Public Speaking

[ServantofthePeople]

So tomorrow i have to do an Acceptance speach for a public speaking class. I dont understand that i can speak so well at work infront of customers, but when it comes to speaking infront of a group in a class room, i suck so much.

Anyone have any tips on how not to forget what you want to say and end up rushing through everything? because that is what always happens to me.

[ApolloSZ]

I guess the difference is the number of people?
You could try the underwear trick?
Are you actually accepting something or is it like a project, it might help to remind yourself it has to be done (debating team in college for example) cos I don't like losing ^.^

[ServantofthePeople]

Were not actually accepting anything, the teacher asked us what our interests were the first day of class, so for this assignment he made up an award that relates to our interests. Which helps i guess since speaking about something completely irrelevant is almost impossible for me.

[ArcticChicken]

My guess is that because at work you are in your 'work persona', and in the classroom you are yourself. Try pretending this is a work assignment.

[Jester]

I dont understand that i can speak so well at work infront of customers, but when it comes to speaking infront of a group in a class room, i suck so much.

I had to take my Public Speaking class twice. It was a requirement for my major, so I could not skip it. I had to get through the class.

At the time I took it the second time, I was employed as a mobile disc jockey, playing at weddings and parties. I had no problem speaking in front of dozens or even hundreds of people with a microphone in my hand and several hundred watts of power behind me. I had no problem talking to large groups in general when I was clowning around.

But public speaking, giving an actual speech? Even I was terrified. I still am sometimes, though less so these days than back then. (Having been a professional entertainer for years, and having DJ'd in a clothing optional bar for people who aren't wearing a damn thing....well, that helps shape a perspective!)

Anyone have any tips on how not to forget what you want to say and end up rushing through everything? because that is what always happens to me.

I have two tips for public speaking.

1. Don't memorize the speech. Know what you want to say, practice what you want to say, but draw up an outline. Not the entire speech, just an outline of points you want to make. (Below I have an outline of this post, as an example.) Keep the outline at the lectern in front of you (or in your hands if there is no lectern) and only glance at it when it's time to see the next point. Make sure the outline is in a large font so you can see it clearly, and just have a few words written to remind you of each point.

2. Breathe. No, I'm serious. Breathe. When you get up there, you are going to want to rush through things. Stop. Relax. Let your shoulders drop. They were bunched up, weren't they? Of course they were. How did I know this? It's a normal sign of stress. Allow your shoulders to drop back down, take a deep breath, and relax. And continue to do this throughout the speech.


OUTLINE FOR THIS POST AS I WOULD WRITE IT FOR A SPEECH:

I. BACKGROUND

.....A. HAD TO TAKE CLASS TWICE.

.....B. NO PROBLEM DJING OR GOOFING.

.....C. STILL SCARED. NOT AS MUCH NOW.

II. SPEAKING TIPS

.....A. OUTLINE, NO MEMORIZATION.

.....B. RELAXATION TIPS.

..........1. BREATHE.

..........2. SHOULDER DROP.


And because I knew the material, knew what I was going to say here (because for a speech I had practiced it), those key words above would be enough for me to give the speech of this post. All from those well-organized 27 words above. Yes, I could give the 326 word speech of this post from 27 words on an outline.

You may want your outline to have a little more, but it is just there as a cue card, and you should only be going to it occasionally.

Good luck!

[firecat88]

Just adding my two cents in here. Both ApolloSZ and ArcticChicken are on the right track. Size of the audience plays a huge factor into it, as well as what kind of persona you have to be for the presentation.

Also, it also has to do a lot with what you're more accustomed to and comfortable with. Kind of like with Jester and his DJing, I much prefer singing in front of people than public speaking. Singing is and has been my thing since I was 3. Give me a room of 100 people, give me a song to sing by myself, and I'll do it without a second thought.

Give me a room of 10 people and a spoken presentation about something, though, and watch me end up nearly in tears because I get so (admittedly) needlessly panicked.

And, yes, breathing is good. Slow, meditative breathing if at all possible.

[fireheart]

Don't worry too much if you fumble through it. There's a scene in Keeping Mum which always cracks me up when Rowan Atkinson's character fumbles the start of his speech.

Here's the scene as it goes:

Reverend Walter Goodfellow: The title for this evening's opening address is Cod's Mysterious Ways. God! God! God's Mysterious Ways
[calms down]
Reverend Walter Goodfellow: . I'm sure Cod *have* mysterious ways, but it's the mysterious ways of God I want to talk about tonight. Cod will just have to wait for their own convention.

I always used to look OVER everyone's heads, rather than at them, when I had to speak in front of an audience. Feel free to make a couple of jokes as well.

[Jester]

I always used to look OVER everyone's heads, rather than at them, when I had to speak in front of an audience.

I'm going to disagree here. While it is tough, the best way to connect with your audience is to make eye contact. And continue doing so. But don't stare at just one person. Every point or two, switch the person you're looking at. For example....

