I learned how to speak in public from a book that was written by Dorothy Carnegie. The Book is called THE QUICK AND EASY WAY TO EFFECTIVE SPEAKING and it was published in 1962. It might seem to be outdate because of the date it was published but I believe that if something teaches you well the techniques are the same.
MY REVIEW:
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEAKING EFFECTIVELY:
To learn these skill use the experience of other people. Stay focused on you goal. Invasion what it is that you need to succeed and decide what is the best way to reach that target.
To developed you confidence you must get the facts straight, prepare you speech based on these facts and act confident, (even if your knees are shaking).
To learn the art of speaking quickly only talk about something that you know about. Try memories as much as you can so you can look right into the eyes of your Audience. Carry small’cue cards’ and not a pile of papers when you go up to the microphone. Keep you speech short and sweet because your audiences who see a lot of papers will be bored before you begin speaking. The retention level of most adults is about ten minutes. That is most of us only read the headlines of a Newspaper, (and a few paragraphs of any article of interest), or tune in to a Headline News Channel. When you finish your speech ask if there are any questions. Remember what the questions were so you can decide if you want to add them to your speech.
SPEECH, SPEAKER and AUDIENCE:
1) Once you have been asked to give a speech you have earned’the Right to Talk’.
2) Focus on your subject and that will make it a more powerful speech.
3) Don’t uses words that are not easy for everyone to grasp. Use words that your Audience can visualize.
4) Use examples and illustrations and that will help take the Audience away from you, (with the shaking knees), to something that shows them what you mean.
5) Vitalizing the Talk by using subjects that have meaning to you. Be calm and don’t rant and rave. Speak slowly and try and show why you care about your topic so much.
6) Never use a topic that your Audience is not interested in. For example if you are talking to a Business Man’s Club don’t talk about flowers. Remember you are not the most important person in the room.your Audience is.
THE PURPOSE OF PREPARED AND IMPROMTU TALKS:
1) I am reminding you once again to make your speech short. The best speakers can get their point across in less than 15 minutes.
2) Use an incident from your life to make your point.
3) Never talk in millions. People can’t imagine a million of anything. Talk about’one’. Remember’it takes a Village to raise one Child’? I am sure there was more than one Child in that Village but Mrs. Clinton knew about using the’one’ theory.
4) Arrange your ideas in sequence and enumerate your points as you make them. I once heard a speaker forget where he was at and we went from point 1 to 2 to 4 to 3 .etc.
5) Please respect your Audience and to do this make them your’friend’. That is my many speakers begin with a joke or a cute short story.
6) If you have been asked to’talk off the top of your head’, (making an impromptu speech), you have to be mentally prepared if you think you might be asked to do this. To do this give an example of what they people were talking about first. Then ask them a question and by then you should have calmed down enough to speak.
7) Use the’Here and the Now Principle’. This is like the before and after pictures you see of people loosing weight.
THE ART OF COMMUNICATING:
1) While you are delivering your speech break through the shell of you self-consciousness.
2) Don’t try to imitate others and just be yourself. You’re a nice person aren’t you? If you answer’yes’ to this question the Audience will love you.
3) Once you have made a few speeches stop every so often and ask the people what they think about what you just said. If you are very confident use a hand held mike and walk down and ask them questions from where they are sitting.
4) Try and learn to project your voice through your throat, (this is the hardest part). This is what they teach TV. and Radio personalities to do. Once you learn this voice will be flexible and stronger.
INTRODUCING SPEAKERS, PRESENTING AND ACCEPTING AWARDS:
1) Be prepared about what you are going to say.
2) Show how happy you are about doing this.
3) If you are introducing or presenting an award to someone use the KISS principal, (keep it short & sweet). You do not have to read the main speakers entire history. Take a few important things they have done and only talk for a minute.
4) If you are excepting an award please show that your feelings are sincere.
ORGANIZING A LONGER TALK:
1) To avoid getting unfavorable attention by being crude or rude.
2) Stick to your topic with using your main ideas. Do not wander off the topic as it confuses the people who are listening to you.
3) Give specific detail in everyday words.
USING WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED:
1) Try the speaking techniques you have learned while you are at work.
2) Look for opportunities to speak in public.
3) Be persistent and you will be able to speak in front of people with out your knees shaking.
THE AUTHOR:
Dorothy Carnegie is the Wife of the famous Author Dale Carnegie who wrote’Public Speaking and Influencing Men in Business’.
©LL