3. PUBLIC SPEAKING OBJECTIVES
• To learn and practice effective
public speaking techniques
• To reduce anxiety related to public
speaking
4. TOPICS
• Using your voice as a tool
• Non-verbal communication
• Writing, preparing for and delivering a
speech
• Interviewing and debating skills
Photo: NDI
5. KEY TERMS
• Public speaking
• Gesture
• Stage presence
• Body language
• Pitch
• Tone
• Other terms?
6. PUBLIC SPEAKING
• Voice
• Presentation
• Stage presence
• Eye contact
• Body language
• Physical appearance
• Words
Photo: NDI
17. WRITING REMARKS
• Write like you speak
• Outline form
• Avoid technical terms
• Avoid words that are hard to say
• Structure:
Tell them
what you
will tell
them
Then, tell
them
Summarize
what you
told them
18. OPENING
Tell them what you will tell them
Address purpose/main objective(s)
Relate to audience
Establish credibility
Grab attention
19. BODY
Then, tell them
Main points
Organization/transitions
Examples and evidence
Visual aids
Anticipate questions
Photo: NDI
21. BEFORE SPEAKING
• Rehearse
• Anticipate questions
• Bring remarks
• Eat/drink with caution
• Have water handy
• Relax!
Photo: NDI
22. CONTROLLING YOUR NERVES
• Use nervous energy to
your advantage
• Anticipate negative
side effects to lessen
their impact
23. MEDIA INTERVIEWS
• Consider your audience
• Always refer back to your message
• Formats:
• Newspaper
• Radio
• Television
24. DEBATES
• Preparation is key
• Pause to gather your thoughts
• Keep time limits in mind
• Respond to the question you want to
answer
Photo: NDI
25. Deliver your message to the group
EXERCISE: PRACTICE SPEECH
Photo: Amy Hamelin, NDI
26. Use your voice as a tool
Pay attention to body language
Tailor remarks to your audience
Always return to your message
Practice, practice, practice
Anticipate questions
PUBLIC SPEAKING REVIEW
Editor's Notes
See the Trainer’s Guide for overall guidance on using this presentation. The Trainer’s Guide serves as a companion resource and outlines the objectives of the session and materials needed as well as provides additional guidance on conducting the training session. Please note that the Guide includes complete instructions on how to facilitate some of the exercises referenced in this PowerPoint presentation and additional information on the content of certain slides.
Please adapt the PowerPoint presentation, exercises, examples and handouts in advance of your workshop. They have been created for a global audience and need to be adapted to better suit the local context, the background of your participants and their level of experience. Terms, images and examples from the participants’ country or region should be used as much as possible so that they are relevant and contextually appropriate.
This presentation and guide were developed by Amy Hamelin. NDI would also like to acknowledge those who contributed including Caroline Hubbard, Susan Kemp, Susan Markham, Allison Muehlenbeck, Crystal Rosario and Rebecca Turkington.
SLIDE CONTENT: To begin the session, introduce yourself and other staff, trainers and resource persons. Provide the participants an opportunity to introduce themselves and establish ground rules for the training.
TRAINER NOTE: It will be important to establish a rapport among participants. If this is the first presentation of a training workshop, be sure to build in time for participants to get to know one another and establish ground rules for their interaction and participation. Guidance on ice breakers and ground rules can be found in the “Training and Facilitation” folder.
You might also establish ground rules by asking participants to give suggestions and agreeing as a group. You can write the rules on a flip chart and hang it on the wall for reference during the training session.
SLIDE CONTENT: The objectives of this session are to:
To learn and practice effective public speaking techniques
To reduce anxiety related to public speaking
TRAINER NOTE: Provide an overview of the session’s objectives so that participants understand its purpose and have realistic expectations about what to expect.
You may also wish to ask participants what expectations they have for the session. What do they hope to get out of it? You can then relate their expectations to the objectives and suggest how unrelated expectations might be met in other ways.
