This document provides guidance on the art of public speaking. It discusses preparation, delivery, and language. For preparation, it recommends selecting a topic and objective, analyzing the audience, brainstorming content and materials, organizing an outline, using visual aids, and rehearsing. For delivery, it discusses controlling nerves, voice, body language, visual aids, appearance, and adapting to the audience. For language, it suggests using language clearly and signaling transitions. The overall document aims to help speakers improve their public speaking skills through proper preparation, delivery techniques, and clear language use.
6. 1. Preparation
• Selecting a Topic and Determining the Objective
• Analyzing the Audience
• Brainstorming the Content and Materials
• Organizing and Outlining the Body of Speech
• Using Visual Aids
• Rehearing the Speech
7. Selecting a Topic and Determining the
Objective
• Topic is the subject of a speech.
• The speech topic is determined by the
occasion, the audience, and the
speaker’s qualifications.
• Brainstorm for topics – personal
inventory, clustering, internet search.
• Are you aiming to inform, persuade, train
or entertain your audience?
8. Analyzing the Audience
• Look at demographic audience traits such as age,
gender, religion, sexual orientation, group
membership, racial, ethnic or culture background.
• How many people will be attending?
• What do they need to know? What do they already
know?
• What will they expect from you?
9. Brainstorming the Content and
Materials
• Brainstorm your ideas first.
• Determine and decide what information is or not
relevant and appropriate to your audience, objective.
• Be selective! Don’t try to cram too much into your
presentation.
• Use your own knowledge and experience.
• Do library research or search the internet.
• Interview.
10. Organizing and Outlining the Body of
Speech
• Number or bullet the main points.
• Keep the outline as brief as possible.
• Develop your key points in an interesting and
varied way, drawing on relevant examples,
figures…
• Label introduction, body and conclusion.
• Designate transitions.
11. Using Visual Aids
• Use simple fonts, colors and graphs.
• Use charts, diagrams, pictures on projector or flipchart.
• Visual aids can make a presentation more interesting
and easier to understand.
• Make sure they are appropriate and clear – don’t try to
put too much information on each one.
12. Rehearing the Speech
• Practice all points what you prepared.
• Rehearse with all visual aids and handouts.
• Train again and again to manage time.
• Rehearse in front of mirror or a friend.
• Make sure you can pronounce any figures and proper names
correctly and confidently.
13. 2. Delivery
• Controlling Nervous
• The Speaker’s Speed and Voice
• The Speaker’s Body Language
• Using Visual Aids
• Appearance
• Adapting to the Audience
14. Controlling Nervous
• Smile at the first couple of minutes.
• Try to be enthusiastic.
• Try not to speak too fast during the first
couple of minutes.
• Look around your audience as you speak.
• Try to move around in the room.
15. The Speaker’s Speed and Voice
• The loudness or softness of the speaker’s voice – volume.
• Pitch is the highness or lowness of a speaker’s voice.
• Rate refers to the speed which a person talks.
• Learn how and when to pause during the speech.
• Try to produce the accepted standard of sound and
rhythm for words in a given language.
16. The Speaker’s Body Language
• Use the body motions as a systematic mode
of communication.
• Use eye contact to maintain good audience
rapport.
• Try to be aware of any repetitive hand
gestures or awkward mannerisms that might
irritate your audience.
17. Using Visual Aids
• Use your visual aids confidently; make
sure you allow your audience time to
absorb information from flipcharts,
PowerPoint and transparencies.
• Display visual aids where listeners can
see them.
18. Appearance
• Personal appearance plays an important
role in speechmaking.
• Exhibit your professional attire, shoes in
keeping with the occasion of the speech.
• Remember! Listeners always see you
before they hear you.
19. Adapting to the Audience
• You might also like to include one or two
anecdote(s) for additional variety and humor.
• Be ready to deal with any hostile questions.
• Polite, diplomatic answers are good disarming
tactic.
• BUT if you should find yourself ‘under fire’
suggest that the audience keeps any further
questions until the end of the presentation and
continue with your next point.
21. Using Language Clearly
• Use familiar words to audience.
• Use short words and sentences that you are comfortable
with.
• Avoid jargon unless you are sure all your audience will
understand it.
• Active verbs and concrete words are much clearer and
easier to understand than passive verbs and abstract
concepts.
22. Signaling
• Indicate when you’ve completed one
point or section in your speaking and
are moving on to the next point.
• Give your audience clear signals as to
the direction your presentation is
taking.