Greetings,
Welcome to the August Issue of Speaking-Out-Loud
write-out-loud.com's monthly E-zine to help you effectively 'talk your walk'.
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Happy speaking,
Susan
In this Issue
If you don't have time to read the whole ezine, click on the topic that interests you. This month you will find:
Susan's Spiel
Top Public Speaking Peeves
This month's Article exercises my whinge licence. I haven't used it for awhile but these 5 public speaking peeves gave it a thorough work out.
When you have to read a speech
We all know you shouldn't. But just sometimes you do. How do you read a speech well and keep faith with your audience?
Special Occasion Speeches
Part of the joy of life is being able to contribute positively to special occasions. A powerful way to do that is through speeches.
You'll guidelines and examples for many here including my latest: 50th wedding anniversary speeches
I am always looking for ways to improve the site. If you see any errors or would like to contribute in any way, please accept this invitation to contact me through my About Me page.
I would love to publish your article or write one about you or your business. Just let me know! If your activity or idea fits with the site theme, get in touch.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this month's Speaking-Out-Loud!
Susan
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What are your top public speaking peeves?
These are the ones you observe and get agitated by; the ones you wish people didn't do! Although you understand why they're doing them, it takes away more than it gives to their presentation.
If you're honest, you could probably put your hand up for a few of them yourself. I know I have.
This is my current 5 demons list.
- Failing to practice
Is it procrastination or over-confidence? Whatever the reason, when you haven't rehearsed it shows. You won't have sorted the timing of your speech, know whether your handouts or your accompanying slides work, checked the venue and your equipment properly, thought ahead to the question and answer session if there is one ...
Making time for practices pays off enormously. You find out ahead of time where the weaknesses are and have an opportunity to fix them. Rehearsing is a mark of respect for your audience and yourself. Check this page for how to rehearse tips.
- Controlling body language
Many speakers seem entirely unaware of what they are habitually doing while speaking. Pacing, fiddling with notes, rattling coins in pockets, rolling eyes skyward, or clutching grimly to the lectern all 'talk' very loudly over the top of your intended message.
Gesture that isn't harmonized with your speech content can seriously undermine it by confusing your audience.
To get a handle on what you're actually doing while giving a presentation, rather than what you think you're doing, video tape yourself. You might see all sorts of surprises. I know I have. It can be a humbling exercise but it's a good one.
Click the link to find some more on working with basic body language
- Hiding behind the lectern
If you're using a lectern, please don't hide behind it. Use it to put your notes on and that's all!
Instead of standing directly behind it, place it to one side of you. This makes all the difference as far as the audience is concerned because now they can see you all of you clearly. You've removed the wall or block between them and yourself. The message it gives is one of confidence in yourself and your presentation.
- Going over time
I can't think of anything that makes a meeting organiser more grumpy than speakers going over their allotted time.
It's bad manners and yet it happens over and over again. If you're the first or second speaker on a schedule you may not be impacted but if you're the last, it can be devastating.
You have to cut your presentation and/or deal with a restless audience who want to be somewhere else. In short you're compromised.
Why do people do it? Sometimes it's lack of practice and they're simply unaware of how much time they've taken. Sometimes it's arrogance; assuming that what they've got to offer is more important than sticking to a time limit. And sometimes it's just inconsequential rambling.
To respect timing and work within it you need to practice. It will help you refine and hone your presentations. You'll love the results. You'll find audiences more attentive and your fellow speakers more appreciative!
- Monotone delivery
This one is a killer for me! I tune out so quickly on hearing the same-pitch-and-pace-and-tone-and-volume-on-and-on. It bores me but more than that I wonder whether the speaker is genuine.
If they can't commit some energy to their cause, why should I?
The quickest way to find out whether you send folk to sleep with your voice is to record it and listen. If there is little variation you'll find these vocal variety exercises useful.
Share your grumbles. What's your top peeve and what's your remedy?
There's a place here to air your views. Speaking Out Loud Q & A .
Don't be shy. We'd love to hear from you.
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I know there's a rule that says a speech should never, ever be read. We all know that a 'read' speech doesn't have the impact of one delivered without a script.
But sometimes, for very good reasons, that has to be broken!
Maybe it's because you simply didn't have enough time to practice it. Perhaps it's because the subject matter is extraordinarily complicated and you can't afford to slip up presenting it, or perhaps that's what you've been instructed to do.
In situations like this how can a speaker maintain energy and audience connection while reading?
Here's 5 tips to help.
- Practice reading aloud
Reading aloud well is a skill that you can acquire with practice. Choose a variety of texts (non-fiction: newspaper articles, magazine reports, academic extracts and fiction: children's stories, a short story, a poem or an extract from a novel) to work with.
The pieces need to be long enough for you to practice observing the punctuation and flow of the material.
Recording yourself will help you identify what you've done well and where you need to focus extra effort.
Are you stressing the key words?
Are you letting the punctuation dictate the flow?
Are you using appropriate tonal, pitch, volume and rate variations?
Is your ennunciation clear and accurate?
With practice you should be able to scan ahead, memorizing at least a phrase or two. These you can deliver directly to the audience making eye contact as you do. This will help create audience connection breaking the eyes-down reading monotony.
- Use a lectern for your notes
Rather than holding the script put it on a lectern. This eliminates the temptation to mask your face with it and to rattle its pages. It also leaves you free to use your arms, hands, to gesture, as well as to look directly at the audience.
Make sure you have the lectern placed to one side to avoid hiding behind it. Also check that it's the right height for you before you begin. It needs to be at comfortable eye-level to ensure you're neither looking too far up or down.
- Mark up your script
Ensure you have a copy that is clearly numbered, single sided, double spaced and printed in an easily read font. This makes it much easier to see where to come back to if you've lifted eyes to the audience. The single-side and numbers help you track your progress. As you finish one page turn it over and place it to one side.
If there are essential points to stress highlight them to remind you. If you need to, do the same with breath points. This is really useful if you have long complex sentences to read. Breaking them mid-way through because you've run out of breath will alter their impact and perhaps their meaning.
- Address the audience
Sometimes a script will have notes that talk directly to the audience. It could be a question eg. How many of you have experienced XXX?
These should never be read head down! They need to be made with eye contact other wise there's little point in saying them. By their nature, they are interactive. You have to be looking to get the response.
You'll alienate your audience, underlining the fact that you're reading, if you don't.
- Practice with the script
If you can, do make time to run through the script. If it contains surprises, you'll want to find them before you share them with your audience. It will also give you a chance to gauge timing and vocal variety needs. A 'cold' reading is very hard to pull off. Keep what faith you can with your audience by giving them at the very least a 'luke warm' one.
Even if you become highly skilled at reading a script do bear in mind, this is still not as effective as delivering a presentation without a full set of notes. You will never replicate the immediacy of connection that you can achieve without them.
PS.
Here's an example to illustrate why. It's not a presentation but the comparison still holds. Imagine how you would respond if you went to see a play and the cast used their scripts!
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Most of us at some time during our lives are given opportunities to speak at special occasions: weddings, engagements, funerals, retirements, anniversaries or tributes of varying kinds.
Having some guidelines and an example speech is a great way to kickstart the process of generating your own.
In fact I began 'write-out-loud' five years ago for that very reason. I'd been looking for material on eulogies and couldn't find what I wanted.
Should you need them you'll find pages on:
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Thank you for reading the August Issue of Speaking-Out-Loud. I hope you enjoyed it
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Until next time,
Happy speaking,
Susan
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