Browse Public Speaking

In the world of public speaking, there are only 2 reasons for giving a speech or presentation (not counting the ‘after-dinner’ speech which is a topic unto itself). You are addressing an audience to either inform or persuade. That being said, if your subject is informative in nature, your job is to convey knowledge and information. If your topic is persuasive, on the other hand, your goal is to change or strengthen your listener’s beliefs and/or motivate them to action. The question is – how do you, as the speaker, persuade an audience to accept your views?

Any wedding speech is nerve wrecking. Making a speech in front of all your loved ones can be an extremely nervous experience and often this is the reason why so many people screw it up. The simple truth is that even a bad speech that's delivered well will do the job just fine. Unfortunately even the best speech in the world that's delivered badly will make you look like a fool and potentially spoil the entire wedding ceremony. Nervousness is something that affects all of us.

A surprising number of people suffer vocal abuse and are unaware that it is a problem which will not go away on its own. There are no drugs or medicines a doctor can prescribe that will end your suffering because the abuse is being caused by misplacement and/or overuse of your speaking voice. In the long run, what this means is that as long as you continue with the same vocal habits which created the abuse, it will not go away and it will probably get worse. The symptoms of vocal abuse may be chronic hoarseness, persistent sore throats or even loss of voice by the end of the day.

If you take only one piece of advice about public speaking, make sure that it is this pearl of wisdom. If you focus on this one simple thing, the number of times you say “uhm” won’t matter. If you focus on this one thing, your gestures and not knowing what to do with your hands won’t matter. If you focus on this one thing, then the occasional loss of train of thought won’t matter. In fact, if you focus on this one simple thing, you can break just about every rule th

When you’re speaking, do you rely too much on your audience? Are you always getting negative messages from their body language and facial expressions? When you’re speaking, do you rely too much on your audience? Are you always getting negative messages from their body language and facial expressions?

Think about the last time you addressed an audience. It may have been a requirement for your job, for your presentation skills class, for Toastmasters, or for your leads group. Maybe you toasted the bride or groom or were introducing a guest speaker at your Rotary or Lions Club. What was the expression on your face? Did it say that you were glad to be there or was abject fear written all over it?

Have you ever considered what your lack of volume is saying about you? Possibly in days of old, a soft-spoken voice was considered feminine and endearing. Today, however, with the number of women in business, a voice lacking in ‘normal’ volume is not an endearing quality. Unfortunately, it says that you lack confidence in yourself. And, if you are a man, it says the same as well.

Body language. The nonverbal communication of your body that can tell your audience you are speaking with confidence or cowardness, delight or disingenuity. Do you know which language your body is speaking? Something as simple as an arm gesture could be telling your audience one thing while your voice is saying something totally different. And, of course, no body language usually means no vocal variety which is always boring.

Ah, the handshake. The handshake that is the 2nd or 3rd thing in which others will judge you. First in line is your visual image. What follows is often a handshake, your name, or both, as you introduce yourself. Have you ever considered the importance of your handshake and the image it presents? If your handshake is too strong, it may tell others that you are aggressive. Too weak and it says that you are a wimp. Neither handshake is appropriate. What you should be offering is a firm grip that neither overpowers the other person nor lays limp in their hand.

Do you know what imagery means in public speaking? While it is not quite the same as speaking with vocal variety, it does involve using color, facial expression and body language when you communicate with an audience and it is an important basis for dynamic public speaking skills. Imagery, as defined by the free dictionary online, is “the use of vivid or figurative language to represent objects, actions, or ideas.”

The one characteristic that all great public speakers possess is passion – intense, driving emotion that colors their speech, their facial expression and their body language. You hear it in their words; you see it in their actions; and, you can feel it in your soul. Their passion can motivate you to bettering your life in some fashion.

Why do you make presentations? Is it your idea? An assignment? A necessity? Part of your job? Of course there must be a reason for each presentation: to sell...to educate...to motivate. But to what kind of audience? To your boss? To an audience of a thousand people? Or maybe to one very ...

