Making a Good Speech-Communication Skills-Lecture Handout | Exercises Communication and Presentation Skills

Communication Skills – MCM 301 VU

Lesson 19

Making a Good Speech

Keep your audience in mind: Because your audience cannot "rehear" ideas, once you have stated

them, look for ways to help your audience easily follow your ideas.

Speak slowly, vigorously, and enthusiastically. Be sure you enunciate your words carefully,

particularly if you are addressing a large group. Maintain a conversational style. Talk with the audience,

not at them.

Use gestures to accentuate points. Move your body deliberately to aid you in announcing major

transition points. In short, avoid standing transfixed before your audience.

Maintain eye contact with your audience. Doing so helps you keep your listeners involved in what

you are saying. If you look at the ceiling, the floor, the corners of the room, your audience may sense a

lack of self-confidence. Lack of eye contact also tends to lessen your credibility. In contrast, consistent

eye contact enhances the importance of the message. By looking at your audience, you can often sense

their reaction to what you are saying and make adjustments in your presentation if necessary. Be careful;

do not lock eyes with individual members.

Do not memorize your presentation, and do not write your presentation. Otherwise, your speech will

sound as if you are reading it. Use brief notes, written on one page, if possible. Use colored pens to

highlight points. Avoid note cards and several pages of notes. If you suddenly forget what you are trying

to say, and if you have several pages of notes, you can easily lose track of where you are in your notes. If

possible, type the outline of your presentation on one sheet of paper. If you do forget what you are going

to say, a quick glance will usually refresh your memory.

Rehearse your presentation until you are comfortable. Try walking around, speaking each segment

and then speaking aloud the entire presentation. Rephrase ideas that are difficult for you to say--these will

likely be hard for your audience to follow. Be sure to time your presentation so that it does not exceed the

time limit. Keep your presentation as short as possible. Therefore, avoid adding information to your

presentation (and your outline) as your rehearse.

If possible, record your speech. Listen to what you have said as objectively as possible. As you

listen, consider the main issues of audience, purpose, organization, context, content, and style. Listen for

tone, attitude, and clarity. Is the tone you project appropriate for your audience and your purpose? Is each

sentence easy to understand? Are you speaking too rapidly? Are the major divisions in your presentation

easy to hear? Are any sentences difficult to understand?

If possible, become familiar with the room where you will give the presentation so that you will have

some sense about how loudly you should talk and how people will be seated. Also check out for size,

temperature, cleanliness, and proper lighting.

Try not to provide the audience handout material before you begin. To do so encourages your

audience to read rather than listen. If you must provide written material, be sure the material is

coordinated with your presentation. That way, you have a better chance of keeping your audience's

attention on what you are saying.

No matter what type of presentation you are giving, your ultimate success as a speaker and the success of

the presentation depends on your establishing credibility with your audience. Guidelines on planning,

structuring, and delivering the presentations are important because they are designed to build your

credibility with your audience. However, no amount of planning and organization will substitute for

practice, which builds confidence. Practice also enhances and displays your planning and the value of

your ideas.

Overcoming stage freight

Everyone experiences stage fright, speech anxiety, or fear of the audience. Surveys show that fear of

speaking in front of people is one of the greatest fears people have.

The following lists some techniques people use for coping with this freight:

Know the room. Be familiar with where you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and

practice using the microphone and any visual aids.

