Public speaking is an activity almost everyone engages in, whether delivering prepared remarks to a business group, addressing a board of directors, leading a homeowners' association meeting or talking to a Little League team after a particularly good (or bad) game. Because speaking in public has this universality I thought it would be a good way to launch the blog by relating what I've learned through experience in the hope you will find my insights relevant and useful. I also invite you to share your stories with me.
If you are new to public speaking the first few opportunities can be daunting, but over time the experience will get to be less stressful and more fun. Having said that, just as in golf where you might practice a lot but all you are doing is grooving a bad swing, it is possible to give lots of speeches and never get better at it. It takes commitment and hard work to improve public speaking skills.
Three quick points: First, you are speaking presumably because you have something of value to say to a group of people who want to hear what you have to say. Second, the audience wants you to succeed--they are on your side and want to pay attention to the content of your remarks, not feel uncomfortable and distracted by a poorly organized or delivered presentation. Third, because you know more than the audience does and they want to learn from you, decide in advance what the two or three key take-aways should be. Then organize your thoughts accordingly.
The audience will learn those key points if you take your opportunity seriously, speak with enthusiasm and keep your remarks interesting and on point. You'll know you are making progress as a speaker when the podium becomes invisible to you and to the audience during your conversation with them.
One relevant maxim is "the mind of man can only absorb what the seat can endure". The late Fidel Castro was notorious for giving speeches lasting two to three hours, which he could do because he was a dictator. But it's not acceptable for anyone else. Fit your comments into the time frame allotted. Even if there are no stated time limits use common sense. A few minutes is plenty of time to give a pep talk to a Little League team. Prepared remarks to a professional group might go 20 minutes, 25 tops. There's something wrong if you can't edit your comments to fit into a 20 - 25 minute time frame.
Because you do know more about the topic(s) than the audience does it might be tempting to throw everything but the kitchen sink into your presentation. Don't bite that apple. Less is more. If anyone wants greater detail than you presented, they can get in touch with you or obtain copies of your slides from the host organization.. Remember, you are speaking to the entire group, not solely to one or two intensely curious individuals.
The audience does not know what they don't know, so it is all right if you skip parts of your prepared remarks, either accidentally or deliberately (for instance, if you think you are running out of time). The audience has no way of knowing if you skipped something. It probably took me several years of public speaking, including frequent testimony before the U.S. Congress, before I cured myself of trying to force-feed too much information into time-constrained presentations.
Several future posts will cover the Do's and Don'ts of preparing public presentations.
If you are new to public speaking the first few opportunities can be daunting, but over time the experience will get to be less stressful and more fun. Having said that, just as in golf where you might practice a lot but all you are doing is grooving a bad swing, it is possible to give lots of speeches and never get better at it. It takes commitment and hard work to improve public speaking skills.
Three quick points: First, you are speaking presumably because you have something of value to say to a group of people who want to hear what you have to say. Second, the audience wants you to succeed--they are on your side and want to pay attention to the content of your remarks, not feel uncomfortable and distracted by a poorly organized or delivered presentation. Third, because you know more than the audience does and they want to learn from you, decide in advance what the two or three key take-aways should be. Then organize your thoughts accordingly.
The audience will learn those key points if you take your opportunity seriously, speak with enthusiasm and keep your remarks interesting and on point. You'll know you are making progress as a speaker when the podium becomes invisible to you and to the audience during your conversation with them.
One relevant maxim is "the mind of man can only absorb what the seat can endure". The late Fidel Castro was notorious for giving speeches lasting two to three hours, which he could do because he was a dictator. But it's not acceptable for anyone else. Fit your comments into the time frame allotted. Even if there are no stated time limits use common sense. A few minutes is plenty of time to give a pep talk to a Little League team. Prepared remarks to a professional group might go 20 minutes, 25 tops. There's something wrong if you can't edit your comments to fit into a 20 - 25 minute time frame.
Because you do know more about the topic(s) than the audience does it might be tempting to throw everything but the kitchen sink into your presentation. Don't bite that apple. Less is more. If anyone wants greater detail than you presented, they can get in touch with you or obtain copies of your slides from the host organization.. Remember, you are speaking to the entire group, not solely to one or two intensely curious individuals.
The audience does not know what they don't know, so it is all right if you skip parts of your prepared remarks, either accidentally or deliberately (for instance, if you think you are running out of time). The audience has no way of knowing if you skipped something. It probably took me several years of public speaking, including frequent testimony before the U.S. Congress, before I cured myself of trying to force-feed too much information into time-constrained presentations.
Several future posts will cover the Do's and Don'ts of preparing public presentations.
I always work to improve and your points are good.
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