THE BASICS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

PREPARATION

 “For every minute of speaking I spend at least one hour of

preparation” – Winston Churchill, highlights the importance of
preparation.
 Public speaking requires preparation in the same way as an athlete
requires preparation for a sporting contest. You have to practice like most
things in life.
 A speech is the developing of an idea, opinion, and belief.
 Select a topic you are familiar with or have strong thoughts on.
 Always carry a pencil and paper with you and jot thoughts down when
they come to you ie brainstorming. You can jot down the main points of a
good speech in moments.
 Write the speech out fully to get the feel and timing.
 Fine tune and write out / sort out the necessary and the unnecessary.
 Practice the speech on to a tape. Listen back, correct it and time it.
 Have speech prepared at least a few days prior to presenting it. Listen
to your speech (e.g. on a walkman) a couple of times a day leading up to
delivering the speech.
 Condense notes into key words, i.e. point form only – it’s a speech not
a reading, spaced out on A4 or small cards. If you are using cards,
number them.
 Practice your speech often. Put A4 faces on a wall to simulate an
audience.
 Your last rehearsal should be as close as possible to speech delivery time. Moments before is
best.
SPEECH STRUCTURE
 There are 3 types of speeches, to inform, to persuade/inspire/motivate
and to entertain.
 A speech should always have an opening, body and closing. You tell
them what are going to tell them, you tell them and you tell them what
you told them.
 An opening should have an “attention grabber” and a closing should
have a “call to action” or “memorable statement”.
MAKE “THE BUTTERFLIES” FLY IN FORMATION

(Public Speaking terminology for taking steps to feel confident and to settle
nerves)
 Acclimate yourself to the room and where you will speaking from
before your presentation.
 Dress well and appropriate to the audience.
 Get to know your audience. Greet them as they arrive. It’s easier to
 speak to friends than strangers.
 Have your speech thoroughly prepared. Know it backwards.
 Make sure that the preparation includes that it will be obvious to the
audience what your one main message is. They have to be able to walk
away knowing what it was.
 Memorize your opening.
 Don’t apologize for your speech or for your nerves. The audience will
be hoping you succeed. Just have the intention of doing your best.
 Take yourself seriously if you want your audience to. Speak with
conviction, enthusiasm and sincerity.
WHAT AUDIENCES LIKE

If the speaker is prepared, committed, comfortable (confident and not fidgety)

and interesting.

VOICE
 Be yourself, don’t try to be anyone else.
 There needs to be vocal variety (i.e. volume, pace, tone and pausing)
for the message to be believed and interesting.
EYE CONTACT
 You engage the members of your audience with eye contact.
 You make the audience feel welcome and important with eye contact.
 When you engage audience in eye contact they think you are sincere,
friendly, credible and honest. This will help your message be believed.
 With experience learn to hold eye contact rather than give “glancing”
eye contact.
 When speaking to a large audience give normal eye contact to who you
can rather than glancing eye contact to everyone.
HANDS
 Hand gestures should match the spoken words.
 Never put them in your pockets because you can’t use them
 Rest your hands lightly on the lectern, they are ready to be used to
enhance the speech.
 Don’t grab the lectern because this restricts their use.
 Don’t concentrate on your hands when you are starting Public
Speaking, they will start to talk naturally with experience.
UHMS & AHS
 It’s almost impossible to eliminate them altogether but too many is
distracting.
 When you speak without ahming the mind is forced to think quicker,
thoughts spring to mind quickly and seemingly from nowhere, confidence
increases and body language starts happening naturally.
 Try to pause more and uhm less.
  Don’t worry about “ahms” until you have delivered a few speeches and
have started to feel comfortable in giving eye contact.

SPEECH STRUCTURE
Types: To Inform
To Persuade / Inspire / Motivate
To Entertain
Parts: Opening = Tell them what you are going to say (the purpose)
Body = Tell them
Closing = Tell them what you said

Opening
Should contain:
 Acknowledgement of audience eg Mr MC, Ladies & Gentlemen.
 An Attention Grabber.
 The purpose of the speech ie the point of it all, this has to be clearly
understood by the audience from the word go.
 The Acknowledgement can be before the attention grabber or said after it ie
for impact.
The objective of the Attention Grabber is to catch immediate attention and arouse the
audience’s interest in your speech subject. An Attention Grabber needs to be short,
sharp and to the point. Examples of Attention Grabber’s are:
 A startling question, rhetorical question or a challenging statement.
 A display of an object or visual.
 A quotation, illustration, or story.
 An attention-getting generalisation that relates to the speech subject.

AVOID
 An apologetic statement.
 A commonplace observation delivered in a commonplace manner.
 An unrelated story or joke.
 A non-startling question such as “Did you ever stop to think…?”.
 A long slow-moving statement or story.
A rhetorical question Attention Grabber could be for example “who would like to make
a million dollars in the next year ?”, this is more effective than “I have a good idea to
make money”. It can be a quote eg “you’re going for the ride of your life” (Malcolm
Blight – ex St Kilda Football Club coach, pre 2001 season), this is more effective than “I
think you (the supporters) can look forward to a few good years”.

Body

It’s what you want to tell them ie the body of the speech.
There should be a few main points (select MUST KNOW points first), avoid having too
many and make them strictly relevant to the purpose of the speech. A 5 to 7 minute
speech should only have 3 or 4 main points. Perhaps one main point per minute.

If the purpose is to persuade include a point that refutes possible arguments against
your argument. This shows you have considered the possible arguments against your
argument which will give the speech more credibility.

The main points should be in a logical order eg Speech is titled “I play golf for
Relaxation”. Main points are:

 Length of time played.

 Easy access as there are many golf courses.
 No reliance on others as can play by oneself.
 Examples when it has relieved stress.
 Argument against others who think golf is expensive by favorably comparing
cost with other popular sports.
If you are speaking about something deadly serious, lighten it up (not frivolously) by
including one lighter main point.

