PUBLIC SPEAKING

PRESENTATION:

SKILLS AND STRATEGIES:

ABSTRACT:
The ability to speak before a group of people is a valuable asset as well as an
important talent. Like an actor or actress on stage, a public speaker carries his
audience along or disappoints both himself and the audience. Public speaking
and speech delivery is not an all-comers affair. The skills and strategies needed
to deliver a speech are needed to be acquired by everyone irrespective of the
person's field of endeavour. It is often said that there is nothing more important
to one's education than knowing how to express oneself. Public speaking is easy
if the public speaker allows it to be. In any case, there are few pointers that one
needs to know which make public and speech presentation less difficult. Above
all, the public speaker must know his audience thoroughly in terms of their
needs, attitudes, background, interest, etc.

There is no gainsaying the fact that man is not an island, and for this reason,
there is a need for social interaction. Like an actor or an actress on stage, the
public speaker performs excellently well and succeeds in carrying his audience
along, or performs poorly and fails to get across and really capture the attention
of his audience. In effect, he ends up disappointing both himself as well as his
listeners who invariably needs to get something important from him.

It is, therefore, important at this juncture to point out that the ability to speak
before a group of people is a valuable talent as well as an important asset which
one needs to have in order to perform the task ahead of him perfectly well. As
Ngwu succinctly puts it: Speech communication or speaking is a specialized
form of communication, which requires careful study. It is not necessarily an all
corners affair, though every healthy person makes a thousand and one or so
utterances daily. Most often, this is done without paying much attention to the
standard form of organized sound production.... Speaking mirrors us and serves
as a formidable tool for others to judge us. Wrong presentation of speeches may
give wrong impression of what we intend or what we are.

Public speaking is all about sharing information, ideas or opinions on a

particular issue of interest and importance to your audience. In other words, the
major task of a public speaker is to hold his audience's interest and attention on
a given topic for a stipulated period 15 of time.
Unfortunately, a brilliant person may fail in speech presentation even with his
brilliant phrases. In public speaking, the- speech serves as the pivot of the basic
things: the speaker, the subject under discussion and the audience whom the
speech is meant for.

According to Ezeukwu, "Public communication or speaking is a third concentric

setting face -to-face communication in which one person speaks while a
considerable number of other people listen". Invariably, this exchange of
message is usually between a person who is referred to as the speaker or the
source for he receives the stimulus and acts on it while the remaining others just
play a complimentary role which is to listen to the speaker. However, in some
cases, the members of the audience, in addition to playing a complementary role,
make their own contributions in terms of further discussions or asking
questions.

Speaking can be said to be a natural trait of human beings; just as cows are
endowed with the ability to moo and dogs to bark, in the same vein the human
species are endowed with the ability to talk or speak for they are regarded as the
talking animal. However, there is need for skills and strategies needed in the
preparation and delivery of speeches. There is no gainsaying the fact that a good
speech requires careful preparation. This is because a lot of things are involved
in it. Basically, the speaker should have the ability to persuade; one cannot be
effective in public speaking and speech presentation without having the ability to
influence or persuade or make the other people to see things the way he is seeing
them. This needs a lot of convictions. Sproule therefore is of the view that
persuasion is an audience-centered aspect of human communication; to convince
people, one needs to know the best way to adapt his message to the needs,
dispositions, values, expectations and attitudes of his
audience.

First of all, a public speaker needs to have self confidence--in this case, a self
confidence that is based on skill in a particular subject or a given topic. There
are, of course, necessary steps in preparing and delivery a speech. The essentials
of public speaking, therefore, cannot be over emphasized. Whether one is a
lawyer, banker, engineer, teacher, doctor or what have you, he needs to be
abreast with the skills and strategies needed for public speaking. It is often said
that there is nothing more important to one's education than knowing how to
express oneself. One may have valuable ideas or information, but such ideas or
information will remain useless if the person who has such ideas cannot express
himself.