SLIDE CONTENT: Here you will give a brief overview of the topics to be covered:
Using your voice as a tool
Non-verbal communication
Writing, preparing for and delivering a speech
Interviewing and debating skills
TRAINER NOTE: Give the participants a brief overview of the topics to be covered so they have a sense of where you are heading in the presentation. Summarize the main concepts that will be addressed.
You can also use this time to define any key terms that will be used throughout the training. This will give you a chance to get a better sense of the level of exposure your participants have to this topic and ensure a common understanding of the terms. If there are many terms, you may want to create an additional slide (see next).
SLIDE CONTENT: There are a few key terms to define as we begin so that we share a common understanding throughout our discussions. Let’s start with “public speaking” itself. We’ll be using the term very broadly throughout this presentation.
TRAINER NOTE: Ask the participants to define the terms first and then decide on a common definition based on their responses and the definitions above. What do these terms mean in the context of the lives and work of the participants?
You might also ask them to suggest other terms relating to public speaking that they think need to be defined at the onset. You should let them know that they are welcome to stop and ask for clarification at any point during the session if there is a term with which they are unfamiliar or one which they believe requires further discussion.
Please see the Trainer’s Guide for complete definitions of each term.
SLIDE CONTENT: Despite the apprehension often associated with public speaking, there are ways to prepare yourself for this task and even channel your nervousness into positive energy. For example, you can prepare yourself with well-written remarks. However, words alone are not enough to ensure success. The image you convey, the voice that you use, and the way that you present yourself are also important. Today we will talk about the various aspects of public speaking and how you can improve your speaking skills.
TRAINER NOTE: You might have the participants spend a little time sharing their experiences with public speaking. You can ask questions like “How many of you have given a speech?”, “Raise your hand if you enjoy public speaking.”, “What are some of the major challenges you have faced when speaking in public?” . This will help to break the ice, but also to give you a better sense of the level of experience of the participants and allow you to tailor the presentation more to their needs.
Before showing the next slide, have participants guess what percentage is communicated by our words, voice, and body language. Write the guesses on a flip chart paper.
SLIDE CONTENT: While the words you use in your speech are important, they may not be as important as you think. Studies have shown that:
7% of any message is communicated with words.
38% is relayed by voice (tone, accent, volume, rhythm).
55% is communicated by non-verbal body language.
TRAINER NOTE: Ask participants if they were surprised by the actual percentages. Why or why not?
SLIDE CONTENT: We will talk about all three aspects: words, body language and overall presentation, and voice. Let’s start with your voice. How can you use it to your advantage? There are three characteristics of a powerful voice. When we speak, most of us need to focus on being:
Lower: Lower the pitch of your voice. People generally don’t respond well to high-pitched or shrill voices.
Louder: Project your voice to the back of the room. Practice on the microphone prior to speaking and remember to position it correctly. Remember to articulate clearly and do not slur your words together. In order to be heard, hold your head up and speak from the diaphragm. Open your mouth wide.
Slower: Don’t forget to breathe, pause and add emphasis where needed. Most of us tend to speed up when we get nervous. You are probably speaking more quickly than you think.
SLIDE CONTENT: Remember that your voice is the best tool you have. Listeners like to hear enthusiasm & energy in your voice, but not too much.
Use vocal variety:
Different tones of voice, appropriate pauses and changes in pace help hold an audience’s attention.
Vary your delivery rate (the speed at which you talk).
Mix long & short sentences.
Vary the tone and volume of your voice. Nothing puts people to sleep faster than someone who speaks in a monotone voice.
Don’t be afraid to be silent. Even brief moments of silence can be useful in adding emphasis and holding your audience’s attention.
Keep your voice steady. Sometimes when people are speaking, their voices rise throughout their sentences so that it sounds like they are asking a question instead of making a statement: “I’m really happy to be here today? Take care to keep your voice steady and raise it at appropriate times – when you ARE asking a question or when you want to emphasize a particular word.
