Public

Speaking

What is
Public
Speaking?

Public Speaking
ois the act or skill of speaking to a usually
large group of people
ois the act or process of making speeches
in public
ois the art of effective oral communication
with an audience
Source: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated (2016)

oIt is the process or act of performing a

presentation focused around an individual
directlyspeakingto
a
liveaudiencein
a
structured, deliberate manner in order to inform,
influence, or entertain them.
oIt is commonly understood as the formal, face-toface talking of a single person to a group of
listeners.

oIt has five basic elements, often

expressed
as
"WHOis
sayingWHATtoWHOMusing
whatMEDIUMwith whatEFFECTS?"

importance of
Public
Speaking?

Build success in your

professional life
Communicate with others more
clearly
Build overall confidence
Increase your comfort level in
social situations

Run meetings or present new ideas

more effectively
Become an effective member or
volunteer
Establish trust and respect from
others with greater ease
Speak more confidently on the
telephone

Communicatio
n
and Career

Communication
oPublic speaking helps you gain
greaterclarityof message involves
figuring out clearly what you want to
say. Rather than throwing forward
heres all the things I want to say,
you filter it for your audience.

oPublic speaking helps you connect

with people you will learn how to be
passionate in the right moments and
vulnerable in the right moments.
People will be able to relate to you
more as a human being.

oPublic speaking helps you know

yourself you have to first connect to
yourself. One must reflect and
communicate with his/herself to be
able to know what he/she wants to
share with the audience.

Career
oPublic speaking is a great tool for
career advancement because it
provides opportunities to impress
the boss, seek publicity, and
network.

Impressing the Boss

oSuccess in public speaking is a good indicator
of valuable professional skills. Composing an
effective
speech
demonstrates
creativity
andcritical thinking. Holding anaudience's
attention demonstrates a talent forleadership.
Maintaining confidence and poise during a
speech
andQ&Asession
demonstrates
professionalism under pressure.

Self-Promotion
oIf you're looking for publicity,
speaking engagements are a great
place
to
start.
Look
for
opportunities to discuss your area
ofknowledge, and present yourself
as an expert.

Networking
oPublic speaking is a great way to
connect
with
people
who
share
yourinterestsand goals. You can get
more
mileage
out
of
speaking
engagements
if
you
initiate
conversationswith other speakers and
audience members.

oIn
terms
of
professional
networking, public speaking can
help you gain an edge over the
competition. A speech will show
more of your personality than a
resume or cover letter.

Effective
Public
Speaker?

Prepare to
succeed
Say it correctly
Overcome your
anxiety
Make first
impressions
count
Stand for
attention

Act naturally
Make eye
contact
Show your
feelings
Make yourself
heard
Silence your
distracters

Prepare to succeed
oThis means to make time for serious
practice.
oExperts suggest one must spend 60%
of his/her time to prepare the content
and slides and 40% of his/her time to
practice.
oThe better prepared for speech or

Say it correctly
oPart of the preparation is the doublechecking of the pronunciation of any tricky
or unfamiliar words especially jargons.
oCorrect pronunciation and knowledge of
the industry terms lend credibility reliability
to your presentation.

Overcome your anxiety

oUse breathing and relaxation techniques
before your presentation to calm your
nerves.
oRemember that your audience did not
come to see you but they come to see
what you can do for them.
oPut your energy into giving them the best
presentation you can.

oAnother way to overcome anxiety and

to be a comfortable speaker is to
practice in the only place where no one
else can see you your mind.
oYou need to visualize for your mind to
become used to the prospect of
speaking in public, and pretty soon you
will conquer any feelings of anxiety.

Make first
impression counts
oBefore you give your speech, your
audience
will
base
their
impressions on your appearance.
oDress appropriately to the event.
oBe
neat,
professional,
and
comfortable
enough
to
act
naturally.

Stand for attention

oStand up straight, with your legs
shoulder width apart and your weight
evenly distributed.
oGood posture reflects the confidence
and
engagement
with
your
presentation and your audience.

Act naturally
oGestures add interest and emphasis
to your presentation.
oPractice gestures as part of your
presentation preparation and they will
come easier when you present.
oBe and feel comfortable on the stage
while you deliver your speech.

Make eye contact

oThis is a great way to calm your
nerves and to keep your audience
engaged in your presentation.
oYou must establish and make
connection to your audience.

Show your feelings

oYou may normally be reserved, but for
your presentation, open with a smile.
oYou must show to your audience that
your happy to share your information
with them.
oFacial expressions add power to your
words but use it appropriately and

Make yourself heard

oVolume of the voice is one of the important
aspects of verbal delivery consideration.
Make sure you are heard.
oObserve your rate of delivery. Not too fast
nor too slow.
oLastly, consider the pitch of your voice. Too
much variation is distracting. Too little is
monotonous.

Silence your distracters

oFilter words and phrases like, um,
ah, you know, etc. quickly become
distracting to those you want to engage
with.
oInstead, fill the space with silence
even if it means speaking in fragments.
oAs you relax and improve, shorten the
moments of silence and eventually you

Remember:
oYour goal is NOT to be a
PERFECT
public
speaker.
There is no such person. Your
goal is to be an EFFECTIVE
public speaker.