|
|
|||||||
| Home Page |
|||||||
Six Tips for Great Public Speaking![]() Your first tip is that aural (speaking and hearing) communication is very different from visual communication. So it's vital that your visuals (charts, photos and so on) complement what your audience is hearing. To quote Dorothy Sarnoff, one of my favourite writers on the subject of public presentations: "Speechmaking confidence comes from knowing that you have something worth saying and that you can say it in a way that's worth listening to". (Sarnoff 1981: 42)A picture is only worth a thousand words, if your visuals illuminate and extend the meaning of your spoken words. I know you'd never confuse your listeners by presenting difficult-to-follow visuals which I've had to endure. Spend your preparation time to distil some complex information into a diagram that's clear and easy to understand, with lots of white space around it, not a diagram that looks like a circuit for a computer – boxes all over the place, arrows going both ways, and a confusing colour scheme. Make three separate images, rather than try to squeeze an assortment of images onto one diagram. My approach to public presentations is inspired by something Albert Einstein is alleged to have said: "If you really understand something, you can make it understandable to a ten year old."So, be like Einstein: keep it simple. Your words and your visuals. If your visual aids don't stand alone, or make sense by themselves, dump them. If you don't discard them, please at least have a very good second look at them. If your visual material is going to require lots and lots of verbal explanation, then they're too complex for a public presentation. Include them in your conference paper, or hand-out materials by all means. Notice, my sweet reader, that I'm referring to IMAGES your audience is seeing….NOT TEXT they're reading on your slides. That leads me to an even bigger crime, I wish could carry a jail term of about 210 years. Using PowerPoint! GENERAL TIP # 2: PLEASE DON'T USE POWERPOINT Well, if you absolutely must, I suppose you must. I try to restrain myself about my hatred of PowerPoint, but there are so many reasons not to use it. PowerPoint is a way of dumbing down communication to a few dot points which usually have no meaning outside the PowerPoint presentation. If a text slide needs a speaker to explain what the words mean, then either the speaker or the slide is redundant. Yes, alright. I'll concede that PowerPoint can be useful for hand-out notes. Those notes will remind listeners about what they heard. Having them up on a projector while you're speaking is just a total waste of time, and a distraction. PowerPoint slides are ugly and clunky and they've ruined public presentations. They're also easy to use so I admit I'm fighting a losing battle. GENERAL TIP # 3: WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE, LEAVE HANDOUTS FOR YOUR AUDIENCE. GENERAL TIP # 4: READ UP ON EXCELLENT PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PRESENTING. GENERAL TIP # 5: JOIN TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL OR A SIMILAR GROUP. GENERAL TIP # 6: INVEST IN A COURSE IN PUBLIC PRESENTATION SKILLS.
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Tags: Public Speaking, Communications, Preparation, Public Presentation Skills Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/six-tips-for-great-public-speaking-62967.html About the Author:
Based in Melbourne, Australia Dr Jeannette Kavanagh is a solution-oriented counsellor helping people overcome anxiety and panic attacks, particularly when speaking or performing in public. Sign up for her FREE ezine Public Speaking Success
Related ArticlesDealing with Difficult Questions and/or Difficult Audiences Three Proven Strategies to Develop Public Presentation Confidence Alternatives to Making Do Why your ads aren't working Work At Home Jobs and Communications Adult Add And Cloudy Communications What Resentment Teaches you Managing your Time in Professional Sales-3 Tips for Effectiveness Got a Question? Ask.Ask the community a question about this article:Frequently Asked Questions A tide of public awareness? How may i start the service at malaysia? How is silver foil used to decorate sweets ... What should be ideal distance between power cable ... Are gmat and mat subjects more or less? D9476 QAM Modulator Latest Business ArticlesUndersell, Overdeliver Would You Like to Take the Pain Out of Giving Constructive Feedback? the Seven Steps Are You a 'people-friendly' Manager? Locate Employment 101 Connaught Opens Fund For Investors Tired of Products Capita Buys up Land For Future Planning How to Expand an Office Cleaning/ Janitorial Business Feedback as a Competitive Sport More from Jeannette KavanaghThe Truth about Anxiety and Panic Attacks Three Proven Strategies to Develop Public Presentation Confidence Dealing with Difficult Questions and/or Difficult Audiences Two Essential Ingredients of Splendid Presentations Your Audience Loves You. If Not, At Least They're On Your Side |
|||||||
|
Article Categories
|
|||||||
|
|
|||||||