Main Point / Sub-Points

You can adopt the 2 sub-points to each main point method:

i) State the main point (main point)
ii) Explain the main point (1st sub-point)
iii) Give an example or anecdote or state statistics to highlight / reinforce /
substantiate main point and to give the audience a clearer picture of the main
point. Always provide source of statistics for credibility purposes. (2nd
sub-point)
(you may want to have a 3rd sub-point which would be to state the main point once
more to be clearly understood)
Joining Phrase
You can start each main point by using a Joining Phrase which states the purpose of the
speech eg for a speech with the purpose to inform that the speaker’s next holiday will
be to go to Rome:
Main Point 1 - I’m going to Rome (for my next holiday) because I love the ambiance…
Main Point 2 - I am going to Rome because it’s not expensive…
Main Point 3 - I’m going to Rome because I want to practice my Italian, e vero (it’s
true)…
Main Point 4 - People will say I am wasting 2 days travel time by going to Rome,
however… (Joining Phrase is used in the body of the sentence on this occasion)
The use of the joining phrase:
 Keeps the speaker on track as to the purpose.
 Keeps the audience on track as to the purpose.
 Makes the audience aware that a new main point is being introduced.
 Has strong speech impact ie the repeating of the point of the speech over and
over.
 Lends itself to vocal variety ie the joining phrase can be said in an assertive
manner with more volume.
 Makes preparing and remembering a speech easier. It is particularly useful
when not having a lot of time to prepare a speech.

Closing
Has 3 parts ie a summary, a call to action (for “to persuade” speeches) and a
memorable statement.
Summary = Tell them what you have told them in one or two sentences. Don’t
introduce new material.
Call to Action = only applicable in a speech “to persuade” eg for a speech encouraging
people to become real estate agents - “get on the phone tomorrow and enroll in a
course to learn to sell real estate!”
Memorable Statement = eg for a speech to inform about going to Rome for your next
holidays - “I work hard, I deserve my holidays, I’m off to Rome, arriverderci!”
A Memorable Statement can be a rhetorical question, a story, a quotation or illustration
that emphasises the purpose of the speech. It’s important that the speech has a strong
finish.
IMPROMPTU SPEAKING
Introduction

Imagine you are walking along the street and all of a sudden a TV reporter puts a
microphone in front of you and asks you a question. Your immediate and competent
response could be your first steps to stardom.
Perhaps the above is not reality however the ability to “think and speak” on your feet
will be a tremendous asset to have in your business and daily life. Eg meetings,
presentations, supervising staff, interviews. To successfully communicate your ideas in
these situations you must be able to organise your thoughts quickly and present them
in a clear and logical manner.
The best way to be able to respond effectively to an unexpected request such as this is
to practice, like most things in life. You can always practice to yourself eg look around
you and speak to yourself for 60 seconds on the first noun you see written.
In each session of this course you will deliver a short impromptu speech, usually with
the objective of it being from 60 to 90 seconds.

What is Impromptu Speaking

It is a speech without planning or preparation. It is a speech with little or no notice eg

when you are called upon, unexpectedly, to offer your opinion or provide instruction.
Have the attitude that it’s a wonderful opportunity rather than “why me!”.

What is Expected

 An audience will be much more understanding and forgiving with technical

errors (eg no speech structure, ahms/ahs) in an impromptu speech (still
thanking their good luck that they weren’t asked themselves!).

 Try to incorporate the basics of public speaking ie speech structure, eye

contact, gestures and vocal variety.

 If you are struggling – slow down and lift those shoulders high, and pause.
 A good/dry sense of humour is good – a laugh from the audience settles
everyone, but no sarcasm or anything else that risks offending or insulting your
audience. Don’t risk getting them offside.
 Don’t speak about what you don’t know ie don’t pretend, but at the same time
don’t apologise for not knowing eg you can say “I don’t know but what I do know
is…”.

When are you likely to be asked to speak Without Notice

 At a staff meeting when you are asked to give an opinion or report on
something without notice. This is an opportunity to display your knowledge and
competency.
 When your manager asks you, one on one, for an opinion or a report without
notice.
 When people learn that you are a member of a Speaking Club or have
completed a Public Speaking Course. So anticipate a speaking request.
 At social functions to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, wedding etc. If you
are a close friend of the guest(s) of honor, anticipate a speaking request.
 A business or sports function.
 It is unlikely you will ever be asked to speak about something you are not
familiar with.

How to be Ready

 Read in order to be aware and up to date with current news and general type
events.
 Have standard responses or general strategies. Refer under final sub-heading
“Some other Predetermined Strategies for successful Impromptu Speaking”.

What to do when you are asked to give an Impromptu Speech

Make sure you understand the question and make sure you answer it. For clarity you
can ask that the question be repeated.
Pause to be able to think. If this is during a seminar, to enable you to momentarily
think about the topic, you can:
 Recognise the MC and the audience by saying for example “Mr MC , fellow
colleagues, clients”.
 Restate the question.
 Think about the question as you are rising and stepping behind your chair.
 Respond saying “this is (not) something I was expecting to be asked / that’s
a very good question”.
 Recognise it’s relevance or appropriateness or lack thereof.
 When stuck for words use: “that reminds me of”, “however what I do know
and would like to say is..
 All of the above.
Appear to be confident, don’t be rushed, try to emulate how the confident person would
react.
Rise with confidence.
Organise your thoughts. Take a moment to determine your answer ie the main point of
your answer, then support this view with 2 or 3 reasons.
Structure the mini-speech ie by having an Opening, Body & Closing.
Have a strong closing.

Some other Predetermined Strategies for successful Impromptu Speaking

Aristotle claimed there are 2 ways to convince an audience ie direct evidence and
believing in your subject. So even if you don’t know anything about the subject speak
with belief, conviction and sincerity. Not only with the words you speak but with tone,
energy, vocal variety, gestures (body language) and eye contact.

Describe how the subject affects you personally and how it affects other people or the
world in general.

Speak on another topic, obviously not appropriate if it’s a request to speak at work.
You can start by saying: “Thanks for that question, and it’s a very good question, but I
don’t want to talk about that. What I’d like to talk about is…” And of course you
already have something prepared on your preferred subject. Or you could say, “Thanks
for the question but what you should have asked is...”.
Follow the PREP Method:
 state your Point of view.
 give Reason for point of view.
 Explain how point of view came about. Give your experience or other real life
experience if possible.
 summarise what you said and repeat Point of view.
Follow the PPF (Past, Present, Future) Method:
 Start with “there was a time when…”.
 Develop with “But now we find that…”.
  Close with “In the future I expect…”.
The 3 Important Things Method. Start with “There are 3 important things that come to
mind about this subject…”. This hopefully gives you a good start and you can start to
think of some things while you are saying it. If you think of one thing you have
something to go on to and hopefully other thoughts will happen along the way. If they
don’t just say you forgot what they were, very confidently.
The Pros / Cons Method. Start with “There are 2 sides to this argument…” and
continue on, or start with “I firmly believe that…but on the other hand”.
The 6 Question Method. Ask yourself:” Who, What, When, Why, Where & How” as you
are speaking to jog your memory.

