the fundamentals of public speaking

www.thekeynotespeaker.org

The Fundamentals of Public Speaking

3www.thekeynotespeaker.org

THIS BOOKLET IS PRODUCED BY KEYNOTE SPEAKER LTD

This booklet is provided as part of the Public Speaking and Presenter Training provided by Keynote Speaker Ltd

Produced in the UKWritten by Alan Wherrett


Contents:

6

Introduction to Public Speaking

10

Visual Contact

12

Gestures

14

Conversational Manner

16

Pausing

18

Sense Stress & Emphasis

20

Stories

22

Illustrations

24

Questions

26

PowerPoint & Visual Aids

28

Statistics & Quotes

30

Construction & Order

6

INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC SPEAKINGPublic speaking is a skill in communication which is valued across business and personal aspects of life. Many people fear public speaking, but it is a form of communication that can add real value to your personal and business development as well as building esteem or self worth.

A lack of confidence is a main cause for people to shy away from speaking in public. This may hold them back from progressing in certain aspects of their life, be it work or personal. Some may hold off from promotions or certain avenues of work due to the fear of presenting.

Confidence comes as a result of two important factors: mindset and skill set. An altered mindset can contribute to greater confidence, whilst an increased skill set can help to give colour or interest to your delivery. Your talks or


presentations will then be easier for you to give and more pleasant for your audience to listen to. When you master these necessary skills you will have the confidence to use them in other aspects of life.

MINDSETHow do you feel about public speaking?

Often, those who shy away from public speaking do so because the task seems too daunting, they somehow feel too inferior, or a combination of the two.

The change in mindset:

The task is too daunting Lots of people do it all the time

It is beyond me With training and practice I can do it

I may forget something Will the audience know?

I get nervous I can channel those nerves into something positive

Your mindset can be overcome when you take some of the pressure away from the presentation and keep it in perspective. If you build up the presentation in your mind to be this high pressured and important activity, it could deeply affect the way you compose yourself, causing anxiety to develop even at the thought of a presentation.

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Try and keep a light view of the task in hand, this can help to manage your outlook

i.e. – are you giving an important business pitch or are you talking to colleagues and business contacts about something you do daily?

Developing the latter mindset will take some of the fear factor away, as the more we tell ourselves something, the more we believe it.

Confident speakers who enjoy public speaking usually have a more positive/proactive mindset:

It is a challenge to be met. Not nerves but excitement.If you have to do it, why not try to enjoy it? Don’t over think it!Your mindset can also be overcome when you take focus away from yourself and your feelings and focus your thoughts on the subject of your presentation. Why is it of value to others? What positive impact can it have on your audience? When you think of others, it stops you thinking unduly about yourself.

SKILL SET.What skills do you have? What are your strengths?

A Skill Set is a group of skills that you may already have that can be further developed, or skills you can learn and put into practice. For example, things like gestures, pausing or story telling etc, which can be used to good effect when you present or give speeches.


If you learn actual skills and have the knowledge that you have been taught and trained, then this in itself gives you the confidence that what you are doing is based on solid foundations. When you learn a skill and then practice it until you are confident and proficient, you will then be more comfortable performing this skill in front of others, whatever this skill may be.

When you have these skills in your speaking arsenal, this will provide colour to your delivery making it enjoyable to listen to.

In this booklet we will isolate and analyse some of these fundamental skills that, once learned and practiced, can really add to your ability as a public speaker. Many of these skills are likely things you readily do in conversation daily. This book and the courses that ‘The Keynote Speaker Ltd’ offer, will simply help you to unlock these skills to be used in a natural way in a more public setting.

Public speaking does not have to be something that is feared. In fact, with the right training and the right approach, you can get to the stage where it becomes an interesting and enjoyable part of your career.

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VISUAL CONTACT

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:People find it easier to engage, when they feel they are personally involved.

If you try and make eye contact with as many in the audience as possible you will come across as interested in your audience and give an impression of confidence. Eye contact also helps the listener to trust you as a speaker; it is difficult to trust someone who will not look you in the eye.

It will benefit you as the speaker as it is a useful way to gauge who in the audience is more responsive, and how the audience react as a whole.


