You’ve accomplished something others want to know more about, and you’ve agreed to share your knowledge by speaking at a company meeting. Not used to speaking in front of a room full of people, he is both uneasy at the thought of having to do this and excited at the prospect. You wonder how to prepare for the event. Three aspects of public speaking will be briefly examined, all of which have application to speaking in almost any setting.
- The previous preparation.
- The presentation of the talk
- How to end the talk on a positive note.
advance preparation
If you’re asked to speak, chances are you know something your target audience wants to hear about. Even if you are very knowledgeable about the general topic you will be discussing, it is still your responsibility to refine the topic, narrow its scope, and research and prepare interesting and informative comments that you can offer within the allotted time. You don’t want attendees looking bored or falling asleep in their seats, so prepare what you know will grab your listeners’ attention, and make sure you don’t speak over their heads.
The presentation of the talk
The conventional wisdom when I was going to school a long time ago was if you’re going to give a public talk: get up, talk, shut up and sit down. That is still good advice today. But let me expand on that thought a bit.
Is it okay to prepare a verbatim text of your intended comments? If it helps you organize your thoughts and calm your nerves as you prepare, go for it. Sometimes I have done it myself for those reasons. But unless verbal infallibility is essential to what you’re going to say, the last thing you want to do is read your comments from a prepared text. You will greatly improve your presentation if you can think comfortably on your feet and speak extemporaneously with words that come to mind as you speak. Ideally, if you must have something in writing in front of you to aid your presentation and act as your safety net, create and use a brief summary of the important the points you intend to make and once you focus on one of those points, if you have prepared properly, the details you want to present will surely follow.
How to bring your talk to a close on a positive note
To make sure you finish within the allotted time, as a last resort, check a watch. But it’s much more helpful to read your audience’s demeanor and body language while you’re making your comments, if you can.
Does the audience squirm in their seat? If so, you’ve talked too much. Bring your talk to a close as gracefully and quickly as possible. If attendees are still paying close attention to what you’re saying, but you know you’ve used up their available time, wrap up your comments and, if the format allows, consider answering a few follow-up questions from stakeholders.
A question and answer segment is brief. Answer two or three questions, after which you say thank you for letting you give your talk, congratulate your audience for their attention, thank your host or sponsor for inviting you to come and take a seat. Anything that happens after you have sat down is no longer your responsibility.
Conclusion
There is much more information available on how to make public speeches, but it is beyond the scope of this article. The most important thing is that you present your feedback in a way that is comfortable for you. Proceed with confidence. Use the information in this article to guide you through each step of the way. If you do, you’ll be well prepared for the task at hand, and your presentation will improve with each new public speaking opportunity.
© 2013 Douglas M Midgley, JD All rights reserved worldwide