EYE CONTACT

 When you engage audience in eye contact they think you are sincere,
friendly, credible and honest. This will help your message being listened to and
believed.
 You make the audience feel welcome and important with eye contact. The
audience members know you know they are there ie good eye contact is like
saying, “I know you are there, and I am speaking to you and you are important”.
 You can maintain the audience’s attention with eye contact. This is
particularly important in long technical presentations. You can also use eye
contact to wake up an audience member.
 With experience learn to hold eye contact rather than give “glancing” eye
contact.
 Learn what is an appropriate length of time to maintain eye contact.
Maintaining eye contact on one person for too long may make the recipient feel
uncomfortable and embarrassed.
 When speaking to a large audience give solid eye contact to a handful rather
than glancing eye contact to everyone.
 Your eye contact should include everyone and everyone equally. There is a
tendency to fix eye contact on dominating audience members or an audience
member who has asked a question.
 Don’t become predictable with where your eye contact is going and don’t
concentrate your eye contact on one small section of the room or one side of the
room for too long (particularly when you might be using eye contact to keep
people’s attention in a long presentation).
SELECTING A TOPIC
(assuming a non-work speech)
 Talk about yourself, or a part of your life – failures as well as successes as we
can all more readily relate to human weakness stories although we are inspired
by success stories. The more personal you get, the more interested the audience
will be.
 Select a topic you are familiar with or interested in, particularly a subject that
you have strong views on – life is difficult enough so select a topic you know.
 Select a topic from your interests ie hobby or from your employment.
 Draw on your own experiences or experiences of family / friends eg
something that has happened to you, your past holidays, something you do each
day.
  Select a topic relevant to the audience. If you don’t know your audience –
find out. The topic can be an audience need or of general interest to them.
 Ascertain the audience’s level of knowledge on the subject to know your
starting point.
 Know precisely the point you want to make.
 All of the points made in the speech should relate directly to the overall point
you are trying to make.
 Once decided, don’t change the topic close to the delivery of the speech date.
Go with what you have and do the best you can with it.
 Research topic using any means eg library, Internet etc.
 If you are advancing arguments that can be supported by statistics, do so and
quote the source.

PREPARING A SPEECH

“For every minute of speaking I spend at least one hour of

preparation” Winston Churchill

Importance
The American communications guru John Maxwell claims that there are 4 things that an
audience won’t forgive you for, and one of these is not to be prepared (the others are
not to be committed, not to be comfortable and not to be interesting). It’s imperative
to be prepared.
Public Speaking requires preparation and practice the same as in other areas of life eg
sport. If you don’t prepare and practice it, you can’t expect to deliver a speech as well
as you might.
Prepare Early
Prepare early and not at the last minute. There are no problems with preparing a
speech early and leaving it. It will take little time to refresh your memory, all the hard
work has been done. A benefit of preparing it early is that you are unlikely to leave it
completely. You will occasionally go through it in your mind which means you will get
to know the speech thoroughly. Ideally you will have decided what you want to say
several days prior to delivering it. This will leave you these days to go through it in
your mind, under no pressure of time. A thoroughly prepared speech gives you the best
chance of delivering a speech well and this in turn enhances your general speaking
confidence.
Steps in Preparing a Speech
The first step is to plan the timing. In the Tutorial on Speech Structure you learnt that
each speech should have an Opening, Body and Closing. If you have been allocated a 5
minute speech, allow 30 seconds for the Opening, 4 minutes for the Body and 30
seconds for the Closing. Allow 1 minute per main point, this means 4 main points are
needed.
The second step is to select a topic (refer to the Tutorial on Selecting A Topic). Select it
and write it down. Make sure the topic is specific and not general eg “my next holiday”
and not “holidays”.
Once the topic is selected jot down a general plan of how the speech may be shaped
without specifics eg:
Main Point 1: I’m not going where I’ve been in the past, name the places.
Main Point 2: I’m only going where I can afford to go, name possibilities.
Main Point 3: List desired attributes of a holiday destination.
Main Point 4: Announce where you are going and what you will do there.
Brainstorm jotting down any other main points for consideration and all sub-points,
which are directly relevant to the topic, and that you would like to include in your
speech. It’s a good idea to carry paper and a pencil with you at all times because
sometimes ideas for a speech come at any time.
Put together and structure the speech, in point or abbreviated form, as per the tutorial
on Speech Structure and consider a joining phrase (for the example above it could be
“for my next holiday…”). You may think of this as your first draft.
Speech Notes
Remember that you are delivering a speech, not a reading. At the time of delivery, the
speech notes to be used should be in point form on one piece of paper or on small cards
able to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand. Point form means a key word or key
words to serve as a prompt for you to remember the main or sub-points. If you use
cards, number them, in case you drop them. If you will be using a lectern, an A4 sheet
will fit comfortably on the lectern and not be noticeable. However if there is no lectern,
cards should be used.
How you arrive at the speech notes in point form may depend on your experience. The
inexperienced speaker may want to write the speech out completely, make adjustments
and then break it up back into point form. In fact writing the speech out is a good idea
as it can give you a better feel for the speech. Remember that everything in the speech
should relate directly to the topic.
Practicing the Speech
Once in point form, start practicing it. Never try to memorise the entire speech word
for word, that is courting disaster. No matter how little preparation time you have,
always try to practice it out loud at least once. Practicing to yourself is good but you
will tend to go a lot quicker than out loud. Remember that you have a time constraint
and particularly if you are speaking at a seminar you shouldn’t speak beyond your
allotted time.
Find a target in front of which you can practice at least once eg friend, spouse etc. This
will always be more difficult than speaking to yourself and you will certainly find out
the parts of your speech you know well and parts you don’t know well. For the other
times, stick A4 faces on the wall and speak to the faces.
Memorise the Opening, main points and sub-points of the Body, and the Closing. Go
over these when you are spending non-productive time eg washing the dishes, driving
home from work. Memorising the opening is vital as it is imperative that the speech
gets off to a great start.
When you are very confident that you know your speech, rehearse it in your mind
backwards ie in the order of: Closing, final main point etc. This will guard against
knowing the start well but the end not so well if you have a habit of practising the start
without often arriving at the end.
The last rehearsal should be done as close as possible to the time of actual delivery.
It’s good that it sits on your brain percolating. Go through it in your mind just prior to
delivering the speech.
Audio Tape your Speech
I strongly recommend that you audio tape the speech. On listening back you will
become aware of areas that you thought were clear but that you now think an audience
may have difficulty understanding. Also you may become aware of words which aren’t
pronounced well, areas where it may be appropriate to pause and areas where you are
rushing perhaps because there is too much information. If you are to err on providing
less or more information, err on providing less as the speech will usually take a little
longer than it took practising. It seems to happen that way.
After settling on your speech you can listen to your speech on a walkman from time to
time. This will assist in thoroughly knowing your speech and it is not as hard work as
saying the speech to yourself.
Remember (your speech but also the following)
 Make 2 copies of your speech in case one is misplaced on your way to or at
the speech venue.
 A well prepared speech that is delivered just as you want it will provide you
with a lot of confidence.
 A not so well prepared speech can be a demoralising experience.
SPEECH IMPACTERS
John Maxwell, the renowned American communications expert, believes that there are
4 things that an audience will never forgive a speaker for:
1. If the speaker is unprepared.
2. If the speaker is uncomfortable (not confident and fidgety).
3. If the speaker is not committed (not speaking with conviction).
4. If the speaker is uninteresting.
The following are some of the ways a speech can be made more interesting and also
ways that will give you a greater chance of retaining the audience’s concentration.
These are some speech attributes that have an impact on the audience:
In time, the audience will remember how they felt and not what they heard. So be nice
to them. Treat them as you would like to be treated.
 Have structure to your speech ie opening, body, conclusion.
- The opening has to include the whole point to the speech. If you get into a car
you want to know where it’s going. Just like that, an audience wants to know
where the speech is going.
- The Opening should have an attention grabber to get the audience’s attention
immediately.
- Eg “You are in for the ride of your life” attributed to Malcolm Blight the ex coach
of the StKilda Football club. He could have said, “Supporters can look forward to
some reasonable years ahead”.