HOW TO DO IT:If you need notes, keep them brief so you are not tied to them or constantly looking down. Keep them in a position where it doesn’t take too much movement to glance at them before restoring audience contact. This is why politicians and newsreaders have auto cue’s located near the camera or to the side of a speakers rostrum, so they can easily glance at the notes and maintain good eye contact.

Try not to focus on one person for too long to avoid making them feel uncomfortable; you do not want them to feel singled out. However, if there are a few friendly faces that seem more responsive than others, these are good ones to keep returning to. Faces that give positive feedback will add to your confidence whilst delivering your presentation.

The temptation may be to only look at the faces that give positive feedback. However, if you try to give the audience an equal measure of your time, it will not only allow all to feel engaged, but it may also stimulate some visual feedback as they feel like they are valued as a listener. This may change their disposition from passive to active listening.

An audience default is to be more passive than during a normal conversation, which means that as a speaker, you have to be active in your delivery to initiate response. Maintaining eye contact is key to doing this.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:Gestures are a natural part of speaking in day-to-day conversation, whether it is with our hands, our facial expressions or our entire body. We use gestures to communicate.

When thrown into the domain of having an audience, you may become more conscious of your hands and movements and may generally feel more awkward.

However, the more natural your gestures are, the more natural your delivery is likely to be. The more natural the delivery, the more enjoyable it will be to watch and to listen to. Conversely, if you don’t gesture or are awkward, then it will show and could lead the audience to feel uncomfortable too.

GESTURES


HOW TO DO IT:Watch yourself in day-to-day speech with family and friends and take note of what you do with your hands, arms, body and even face. Try to replicate this as close as possible when you are in front of an audience, if it’s appropriate.

When you practice your presentation, you may find it beneficial to do it in front of a mirror so that you can see what you look like, what feels natural, and what looks normal. Then, remember to try and do it freely and as naturally as possible when speaking. This tip may not work for everyone as some feel uncomfortable watching themselves.

The two main types of gestures are 1- Emphatic gestures

2- Descriptive gestures

Emphatic gestures communicate feelings and add emotion to what you are saying. When someone is passionate about something they may clench their fist. Some use a point or a pinch to add emphasis.

Descriptive gestures communicate different words or ideas and give them meaning. For example, some may raise their hand when talking about height or use both hands to show a size.

Facial expression is also an important part of non-verbal communication, as what our face shows can convey how we feel about a subject.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: Being spoken to is nicer than being spoken at. Listening to someone engage in a conversation is far more appealing than listening to someone who comes across preachy or dogmatic.

It is also more comfortable to a listener if the speaker speaks in a way that is natural and every day, only using business terms or jargon when necessary to make your talk specific rather than generic.

Naturalness is also important to help the audience feel at ease, rather than them being distracted about how you look or sound when you are in front of them.

CONVERSATIONAL & NATURAL SPEECH


HOW TO DO IT:Think of the message you want to get across. Think about the audience and imagine that they have an interest in your subject but are not in the industry. What word choice would you use to help them understand the subject in a way that does not sound (a)-patronising but (b)- does not confuse them with over-complicated speech? Answer? Aim for somewhere safely in the middle. A complex subject does not have to be delivered in a complex manner. A really good speaker can talk on a complex subject and make it sound simple. Using simple speech will make it more inclusive.

To help it feel more conversational, it is very effective to use questions to keep the audience with you. So, rather than you telling them everything, you can guide their thoughts along with the direction of your presentation, helping them to feel involved and spoken to , not spoken at.

Think of your choice of words. Is there too much business jargon or are there words which could be replaced with something more audience friendly? You want your presentation to be powerful and understandable, whilst also not being too vague, overly complex or generic.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: Pausing is a very important aspect of public speaking; sometimes a speaker may feel uncomfortable with long silences but pausing allows your audience to understand and think about what you are saying.

Pauses also allow your audience to respond mentally and it helps them to feel involved. If a speaker talks too fast and does not pause, then the material will feel rushed and the information will not be readily understood or heard. A well placed pause can also allow you as the speaker to gather your thoughts and compose yourself.

PAUSING


HOW TO DO IT:A pause before you begin your presentation allows you to take a breath, feel a little more settled and connect with your audience.

Pauses during the talk should have a purpose, not just pausing after every word or every sentence, as this will make your delivery sound jerky and uncomfortable. Pausing should occur quite naturally, a little like punctuation in literature, to help you to balance the delivery of your talk and make it easier for your listener.