As professionals in every field of human endeavour, we do not only have to have

a mastery of the subject matter, but will also need to have the ability to publicly
present that knowledge or ideas of ours to other people.
The success of performing this feat depends upon three important factors:
discovering what to do, learning to do it and doing it properly. The greatest
problem lies in the fact that when a person (especially a non-professional) is
assigned to prepare a speech for delivery, he if care is not taken usually fails.
Instead of seeing the task ahead of him in terms of a series of steps to be
approached step by step, he conceives the completed speech at the very
beginning.

The first thought that comes to most people is that the task ahead of them is a
formidable one. But one thing is certain in public speaking and speech
presentation: public speaking is very easy if the speaker allows it to be; once he
removes the walls of inhibitions around him, public speaking is not just easy but
interesting. That is why a non-professional is afraid of it but the professional
wants more of it.

Preparing a speech to be delivered entails three things:

a. Gathering the materials needed for the speech,

b. Writing out the speech,
c. Deliver/the prepared speech.

The above-mentioned points can be followed in a situation where the speaker

has been given a particular topic to prepare. If, on the other hand, he is not
given any particular topic and probably he is left with an option of selecting the
topic himself, then there is need to first of all, consider choosing an appropriate
subject from where he will develop an appropriate topic. The appropriateness of
a subject depends to a large extent on choosing a subject or a topic that the
speaker finds interesting as well as the one that his audience would find
interesting also So, two things must be put into consideration in choosing an
appropriate subject or topic for speech delivery: the one that will interest the
speaker as well the one that will be of interest to the audience.

In a case where a speaker has been given a topic, the issue of gathering and
writing his speech may be done in a library or closet while the speech delivery is
meant to be done on the speaker's feet before his audience. It is worthy of note to
say that speech delivery is by no means a difficult task if the speaker has worked
carefully and conscientiously on the first two stages mentioned above i.e.
gathering the materials and then writing the speech. Note that once you have
something to say something which you are convinced is important--making a
speech is one of the simplest and most interesting things one can experience.
What the public speaker needs most is to just be himself; to be natural, for easy
speech is natural and natural speech is very efficacious. It is, also, pertinent to
point out at this juncture that in preparing a speech, the speaker does not really
need to start from the scratch. In other words, the experiences the speaker must
have gathered in life should provide him with some basic background on the
subject or topic under discussion. This can be of immense value in making a
speech presentation interesting. As a matter of necessity, the speaker should also
put his whole self into the preparation of the speech. And this can only be
achieved when the speaker has some enthusiasin for the subject matter, which
would arise from having made enough researches on a particular topic and the
belief on the speaker's part that he has something which he believes to be
important to be shared with other people.

THE AUDIENCE AND THE SPEECH

A good public speaker should have a good perception of his audience. As pointed
out earlier, the speaker should bear his audience in mind as regards their needs,
interest, attitudes, background, etc. Before a speaker sets off to gather the
materials needed for delivering a particular speech, he needs to take into
consideration some necessary preliminary steps which he must take to ensure a
successful handling of his speech.

In this case, he can be likened to a man who sets off to build a house. Before the
man embarks on such a project, there is need to put into consideration the items
to be used; how simple or complicated will the items be in order to meet up with
the target. So also it is for someone who intends to give a speech. When the
speaker takes this same approach, there is the tendency that he will have a good
speech preparation. It is important, too, to say that a speaker may be called
upon to make a simple announcement, a vote of thanks or a short speech in a
gathering or in a church or a full length speech, with repOrters present.

Notwithstanding the circumstances, there is need to have a good speech

preparation. Having said all this, it is necessary to reiterate the fact that a
speaker should know that there are certain basic things which will affect his
preparation of the speech. Such, items will he the type of audience he is going to
address. A good public speaker should know more than any other thing, his
audience for his major task in speech delivery is either to inform, inspire,
persuade or entertain his audience. And when he fails in achieving any of these,
he has failed in his speech delivery. Therefore, a good public speaker should be
able, to first of all, picture mentally the sort of audience he will face, and learn
how best to have a good rapport with the audience while delivering his speech.
There is need to have a mental analysis of the members of the audience
regarding their general age level, previous knowledge of the subject under
discussion, their needs, general opinion of life, intellectual level, background,
etc. For instance, what a speaker needs in order to address a group of young
school leavers will be different from what he needs, to address a group of market
women who are probably illiterates.

