Public Speaking Taboos
Public Speaking Taboos
In line with the 5 Dont’s in Public Speaking I have posted few weeks ago, here is another post similar to it — Public Speaking Taboos.
It is crucial to take note of the things you need to avoid in order to stay away from mistakes that would cost you a lot.
1. Do not take long pauses. Long pauses could imply uncertainty, mental block, or disorganized thoughts. Whatever your purpose be in taking pauses, make sure it is not too long for your audience to think that you have reached a point where you do not know or forgot what you will say. But there are some exceptions for taking long pauses, and this depends on the kind of public speaking task you have. In an interactive public speaking setting, you may take long pauses to make your audience think or ponder about something. If you think your long pauses are valid, communicate it to your audience properly
2. Do not talk too fast or too slowly. Talking too fast is an implication of nervousness. If you are feeling nervous, this is one negative tendency. Try to relax and utter your words clearly with a proper pace. While, talking too slow could make you to annoying and silly, robotic that is. It is also one manifestation of timidity, since you are too careful in every word you utter, you tend to speak too slowly. One exception to these two public speaking taboos is when you need to
3. Do not act superior than your audience. Acting, looking, or sounding superior than your audience whether it is intentionally of not will shun away your audience. They may resist, avoid, or reject you and your message even before you begin your speech. Therefore, do act or be superior than the people who are about to hear your message, instead be confident enough. Just the right level of confidence will do. Establish credibility and evoke proper strength as a speaker without intimidating your audience.
4. Do not act inferior than your audience. Acting, looking, or sounding inferior than your audience is a direct message to them that you are not a credible, reliable, and believable speaker. Inferiority is a close cousin of timidity, which is likewise one of the public speaking taboos. You could be misled that inferiority is another face for showing humility. They are not the same. You could be a humble public speaker without looking down to your self, or considering your self lower than your audience. Therefore radiate humility instead of inferiority.
Among these public speaking taboos, numbers 3 and 4 are the most challenging to avoid, because inferiority and superiority complex may be embedded into one’s character or personality; and that makes it tough to change or eradicate all at once. Besides, being humble and confident enough could not be learned all at once either.
Take into consideration these public speaking taboos and you will be close in delivering an effective speech!
Public Speaking Secrets
Public Speaking Secrets
You have read it right! There are public speaking secrets. Just how chefs and businessmen have secret ingredients and trade secrets. The difference is that they will never unfold them to anyone.
But here are public speaking secrets ready to be revealed.
1. Have a passion in public speaking. Just like in writing and in any endeavor one takes, passion is an indisputable element. You need this when things get tough in preparing for and delivering your speech. This will be the essential push specially when you do not “feel like” delivering a speech but you are obliged to. If at the moment you are not yet on the level of possessing such passion for public speaking, try “liking” it. If, again you are not yet ready to “like” it, try to “appreciate” it and the good things that come out from it.
2. Be true with your intention or purpose. Initially, your speech should be based on reality, except of course with fictional stories and rhetorical situations you choose to include in your speech. No fabricating or sensationalism with the purpose of winning your audience and attaining success and effectiveness as a public speaker. You will actually be defeating that purpose if you tell less than the truth.
If your purpose is to educate show and make your audience feel you really want them to learn. Do not intend to or imply a selfish purpose of making a name to yourself as this ever-intelligent and wise person (even if you were).
You will get what you desire the most if your intentions are pure and you couple it with faith and hard work.
3. Be sincere. Nothing penetrates the hearts and minds of your audience perfectly than sincere words. Mean every thing that you say. Even though you are dwelling with and relating facts and realities, you need to make sure you deliver them with sincerity.
Among these public speaking secrets, this one is the toughest one, because you shouldn’t be putting any effort on this on the first place. Sincerity should come naturally and effortlessly. It could be learned and developed in time but it shouldn’t be forced in any way.
4. Maintain humility. People have the tendency to block off cockiness. Once they have sensed “freshness,” you will be eliciting raised eyebrows instead of attentive eyes and ears. Even if you feel you are in the position to brag, don’t. Public speaking puts you in a position where you are supposed to get a lot of attention, be the center of attraction, be the talk of a group pf people, and be a star for a length of time; but do not act like a “diva.” Be truly humble to have been given such rare and wonderful opportunity to educate, enlighten, persuade, convince, inform, or entertain a group of people. Just like what I have mentioned in my previous posts, it’s not everyday you’ll get to speak and be heard.
Among these public speaking secrets this one requires more than your being a public speaker. Humility should be enveloped in your whole personality whether you are on the stage or not. Because humility does not come in an instant. It’s not like you will push a button just before you grab the microphone and then…just like magic, you are humble at once! Just as being sincere, you can not fake this. You need to carry humility wherever you are, in whatever you do so by the time it’s your time to speak, people would welcome you then they would listen to you and eventually treasure and apply your messages for them.
There are more than just public speaking secrets in order to deliver an effective speech so keep on browsing and learning how to prepare for that public speaking assignment!
Categories: Public Speaking Tags: enhance public speaking, public speaking secrets, public speaking skills
Public Speaking Skills
Public Speaking Skills
Public speaking skills just like any other skills are gained and polished through determination, persistence, patience, practice, and a lot of work and experience.
