Public Speaking Basics

You tried to avoid this class but your advisor said you need it to graduate. You dread the thought of speaking in front of a large group. It’s too much to bear. How will you survive this public speaking class? I’ve learned a thing or two in my time as a student and instructor, so let’s break down this daunting subject with the hopes of making it bearable. You just may learn a thing or two to make the experience less painful. Let’s start with what’s likely to be your first concern. 1.) What to do about anxiety You may think you’re one of very few people affected by public speaking anxiety. This couldn’t be more wrong! It’s entirely normal to get stressed out or even paralyzed with fear before an upcoming speech. Anxiety is often a sign that you care, and that’s a good thing. Harness that anxious energy towards preparing your notes and rehearsing your delivery. In this way, anxiety can be beneficial. But public speaking anxiety is extremely uncomfortable and we...

Reading and writing have become increasingly difficult in a world with fewer quiet spaces. Some people claim to enjoy working in an active and energetic environment like a coffee shop. Noise may help spark ideas for those individuals. But my view is that noise pollution is one of the biggest hurdles for most people trying to focus on any project. I have a lot of empathy for students who struggle with procrastination. How is anyone supposed to write a speech or study with so much noise going on around them? Most of the schools I teach at are in densely packed cities. I assume that most students also live in compact apartments or houses on busy streets that are full of noise at all hours of the day and night. I recall the hopelessness of trying to find somewhere quiet to read a complex and long article or to write a ten-page paper while I was in school. One of the best investments I ever made was a pair of industrial earmuffs from amazon (shown in picture). I acquired my ...

You don’t become an amazing speaker overnight. It takes years to develop strong public speaking skills. Some people are lucky enough to gain sufficient speaking skills without much effort. Maybe they’ve always been gregarious. Perhaps they grew up in a big family where speaking in front of everyone was the norm. It’s also possible they were in extracurricular activities like sports or theater where they developed confidence. But most people are not lucky enough to have developed speaking skills without significant effort. The majority of folks require lots of intervention if they want to speak well. A common misconception about speech is that some people are just born to be great at public speaking. This is not true! Nobody is born speaking fluently and effectively. Sure, it comes easier to some than others depending on their predispositions and upbringing. But an amazing speaker gets that way over a long period of time. Speaking well may seem like a normal thing that everybod...

Any worthwhile speech should address the fundamental question of  "who cares?" Your audience could be doing any number of things instead of listening to you speak (and isn’t that what we're all thinking when we're listening?). You must convince them that what you have to say is worth listening to before a crowd of people will give you their full and undivided attention. I don’t mean to make light of any person or any topic. Actually, I think anytime someone is speaking to a crowd, they’ve put a lot of thought into it and it’s admirable that they’re putting themselves 'out there' by presenting their work to other people. I only take issue when speakers don’t clearly convey why the audience should pay any attention to their speech. As someone who has literally sat through thousands of speeches, I can tell you that it’s extremely difficult to listen to someone discuss something that you aren’t particularly interested in or can't relate to at all. Sometime...

Chances are that if you are reading this, you are also breathing... It's so basic that we tend not to think about it too much. This may be why people tend to forget to breathe in speech. It's frustrating to have sat through countless speeches and to still see one recurring issue - people rush through their speech while hardly taking a proper breath. It's difficult to watch somebody push through their entire presentation while short of breath. I sometimes want to stop a speaker dead in their tracks and tell them to take a breath! It's hard to focus on what someone is saying if it looks like they're struggling to speak with such short breathing. Don't forget to breathe during your speech. Take a deep breath before you begin. Wait a moment before moving on to each of your next points. Avoid rushing through your entire speech. Breathe deeply throughout your presentation. Give your audience a chance to catch up to your message. Take one deep breath to calm ...

Public Speaking is not about you, it’s about your audience. A lot of hang ups we have about public speaking revolve around the attention we place on ourselves during or in preparation for a speech. It should be a big relief to know that people don’t care about you nearly as much as they care about themselves. That’s why it’s important to shift your attention from the typical self-centered thoughts to how you can help your audience. Remember the saying that, “It’s better to give than to receive.” The concept of generosity certainly applies to speech. That said, there are two major benefits to shifting your focus from you to the audience: 1. Anxiety Reduction It’s very stressful, worrying too much about how good your speech will be. We naturally tend think about how smart we will sound, how good we will look, will they notice nerves etc. But instead of focusing on how much the speech matters to you, consider what your audience might have to gain from your speech? You m...

Speakers face various challenges when it comes to preparing for a speech. Of all the challenges, perhaps the most overwhelming task is simply the act of getting started! Procrastination may have its place in certain situations but it is a bane to public speakers. You have to put one foot in front of the other and begin somewhere. You don’t have to complete the whole speech in a single sitting. Nevertheless, you must know how to get started! So here are some tips to help you take the first steps towards creating the bulk your speech. 1. Review your instructions, task or assignment carefully. Read this over and contemplate it carefully so you know exactly what your goal is. 2. Create a blank word document on your desktop. Name it “Speech X” if you don’t have any better ideas. (Obviously use pen and paper if you work better that way!) 3. Write down your ideas. Don’t have any ideas? Put down whatever comes to your mind! Free write whatever random thoughts you may be havi...

I can easily understand why any shy person would dread having to give a speech. It’s a lot of pressure, all eyes are on you and you must perform a really challenging task. I began my study of speech precisely because I felt that way when I was younger. But it’s important to remember that there’s nothing inherently wrong with being shy! Yes, it will absolutely hold you back in some instances. But you can learn to speak effectively despite being a shy person. In fact, this trait can even serve as an asset in speech. Susan Cain’s popular ted talk Thepower of introverts and her book Quiet shed much light on this subject, though more broadly. And I see time and time again how different personality types handle public speaking. I’ve seen many students give incredible speeches despite seeming quite shy. It’s possible that shyness can even drive some people to put more effort into their speeches. It may cause a person to care more about the assignment. I don’t reckon shyness eve...