Moreso, the speaker must consider the type of speech that is needed for a
particular occasion. He must take into consideration whether the speech is to
inform or educate, to persuade or to entertain his audience or whether it will be
better if it is a combination of two or all the above-mentioned elements. When all
these things are considered, the speaker will be able to determine the general
purpose of a particular speech. In addition, the speaker should not forget that
the primary purpose of delivering a speech is to command as well as hold the
interest of the audience. That notwithstanding, it is important to say that all
these can 18 only be achieved when, the speaker logically plans his subject
matter, and also presents his subject matter in a way that it will be acceptable to
the audience. All the same, the speaker must have something that is worthwhile
to present to his audience.

DEVELOPING THE SPEECH

As pointed out earlier, any good speech requires a careful preparation; the
speaker must logically present his subject matter. The first step in developing a
speech is by usually choosing a subject. In this case, it is not just choosing a
subject but in doing this, two important factors must be considered:

a. Choosing a subject which is of interest to the speaker:

When a speaker chooses a topic that interests him, he will most likely have a
better presentation if he has planned well what he intends to say. When a
speaker is to discuss a subject he is well at home with, a subject he knows a great
deal about or he has a of experiences it', he will definitely be expressing himself
with some joy, enthusiasm and convictions.

b. Choosing a subject that is of great interest to the audience:

Remember that the primary aim of any speech is to carry the audience along.
The audience must be interested in whatever the speaker is presenting. In this
case, the needs, age level, background, etc of the audience should he of
paramount importance. For when the speaker fails to carry the audience along,
he has failed in his speech delivery. Having selected a subject that is of interest to
both the speaker and the audience, the speaker should go ahead to enrich
himself through first hand information, in addition to reading textbooks,
handbooks, journals and receiving lectures. He can start with scanning the
materials available to him. As he finds what he feels is necessary for his speech,
he may probably take note on note cards. This can be followed by preparing an
outline for the speech, which is the logical sequence the speech will take. He
should make sure that his speech has a good introduction and an interesting
conclusion. The introduction must be able to arouse the interest of the audience,
and in concluding, there is always need to summarize what he has said and try
to leave dominant impression of his speech on the audience. He should not leave
his speech as a vehicle that has run out of gas.
 Always take note of the structure of the speech, which includes:
a. Tittle which should include type of speech (a funeral oration, farewell speech,
welcome address, etc.), at what occasion the speech is to be delivered, for whom,
by whom, venue and date of delivery.

b. Salutation which entails recognizing the dignitaries who are present at the
occasion. The speaker should try as much as possible to take into consideration
the line of the protocol--from the highest in rank to the lowest person.

c. Body which must be well written and logically presented with appropriate
language and appropriate interpretations.

d. Conclusion which should be done with an echo of the introduction.

e. Signature with which most written and read speeches are usually signed.

DELIVERING THE SPEECH

With the speech written down, the next step is the delivering of the speech. In
the delivery of the speech, the importance of the speaker knowing his audience
thoroughly cannot be over-emphasized. This entails understanding the needs,
interest, attitudes and background of the audience. Then, always remember to
talk naturally and with some' conviction.