TRAINER NOTE: Ask participants to think about some of the broadcast journalists they know, either on radio or television, or show short videos of local speakers. What makes their voices so effective? How do they use their voice as a tool?
You might also consider showing the following video on the “”Five Aspects of a Powerful Speaking Voice” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE7QJSO449o
The video will most useful for an English-speaking audience.
SLIDE CONTENT: Your voice, if used properly, will help you to convey your message. However, as a speaker, your audience will also take cues from your physical presence, how you carry yourself. Imagine if you could see yourself as others see you – just on the basis of your appearance and how you carry yourself. How would they describe you? How would you want them to describe you?
The key is to develop sensitivity and awareness of the image you present. Know ahead of time what you want the impression of the audience to be. And remember, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression and negative impressions are hard to overcome.
For one, you need to project confidence. Even on the days you feel less than confident, think about some of your strengths, what you are most proud of, and let it show through your voice, face and the way you carry yourself.
Keep your energy high. You don’t won’t to seem overly enthusiastic but you do want to appear happy to be there and excited to share your thoughts with the audience. By the end of your speech, you want them to be as enthusiastic as you are about your cause.
TRAINER NOTE: Remind participants that their audience may already have preconceived notions about who they are based on the fact that they are women. How are women generally perceived in your country as speakers? As political activists? Remind participants that they have to be even stronger to overcome what are often negative perceptions and stereotypes.
SLIDE CONTENT: One form of body language is eye contact or the lack thereof. Be sure to communicate and make contact with your eyes – they reveal your sincerity and strength and tell someone how accessible and approachable you are. What do you think of people who won’t look you in the eye? They may seem untrustworthy or disinterested or they may seem like they are lacking confidence. That isn’t the image that you want to convey.
Make eye contact with one person at a time and hold it for about five seconds before moving to the next person and slowly make your way across the room.
If you are too nervous to look people in the eye, try and identify a few pairs of “friendly eyes” – people who seem to be sending you encouragement and appreciating what you have to say, to make eye contact with. If you are still too nervous, you could also look at their foreheads or just above their heads. They will still think you are looking them in the eye if you do it properly.
TRAINER NOTE: Remember to adapt this presentation to fit the context in your country. For example, it may not be appropriate to look people in the eye, depending on the country.
SLIDE CONTENT: Remember that 55% of any message is communicated by non-verbal body language. As we discussed earlier, effective public speakers should have a strong presence. You are watched even before you speak, from the moment you enter the room to the moment you walk to the front to speak so pay attention to your body language right from the beginning.
Practice good posture and don’t slouch your shoulders. Your posture is important. Do not lean on the lectern or clutch it for security; use it occasionally to rest your hands. Standing up straight and tall projects confidence. Avoid making people nervous by “dancing” or shifting the balance of your weight from side to side. It is good practice to place your legs about shoulder-length apart and if sitting, to sit on the edge of your chair.
If hand gestures are natural for you when speaking, use them appropriately. Keep your hands in the “hand box” – roughly the middle section of your body to avoid wildly gesturing and distracting the audience from your words. Also avoid the temptation to use your hands for other purposes – such as engaging in distracting habits such as touching your hair or playing with a pen. You may not even notice you are doing it, so watch yourself in a mirror while practicing your speech to make sure your hands are complementing your words and not distracting from them. Another idea would be to have someone videotape you practicing your speech and watch it afterwards.
SLIDE CONTENT: Use your whole body, not just your hands, to convey your message. A raised eyebrow or shrug of the shoulder gets across your view as effectively as a nod demonstrates affirmation or a shake of the head conveys disagreement.
If you are “walking and talking,” pace yourself so you aren’t moving too quickly. You don’t want to look like you are pacing on the stage.
Don’t forget to smile!
TRAINER NOTE: Remember to check the content of this and other slides to be sure that the examples are correct within the context of your country.