Comma and full stop – short pause

New paragraph or thought – longer pause

Pauses can be used to provide impact too. If you make an important statement, a pause, either before or after or both, can create suspense and add power to that statement. The same is true when using questions; a pause before can prepare the listeners mind, while a pause after the question will give your listener time to think on the question. This will also help your listener to feel included in your presentation.

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SENSE STRESS & PROPER EMPHASIS

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:There is a common saying: ‘it is not what you say but how you say it’ and this is true in daily conversation as well as speaking from a podium. If you place emphasis on the right word, phrase or sentence, it can really add to the meaning and impact of the statement being made. If there is no emphasis, and the delivery of your talk is very monotone, it will be difficult for your audience to notice or remember main points, and it may even cause your audiences’ minds to wander.

Good emphasis can really make your main points stand out and be memorable.


HOW TO DO IT:Think about the structure of your talk and the things you will need to say, and try to make your main or important points stand out. There are a variety of ways to do this, whether it is through the pitch, pace or power of your voice. Sometimes simply by saying things with extra volume will make the main thought stand out. Putting extra volume and enthusiasm or feeling into key words or phrases can really help them to be noticeable and memorable.

If you adjust the speed of delivery, such as being more deliberate and slowing down for important points, this too can have the same effect. Increasing your pace and volume can also have the effect of conveying enthusiasm, giving life to your talk. Your tone is another contributor to the effectiveness of your delivery, as a varying tone will be easier to listen to than a monotone delivery.

By putting stress on different words, even within one sentence, can completely change the meaning behind the sentence. For example:

‘I Didn’t Know He Was Going To Be Fired’

Repeat this phrase and stress a different word each time. This sentence could carry potentially 8 different reasons for the statement.

If you stress the word ‘I,’ then that may suggest you may be the last to know this information or that you didn’t know at all.

Whereas if you stressed the word ‘Didn’t,’ then it would give the sense that your knowledge of this fact was in question. And so on...

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:From birth, we are used to listening to stories; our brains are used to and enjoy listening to stories. We also remember pictures and mental imagery much better than facts and figures.

A well told punchy story, with a close link to the subject or a clear moral, can save you from explaining something detailed in a cold and factual way. This will make a presentation more interesting and memorable.

STORIES


HOW TO DO IT:Think of the point that you want to make. Does it relate to something most people will be familiar with? Is it an experience you may have had? Or something that is easy to imagine? Use the story to illustrate your point.

Do not get carried away with the story, however, as a long and boring tale can meander aimlessly and lose the attention of your audience. If you do, you may lose the point of the story. Also, make sure that the story being told actually fits the situation that you want to talk about, so that people are not trying to find the link. You want them to readily draw accurate comparisons and conclusions.

It is unlikely that you will have a story or experience to cover every situation, but a fictional one with a clear strong message can also have the same impact.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:Illustrations are much like stories in that they add interest or flavour to a talk; they also help to engage the audience’s imagination. When reading a story, you use your imagination to lift it off the page. The same is true when you listen to a speaker, where listening to interesting illustrations can bring the talk to life.

You might use similes, analogies or metaphors to draw comparisons, or you can help your audience to see a point more clearly with something that is very familiar to them.

ILLUSTRATIONS


HOW TO DO IT:Give your subject a lot of thought and ask yourself, if someone knows nothing about the subject, what would help them understand it? What is it similar to? How can I explain it in a way the listener can visualize? What would my audience know about, that they would find easier to imagine than what I am talking about?

A classic example of this is seen in the film ‘BIG,’ where Tom Hanks tries to explain algebra to a teen using American Football scoring.

Illustration types include:

Similies – something is like or similar to... e.g. ‘life is like a box of chocolates’

Metaphors – when you describe something as being something else e.g. life is a rollercoaster

Hyperbole – an exaggerated statement to highlight a point e.g. a brain the size of a pea

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:The only way someone will remember a topic or enjoy a talk is when they (a)- understand it and (b)- feel involved. Questions are excellent ways to get people involved. Rhetorical, viewpoint or even some closed questions can get the listener involved and thinking about the question posed in relation to what you are saying and what they already know.

QUESTIONS


HOW TO DO IT:If you are delivering a talk on a difficult topic and you are able to interact with the audience, asking questions can ensure that the audience is with you and understands. Questions help not only to aid the memory, they can also encourage the audience to make application of what they are listening to.