In order to deliver a speech perfectly well, there are few pointers that will
definitely make your presentation less difficult. These pointers are:

a. Rehearse alone:
With your speech fully prepared, there is need to rehearse alone; practice alone
probably behind locked doors and possibly before a full-length mirror. This will
help to disclose some mannerism, which you may need to eliminate. Always
swing your gaze from left, to the center and to the right rather than gazing at the
ceiling or the floor; imagine your audience to be before you.

b. Practice before a friend:

After practicing alone, there is need to practice before a friend who will help
you to correct some mannerism which you may need to eliminate. As you
practice before a friend, try and watch your tempo in order not to be
unnecessarily too fast or too slow. Your friend can help in timing you.
 c. Record your speech:
There may also be need to record and play the speech you intend to present to
your audience. This will help you to make final corrections in your speech
delivery. However, the above-mentioned steps may not be too necessary for
someone who is not a beginner in speech delivery.

d. Consider your dressing:

Your dressing on the day you present your speech can make or mar your speech.
Your clothes may not be necessarily expensive or new; they just need to be clean
and well ironed.

e. Acknowledge your introduction:

When you are called to deliver your speech, there is need to recognize the
importance of the audience. You may bow slightly to the members of the high
table (if any) and to the audience. There is more than courtesy involved here.
When you do not acknowledge your introduction, it makes the audience feel that
you are arrogant, and when this happens, you are in for trouble with your
audience.

f. Manage your anxiety:

Once you are called upon to deliver a speech, there is the tendency that you will
experience some anxiety in you. The ability to mange this anxiety is of
paramount importance to a public speaker. Feelinst slightly nervous when you
are called upon to deliver a speech is natural. But you just need to relax yourself.
This entails taking a deep breath: breathe out for ten counts. Always face your
audience: In delivering your speech, always look at, and speak to your audience.
However, as a beginner, you are advised not to loci,. directly and steadily into the
eyes of your audience. Establish eye contacts witi-your audience and try to
discover sympathetic listeners who will help you to a feedback from your
audience.

g. Speak distinctly:
In your speech delivery, there is no reason to be unduly slow,or nervously fast.
Always remember that your primary aim is to communicate to your audience. If
the audience fails to understand you, you have failed.
Keep your purposes in mind: Show an interest in what you are saying and say
it with some conviction. Always remember that you have something important
you want to share with others and do it with some enthusiasm.
 ARE YOU PREPARING FOR A SPEECH?
There are aspects of the communication process you need to be well conversant
about to deliver one.
Public speaking is a form of communication that involves passing a message or
information to an audience face to face.
However, due to the evolution in technology, it is any form of speech delivery. The
intent remains the same; to inform, influence, or entertain.
For you to effectively deliver a speech, use these elements of public speaking.

ELEMENTS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. Speaker
The speaker is the person giving the speech or rather the genesis of the
communication process.
The speech delivery process begins with the speaker. The effectiveness of the
delivery will depend on their level of preparation, credibility, and knowledge of the
topic.
As a speaker, you should ensure you do enough research, prepare at length, and
practice so that you impress your audience.

2. Message
The message is the information you want your audience to get from your public
speech.
What would you like your audience to take away from your speech? What impact do
you want to have on them? Ask yourself this question as you prepare for your
speech.

3. Audience
An audience is a group of people listening to or receiving your information.
Your public speaking preparation should be all about your audience. While you
write the speech you plan on delivering, ask yourself what the need is?
Audience’s needs change according to their age, level of experience, location, and
other factors.
Study your audience keenly to prepare something appropriate for them

4. Channel/Medium
The means through which you will deliver your public speech is called a channel.
According to the size of your audience, you should be able to decide the most
appropriate medium to use.
Factor in location as well. Due to technology, you have many means at your
disposal to do your public speaking without causing anyone inconveniences.

5. Interference
Interference is a situation or any other thing that affects the communication
process.
It could be an issue in the community the audience is from, either internal or
external. Your public speaking will be affected by this as your listeners will be
sensitive to it.
You have to be careful while approaching a topic related to any interference that will
arise.

6. Feedback
Feedback is a response you will get from your audience during your public
speaking. It can be either non-verbal or verbal.
You have to be keen to pinpoint it. Feedback will help you improve your public
speaking skills.
7. Situation
The situation element of public speaking refers to the time and location of your
speech.
As a public speaker, you should use all these elements to create a well-composed
delivery. If you are not confident about your abilities, join a public speaking class today
and be trained to being the best speaker.