When I heard Dr. John Gray, author of the best-selling Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, talking about his book, Why Mars & Venus Collide, I found it interesting when he described the differences in how men and women handle stress as well as why the sexes treat stress differently.

My friend, I enjoyed your last speech. You were poised and confident. Your voice, gestures and eye contact were great. I clearly understood your message. You made good points. They led to a reasonable conclusion. However, as I was listening, I started wondering - so what? Why does it matter to me? Your speech was not playing on my radio station – WIIFM, the "What's In It For Me" station. What was wrong? I was waiting for your “Sales Pitch.” WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE WANT!r

While you can’t go very far in public speaking if you do not know your material well – and that means inside and out – what will capture your audience is your delivery. A colorful, dynamic delivery determines whether your audience will pay attention to you or not. That is not to say that your words, your actual material, are not important. They are. Many people are aware that a dynamic delivery sells. My question for you, however, is whether you should speak from head or from your heart?

There is no doubt that for many novice speakers, breathlessness is an annoying problem. It goes hand-in-hand with a voice that rises in pitch and a speed that goes faster and faster. None of these ‘qualities’ are beneficial in public speaking.

When it comes to public speaking, those who have the most difficulty permitting themselves to deliver a dynamic presentation are those of the Type A personality. Characterized by an intense drive for perfection, the Type A individual does not allow for mistakes. And, that is the crux of the ...

Many years ago when I was fresh out of graduate school, I applied for my first 'real' job in New York City at G. Schirmer, the largest publisher of classical sheet music in the States. What I didn't know then was that my speaking voice was my greatest asset in attaining employment with that firm. I sounded confident; I sounded like I knew what I was talking about; and, I was only 24 years old.

When given the opportunity to speak, most people are so conce ed with their material and delivery, that little, if any, consideration is given to their audience. After finishing your speech or presentation, take notes on your audience and how receptive they were as well as your specific topic. Keeping this information updated in a program on your computer will do much to add to your success in public speaking.

I just received an email from a nurse telling me that she has been suffering from hoarseness for a long time, unable to sing high notes any more, shouting at her deaf patients to be heard and always clearing her dry throat. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? Possibly not the shouting business but if you are experiencing chronic hoarseness or have lost your singing range or if you find your throat drier than in the past, there is a very good chance that you have vocal abuse.

Let’s face it, for most of us a dogfight is a very scary thing, especially when one of the dogs in the fight is our own. So what do you do? Here are some tips on how to break up a dogfight. First, remember that in a dogfight, the dogs believe they are fighting for their lives. They are usually oblivious to what is going on around them, due to their focus on the event at hand. This is why yelling at them rarely works. And this is why you should proceed with great caution. All dogs have teeth, and in a dogfight, they use them (obvious, I know).

If you are plagued by a great deal of stress on a daily basis, do you know what it is doing to your speaking voice? You are probably aware that it is affecting your sleep, your diet, your mental health, your physical health and your overall well-being. But what do you think it is doing to your voice? Possibly you notice a strangled sound or tightness in your jaw that becomes more apparent as the day wears on.

As much as you may wish you did not have chronic hoarseness or a persistent sore throat, wishing it away will not solve the problem. The unfortunate truth about vocal abuse is that it will only get worse in time unless you stop what is causing it. There are no drugs you can take to end the abuse. Yes, you could stop speaking for many, many months and the abuse would end. The problem is that once you started speaking again, it would return.

You know what this article is not about? Nasality. I know, New Yorkers, you have heard it over and over again. Have you ever considered how fast you talk, however? While there is much to be said about diminishing, lessening or even eliminating nasality, one of the greatest problems for New Yorkers is their speed. Aside from the fact that you drive fast as we do here in South Jersey, you also talk at 100 mph! Add that to the nasality issue and it may be more than difficult for others to understand you.

That which causes your voice to sound hoarse or creates a chronic sore throat is called vocal abuse. While it is common for pop singers, it also happens to many people because of speaking and/or yelling for great lengths of time. Unfortunately, vocal abuse will not go away on its own if you continue with the same techniques that have caused the problem to begin with.

