Module PDS- 2:

Module PDS- 2:

Improving your Public Speaking Skills

Module Facilitator:
Dr. Joan E. Leichter Dominick
Associate Professor of Communication
Director of the Senior-Year Experience Program
Department of Learning Support
Kennesaw State University
770-234-6356
jdominic@kennesaw.edu

As far back as Aristotle’s Rhetoric, mastering public speaking skills are necessary for success in most organizations. Cited in the Intellectual Capital Partnership Program study, sponsored by the University of Georgia System, (http://peachnet.edu/icapp/exec_summary.html/), public speaking skills were cited in the top area of desirable skills for employees. You will learn to design and deliver an information, persuasive and ceremonial speech, manage stagefright, analyze the audience, and improve your public speaking skills.

Public presentations/speeches are part of the social system model in organization communication where a balance of information between an organization and the pubic is sought. Professionals will be expected to make efficient and effective presentations both within their organizations and externally on behalf of their organizations. However, most people feel uncomfortable presenting perhaps because (1) most have had little experience; (2) public speaking is not a skill typically stressed in educational systems; and (3) most people do not enjoy being the center of the communication spotlight.

Public speaking is a developed skill, not a talent that one is born with. The more you deliver presentations, the more comfortable you will become with the process. It helps to realize that the purpose of public speaking is to provide the audience with the best and most accurate information so that they can make the best decision regarding your topic. Informative presentations provide the audience with an information base from which to begin to make decisions. Persuasive presentations provide listeners with evidence to back their decisions that support your premise. Ceremonial presentations provide the audience with information on values that mark a major transition for a person, place, or thing.

Ten Basic Steps to Making a Presentation

Whether you are delivering an informative, persuasive, or ceremonial speech, there are ten basic steps that are based on the Speech Performance Evaluation Form developed by the members of the National Communication Association.

Select a topic: choose and narrow a topic appropriately for the audience and occasion

Formulate a purpose: communicates the purpose in a manner appropriate for the audience and occasion.

Analyze the audience: consider demographics of audience and identify their expectations regarding the presentation

Gather the information: provide appropriate supporting material based on the audience and occasion.

Organize the information: develop a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

Design Visual Aids: develop visual aids to promote topic and use minimally.

Decide on Delivery: impromptu, extemporaneous, manuscript

Rehearse the speech: practice the speech in front of a helpful critic and learn how to manage stagefright. Some suggestions are keep a diary of when your stagefright occurs. Be ready to combat it with using visual aids or involving the audience, which distracts you. Practice in the actual room where you will make your presentation. If that is not possible, then arrive early and get comfortable in the environment. Develop a habit of positive self-talk. Most people are grateful you are speaking and they are listening. So relax, it is perfectly normal to be nervous. Standing up in front of a crowd gives you the normal urge to run for your life. Well don’t, stay share your message and help your audience. Convert stagefright into stage-energy.

Deliver the presentation: show up prepared, be prompt, and enjoy the presentation. Remember you not only represent your organization but you will be helping the audience make ethical decisions regarding your topic.

Evaluate your performance: develop an evaluation form based on this information and critique yourself. It helps to have some audience members write critiques for you.

Design of the Presentation: Informative, Persuasive, and Ceremonial

Whether designing an informative, persuasive, or ceremonial speech, speakers can follow a basic format to maintain order and ensure a concise presentation. Each presentation has three basic parts, which are the introduction, body, and conclusion. A common formula for the presentation outline is "tell them what you’re going to say, then tell them, then tell them what you’ve just told them." This outline provides enough repetition of the main points thus increasing the chance of the audience understanding what your just presented. Create a clear outline. This will encourage a more effective response from your audience while making your design of the speech and more manageable task.

Sample Speech Outline

Part One: Introduction of the Speech

Attention Material: Get your audience in the mood to listen to your presentation by telling a story, asking a question, giving an interesting fact connected to your topic. Keep the information appropriate.

State the Purpose: Clearly state to the audience what your purpose will be in the

Presentation. The only exception to that case is when you are introducing a

Controversial topic. In that case, honor the opposing opinions first and then

Introduce your topic.

Orienting material: Give the audience some background regarding your topic to develop your credibility (ethos), develop emotional appeal regarding your topic (pathos), or develop logical appeal regarding your topic (logos). Aristotle taught us that all speakers must use ethos, pathos, and logos when developing speeches. This will increase the chances that the speech will be a success. A successful speech is one that allows the audience to make intelligent decisions leaning in your direction.

Preview the Main Points: By previewing the main points of the presentation you are allowing the audience to know how to listen to your speech. The preview of main points act much like movie preview, they should attract yours audience to your speech. The amount of time and the depth of the topic will determine the amount of main points you should use.

Part Two: The Body of the Speech

Main Points: An informative speech consists of main points that may be presented in a topical, chronological, or spatial design depending on how you would like to best display your information.

Main Arguments: A persuasive speech consists of a series of arguments that present your point of view in a deductive, inductive, or problem-solution format.

An argument consists of evidence, your persuasive idea, and your solution.

Main Values: A ceremonial speech consists of main values that are presented in an arrangement that honors a person, place, thing, or event.

Part Three: The Conclusion of the Speech

Review of main points, main arguments, or main values.

Summarize your purpose

Retention Material: Conclude with a story or example that will connect with the introduction of your speech. This helps the audience have closure and connect clearly with your presentation.

Managing the Audience Responsiveness

In addition analyzing your audience for their level of knowledge and interest in your topic, you must be prepared for the types of audience responsiveness your will encounter. The three types of audiences are friendly, neutral, hostile, and a combination of the aforementioned. Learn to become sensitive to the nonverbal messages the audience members will send you or be prepared for audience members talking to you directly.

Tips for managing audience responsiveness:

Friendly Audience

Work to present the best information to the friendly audience

Don’t slack off in your presentation because they already support you

Enlist the audience pride and arouse their interest levels

Make the speech interesting

Neutral Audience

Establish that there is a problem

Try to find out what has prevented them from making a decision

Explain your points in great detail

Be patient and understand their indifference

Focus on only a few issues and don’t complicate the issues

Hostile Audience

Respect the opposition

Meet the chief objection

Provide a solution

Introduce a controversial solution later in the presentation

Remember it will probably take several presentations to affect audience change

For the academic association "National Communication Assocation" which focuses on public speaking see:

http://www.natcom.org

For self-directed practice see the Toastmater's International website:

http://www.toastmasters.org

For formal training see Dale Carnegie website

http://www.minnesota.dale-carnegie.com/hp_psh3.html