For an interesting story on how body language may have cost Richard Nixon the presidential election in 1960, you can share the following clip (starting from 00:46 through 2:19).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqqiDw58NSE
This video also has helpful explanations of five aspects of non-verbal communication (posture, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, and dress) starting at 3:15. This video will be most useful for an English speaking audience.
EXERCISE: Use one or both of the activities on non-verbal communication. Full descriptions of these activities can be found in the Trainer’s Guide.
HANDOUTS 1 and 2: Interpreting Non-Verbal Communication and Non-Verbal Communication Worksheet.
SLIDE CONTENT: While many of us wish that our physical appearance weren’t so important, the truth is that it does contribute to the overall impression our audience has of us. This is especially true for women. How often have you heard people in the audience discussing what a male speaker was wearing? Like it or not, we as women need to consider the message we are sending when picking out our clothes, shoes, accessories, and makeup.
TRAINER NOTE: Remember to adapt the content of this slide to your country and participants. Refer to the Trainer’s Guide for additional guidance on each of the bullet points.
OPTIONAL HANDOUT: Image and Presentation
SLIDE CONTENT: Let’s review what we’ve learned by identifying good and bad public speaking habits.
TRAINER’S NOTE: After talking about voice and body language, it may be helpful to show participants short clips of speeches by people from their country. Be sure to include both good and bad examples and have participants comment on what they thought was effective and ineffective, focusing on the voice and body language of each speaker. Alternately, you can conduct the activity on Demonstrating Good and Bad Public Speaking Habits in the Trainer’s Guide.
EXERCISE: Demonstrating Good and Bad Public Speaking Habits
See the Trainer’s Guide for complete instructions on how to facilitate this exercise.
SLIDE CONTENT: Now that we’ve talked about your voice and physical presence, we need to discuss how to find the right words to convey your message to your audience. Before you even put your pen to paper, you should first consider three things – your audience, the nature of the overall event during which your speech will take place, and the venue in which it will take place.
Know your audience and target your speech to their interests and experiences. Know something about their background (religion, ethnicity, age, education, etc.). Relate to them as much as possible without losing your message in the process.
Know the occasion, including the venue and time of day, and how your talk (speech, panel, etc.) fits into the larger program. Do your research on the host organization and key people that will be present.
Know the room, if possible. This will help you feel more comfortable and practice with the actual space in mind. It is a different dynamic when you talk in a lecture hall as compared to a roundtable setting, classroom environment, outside, etc. This will also help you to determine whether or not to use visual aids.
Imagine what would happen if you were an expert on the migration patterns of butterflies and you included words like “diapause” and “circadian clocks” in your presentation without knowing that your audience had no background in entomology (the study of insects). Your audience wouldn’t be able to follow what you were saying. Likewise, if your audience consisted of butterfly researchers and you described butterfly migration in the simplest of terms, your audience would get no benefit from your speech.
SLIDE CONTENT: While it is generally advisable not to read your written remarks word for word when you speak, it is still best to put something in writing as you prepare for your speech. Remember to write like you speak, not like you would normally write an essay.
Put your remarks into an outline. Make sure your key points are easy to read and then practice so that you are comfortable filling in the details without having to read them. Underline, bold and highlight key thoughts. If you print out your notes to use during your speech, be sure to use a large font, double space your sentences and leave big borders. End each page with a complete thought so that you don’t lose focus or miss making a point when you turn the page.
Be sure to avoid technical terms or words that are not commonly understood or used by your audience. Watch out for alliteration and words that can trip you up when you are speaking. Sound out difficult to pronounce words, such as names of people and places, and be sure you are comfortable saying them before your speech.
In terms of the structure of your speech, start by telling people what you are going to say, then tell them and finally close by summarizing what you told them. This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t follow this rule. You really want people to remember your message and repeating your major themes throughout the speech is a good way to do it.
