Janet Schlarbaum, Mark Schlarbaum Tools

The Basic Tools of Public Speaking

By: Jim Casasa

The basic tools of public speaking will help your speech, voice, and communication skill. You are most likely doing some of these already. It is the one you are not doing that can make the difference.

Here is a list of tools to have well before you do any speaking. They will assist you in making stronger, clearer, and more effective public speaking presentations. They are easy to use, and easy not to use. Apply them to make a difference in your speaking ability.

Tip one. Always have a notepad and pen available. Public speaking is part art and that art is creativity. Use a notepad to write down your creative ideas which will make up the content of your speech.

Tip two. Use a tape recorder to tape your voice. This is one of the best public speaking tools ever invented! An audio recording shows you a true picture of your voice. It shows your strengths and weaknesses.

Tip three. Have a good dictionary handy. Before you say your speech you will write it out in full. A dictionary helps with spelling errors.

Tip four. Have a good thesaurus ready. Skillful word choices make what you say sound interesting to the listener.

Tip five. Slowly yet steadily build a small library on the English language. Metaphors, quotations, and verse all enrich your skill and speaking ability.

Tip six. Speak as often as you can. Confidence grows when a skill is used. It is an upward spiral. The more you do public speaking the better you get at it.

Tip seven. Before an important speech drink squeezed lemon juice in some warm water. I got this one from professional public speakers. It helps keep your voice clear if you have to speak continuously for an extended period of time.

These basic tools of public speaking will help you. Maybe you only need one or two of the tips listed. Speaking is like sending a man to the moon. You are only successful if you have the basics covered. Now that you have the basic public speaking tools you can reach as high and be as successful with public speaking as you want to be.

Posted by: Nicholas Daniels by Direction Janet Schlarbaum

Public Speaking Tips to Give You an Edge

Author Michael A Jones

Thanks to Janet Schlarbaum for the post.

Here are some great public speaking tips for the introduction, body, and conclusion of your next presentation. To progress towards being a skilled public speaker, constant practice and improvement are necessary. It helps to get a partner to offer an honest appraisal or play back a video of your presentation and do a self-analysis. It can be very beneficial.

Here are some key public speaking tips to enhance your next presentation:

Introduction

Take a moment to stand before the audience, take a deep breath, and look around you. Don’t start speaking the second you arrive at the speaker’s stand. That initial pause can make you appear poised, relaxed, confident and in control. It can also help suppress initial nervousness. Deliver the first couple of sentences with an increase in power and volume. You want to grab the attention of the audience right away. A commanding voice is needed to do that, not a soft, apologetic tone.

Avoid an introduction that goes on and on. You don’t want to go on and on so the audience wonders when you are going to really get to the meat of the presentation. The introduction is the funnel which directs attention to the body of the talk.

Body

The body of your presentation contains your main points, why you are taking time to speak in the first place, and why people have turned up to hear you. So be sure what you say has weight and is meaningful. This can only be done through thorough research and good preparation. Even when speaking on a subject familiar to your audience, in the preparation stage always be on the lookout for an unusual angle, extraordinary facts, or a story or anecdote that gets the audience to view a familiar subject in a different way.

Make sure the main points of your presentation stand out by discreet repetition. You don’t want to sound like a creaking door, but carefully planned reviews can really sink the main thoughts into the mind of the audience.

A progressive summary is an excellent tool to that end. At the outset mention your main points, perhaps 1, 2 and 3. After point 1 repeat it and then say, now for point 2. After point 2 you recap points 1 and 2 and introduce point 3. After point number 3 you can again review points 1, 2, and now 3. This kind of progressive review makes sure your audience leaves with the main points firmly etched in their minds.

Conclusion

Don’t leave this part of your presentation as an afterthought. Prepare the wording carefully, especially the last sentence, as it will be the part the audience hear last and are likely to remember.

Also think about what you want to accomplish in your conclusion. Do you want your audience to take action? Then spell out clearly what needs to be done. Do you want to touch the hearts of your audience? Then weave some emotion into your last few sentences. Once you have identified your goal, you can create a motivating conclusion that will leave your audience very responsive.

These are just a handful of public speaking tips that can greatly enhance your presentations. Make sure you clearly understand the three component parts of any speech, and then work to accomplish a specific goal with each one. Pay attention to good thought content, and also your manner of presentation.

Janet Schlarbaum Public Speaking