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Lesson 19

Making a Good Speech

 Keep your audience in mind : Because your audience cannot "rehear" ideas, once you have stated them, look for ways to help your audience easily follow your ideas.  Speak slowly, vigorously, and enthusiastically. Be sure you enunciate your words carefully, particularly if you are addressing a large group. Maintain a conversational style. Talk with the audience, not at them.  Use gestures to accentuate points. Move your body deliberately to aid you in announcing major transition points. In short, avoid standing transfixed before your audience.  Maintain eye contact with your audience. Doing so helps you keep your listeners involved in what you are saying. If you look at the ceiling, the floor, the corners of the room, your audience may sense a lack of self-confidence. Lack of eye contact also tends to lessen your credibility. In contrast, consistent eye contact enhances the importance of the message. By looking at your audience, you can often sense their reaction to what you are saying and make adjustments in your presentation if necessary. Be careful; do not lock eyes with individual members.  Do not memorize your presentation , and do not write your presentation. Otherwise, your speech will sound as if you are reading it. Use brief notes, written on one page, if possible. Use colored pens to highlight points. Avoid note cards and several pages of notes. If you suddenly forget what you are trying to say, and if you have several pages of notes, you can easily lose track of where you are in your notes. If possible, type the outline of your presentation on one sheet of paper. If you do forget what you are going to say, a quick glance will usually refresh your memory.  Rehearse your presentation until you are comfortable. Try walking around, speaking each segment and then speaking aloud the entire presentation. Rephrase ideas that are difficult for you to say--these will likely be hard for your audience to follow. Be sure to time your presentation so that it does not exceed the time limit. Keep your presentation as short as possible. Therefore, avoid adding information to your presentation (and your outline) as your rehearse.  If possible, record your speech. Listen to what you have said as objectively as possible. As you listen, consider the main issues of audience, purpose, organization, context, content, and style. Listen for tone, attitude, and clarity. Is the tone you project appropriate for your audience and your purpose? Is each sentence easy to understand? Are you speaking too rapidly? Are the major divisions in your presentation easy to hear? Are any sentences difficult to understand?  If possible, become familiar with the room where you will give the presentation so that you will have some sense about how loudly you should talk and how people will be seated. Also check out for size, temperature, cleanliness, and proper lighting.  Try not to provide the audience handout material before you begin. To do so encourages your audience to read rather than listen. If you must provide written material, be sure the material is coordinated with your presentation. That way, you have a better chance of keeping your audience's attention on what you are saying. No matter what type of presentation you are giving, your ultimate success as a speaker and the success of the presentation depends on your establishing credibility with your audience. Guidelines on planning, structuring, and delivering the presentations are important because they are designed to build your credibility with your audience. However, no amount of planning and organization will substitute for practice, which builds confidence. Practice also enhances and displays your planning and the value of your ideas. Overcoming stage freight Everyone experiences stage fright, speech anxiety, or fear of the audience. Surveys show that fear of speaking in front of people is one of the greatest fears people have. The following lists some techniques people use for coping with this freight: Know the room. Be familiar with where you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.

Know the audience. Greet some of them as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers. Know your material. If you're not familiar or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary. Relax. Ease tension by doing exercises. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail. Don't apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologise for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Turn nervousness into positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm. Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. Types of Speech Informative Speech Informative speaking offers you an opportunity to practice your researching, writing, organizing, and speaking skills. You will learn how to discover and present information clearly. If you take the time to thoroughly research and understand your topic, to create a clearly organized speech, and to practice an enthusiastic, dynamic style of delivery, you can be an effective "teacher" during your informative speech. Finally, you will get a chance to practice a type of speaking you will undoubtedly use later in your professional career. The purpose of the informative speech is to provide interesting, useful, and unique information to your audience. By dedicating yourself to the goals of providing information and appealing to your audience, you can take a positive step toward succeeding in your efforts as an informative speaker. Types of informative speeches : Objects, processes, events, concepts These categories provide an effective method of organizing and evaluating informative speeches. Although they are not absolute, these categories provide a useful starting point for work on your speech. In general, you will use four major types of informative speeches. While you can classify informative speeches many ways, the speech you deliver will fit into one of four major categories. Informative speeches about objects Speeches about objects focus on things existing in the world. Objects include, among other things, people, places, animals, or products. Because you are speaking under time constraints, you cannot discuss any topic in its entirety. Instead, limit your speech to a focused discussion of some aspect of your topic. Informative Speeches about Processes Speeches about processes focus on patterns of action. One type of speech about processes, the demonstration speech, teaches people "how-to" perform a process. More frequently, however, you will use process speeches to explain a process in broader terms. This way, the audience is more likely to understand the importance or the context of the process. Informative Speeches about Events Speeches about events focus on things that happened, are happening, or will happen. When speaking about an event, remember to relate the topic to your audience. A speech chronicling history is informative, but you should adapt the information to your audience and provide them with some way to use the information. As always, limit your focus to those aspects of an event that can be adequately

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 the change will benefit them more than it will cost them. Consider the costs to the audience in terms of money, time commitment, energy, and skill.  the change meets their needs. Needs vary in different communities, in different schools, and in different individuals.  suggested change is approached gradually in the talk. Move from arguments which the audience will find most acceptable to those which the audience will find more difficult to accept. Ceremonial Speeches Such speeches are: tributes, acceptance, inspiration, after-dinner, & master of ceremonies.

Making a Good Speech-Communication Skills-Lecture Handout, Exercises of Communication and Presentation Skills

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Lesson 19

Making a Good Speech

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