FOUR [4] TYPES OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

1. CEREMONIAL SPEAKING
Ceremonial speaking is when you give a speech on a special occasion. For instance, a
graduation speech or an office party. These types of speeches often involve a personal or
emotional connection to the people you are speaking to.

Keys to a ceremonial speech include:

a. Personal Touch – When giving a ceremonial speech, you will want to give it a personal
touch. This means including a story that goes along with what or whom you are talking about.
In our e-course, The Art Of Communication, we talk a lot about how to incorporate relevant
authentic stories into your speeches and everyday communications.

b. Occasion focused – A ceremonial speech needs to stick to the occasion. This is not the time
to bring up anything other than who or what is being celebrated.
Remember, part of delivering an effective message is knowing who your
audience is and tailoring your message to them.
For example – If your boss asks you to give a speech at the company holiday party, you will
want to focus on the company, what it has accomplished, and any other relevant tidbits.
 c. Brevity – For those who don’t love to get up in front of a crowd and speak, ceremonial
speaking may be the best fit for you. That’s because generally speaking, ceremonial speaking
is often brief. This isn’t to say that you speak for only ten seconds! But most of the time,
keeping it short is a good rule of thumb. Remember, your audience is there to celebrate so a
long-drawn-out speech will cause your audience to become disengaged.
We recommend the e-course “Writing And Developing Speeches: Speaking At A Special
Occasion” to help you learn how to effectively write a special occasion speech.

2. DEMONSTRATIVE SPEAKING
If you are in the technology field, or any field where processes are part of your work –
demonstrative speaking is a skill you will want to cultivate. Demonstrative speaking is simply
put – explaining how to do something.
Strong communication skills are key to being able to explain how to do
something to someone else.
For example, remember back in college when you finally understood that difficult concept?
And you were able to explain it to your study group in a way that they could understand?
That was you giving a demonstrative speech. Being able to explain how something works or
an idea is key to career success. At work, you may be called upon do a demonstrative speech
as part of a team training or product demo.
We recommend the e-course “Teaching Technical Skills” to help you learn how to effectively
write a special occasion speech.

3. INFORMATIVE SPEAKING
If you’ve ever attended a Monday morning meeting, chances are you’ve heard an informative
speech. Informative speeches are those that simply give vital company-wide or team
information. An informative speech is the transferring of data and information from one
person to a group.

Informative speaking is often in a meeting form and being able to lead it is important
because:
a. Facilitate Conversations – Being able to facilitate a productive conversation will set you
apart and help build your authority.

b. Build Credibility – For the most part, people don’t enjoy being in meetings. They believe it
is a waste of time. If you are able to hold a productive meeting, you will build your credibility.

c. Cultivate Leadership Skills – Part of giving an informative speech is understanding how to

keep the focus on the information at hand. Keeping everyone in the meeting on track,
navigating side conversations, knowing when to step it are all part of leadership.
Almost all C-level execs have strong informative speaking skills. Their jobs require it. In our
e-course, Powerful Presentation Strategies, we talk about how to give a presentation that is
effective. Being able to communicate and lead a meeting will help you advance your career.
We recommend the e-course “Leading Productive Meetings” to help you learn how to hold an
effective meeting and elevate your informational speaking skills.
 4. PERSUASIVE SPEAKING
Persuasive speaking is speaking with the goal in mind to convince your audience of your idea
or point of view. Persuasive speaking usually includes emotional elements and strong
language.
A persuasive speech can be used to get an investor to invest in your company. Persuasive
speeches can also be used to help you sell your idea to your team. In fact, you can also use a
persuasive speech to speak to your boss about getting a raise. Persuasive speaking isn’t always
about being in front of a large audience.

Persuasive speeches use many different communication skills to create the greatest impact.
Implementing these communication skills will elevate your speech:
a. Tone of Voice – Your tone of voice will make a huge impact on your persuasive speech. It
will also inform your audience on how they should feel while listening.

b. Body Language – Your hand gestures, eye contact, and posture are tools you can use to
improve your persuasive speech. Your body language helps set the tone and can draw the
listener in.

c. Crafting Your Message – When giving a persuasive speech, you’ll want to make sure that
you take time to craft your message.
• Start off with the most interesting part.
• Tailor your message to your audience.
• Think about what your audience wants to hear.
Whether you want to get that raise or you’re lobbying for a promotion – knowing how to give
an effective persuasive speech will give you an edge.