 Make the audience feel important eg engaging eye contact, mention audience
member’s names, introduce yourself before the presentation to get to know
them.
- A non-threatening method to meet the audience is to hand out business card /
program / brochure prior to a presentation.

 The purpose of the speech is absolutely clear:

-Make sure that the audience member walks away in no doubt what the point of
the speech was. To assist towards this end, use joining phrases to start each
main point. For example if the speech is to inform the audience that you are
going to Rome for your next holiday, start each main point with: “I am going to
Rome because…”.

 Extraordinary Happenings
An audience will be more interested in your dinner last night with the Martians
than what you had on your toast for breakfast.
 Confidence
- A confident speaker inspires an audience. Keep speaking to enhance
confidence.

 Real life experience

- This arouses audience interest, even more so if it is your real life experience
you are sharing.

 Clarity of image
- Use examples, anecdotes, hand gestures, body gestures etc to help the
audience have a vivid picture of your idea.

 Relevance to audience
- Ballet training may not be an appropriate subject to an audience of Hell’s
Angels bikies.

 Story / speech with suspense, twists, surprises

- Obviously if the speech is a story where the ending cannot be told at the start,
then don’t do so. However in the opening, set the scene for the audience.

 Human weakness
- Eg an audience is impressed with hearing stories of human weakness. We can
all relate to them. Eg the time you arrived back at work intoxicated to find a
message on your desk that your boss wanted to see you immediately.

 Enthusiasm / Passion
An audience is impressed with a speaker who likes what he’s talking about and
is happy to show it. An audience will be let down if you don’t give it everything
you’ve got.

 Animation
- An audience will be persuaded more with body language than words.

 Vocal Variety eg, volume, speed, tone, pause, a pleasant voice

- The audience will lose interest quickly if the speaker doesn’t sound interesting.
- Humm one song a day to make the voice more pleasant and stronger.

 Make Vivid descriptions

- You can say “it was a nice day” but you are more likely to maintain and arouse
audience attention if the description was “it was a day out of the box, the
sunshine was continuous and the birds couldn’t stop singing” or you can use
“glorious”, “breathtaking” or “fabulous” rather than “nice”.
- It’s not a matter of exaggerating but a matter of describing with more
vividness, more colour. Paint a picture for the audience so they know better
what you are talking about. The croissant was delectable (it was also nice)
VISUAL AIDS
Visual aids help divert attention away from the speaker. In a long presentation this is a good thing for both
speaker and the audience. This is because the audience will tire of the speaker no matter how good a
speaker is. One of the principal aims of this course is for the participants to be “under the spotlight” for their
entire speaking time ie to build up confidence. Therefore diversionary tactics such as visual aids are not
encouraged, in this course, other than using an object to describe so as to use Body Language.
Benefits

 They Increase Understanding. Learning occurs more through watching than listening.

 Saves Time. One picture is worth 1,000 words. People process quicker information provided
visually rather than verbally.

 Information is Retained. Surveys show that people can digest and retain information from what
we read, hear and see in the following proportions:

 What we read 10%

 What we hear 20%

 What we see 30%

 What we hear and see 50%

- People only remember 10% of verbal messages a week after a presentation.

 Promotes Attentiveness. People think faster than you speak, so minds can wander when you are
speaking. Visuals help the audience maintain focus on your message.

 Interesting / Memorable. Visuals add variety to a presentation and this makes it more interesting
and more memorable.

 Helps the presenter control nerves. Nervous energy is spent without distracting the audience
with fidgety actions such as pacing, rocking, swaying and playing with notes.

Types of Visual Aids / Tips

Whiteboard

 Write in dark colours ie blue, black.

 Make sure writing is readable.

Flipchart

 Useful to use as you can’t see the part of the presentation that follows.

 Make sure the writing is legible.

 Stop talking to audience when you turn your back to flip over.

Overhead Projector

 Make sure unit is working, focused and set up correctly before starting.

 Always have a spare bulb handy.

 Turn off when not in use.

 Speak to the audience and not to the screen.

 Make sure overheads are laid out in correct order before use.

Slide Projector

 Same as overhead projector.

 Make sure slides are numbered in order of viewing.

Video Cassette / Television
  Test video is working prior to presentation.

 Make sure tape is in correct position to start.

 Ensure audio capacity is satisfactory.

Visual

 This can be a large picture, diagram, graph etc.

 Make sure it is positioned so entire audience can see it.

 Do not stand in front of visual.

 Make sure it is clearly visible from the furthermost point in the room.
An Object

 ie the object you are speaking about.

 Make sure it is positioned so entire audience can see it.

Handouts

 It is preferable to hand out at the end of presentation.

 Announce if there are handouts at the start of the presentation.

General Tips

 Always make sure you are not obstructing the view of your audience by standing -in front of any
visual aids.

 Always talk to the audience – not the aid.

 Make sure any text is clearly visible from the back of the room.

 Make sure the aid is relevant to the presentation.