(looking at girl in center of room) "My name is Jester, and I'm a video game addict. And I am not alone."
(moves focus to gamer dude at center right) "Video game addiction is more prevalent than you think. You probably know or are related to someone who is hooked on video crack."
(moves focus to power suit woman in back left) "My personal weakness is Megatouch Tai Play. I can't tell you the number of dollars I have wasted on this game. Just mindlessly playing it while pumping dollars into the machine."
(shifts eyes to professor to far right) "And the whole time I'm zombifying in front of this machine, my friends are off living life. Hooking up for one night stands, drinking themselves into a stupor, trying recreational narcotics--you know, being productive."

You get the idea.

[Frantic Freddie]

In public speaking I can't stress this enough:

ENUNCIATE,ENUNCIATE,ENUNCIATE!!!!

I've seen way too many people run their words together,mumble,talk too softly,etc...

Another thing,stay at least 6" from the microphone,that way you avoid the proximity effect which'll muddy your voice.

[AdminAssistant]

Everyone here has good tips. I have done the "stare slightly over their heads" trick - but that's for auditioning only. If eye contact freaks you out too much, then look at foreheads or the bridge of the nose. Unless you're really close to the audience, it will look like you're making eye contact.

What I can add - practice your movement. If this is a "stand at the podium and talk" speech, then practice arm movement, hand gestures, facial expressions. Do this in a mirror. Assign certain gestures/movements to certain parts of the speech (this will help your memory as well). I've seen it dozens of times with amateur actors - unless you have specific, motivated blocking, your arms and hands will wind up moving in ways that they've never moved before and all of them bad. Also, unless you're walking around, plant your damn feet. Your feet and legs are your foundation. Keep 'em hip's width apart (or whatever's comfortable), weight equally distributed (none of this shifting around nonsense), knees slightly bent. Deep breaths from your belly, shoulders back and down, voice clear and confident.

If enunciation is a problem, then warm up your articulators with tongue twisters and vocal exercises. (Ex: "red leather, yellow leather. red leather, yellow leather." or "She came upon the balcony, explicitly mimicing his hiccupping, and amicably welcoming him in.") You can also take a wooden #2 pencil and stick it between your teeth as far back as it can go. Now, speak the speech, I pray you, with that pencil in your mouth. Do that a few times. Now do it without the pencil, but make your mouth work just as hard as it was with the pencil in your mouth. Voila! Articulation. (Yes, I have gone through entire rehearsals with a pencil in my mouth. It's gross, but it works.)

[ServantofthePeople]

Thanks everybody, im trying to take everyones advice. I have my speach written, which i have read through several times. I then made an outline of talking points like Jester suggested, and i was able to do a couple runs from just the outline. Now i just have to practice in front of a mirror until its time to go to class lol.

5 Hours to get warmed up, i think i can do this!

[firecat88]

You can also take a wooden #2 pencil and stick it between your teeth as far back as it can go. Now, speak the speech, I pray you, with that pencil in your mouth. Do that a few times. Now do it without the pencil, but make your mouth work just as hard as it was with the pencil in your mouth. Voila! Articulation. (Yes, I have gone through entire rehearsals with a pencil in my mouth. It's gross, but it works.)

We used to do this in chorus sometimes. Our director would have us stick pencils between our teeth and just speak the words of whatever song we were working on. It does work really well.

[ServantofthePeople]

Well, once i was finally prepared. was able to go through the whole speach several times without note cards. I get a call from the school saying the class was canceled for today -_-. now i dont mind when this happens when a paper is due, but after you spend all day preparing to do this, it really sucks to have to moved to another day lol. Ah well, guess the cycle will continue for another couple of days

[Jester]

Another thing,stay at least 6" from the microphone,that way you avoid the proximity effect which'll muddy your voice.

As a broadcasting major, I must chime in yet again.

Appropriate distance from the microphone varies widely from person to person.

Some speak too close to the mic, some too far. A lot depends on your voice tone, pitch, octave, and of course, volume. 6" could be too far for some people, too close for others. I tended to "eat" the mic, or close to it, but then, I was a trained professional, and knew how to speak right into the mic for optimal sound, without muddying my voice at all.

Just like any other part of the speech, it helps if you can practice with a mic, preferably one that is actually hooked up to a sound system. If you can find a broadcasting major or AV person to help you run through this, it would probably be good. And damn it, if they say speak louder, or project more, or back off the mic, or get closer....trust me, they are doing this to get the best sound out of you, not to fuck with your head. They know what the hell they're doing!

Of course, if it is a smaller class that doesn't use microphones, it is paramount that you project your voice. I am blessed with a deep voice, which carries well, and the ability to make it VERY LOUD without actually yelling. Projection was never my problem. But some people, it is their biggest problem, as they speak quietly, or have naturally high voices, which don't always carry, or they are just normally soft-spoken. Whatever the issues are, for a public speaking class, you must identify them and address them.

[CaptainJillian]

I took acting in college to try and get over some shyness that I had with speaking to groups. I ended up bringing a flask to class and putting a little nip in some soda before I had to do anything. It made all the difference in the world, plus some of my classmates found out and did the same thing. We had some really good monologues that semester.

Not that I would recommend this method at all...