What are the Benefits of Public Speaking?

Public speaking is a great way of building personal development on many levels,

since improving communication skills is helpful in almost every area of life.
Whether your goal is to engage in political debate, make a career as a
motivational speaker or gain confidence in front of an audience, public
speaking can help you meet your goal.

We’ve listed the top benefits of public speaking, which will encourage you to
get out of your comfort zone and sign up to speak at a few events in the future.

1. Career advancement
Effective public speaking skills can help with career advancement, as they indicate
creativity, critical thinking skills, leadership abilities, poise, and
professionalism, qualities which are very valuable for the job market. Speaking
at events and conferences is a good way of building credibility. The more well
known the event the better, as you can add these speaking achievements to
your resume.
Public speaking can also help you stand out at work. You'll learn to speak up in
meetings, to promote your ideas, and to present yourself as a professional.
Speaking skills can also help you excel in job interviews.

After speaking at a few events, people will remember you and begin to see you
as an authoritative figure on your area of expertise. You’ll find yourself getting
new client and business from people who watched you speak. All sorts of new
business and speaking opportunities will open up for you.

2. Boost confidence
Public speaking can significantly boost your confidence. Overcoming the fears
and insecurities that accompany public speaking is empowering. Furthermore,
connecting with audiences can be a strong reminder that you have valuable
insights and opinions to share with the world.

Your confidence levels will grow as you go from speaking to small groups of
people up to large audiences. This will benefit you not just on stage, but in
everyday life as well, whether it be in a meeting or on a date.

A study by North Carolina Cooperative Extension of people aged 9 to 18 who

participated in a public speaking program found that public speaking increased
confidence. The study found that meeting a goal was an important factor when
it came to increasing the students confidence.

While the nervousness that comes with speaking in front of a crowd won’t
entirely disappear, it will teach you how to deal with your fears and turn your
weakness into strength.

3. Critical thinking
Public speaking is an excellent way to build critical thinking skills.Writing a
speech requires a great deal of careful thought, from the audience analysis to
the closing sentence. It's not enough to have a message, you also need to
figure out how to tailor the message to fit the needs of your audience.

How can you make your points relevant to your listeners? How can you help
the audience understand your views? If you start thinking critically about your
speaking style, you may find ways to improve your general communication
style at home and at work.
4. Personal development
Communication skills are crucial for personal and professional success and
improving this area is one of the greatest benefits of public speaking.
Preparing a speech forces speakers to take a step back and think critically
about effective ways to communicate. In everyday life, it’s easy to fall back on
communication habits we formed many years ago.

5. Improve communication skills

When you write a speech, you have to think carefully about the best
framework, persuasive strategy, and diction to communicate your message to
the audience. This type of thinking can help you improve your communication
skills in other areas of your life.

Personal relationships, social interactions and work situations require you to

communicate ideas to other people. Public speaking focuses on
communicating ideas. You can learn to calmly take up an opposing view, to
present your ideas in an organized and coherent manner, and to defend your
views to others.

6. Make new social connections

Public speaking engagements are good places to meet other people who share
your interests. You’ll find that people approach you after your presentation to
engage in conversation. It makes it much easier to make new social
connections. Try to mingle with the audience for as long as you can after your
speech, answering questions and seeking fresh perspectives on your topic.

Give audience members the option of getting in touch with you at a later date
by listing contact information on handouts or slides. If you have a website,
direct audience members to find more information there.

If you are part of a speaking line-up, reach out to your fellow presenters.
Congratulate them or, if you miss a talk, ask how it went. There are lots of
opportunities for networking in the realm of public speaking, so plan ahead
and make use of them.
7. Personal satisfaction
Public speaking is a very common phobia, right up there with spiders and
heights. Many people would prefer to do almost anything instead of standing
up and talking in front a crowd of people. Delivering a speech can feel
intimidating and risky.