 When using a visual aid with text follow the 7/7 rule:

 7 Words per line maximum

 7 Words per visual maximum

 The less words the better

 Use colour to highlight points, but avoid too many colours.

 Ensure that any equipment you are going to use is operating OK, practice it several times and
preferably well before the start of then presentation.

GOOD SPEECH ATTRIBUTES

The following attributes will assist in quickly putting your audience at ease. They are
attributes irrespective of the substance of your message, the words you say and the
structure of your speech. These attributes will give you a head start no matter what
your message is and how well it is articulated:
 Appropriate dress
- A well-dressed speaker will inspire an audience
- Dress to impress but not to intimidate
 An introduction prior to the presentation.
- Introduce yourself to members of the audience prior to your presentation. The
presentation becomes more personal. You don’t have to be Mr/Ms Personality to
do this. Think of a non-threatening way of meeting them eg stand at the door as
they arrive and hand them a program / business card / a welcoming smile.
Perhaps you could be writing out the name-tags as they wait. Idle chat starts
while this occurs.
  Confidence
- Keep speaking and working on your Public Speaking technique. This will
improve confidence. Ask different people to evaluate you and give feedback.

 Authority / Credibility
- Be introduced so your credentials are known. Self praise is no recommendation
so write your own introduction and give it to the MC. This will help the MC and
you are more likely to be introduced as you would like. Before addressing an
intimidating audience is no time for false modesty.
- Speak with an air of authority (however not the knower of all).

 Don’t appear rushed, troubled or stressed ie the positive, half glass full
approach, no complaining type.
- An audience doesn’t like to see a mirror image of themselves. Like watching a
film, they want some escape from reality.

 Enthusiasm / Passionate / Appears to like what he/she is talking about.

- An audience finds it difficult not to be inspired by this quality.

 Sincerity / Genuine Concern

- Again, an audience finds it difficult not to be inspired by this quality..
BODY LANGUAGE
Body Language includes hand and arm gestures, facial expression (including eye
contact which is covered in a separate Tutorial) and any other body movement. It is all
non-verbal communication.
Body Language in a speech serves 3 purposes.
1. It illustrates and emphasises what you are saying in your speech.
2. It makes a speech more interesting, ie it will assist in keeping the audience’s
attention.
3. It helps release nervous energy which goes towards settling the nerves.
Actions speak louder than words / Seeing is believing
An American University (UCLA) research into communications showed that an audience
is influenced by a speaker in the following percentages:
- Spoken Words 7%
- Voice 38 %
- Body Language 55 %
ie incredibly, spoken words account for only 7% of what will be believed.
 So how you say the spoken words is important, in order to get your message
across and believed, but even more important than that is your Body Language.

 An audience will be unimpressed if the speaker is not giving everything

they’ve got ie with voice and body.
 A speaker’s voice and body language should match the spoken word. He/she
should be speaking with everything that he/she has got eg enthusiasm, passion,
sincerity, emotion with both voice and body. For example say out loud:
This is what I believe
  First say it with no with passion and secondly with passion in the voice and
with fully body language particularly the use of arms and facial expression. Feel
the difference? The audience will be influenced very little on the words alone.
They will be more influenced by the tone of what you say and the body language
they see.
 It’s important to use body language within your range of what is natural. If
you want to expand the parameters of your range, exaggerate and be theatrical
while speaking at a Speaking Club.
 If a speaker is speaking sincerely on a topic but standing stiffly without any
body language, the audience will believe what they see and not think the speaker
is sincere and therefore ignore the message.
 The body language should always match the words at the appropriate
moment. The most difficult aspect is appearing natural when first incorporating
body language into speeches. Rehearsing will help but don’t worry if at first you
have to force the body language to happen rather than it occurring naturally.
Rehearsing in front of a mirror is a good idea.
 Keeping your hands by your side or resting them on the lectern will have them
ready for action. This is better than having them in your pockets or clenched
behind your back where they aren’t in a position to be ready to start working.

 Avoid pacing, rocking, swaying, or leaning / slouching on the lectern as this

will be distracting to the audience, a sign of nerves and will prevent the upper
body from using body language. If the bottom half of the body is moving, the top
half of the body (the important half) will not be able to spring into action
naturally. Practice finding a stance that is comfortable. If it is comfortable for
you then the audience will also find it comfortable. Except when you want to
walk from one place to the other, keep from the hips down unwaveringly still.
When you have increased your confidence from speaking in front of an audience
several times, you will find that your hands, arms and body will start to move
naturally. This is less likely to happen if there isn’t a solid platform (ie bottom
half of the body).
 Don’t be afraid to make large, bold gestures. The larger the audience the
larger that the gestures and body movement needs to be in order to be effective.

Gestures
Gestures are the use of hands and arms to illustrate your words. There are 4 main
groups of gestures:

Descriptive Gestures
Used to clarify or enhance. They help visualise size, weight, shape, location, function,
direction etc.

Emphatic Gestures
- Moving forward a clenched fist suggests strong feelings, such as anger or
determination
- Hit your fist into your open palm to show importance or urgency
- A folding of arms illustrates strength and determination
- Clasping your hands together in front of your chest conveys unity
- A forefinger pointed towards the ceiling means listen to me
- Show your clenched fist to urge action.
Suggestive Gestures
These are symbols of ideas or emotions.
- An open palm suggests giving or receiving.
- A shrug of the shoulders indicates ignorance, perplexity or irony.
- Comparison and contrast can be illustrated by either moving hands in unison or in
opposite directions.
Prompting Gestures
These prompt or evoke a desired response from the audience. If you want your
listeners to raise their hand, applaud or perform some action, you’ll enhance the
response by doing it yourself as an example.

Facial Expression
Your face communicates your attitude, feelings and emotions. Don’t be scared to look
angry, look disappointed, to smile etc. In particular, smile. Smiling conveys warmth
and sincerity and makes the audience more receptive to what you are saying.
Settling Nerves

Use your nervous energy, particularly at the start of your speech when you are more
nervous, to making controlled body language. This is a better way than fidgeting with
papers, adjusting items of clothing, pacing etc. It will not be distracting for the
audience and will help get your message across.

SPEECH OUTLINES

The following are outlines of Speech Structure samples. You can use the structures as
outlined or use a combination of them.

SPEECH OUTLINE - BASIC

OPENING
 Attention Grabber
 Speech Purpose

BODY
1st Point (select “MUST KNOW” points by asking: “what does the audience have to
know?”)