When you address an audience, do you think your articulation has value? The only answer is most definitely yes. If your audience cannot understand you or misses a word or a phrase here and there, then they are missing your message. And, if they are missing your message, then it doesn’t ...

© 1996 LJL Seminars (tm) http://www.ljlseminars.com --------------------------------------------------------- As speakers we all know the importance of properly preparing our material far enough in advance so we may have sufficient time to rehearse and "fine-tune" our speeches. Unfortunately, ...

ever listened to a speaker deliver a rote or memorized presentation and were left feeling empty? A memorized delivery, be it for a speech, a presentation, or even someone in telesales is definitely a performance; but, it is not a means of communication. And, it is cold to boot!

One of the greatest problems for the novice in public speaking is nervousness which often results in lack of air. While nervousness should be one of your greatest benefits when addressing an audience, breathlessness is not. The problem with the latter is that it increases your stress which in turn increases your nervousness. Left unchecked, it can even cause panic. So how do you deal with both the vicious cycle? The answer is surprisingly simple yet most people are unaware of the solution.

Dynamic speakers move and audiences do not. Less than dynamic speakers tend to stand, riveted to one spot which means that their audiences are moving. When that happens, you have lost them. We tend to think of public speaking as something in which we must stand behind a lectern. If you are delivering a formal speech, then you most likely will use the lectern, although even that does not mean you are locked into one place.

Yes, man’s greatest fear is public speaking. The statistics tell us so. Instead of being part of those statistics, however, why not address those fears and learn how to put your nervousness to good use? Of course your first response is to question how that is possible. How do you take your nervousness and let it work for you and not against you?

If you know your material really well, make eye contact with your audience, speak as if in conversation, breathe before and during your delivery, and believe in yourself, then your nervousness is the charm. Trying to eliminate it, stop it, or end that wonderful rush of adrenaline is not the answer. Learning to control it – and put it to good use – is.

Do you know what it means to paint a picture with your voice? Sean Connery can do it and so can Kevin Spacey. Kathleen Turner can do it as well as Diane Sawyer. And, in the world of public speaking, no one does it better tha Zig Ziglar. When Kevin Spacey does the car commercials, you can see the car in your mind just from the way his voice describes it. Likewise, when Diane Sawyer gives the news, you can picture what she is saying just from the way she says it. And when Zig Ziglar recounts an anecdote, you can see every detail of his story.

It is simple, it is basic, it is fundamental, and, it is a necessity. It is something we do every day without a 2nd thought. At the lectern, however, it is something we do not allow to happen and yet it is something we cannot do without. It is called breathing. The 1st thing your body did at birth was to take a breath. And, it will be the last thing you do at death. In public speaking, it is something we never consider and is the one thing we are often lacking while addressing an audience.

One of the most common complaints I hear from my students and clients is lack of air in public speaking. This is indeed a problem because without air, there is no voice. And, without voice, there is no speech or presentation. Breathlessness can be easily ‘cured’ by supplementing your air supply while speaking. You do this in normal conversation without ever giving it a second thought. At the lectern, however, you still believe what your 2nd grade teacher said in reading out loud, “Don’t take a breath until you come to some form of punctuation.”

Do you remember the first time you heard yourself on a recording? I do. The memory is seared into my mind. I was shocked. In fact, I was sure it was the fault of Sony and not of me!

If you’re improving any skills practice is the crucial factor. If you won’t practice, your improvements are going to be slow. You can use all sorts of mental methods like anchoring, visualisation and other stuff like that, but it won’t be enough. It works the same with speaking in public. Practice will help you to get used to the situation, and to reduce fear. As we consider reducing public speaking anxiety, there are several ways we can get practice. What’s best is that some

A few days before a play or musical opens, the entire cast and crew conduct a dress rehearsal. They do a complete run-through of the script on stage, dressed in their costumes, with the full scenery and lighting in place and the pit orchestra playing. The purpose of the dress rehearsal is to make sure everything goes smoothly on opening night. The dress rehearsal is a great idea to borrow when you have to give a presentation.