OPTIONAL HANDOUT: Preparing an Effective Political Speech
SLIDE CONTENT: During your opening remarks, you need to tell your audience what you are going to tell them. Give them a sense of where you are going with your remarks.
As you develop your speech, consider its purpose and main objectives. What are you trying to accomplish? Refer to your objectives in your introduction. Example: “I hope to convince you to support the proposed legislation on violence against women.”
The introduction is also a good time to demonstrate that you have done your research – that you know your audience. Try to find a way to relate and connect with them and don’t forget to tailor your presentation to their needs.
Use the introduction to establish your credibility. Tell them why you are in a good position to talk about the subject of your speech. For example: “Having been a teacher for the last 20 years, I’ve learned a lot about the important role early education can play in the lives of our children.”
Include something in the introduction that will grab their attention. You will be surprised how quickly an audience will stop listening if they don’t quickly hear something of interest.
SLIDE CONTENT: As you prepare the body of your speech, consider the main points that you want to get across. Be sure to focus on just a few key points. The shorter the speech, the fewer the points, but even with long speeches, it is better to go into more detail on a few themes than to try to cover too many topics.
Once you have established your key points, consider how best to organize them (chronological, topical, etc.). How will you transition between your main points? Think about the flow of your presentation and how to keep the attention of your audience. Does the body of your speech support the opening? Does the body build to a logical conclusion?
What examples or evidence do you have to support your main points? Don’t forget to include important statistics, real life stories, quotes, etc.
What visual aids will support your main ideas? Don’t use them just for the sake of using them, but if they help to illustrate a point, or make things more personal or engaging, they can be useful. Remember to consider the space in which you will be delivering your remarks to determine whether it is practical or possible to use visual aids. Be sure to inform the event organizer if you plan to use visual aids that require equipment (such as power point presentations) so they can be sure to have it ready.
SLIDE CONTENT: This is your opportunity to make a final case for your research, policy, campaign, etc. How will you summarize your main points? How will you tie the closing back to how you began the speech? What’s your call to action? What do you want/need the audience to do (vote for you, support a cause, tell others, vote for your draft law, etc.)?
SLIDE CONTENT: Now that you have drafted your speech, there are several things you can do to help prepare for your big moment.
Rehearse so you are comfortable with the material. Practice with friends or tape yourself if you have time and the necessary resources. Get feedback and seek to incorporate it. The more you practice, the more comfortable you will become.
If there will be a question and answer session after your speech, try to anticipate what questions your audience will ask. Be prepared to address them. While you cannot anticipate all questions, you can be prepared for those that are most likely.
Bring a copy of your remarks.
Eat and drink with caution. Avoid a big meal before speaking. Dairy products like milk can create a lot of phlegm which may make it harder to speak. Carbonated beverages may make you belch. Avoid alcohol.
Have water handy and take a sip if your throat gets scratchy or dry.
Breath deeply and try to relax. This may be the hardest advice to follow but there are ways to get over your fear of public speaking.
SLIDE CONTENT: Being nervous in a public speaking situation is normal, natural and even helpful. Adrenaline increases the human heart rate, pumps blood quicker and gets more oxygen to body tissue. This heightens mental activity and provides you with energy.
Control and prepare for nervousness. While nervous energy is positive, nerves and their accompanying behaviour are not. The negative side effects range from sweating profusely to heaving uncontrollably shaky hands.
If your throat is scratchy, clear it away from the microphone. Better yet, have an unwrapped cough drop in your pocket. To prevent dry mouth, use lip balm on your lips prior to speaking. Have a drink available if your voice breaks, remembering that ice water constricts the throat. Water at room temperature or warm beverages are better.
TRAINER NOTE: If you feel it would be useful to spend more time on this theme, refer to the Confronting Our Public Speaking Fears activity in the Trainer’s Guide.
HANDOUT 3: Pass out handout on tips to control nervousness, How to Manage Your Fear and Speak With Confidence.