 State Fact

 Supporting Material
2nd Point

 State Fact

 Supporting Material
Continue the same structure for points 3, 4 etc
CLOSING
 Summary
 Call to action / Memorable statement
SPEECH OUTLINE - GENERAL

OPENING
 Attention Grabber
 Speech Purpose

BODY

1st Point

 First point (introduced by a Joining Phrase - optional)

 Explain point

 Give example / anecdote to illustrate point

 Restate point for clarity (optional)

2nd
Point

 Second point (introduced by a Joining Phrase (#) - optional)

 Explain point

 Give example / anecdote to illustrate point

 Restate point for clarity (optional)

Continue the same structure for points 3, 4 etc

CLOSING
 Summary
 Call to action / Memorable statement
# A Joining Phrase restates the purpose of the speech. Eg, if the purpose of a speech
is to say where you are going for your next holidays, a joining phrase could be “I am
going to Rome for my next holiday because…”. You can use the Joining Phrase at the
start of each main point.
SPEECH OUTLINE - TO PERSUADE WHEN A PROBLEM EXISTS

OPENING
 Attention Grabber
  Speech Purpose

BODY
1st Point
 State problem
 Explain problem
2nd
Point
 State why there is a problem
 Explain who is to blame and why
3rd Point
 State what harm has been done
 Explain giving example / anecdote
4th Point
 State solution to the problem including how people / the audience can
contribute in achieving this.
 Explain
5th Point
 State possible arguments against proposed solution or even that there isn’t a
problem
 Refute these arguments one by one

CLOSING
 Summary
 Call to action explaining to audience exactly what they can do
#An extra point in the Body can be included which states several solutions and then
the final point before the Closing would be stating and explaining the best solution.
SPEECH OUTLINE - TO PERSUADE WHEN A NEED EXISTS
OPENING (as per previous samples)

BODY
1st Point - State and explain the need
2nd Point - State solution and what it will do
3rd Point - State the future if solution is not put in place
4th Point - State what people have to do to make it happen in detail ie a call to action
prior to the Closing and therefore the Closing’s “call to action” would be a summary call
to action
CLOSING (as per previous samples)
VOCAL VARIETY
 An American communications icon John Maxwell believes that there are a 4
things that an audience won’t forgive a speaker for ie to be unprepared,
uncomfortable, uncommitted and to be uninteresting.
 Vocal variety makes a speech more interesting therefore more listenable.
  It is important how a speech is delivered otherwise people won’t listen to the
words or won’t believe or be influenced by the words.
 - People like English spoken with a French and Irish accent
- People don’t like a monotonous, tiresome, harsh sound

 Psychologist Albert Mehrabian has shown that we are 5 times as likely to be

influenced by voice than by the spoken words.
An American University (UCLA) research into communications showed that an audience
is influenced by a speaker in the following percentages:

- Spoken Words 7 %
- Voice 38 %
- Body Language 55 %

ie Incredibly, Spoken Words account for only 7% of what will be believed.

So how you say the spoken words is vital, in order to get your message across and
believed.

Also an audience will be unimpressed if the speaker is not giving everything they’ve got
ie with voice and body language / gestures (ie hand, facial and body)

A speaker’s voice and body gestures should match the spoken word. He/she should be
speaking with everything that he/she has got eg enthusiasm, passion, sincerity,
emotion with their voices and their gestures. For example say out loud:

This is what I believe

First say it with no with passion and secondly with passion in the voice and with fully
body and facial gesture. Feel the difference. The audience will be influenced very little
on the words alone.
 It’s important to speak within your range of what is natural. If you want to
expand the parameters of your range, exaggerate and be theatrical while
speaking at a Speaking Club.
 The principal Elements of Vocal Variety are : Volume, Pace, Tone, Quality and
Pause.
- A conversational style voice should be your base style from where you add
variety.
 Volume
- Different levels of volume can be used as follows:

- Loud: emphasis, excitement, climax, punch-line

- Normal: as the base level of your speech ie conversational style which is
adequate for the audience to hear but not overpowering
- Quiet: conspiratorial, secrecy, contrast, intimacy

 Pace

Different levels of pace can be used as follows:

- Fast: excitement, fast action

- Normal: as the base level of your speech ie conversational style which is
approximately 125 – 160 words per minute which ensures full pronunciation
 - Slow: contrast, clarity, relaxed, slow action

 Tone (pitch)

The tone should reinforce the spoken words. Examples of different tones are:
assertive manner, friendly manner, pleading manner, questioning manner. You
can use different pitches as follows:

- High: excitement, assertive, fear

- Normal: deeper voices and conversation style are easier to listen to
- Low: tiredness, slow action, boredom

 Quality

Experience increases confidence which serves to improve the voice.

Voice training exercises will improve the quality and pleasantness of your voice.

 Pause (can be the most deafening sound of all)

- Before &/ particularly after when emphasising something

- Change of subject
- Suspense before the punchline
- Time for audience laughter

Speakers who have a naturally quiet voice may:

- Speak louder
- Speak more often to increase confidence and strength
- Speak in an assertive tone
- Speak with lots of vocal variety
- Carry out voice training exercises.

A Good Speaking Voice

A good speaking voice should have the following attributes:

1. The tone has a friendly, pleasant tone.

2. It is natural, reflecting the true personality and sincerity of the speaker.
3. It has life and vitality, even when it isn’t very loud.
4. It portrays various shades of meaning, never sounding monotonous or emotionless.
5. It is easy hear thanks to good volume and clear articulation.

BEING THE MC (Master of Ceremonies) / INTRODUCING THE SPEAKER

(the words “speaker” and “presenter” are interchangeable)