Imagine that there are number of candidates for a particular job and all of the candidates have similar education and experience. Without a doubt, the choice is going to be difficult. Now let’s imagine that of all who are applying for the position, one candidate in particular has strong communication skills. Who do you think will get the job? Naturally, the individual who has good communication skills will be the winner in this situation. How good are your presentation/communication skills? Do you sound as dynamic as you look? Do you sound as impressive as your resume may look?

Ask anyone… It just makes sense that each time you prepare to deliver a presentation, you need to pay attention to who will be in your audience. But, how often have you really considered what impact the individual personalities of members or your audience will have on the outcome of your speech?nnPsychologists tell us that our individual personalities are revealed in the characteristic patterns of our thinking, feeling and acting; that our personalities shape how we develop

Were you to give a presentation with no vocal variety, no facial expression and no body language, what do you think the reaction would be of your audience? Unless you are a comedian and that characteristic is part of your ‘shtick,’ do not expect your listeners to be much enamored by your lack of color – the life, emotion, and animation one displays in speaking.

Dry mouth, sweaty palms, heart racing, wobbly knees, jittery hands, stomach in knots, quivering lips. How many of these symptoms are typical of you before you even walk to the podium? Hopefully, at least one! Yes, I want you nervous because if you aren’t excited, agitated, stressed, or panicky in some fashion, then I am. The best at public speaking get nervous when standing on the podium and they are not alone.

I have spent the last few months questioning why my customers, as well as the subscribers to my newsletters, consist of 75% men and only 25% women. If you look at the picture objectively, we women often sound like ill-tuned violins. (And, it is certainly possible that this is one of the reasons men don’t always listen to us!)

Through my many years of speaking, teaching and training, I have found that by concentrating on the moment you can move ‘above’ the stress that you may be experiencing at a given time and deliver a dynamic speech or presentation. Most actors, musicians, athletes and public speakers as well are ...

Humor has long been considered one of the most effective tools to judge the quality of any relationship. If there is laughter present you can assume that the relationship is a healthy one. When the laughter ceases you can be quite certain that the relationship is on the down slide. This ...

If you had to choose, which word – or words – from the following list describes your voice? Whiny – high in pitch - nasal - hoarse - throaty - gravelly - scratchy - whispery - soft - loud - shrill - strident - thick - thin - childlike - old - muddy - chirpy – sharp - raspy - tight - wispy - wimpy – shaky – heavy accent. If just one of those descriptions is typical of how you sound, you should think about training your voice because the words that describe a dynamic speaking voice are not found in that list. Those descriptions would be rich - warm - deep – and full of resonance.

Speaking with expression, emotion, life, animation – whatever you call it – is one of your most important characteristics in delivering a dynamic presentation or speech. Just how colorful are you at the lecte ? If you would like to test your ‘color’ skills, record yourself reading the following nonsense paragraph and then play it back.

If you want a New Year’s Resolution that can improve your life, both professionally and personally, you might consider voice training. I am sure that you are questioning how this is possible. What is fascinating about the techniques for discovering your ‘real’ voice is that those techniques will directly influence a number of other aspects of your life. From better sleep to greater endurance, from less stress to lower blood pressure, voice training which prioritizes diaphragmatic breathing will do just that. It is truly a marvel how this works.

Dr. Carl Jung, one of the fathers of modern psychoanalysis, described intuition as the ability to anticipate change and to see possibilities inherent in a situation. It is also the magic ingredient in new ideas and inventions.

A big problem for many in public speaking is a voice that quivers due to nervousness. First of all, I would hope that you would be nervous in public speaking. I don’t care how many times you’ve given a presentation, whether it is your fifth time or your five hundredth. Nervousness is that wonderful rush of adrenaline that can give your delivery pizzazz. What you need to understand is that those nervous jitters are a blessing in disguise.