Public Speaking 101
Back to: Professional Development
Lesson Two
1. Everyday we’re inundated with images of supposedly professional people or athletes who can’t string enough words together to make a coherent speech. If that’s not bad enough, the problem is usually compounded by the person’s accent and inability or refusal, to slow down and carefully enunciate each word in a manner that lends credibility to what they’re saying. Make no mistake about it, I’m not being critical of the way a person talks, what I am criticizing is the fact that people are often unaware of how, they should talk.
2. I can’t teach you to be a polished speaker (that takes hours of practice) but I can give you a few tips that may help you project the image you want projected. I say this because people assign meaning to all sorts of things especially the way we talk and express ideas. So you do yourself a disservice when you cannot adequately express yourself because of speaking problems that are really easy to fix.
3. The first thing to understand is that pronunciation or the way a word or language is spoken is subject to many factors which include regional and ethnic influences. As an example, people from New York City may sound somewhat different than someone from Atlanta, Georgia. Sometimes you can tell what region a person is from based on an accent or some quality in their speech pattern that is indicative of a specific group of people or a region. And that is the key to good public speaking, developing a speech pattern or way of speaking that is basically non-regional in nature. Not only should you strive for that but you must also enunciate correctly. What does that mean? It means that you must speak clearly and concisely, no mumbling or slurring of your words.
4. Why should any of this be of concern to you; because to be successful in this world, you must be able to communicate clearly and concisely with people of different backgrounds. Dependent upon who your audience is, you must also decide whether or not to speak formally or informally. Why? Because if you’re at a job interview I’m sure the person hiring you is not called “Dog” or “Homeslice” it’s either Mr. (add last name) or Mrs. (add last name), or Ms. (add last name). Again, you want to project the best image you can and be aware of the fact you’re in a different environment that calls for discipline and professionalism.
5. Let’s discuss preparing a formal speech. You know what I mean, that thing where you have to stand up in front of someone or a group of people and talk about something. For some people the mere thought of public speaking can be sheer terror but it’s not that bad. And once you learn the mechanics of public speaking you’ll find that those same skills apply to everyday one-on-one conversations too. Speeches are usually made for one of, or a blend of, the following reasons: to persuade, to inform, or to entertain.
6. The method for conducting a speech involves the use of one of four methods which are: memorization, manuscript reading, impromptu, or extemporaneous. Let’s break these down.
a. Memorization: This is exactly what it sounds like. Speaking from memory,which is usually a bad choice because it’s hard to adjust to anything in your speaking environment and you also run the risk of forgetting something; usually something important.
b. Manuscript reading: This is where you have a prepared document that you glance down at it from time to time to ensure you are using the exact words and phrases you wrote earlier. The problem with this is that it may sound stilted and canned.
c. Impromptu: Impromptu speaking is what you do when someone calls on you unexpectedly to talk about something you have not had time to prepare for. To do this well you must have the ability to think on your feet, a lot of self confidence, as well as a complete mastery of the subject matter.
d. Extemporaneous: This type of speaking occurs when you have plenty of time to prepare. You may not necessarily write a detailed script and memorize each and every phrase but it does mean you will plan and carefully practice your presentation. So the exact words you use at the time of the planned event are spontaneous and come across to your audience as natural and unrehearsed. To accomplish this type of speaking you must have an outline that provides all of the basics of what you will expound on during your speech.
7. So, how should you get started? Before we discuss that lets talk about the basic mechanics of the speech. A good rule of thumb for a speech is to:
a. Tell them what you’re going to talk about.
b. Go ahead and talk about it.
c. Finish up by telling them what you talked about!
8. All this means is that your speech must have an introduction or beginning, a body where you get to the meat of your speech, and a conclusion that quickly summarizes what you talked about and leaves no doubt in the mind of the audience that the speech is over. Let’s start by writing our speech, I’ve included a sample speech about Rivets; this should give you an idea of what we’re talking about:
SAMPLE SPEECH
RIVETS
Good afternoon, my name is Ron Peeler and before I go any further I wish to thank the Otero County NAACP for allowing me to share some time with you. Today we’ll be talking about rivets.
Now as some of you may know rivets are permanent mechanical fasteners used to connect and secure objects to one another. There are different types used for various functions, such as Pop rivets, Flush rivets, and Drive rivets. But that’s not the type of rivet we’ll talk about today. What I will tell you about is an animal closely related to the Bat that is an endangered species and needs our help to survive.
The Rivet was first discovered in Gangladesh in 1876 and was used as a primary source of material for the making of gloves, bicycle inner tubes, and nail polish. After almost being hunted to extinction, advances in technology led to the development of other materials which could be used in place of the Rivet. Consequently an international law was passed in 2008 which banned the use, import, or killing of Rivet’s.
Over time the Rivet population is expected to return to pre-1876 levels but until then we all need to be honest brokers and ensure the products we use are not made from Rivet’s or Rivet by-products. I invite each and every one of you to visit our website at ‘rivetdotcom’ and see what you can do to be a soldier on the front lines of the ‘Save the Rivet’ movement. I guarantee you that it will be the best thing you’ve ever done. And I’m sure the Rivets will thank you from the bottom of their little hearts.
Ladies and gentlemen, you allowed me to be part of your busy day and talk to you about Rivet’s and what we can do to save them. I thank you for your time and generosity.
9. This is a real quick down and dirty example of a speech that one could use if invited to be a guest speaker for a particular topic. Remember the key to any good speech is the amount of research and effort you put into designing your speech; which allows you to feel comfortable with your chosen topic. As we said before there is no excuse for not being able to express yourself clearly and concisely. There are always members of our society that can side-step this issue because they make the rules for the environment in which they live. As an example athletes, rappers, movies stars, etc make so much money that the normal rules of business and success don’t apply to them. They can pretty much say and do what they want.
10. However, for most people this is not the case. So you have to make your own success by honing every skill and talent you have and letting your discipline and professionalism speak for itself. A good example of a person that appears to have very good speaking skills is Mr. Don Lemon, a journalist who currently works for CNN. He was born in the south but has no discernable accent that would distract or take away from the message he is trying to get across to his viewers. That’s what you want to achieve, a non-regional method of speaking that is clean, concise, and easily understood by all.
11. Unfortunately, good speaking skills are oftentimes frowned upon by some members of society. Your peers may tell you that you sound funny, strange, proper, or educated. Let’s think about that for a moment. What must the opposite of that idea mean? That anyone who does not speak clearly and concisely is uneducated and ill-mannered? If that’s the case then is that something you are really trying to be? Or are you trying to make yourself a better and more competitive person in a world that does not have time for such foolishness. Make your choice now, go back and re-read the definition of P.O.W.E.R in Lesson One if you have to. Because if you’re not committed to change and intelligently forging your way ahead in a tough and difficult world, then you will be forced to play the role others have determined for you.
Conclusion: In Lesson Two, we talked a little bit about public speaking and proper enunciation. Don’t forget these are skills you can work on by yourself and cost nothing to try. Listen to national or local news people for good ideas and tips on adding non-regional qualities to your little bag of personal tools. Remember there are always going to be those that have problems with you trying to better yourself. My advice to you is to leave them behind as you continue your quest for self improvement. Let me know if this article was of use to you by leaving a comment or complaint. Note: Paragraph 6a-d taken from AFP 36-2241, Vol – 1, 1 July 1999, page 301.
V/r
Ronald Peeler
Back to: Professional Development