Introductions are often not done well so it is important that if you are the presenter to
ensure that the MC introduces you as you want to be introduced. Write out your
introduction for the MC. Conversely as an MC you should ask the presenter how they
want to be introduced and suggest that they write it out themselves.
Why have an introduction – even if the speaker is known to the audience
 To make it clear what is happening and to explain that one of the group is
 about to lead the thinking.
 To announce the speaker’s objective or reason for speaking so as the
audience can understand the relevance in the big picture and turn their mind
towards the subject.
 To advise the audience of the speaker’s authority and special knowledge ie
credibility.
 To provide a transition from one segment / presentation to another.
 Set the stage and tone of what is to be presented.
A good introduction should always be brief and will always include:
 The speaker’s name (verify pronunciation before).
 Speech title, if appropriate.
 Objectives and timing, if appropriate eg in a speaking club or training
environment.
 Some comment after the speech (“thank you” is sufficient but whatever you
say avoid evaluating it, leave that to the audience as the MC must remain
neutral).
Never:
 Leave the lectern unattended. There should always be someone in control.
 Upstage the speaker. Generally, the MC should be like a sports umpire. They
are important but they aren’t the star. They should only be the star when the
presenters are boring and the room needs energy.
 Reveal too much of the content.
 Surprise the speaker or the audience.
 Measure the level of the speaker’s ability before or after the presentation.
Credibility can be given without saying for example that “this guy is a great
speaker”. Stick to the facts, eg: “our next speaker is an experienced speaker
having given key note presentations to large multi national corporations such as
Ford and Coca Cola in the past year. At Coca Cola he spoke in front of 2,000
executives from all parts of the USA.” This is stating the facts and making it
obvious what his credentials are without saying he is a great speaker and
building up excessive expectation levels in the audience or placing undue
pressure on the speaker. You could be witty and go on to say that “they thought
he was the real thing” or “it” or whatever is the Coca Cola catch phrase of the
moment.
 Use cliches (I would like to, without further ado). For example “our next
speaker is Leo Bateman” is better than “I would like to introduce our next
speaker Leo Bateman” or “without further ado let me introduce our next
speaker”. Short and sharp phrases, without excessive words, adds punch to the
overall session and is uplifting and will help create an ambiance where the
presenters are more likely to be memorable. Keep things moving swiftly and in a
polished manner. Better too quick than too slow. It can be inspiring.
 Make the introduction longer than the presentation. It should never be longer
than a minute and generally 30 seconds would be adequate.
Always try to:
 Let the audience know what is happening and if there are particular
objectives that a speaker has. At the start of the seminar the audience should be
made aware of the program.
  Be neutral, keep everyone happy ie don’t give opinions, don’t agree or
disagree. Say things like “I’m sure we can all relate with that” or “thanks for a
thoroughly prepared speech” or “this is a subject that is very relevant given what
is happening in Victoria at the moment”.
 Further to the previous point, “I enjoy listening to Ed Biggs” is better than
saying “our next speaker – Ed Biggs - is a fantastic speaker”. Let the audience
decide the level of his competence.
 Set the scene eg “and now something very different from the previous
speaker” or “and now on a much more serious note”.
 The introduction should be brief but long enough to say enough to make the
speaker feel welcome.
 Write down the key elements of the introduction.
 Ask the speaker in advance if they need the lectern, whiteboard etc so you
can move quickly from one segment to another in a polished manner.
 You are in control – be decisive, start the applause, be ready to return to the
lectern at a moment’s notice if the speaker has an abrupt ending to the speech.
 Don’t leave the lectern vacant and establish a protocol for when the speaker
arrives at the lectern Eg a handshake etc.
 Time the introduction to end after the speaker arrives and not before. If the
speaker is remaining seated 50 metres away and not moving while you are
introducing him/her, you can invite the speaker to start making their way
forward.
 If you are introducing several speakers in one session don’t say the same
thing over and over. You can say “please make welcome Ed Biggs” or “let’s put
our hands together for Ed Biggs” or “ladies and gentlemen Ed Biggs” or “as Ed
Biggs makes his way to the lectern let’s welcome him in the appropriate manner”
or “it’s a pleasure to introduce Ed Biggs” or simply “our next speech is titled “my
greatest sporting moment” – Ed Biggs”.
When you are the Speaker
 When making a presentation, particularly where you aren’t known, prepare a
written introduction to be given to the MC. This removes the risk that the
introducer gets it wrong and gives you an appropriate introduction providing the
audience with your credibility.
 Remember self praise is no recommendation and so get the MC to convey your
credentials to the audience.
 Your credentials should be only what are relevant to the presentation.

BEING THE MC (Master of Ceremonies) / INTRODUCING THE SPEAKER

(the words “speaker” and “presenter” are interchangeable)

Introductions are often not done well so it is important that if you are the presenter to
ensure that the MC introduces you as you want to be introduced. Write out your
introduction for the MC. Conversely as an MC you should ask the presenter how they
want to be introduced and suggest that they write it out themselves.
Why have an introduction – even if the speaker is known to the audience
 To make it clear what is happening and to explain that one of the group is
 about to lead the thinking.
 To announce the speaker’s objective or reason for speaking so as the
audience can understand the relevance in the big picture and turn their mind
towards the subject.
 To advise the audience of the speaker’s authority and special knowledge ie
credibility.
 To provide a transition from one segment / presentation to another.
 Set the stage and tone of what is to be presented.
A good introduction should always be brief and will always include:
 The speaker’s name (verify pronunciation before).
 Speech title, if appropriate.
 Objectives and timing, if appropriate eg in a speaking club or training
environment.
 Some comment after the speech (“thank you” is sufficient but whatever you
say avoid evaluating it, leave that to the audience as the MC must remain
neutral).
Never:
 Leave the lectern unattended. There should always be someone in control.
 Upstage the speaker. Generally, the MC should be like a sports umpire. They
are important but they aren’t the star. They should only be the star when the
presenters are boring and the room needs energy.
 Reveal too much of the content.
 Surprise the speaker or the audience.
 Measure the level of the speaker’s ability before or after the presentation.
Credibility can be given without saying for example that “this guy is a great
speaker”. Stick to the facts, eg: “our next speaker is an experienced speaker
having given key note presentations to large multi national corporations such as
Ford and Coca Cola in the past year. At Coca Cola he spoke in front of 2,000
executives from all parts of the USA.” This is stating the facts and making it
obvious what his credentials are without saying he is a great speaker and
building up excessive expectation levels in the audience or placing undue
pressure on the speaker. You could be witty and go on to say that “they thought
he was the real thing” or “it” or whatever is the Coca Cola catch phrase of the
moment.
 Use cliches (I would like to, without further ado). For example “our next
speaker is Leo Bateman” is better than “I would like to introduce our next
speaker Leo Bateman” or “without further ado let me introduce our next
speaker”. Short and sharp phrases, without excessive words, adds punch to the
overall session and is uplifting and will help create an ambiance where the
presenters are more likely to be memorable. Keep things moving swiftly and in a
polished manner. Better too quick than too slow. It can be inspiring.
 Make the introduction longer than the presentation. It should never be longer
than a minute and generally 30 seconds would be adequate.
Always try to:
 Let the audience know what is happening and if there are particular
objectives that a speaker has. At the start of the seminar the audience should be
made aware of the program.
  Be neutral, keep everyone happy ie don’t give opinions, don’t agree or
disagree. Say things like “I’m sure we can all relate with that” or “thanks for a
thoroughly prepared speech” or “this is a subject that is very relevant given what
is happening in Victoria at the moment”.
 Further to the previous point, “I enjoy listening to Ed Biggs” is better than
saying “our next speaker – Ed Biggs - is a fantastic speaker”. Let the audience
decide the level of his competence.
 Set the scene eg “and now something very different from the previous
speaker” or “and now on a much more serious note”.
 The introduction should be brief but long enough to say enough to make the
speaker feel welcome.
 Write down the key elements of the introduction.
 Ask the speaker in advance if they need the lectern, whiteboard etc so you
can move quickly from one segment to another in a polished manner.
 You are in control – be decisive, start the applause, be ready to return to the
lectern at a moment’s notice if the speaker has an abrupt ending to the speech.
 Don’t leave the lectern vacant and establish a protocol for when the speaker
arrives at the lectern Eg a handshake etc.
 Time the introduction to end after the speaker arrives and not before. If the
speaker is remaining seated 50 metres away and not moving while you are
introducing him/her, you can invite the speaker to start making their way
forward.
 If you are introducing several speakers in one session don’t say the same
thing over and over. You can say “please make welcome Ed Biggs” or “let’s put
our hands together for Ed Biggs” or “ladies and gentlemen Ed Biggs” or “as Ed
Biggs makes his way to the lectern let’s welcome him in the appropriate manner”
or “it’s a pleasure to introduce Ed Biggs” or simply “our next speech is titled “my
greatest sporting moment” – Ed Biggs”.
When you are the Speaker
 When making a presentation, particularly where you aren’t known, prepare a
written introduction to be given to the MC. This removes the risk that the
introducer gets it wrong and gives you an appropriate introduction providing the
audience with your credibility.
 Remember self praise is no recommendation and so get the MC to convey your
credentials to the audience.
 Your credentials should be only what are relevant to the presentation.

