ARTICLES
Leaving a great impression - Businessgyan - Mon, 11 Feb 2008
Speaking in Public is the world’s biggest fear. But for those who know better…. it is an art form that is easily learned. In fact, it takes less than two days to learn effective public speaking. Read on, and you will learn something very valuable.
PREPARATION.
1. Choose a topic that you believe in, and are reasonably confident to speak on. Structure your speech based on your audience profile, and what they would like to learn from you. Always think of your audience’s interest by asking “WIIFM?” (What’s in it for me?) from the audiences point of view.
2. Write your speech out, and remember to work on two powerful lines – to open and close your speech. Practice it in front of a mirror, or in front of a well-wisher or two. Other than your opening and closing lines, do not study your speech verbatim. You should just be very familiar with the flow of your ideas.
3. Keep it short and simple.
This point applies not just for the length of your speech. It is prudent to use short words and simple sentences. Trying to impress them with bombastic words, and convoluted, long-winded, hard-to-understand sentences is futile. Hope you got that? Use short words. Use simple sentences. You’ll be understood easily. Less is always more, in public speaking. The Gettysburg address is one of the shortest speeches in history. Yet, it is acknowledged to be one of the most powerful.
4. Active voice
Your script should be in active voice, and you will be easier to understand. Instead of saying “The book was taken by John.” It is better to say “John took the book”.
5. Write for the Ear.
A good essay generally makes a terrible speech. This is because the essay style of writing is meant for the eye, or to be read. The reader is always free to go back a line or a paragraph, if the message is not clear. However, during a speech, the listener does not have the luxury of going back and listening to you. So write for the ear. A conversational style is easy to listen to, and understand.
DELIVERY.
When D-day arrives, do follow the guidelines listed below, and you will make a great impression on your audience.
1. Dare to share.
Do get up to speak with the intention of sharing your valuable knowledge or interesting view with the audience. If you think that you will be judged or evaluated, you put un-necessary pressure on yourself. People are there to take some valuable information from you.
2. Posture and gait.
How you stand, walk, sit… are all indicators of your state of mind in general, and your confidence in particular. Right from the time your name is announced, people will be watching you, and creating an impression about you. Creating a good first impression helps you take off in style. Stand tall, and hold your head high, but not too high so that you come across as being a little arrogant. Practice in front of a mirror, and you will get an idea of how you would appear to your audience. Using a video recorder and checking the playback is an even better way to check out how exactly you come across as a speaker.
3. Friendly Eye Contact
Look at your audience as your friends. Make eye contact with the most friendly people in your audience. Later you can even connect with the others. Look at people in a friendly manner, and they will reciprocate your sincerity. After all, it is in their interest for you to do well.
4. Facial Expressions.
Your facial expressions are how you convey your mood, or what you are trying to express. If you are speaking about something happy, you should have a happy expression. However, if you speak about something sad, your expression should match that. One area that you may want to work on is the brow area. This is an area which is very expressive, and should be used effectively to indicate the exact mood that you want to express.
5. Gestures.
Hand and arm movements that are used to add clarity to your words, are called gestures. Every good public speaker uses gestures to enhance the overall message that the words are meant to convey. Gestures can broadly be categorized into the following three categories:
a. Indicative gestures indicate direction, size, shape etc. They are also very simple and effective to understand. The outstretched hand could show which way someone went, or where we are expected to sit.
b. Emphatic Gestures create emphasis, and add the punch that accentuates the words. “We should do this NOW!” (while banging your fist on the lectern, or pointing to the floor) adds a lot to the message.
c. Prompting Gestures help people take some action. “Please settle down” could be highlighted by lowering your raised hands in a slow and authoritative manner. “Lets welcome the next speaker” could be augmented by clapping, indicating how the audience is expected to do the welcoming.
6. Pausing and Pacing
Pausing allows your listeners to comprehend what you are saying. The mind requires a certain amount of time to get the message. If there is too short a gap between sentences, you (the speaker) could have gone to the next sentence, while someone (listener) is trying to understand the previous sentence. Sometimes, an important point is lost when it is delivered too quickly. Pausing is particularly important when using humour. Pacing is to maintain a tempo that is appropriate to the mood that you want to convey. You are like the conductor leading an orchestra. Your audience will move and respond to the pace that you set for them.
Lastly, like all skills, initially, things seem uncomfortable, and forced. But with practice, even the most complicated skill can be mastered. So… prepare, practice, perfect and perform!
Ian Faria. (The author is a corporate trainer, motivational speaker, counselor and consultant who specializes in Organizational and Personal Enhancement). faria@a-pep.com
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