To be an effective speaker, you need to posses and hone the following public speaking skills.
1. Focused. “You get what you focused on.” In public speaking, your goal is to have a successful presentation, and to attain such success you should be an effective speaker, and to be so, you need to be focused. You need to put your mind, attention, body, and spirit into your speaking task. Do not be caught up by anything that goes outside your speech, anything that may disrupt you. You may have personal problems at the moment but just like what my choir teacher taught me, “you can not do anything about it right now, so focus on what you’re supposed to do and leave all distractions aside.”
2. Fluent in the language used. The word fluent is defined as: able to speak or write smoothly, easily, or readily. The smoothness, easiness, and readiness when speaking is a must. You should have a good command of the language you are to use in public speaking. Use the language you are most comfortable with. But this still depends on the setting or of your public speaking task. If it is an English class, of course you need to present your speech in English.
3. Powerful. You should be a powerful speaker, powerful in speech and in appearance for you to be able to create an impact or good effect on your audience. A speaker with not enough force is like a physically weak carpenter banging a nail with a hammer. Your message will not sink in like the nail which failed to be drilled into concrete. Sometimes your audience could be as ‘hard” as such concrete.
4. Convictional. This public speaking skill is the twin sister of “powerful.” They should go together. Even if you are powerful and display an agreeable force or strength if your audience sees a loop hole because you are lacking something — the appearance of being convinced, you are still half effective. If you want your audience to believe in your message, you should initially evoke a sense of conviction. Among these public speaking skills, this is the most difficult to possess and enhance, because you can not fake this, unlike being powerful. In a way you can sound and look powerful without much effort.
5. Prepared. This public speaking skill should come in handy before and during your public speaking assignment. Way before your presentation, prepare. And prepare well. During your speech, you should likewise be prepared specially for unexpected circumstances. Be prepared to answer questions to be thrown at you, if it was an interactive presentation. Be prepared in handling technical disruptions. Some speakers are too caught up by this kind of interruption that it triggers nervousness. Sometimes they can even be “lost” in their speech specially if it was a memorized speech. Be prepared in instances your memory may fail you. Be prepared to adlib; and make sure your audience do not notice you were startled. It is ok to be alarmed by such untoward happening, but make sure your audience could not tell. But the best thing to do is to expect the unexpected so you will not be caught unaware. Be prepared.
(Aside from these public speaking skills, use also some public speaking tools that would better your speech delivery)
You can not just go up the stage, grab the microphone, and deliver a speech, you need to have public speaking skills. Otherwise you will most probably make a huge mess or fail to accomplish your purpose of speaking.
You will have much of an advantage if you first work hard to gain and develop these public speaking skills.
Categories: Public Speaking Tags: public speaking skills, speech, speech delivery, speech improvement
Public Speaking Tools
Public Speaking Tools
Public speaking tools are necessary in order to effectively deliver a well-written speech. It is not enough that you have written a perfect speech. It is more like eating just the patty without the buns. No matter how juicy and tender your patty is when you eat it alone, it would not still be pleasing to the taste buds since one important thing is missing, something that balances the taste.
A nicely written speech plus some ideal public speaking tools equals successful presentation.
a. Gestures. Gestures are important but do not overdo these. Otherwise your gestures might turn into annoying and disrupting mannerisms, which are a taboo. These are used to emphasize a thought and should be used always with a purpose and good timing.
b. Body Movements. These are likewise an effective tool to improve your speech delivery if used wisely. These also highlight a point or idea. Just make sure your body movements are not intimidating or lousy. Avoid being too jerky. It is a manifestation of nervousness and timidity.
c. Volume of Voice. You do not need to speak with a loud voice the whole time, or speak in a soft voice. A loud voice emphasizes a strong point, while a soft voice suggests thoughts that depict mellowness, subtlety, peace, quietness, even sadness. Or it is simply used in words that do not need emphasis.
d. Tone of Voice. The tone of your voice should likewise change with a purpose. It should match the emotion your words suggest. If you are uttering a happy line, make your voice sound happy. If it is a sad line, make your voice sound sad. It’s that simple. But do not overdo it, or you will sound like a theater actor.
It should vary or else you will sound monotonous which is an absolute no-no. No matter how well-written and effective your speech is if you are monotonous, you will just bore your audience and your message will not sink in.
e. Facial Expressions: Do not display a blank or a poker face the whole time or majority of the time. A face like such communicates nothing but nonchalance or disinterest. If you bring across such message, do not expect your audience to be interested or excitement about you and about your speech also.
f. Eye-to-eye Contact: Rapport-building is a canon in public speaking. You need to connect with your audience, and the eye-to-eye contact is the most popular way. Do not bow your head majority of the time.It is okay to glance at your paper, but not too often.
Stooping likewise evokes timidity and shyness. Face your audience, look at them in the eye. Have talking eyes. Communicate with them not just with words.
Take into consideration these simple but essential public speaking tools and be successful in delivering an effective speech. Rehearse so you can master them. But do not over practice so it would still come out naturally.
Remember to use these public speaking tools properly so it will serve to your advantage because the absence or improper usage of these public speaking tools will make your speech less than effective, persuasive, or believable.
Do more browsing and find out more public speaking tools in our website!
Categories: Public Speaking Tags: public speaking skills, Public Speaking Tools