BEING THE MC (Master of Ceremonies) / INTRODUCING THE SPEAKER

(the words “speaker” and “presenter” are interchangeable)

Introductions are often not done well so it is important that if you are the presenter to
ensure that the MC introduces you as you want to be introduced. Write out your
introduction for the MC. Conversely as an MC you should ask the presenter how they
want to be introduced and suggest that they write it out themselves.
Why have an introduction – even if the speaker is known to the audience
 To make it clear what is happening and to explain that one of the group is
 about to lead the thinking.
 To announce the speaker’s objective or reason for speaking so as the
audience can understand the relevance in the big picture and turn their mind
towards the subject.
 To advise the audience of the speaker’s authority and special knowledge ie
credibility.
 To provide a transition from one segment / presentation to another.
 Set the stage and tone of what is to be presented.
A good introduction should always be brief and will always include:
 The speaker’s name (verify pronunciation before).
 Speech title, if appropriate.
 Objectives and timing, if appropriate eg in a speaking club or training
environment.
 Some comment after the speech (“thank you” is sufficient but whatever you
say avoid evaluating it, leave that to the audience as the MC must remain
neutral).
Never:
 Leave the lectern unattended. There should always be someone in control.
 Upstage the speaker. Generally, the MC should be like a sports umpire. They
are important but they aren’t the star. They should only be the star when the
presenters are boring and the room needs energy.
 Reveal too much of the content.
 Surprise the speaker or the audience.
 Measure the level of the speaker’s ability before or after the presentation.
Credibility can be given without saying for example that “this guy is a great
speaker”. Stick to the facts, eg: “our next speaker is an experienced speaker
having given key note presentations to large multi national corporations such as
Ford and Coca Cola in the past year. At Coca Cola he spoke in front of 2,000
executives from all parts of the USA.” This is stating the facts and making it
obvious what his credentials are without saying he is a great speaker and
building up excessive expectation levels in the audience or placing undue
pressure on the speaker. You could be witty and go on to say that “they thought
he was the real thing” or “it” or whatever is the Coca Cola catch phrase of the
moment.
 Use cliches (I would like to, without further ado). For example “our next
speaker is Leo Bateman” is better than “I would like to introduce our next
speaker Leo Bateman” or “without further ado let me introduce our next
speaker”. Short and sharp phrases, without excessive words, adds punch to the
overall session and is uplifting and will help create an ambiance where the
presenters are more likely to be memorable. Keep things moving swiftly and in a
polished manner. Better too quick than too slow. It can be inspiring.
 Make the introduction longer than the presentation. It should never be longer
than a minute and generally 30 seconds would be adequate.
Always try to:
 Let the audience know what is happening and if there are particular
objectives that a speaker has. At the start of the seminar the audience should be
made aware of the program.
  Be neutral, keep everyone happy ie don’t give opinions, don’t agree or
disagree. Say things like “I’m sure we can all relate with that” or “thanks for a
thoroughly prepared speech” or “this is a subject that is very relevant given what
is happening in Victoria at the moment”.
 Further to the previous point, “I enjoy listening to Ed Biggs” is better than
saying “our next speaker – Ed Biggs - is a fantastic speaker”. Let the audience
decide the level of his competence.
 Set the scene eg “and now something very different from the previous
speaker” or “and now on a much more serious note”.
 The introduction should be brief but long enough to say enough to make the
speaker feel welcome.
 Write down the key elements of the introduction.
 Ask the speaker in advance if they need the lectern, whiteboard etc so you
can move quickly from one segment to another in a polished manner.
 You are in control – be decisive, start the applause, be ready to return to the
lectern at a moment’s notice if the speaker has an abrupt ending to the speech.
 Don’t leave the lectern vacant and establish a protocol for when the speaker
arrives at the lectern Eg a handshake etc.
 Time the introduction to end after the speaker arrives and not before. If the
speaker is remaining seated 50 metres away and not moving while you are
introducing him/her, you can invite the speaker to start making their way
forward.
 If you are introducing several speakers in one session don’t say the same
thing over and over. You can say “please make welcome Ed Biggs” or “let’s put
our hands together for Ed Biggs” or “ladies and gentlemen Ed Biggs” or “as Ed
Biggs makes his way to the lectern let’s welcome him in the appropriate manner”
or “it’s a pleasure to introduce Ed Biggs” or simply “our next speech is titled “my
greatest sporting moment” – Ed Biggs”.
When you are the Speaker
 When making a presentation, particularly where you aren’t known, prepare a
written introduction to be given to the MC. This removes the risk that the
introducer gets it wrong and gives you an appropriate introduction providing the
audience with your credibility.
 Remember self praise is no recommendation and so get the MC to convey your
credentials to the audience.
 Your credentials should be only what are relevant to the presentation.