CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – AUGUST 28, 2020

CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – AUGUST 28, 2020
Tips for making public speaking easier: PT.1
1. Be prepared
The most important part of a successful presentation happens before you even start talking. Once you do begin speaking, you will be thankful for your fastidious preparation and practice.
Create your presentation with lots of time to spare and make notes on all of the points you want to make for each slide. This time will help you ensure that all the materials you need exist and allow for plenty of practice.
If you are going to use a handout, then make sure you have these ready in advance (this is also a useful backup in case of technical difficulties).
Give your presentation to the mirror, your partner/mum/housemate, video camera. Get feedback and watch the recording. Establish where your difficulties lie and any bad habits you might have. Fix them with more practice or by altering the talk.
If there are any difficult to pronounce words or technical jargon, then make sure you can say them. The correct pronunciation and knowledge of industry language will give you credibility.
2. Command the space

Be aware of your body language. The right physical communication can have a profound impact on how your message is received and interpreted.
Here are some ways to improve your body language:
Face your audience and stand with your feet hip distance apart
Make eye contact, but not for too long! You don’t want to appear creepy
Don’t remain rigid, hiding behind a lectern. Move around freely, but don’t pace. Own the available space on the stage
Avoid crossing your arms, clasping your hands behind or in front of your body or hands in pockets.
Don’t fiddle with anything. Keep your hands free for expressive gesticulation.
3. Channel your inner Patrick Stewart
The tone of your voice and how you talk will have a significant impact on the way your talk is received. To speak clearly and confidently you must become like a classically trained actor (e.g. Shakespearean actor and esteemed Star Trek captain Patrick Stewart). Use the 5 ‘P’s to improve the clarity of your speech:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_0pwjtv5KU[/embedyt]

Projection – Make sure the back of the room can hear, but don’t deafen those at the front.
Pace – Keep a steady pace. Your nerves may encourage you to speak faster to get the ordeal over, but that will make it difficult to understand and dampen your message. Try varying the pace to keep things interesting.
Pitch – Vary your pitch, monotonous voices are boring and difficult to listen to but don’t be over the top. Also, try not to use an upward inflexion at the end of all sentences, it makes you sound like you’re unsure about the things you are saying.
Pronunciation – Don’t mumble. Ensure that all of the syllables are clear. Practice hard to say words and phrases.
Pause – Pausing helps the audience to absorb the information they just heard and gives you time to prepare for the next s ection. It also allows a moment for you to collect your thoughts. Additionally, it is better to be silent then use filler words like ‘um’, ‘ah’ and ‘you know’.
4. Know your audience
People often have to give presentations to a variety of people; from school children to the public, undergraduates and other experts in their field. Ensure that the content, language, tone, body language is appropriate for the audience.
Furthermore, try to understand why the audience is listening. Ask: “what will I gain from listening to this talk?” as if you were in the audience yourself. Be clear about your goal and what the audience should be taking away by attending. Additionally, establish your credibility. Tell your audience why they should listen to you.
Make It A Champion Day!