SLIDE CONTENT: Preparing for a media interview is similar to preparing for a public speech with some exceptions. As with a public speech, you need to consider your potential audience and adjust your remarks accordingly. Each of the three formats (newspaper, radio and television) require a slightly different approach. No matter the format, remember to always tie in your response to questions to your “message”.
TRAINER NOTE: For additional guidance on how to tailor your interview to different formats (newspaper, radio, and television), please refer to the Trainer’s Guide.
If your workshop does not include a session on messaging, it may be helpful to provide participants with a brief introduction to the concept and how one’s message should always be the focus of any communication.
Provide participants with a copy of the Preparing for an Interview and Handling Questions handouts and go over the main points. Consider including the Interview Practice activity outlined in the Trainer’s Guide if you feel your participants are likely to engage in interviews and could benefit from this exposure.
HANDOUTS 4 and 5: Preparing for an Interview and Handling Questions
SLIDE CONTENT: There may also be occasions where you participate in debates or public forums. This may be a local event during which multiple perspectives and policy options are discussed, or a bigger, more formal debate between candidates. Regardless, it is important to prepare in advance so that you can respond to questions that arise and to your opponents comments. Remember to reiterate your message as often as possible during the debate.
Preparation could include:
Coming up with15 questions that are likely to be asked and preparing and practicing responses.
Researching your opponent’s debate history and style.
Putting together arguments to counter what your opponent is likely to say.
Thinking through both positive points to stress about yourself/your position and points that
challenge your opponent’s position/record/etc.
Finding statistics to back up your points as well as stories that show the personal side of the
issues.
Remember:
Preparation is key. The more prepared , the more confident you will be and the better you’ll do.
Pause to gather your thoughts before responding to a question. A moment of silence is perfectly
acceptable.
Keep any time limits in mind when responding. If you only have 30 seconds to respond, you will
need to get to the point quickly.
Respond to the question you want to answer, even if it’s not exactly what was asked. Remember
to refer back to your message.
TRAINER NOTE: The debate tips are adapted from the National Women’s Political Caucus Campaigning to Win Guide, Chapter 7 in the resources folder.
SLIDE CONTENT: Now that we’ve talked about some of the key aspects of public speaking, let’s apply what we’ve learned. Each one of you will prepare a short speech and then deliver it in front of the group. You will receive feedback to help you identify what you did well and areas for improvement.
TRAINER NOTE: Provide participants with a copy of the Tips for Making an Effective Speech handout and review it with them before they begin preparing their speech. This handout provides a good summary of the main topics from this presentation and will serve to reinforce what they have learned. You can also have participants critique each other using the Presentation Feedback Form. For more instructions, see the Trainer’s Guide Practice Speech activity.
EXERCISE: Practice Speech
See Trainer’s Guide for complete instructions on how to facilitate this activity. If your participants are political party members, candidates and elected officials, it may be useful to use the Making a Political Speech activity in the Trainer’s Guide.
HANDOUTS 6 and 7:Tips for Making an Effective Speech and Presentation Feedback Form
SLIDE CONTENT: As we conclude this session, let’s summarize some of the main lessons.
Remember that citizens, voters, the media, donors and other groups are busy and overwhelmed with information from all directions. They are not paying attention. Understand that your job is to get their attention. Speak from your heart and tell your story. Be brief, personal, and warm. Understand your audience and target your speech to them. Take the time to develop your message and include it in every communication.
TRAINER NOTE: Remind participants that public speaking, like riding a bike, is a skill that can be learned. While some people are naturally gifted speakers, everyone can improve, conquer their fear of speaking, and become an accomplished speaker through practice, practice, practice.
Address any particular areas about which the group had questions and allow time for final questions, feedback, and evaluation of the workshop.
The following link has a lot of great resources on public speaking, advocacy, etc.: http://neworganizing.com/toolbox/campaign-management/
If you feel the information could be helpful to your participants and they have internet access, you can share the link with them.
HANDOUT: Presentation evaluation sheet