Viewpoint questions are often the best type to use as they will stimulate thinking and help the audience to feel a part of your presentation.

Involving them in visual aids is also good, especially on complex charts or graphs. By asking what they perceive or what the data suggests to them, you will learn how much they understand. As a result, you are then in a position to know whether to go into more depth on the matter.

Closed questions, yes or no, are effective if you want a hands up situation or some kind of audience participation

If people react negatively to your questions, this gives you an opportunity to express yourself in a different way or to give a more thorough explanation in order for your audience to understand.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:The more senses involved in absorbing information, the more likely your audience will be inclined to remember. PowerPoint presentations can be an effective way to aid memory...... but they have their limitations.

Other visual aids can do the same thing.

If you have an interesting illustration and something tangible that the audience can see and relate to, it will make your presentation more memorable and your point more understandable.

The danger lies when there is an overuse of these things and the quality of presentation is lost behind a mass of needless pictures and slides.

POWERPOINT & VISUAL AIDS


HOW TO DO IT:A PowerPoint presentation is not a speaker’s notes! If this is your job, hobby or passion and you cannot talk about it without relying too heavily on a PowerPoint, then you may need to ask yourself whether you actually know your topic.

A PowerPoint can aid you in remembering an order of things if the presentation is lengthy. However, slides should only be shown if they add to the information you are speaking about or if they help the audience understand a topic better. Remember, if you need notes, keep them brief. A graph may be a powerful visual tool to see a developing trend or a sharp contrast.

Do not read from a PowerPoint presentation, it is boring and pointless. If it is vital for the wording to be exact and remembered then it may be more beneficial to put it in a handout. Reading information on countless slides would be viewed by the audience as poor presentation skills- they are quite capable of reading for themselves.

Focus on your material in your presentation, after all, what you have to say is the most important part of it. If you give the impression that you need to rely on a PowerPoint to get you through, your audience may lose confidence in you and even question your knowledge of the subject.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:Statistics can be a vital piece of information to include into a presentation; they can add a lot of weight to a point being made. If you are trying to show business trends and have results of a survey at your fingertips, your audience can see for themselves the proof you have for exhorting them to take a particular course.

Quotes can also be effective for a similar reason. Many people are influenced by outside sources, so for instance, a manager wishing to show his staff it is not just his opinion that a certain course of action be followed, then a quote

STATS & QUOTES


from an external source could be helpful. In fact, quotes from famous people or excerpts from well-known speeches or sayings can add interest to almost any presentation.

HOW TO DO IT:Think carefully about what you aim to achieve in your presentation, then make sure the statistics you use contribute to this. If they show a slightly different point to what you are talking about, or they do not apply specifically to what you are saying, then the point of the statistic may be lost.

When using statistics you also need to ensure they are factual and not made up or are from an unreliable source.

Using quotes is also an area of caution; if you add a quote simply for interest but it has only a tenuous link to the subject under discussion, it can take impact away from the presentation. Also it will be easy for your audience to lose the point of the presentation with too much cloudy information distracting from your main message.

Remember, with smartphones and fast internet connection, people in the audience can check what you say as you say it. Make sure what you say is accurate.

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WHY IT’S IMPORTANT:When delivering a presentation, you want to ensure that the information you have is remembered. If you have no order or logical development to your presentation it can be difficult to follow and remember. You also run the risk of repeating yourself unnecessarily. If you have an outline in a clear logical order, the main points will be remembered as they flow naturally from one point to another.

CONSTRUCTION & ORDER


HOW TO DO IT:Think of the theme of your presentation, the main points that need to be included and the best way to talk them through. Link them together. Do your main points need to be explained using examples? If so, think of how many you actually need instead of using many examples to make the same point. This would make it boring for the listener.

Always have a Beginning, Middle and an End.

This sounds obvious, but your beginning or intro should introduce the topic and build anticipation for the material to be discussed.

Your content should be well put together and follow a logical order, so choose what fits the material best.

Some orders include:

Topical Arrangement

Chronological Order

Cause and Effect

Problem and Solution

Order of Importance

You should always have a strong conclusion that is well practiced with a definite call to action. This needs to be something that you want the listener to do or remember.

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the fundamentals of public speaking

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