topic of speech giving
4 Great Requirements of Public Speakers
1. Sincerity
2. Knowledge
3. Preparation
4. Practice
A learned speech is unacceptable
Reason #1: It does not allow for a natural delivery; it is difficult to read from a script and sound conversational. There is usually little eye contact, fewer gestures and facial expressions, and a more monotonous voice, plus little rapport with the audience.
"What a waste of time. I could have read this on my own."
Reason #2: A written or learned presentation provides a false sense of security and inhibits flexibility and the ability to change anything at the last minute. Or, when questions interrupt or distract you, a written or learned presenter often finds it difficult to re-find his place and continue.
Know the people in your audience.
Learn as much about them as possible before preparing or presenting the speech. Prepare with the audience in mind. Make sure that your speech fits the audience. Try not to mix languages.
Anxiety
Even experienced speakers become very nervous just before, and up to 30 seconds into, a speech. It is natural but can be controlled. Uncontrolled, it can ruin a good speech.
1. Develop an optimistic attitude
2. Set realistic goals – don’t try to incorporate too much
3. Put yourself in the place of the audience
4. Know that if you feel warm towards them and believe in yourself, they will usually respond.
A poem to finish with
# Serious is boring, ego is a sin, a touch of humour will always win.
# Create suspense, show some style, do some magic, make us smile.
# Move with power, smiling and calm, let your hands flow, with open palm.
# Don’t quote books, don't talk theory, to make them listen - tell a true story.
# Eye contact is an excellent art, use it and reach into every heart.
# Speak with love, speak with tact, speak from the heart and have impact.
posted by James Higham @ 08:32
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