Fears and insecurities tend to multiply as the speech draws closer: "What if I
forget my speech?" "What if I can’t answer the audience's questions?" Public
speaking is a way of showing yourself that, with practice, you can do the
things that scare you the most. What starts out as a nightmare can turn into a
personal boost.

8. Expand your professional network

Another benefit of public speaking is that when you speak at an event, you will
suddenly find that everyone wants to talk with you. This is a valuable
opportunity for making friends, building business contacts and generating
business.

Not only this, but you also get the opportunity to network with other speakers,
some of whom may be very difficult to contact normally. Speaking events may
also have guest rooms for speakers where they are given food and drink and
can network together.

9. Learn to persuade
Public speaking has a long history as a catalyst for nonviolent activism and
political change. It is a powerful way to unite people under a common cause
and motivate them to take action. It’s no secret that people throughout history
have used the power of public speaking to make a difference.

You’ll hardly ever have a better opportunity to speak to a captive audience

about what really matters to you. You’ll get a chance to influence your peers.
You won’t change the world with every speech, but you can easily impact
someone in some small way.
10. Build leadership skills
If you let others do your talking for you in the past or found it hard to express
what you wanted to say, that will fade. Not only will you be able to fluently
speak your mind but you'll find yourself doing it for others too.

In standing up and speaking in a way that is powerful, you're speaking in a way

that will change people’s minds about something. If you're able to master that
skill, changing hearts and minds and learning how to persuade, you will be
already honing one of the major aspects of leadership.

If you're able to do it in public to a group of people, chances are you'll be able

to do it in a more individualized setting. Leaders require the capacity to drive
change, public speaking skills are vital in learning that ability.

11. Learn performance skills

You'll have become conscious of timing, when to pause and how long for.
You'll know about vocal variety, how to shift through changes of volume,
speech rate and tone. Your articulation will be clearer. As you become more
confident you'll know about mime, using props and storytelling. All of these
acting skills enhance your speech.

12. Develop your vocabulary and fluency

You'll know the effect of the words you choose to express your message and
you'll also know they need to be different for different audiences. As well as
having a flexible vocabulary, you'll no longer use common filler words we hear in
everyday conversation indicating that the speaker may be unsure about what
they're saying or anxious about speaking.

13. No fear of impromptu speaking

When called upon to say a few words at a moment's notice at a wedding,
awards ceremony or other special occasion, your heart will not pound. Instead
you'll find yourself graciously accepting the opportunity for an impromptu
speech. This is a huge benefit of public speaking and you’ll stop constantly
worrying at formal events about being asked to speak.
14. Learn to argue
When you present, you often need to put forward a well thought out argument.
In the preparation, in the practice and on the actual stage, you will learn much
about the art of argument, especially if you get to engage with your audience in
some form of question and answer.

15. Helps you drive change

Who do we listen to more, someone talking to us in person or an email? The
person speaking is always going to be more convincing than a note sent
across the internet. You could spend your time going from person to person, if
that’s your comfort zone.

But think about how many more people you could reach if you stood up on
stage and had them all gathered together in an audience. If you're speaking to
an audience of 300 versus one-on-one, then you're driving serious change. The
more people you're able to speak to, the more change you can implement.

16. Be a better listener

Listening may be a lost art, but a public speaking course actually teaches you
to become a better listener. When you attend conferences, you’ll hear several
different types of speeches about a wide variety of topics, from people who
may be very different from you. This will passively build your listening ability
and note taking.

These benefits of public speaking make getting out of your comfort zone and
giving a speech absolutely worth it. You’ll be nervous the first few times you
speak, however you’ll quickly learn to enjoy the experience.

STRUCTURED BY: Professor Economical!!!

Bsc. [Hon16] ECONOMICS
YEAR TWO [2]
N'JALA UNIVERSITY