how to prepare a speech.docx

how to prepare a speech.docx

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howtoprepareaspeech

Thefearofpublicspeakingaffectsmanypeople,gluingthemtotheirchairsandhog-tyingthemtothestatusquo,nomatterhowunfulfillingtheirjobsorpresentsituationmaybe.

ActorGeorgeJesselsaid,“Thehumanbrainstartsworkingthemomentyou’rebornandneverstopsuntilyoustanduptospeakinpublic.”Thoughyoumightthinkyoucouldneverdowhatthoseclever,inspirationalspeakersdo,youcanteachyourselfenoughaboutpublicspeakingtountiethetethersthatholdyouback.

Publicspeakingisalearnedskill,developedmuchlikeotherskills,suchasplayingthepianoorpainting:

overtime,withpracticeandsomeguidance.However,becauseoffear,weoftenavoidlearningopportunities,choosingtofleeratherthanconfrontthechallenge.

Iunderstandthis.Avoidancewasmymodusoperandi.

WhenIwasincollege,Imanipulatedmyclassscheduletoavoidpublicspeakingencounters.Theonemandatoryspeechclassbecameanexerciseinrotememorization.

IpracticedmyfirstspeechsomuchIcouldsaythewordsautomaton-like,asifIhadturnedintoarobotwhilewalkingtothefrontoftheclassroom.IwassonervousgivingthatfirstspeechthatwhenIfinished,Ididnotrememberactuallysayingthewords.

Astheyspilledfrommymouth,itwasasclosetoanout-of-bodyexperienceIhopetoeverhave.Isurvivedthatspeech–youwilltoo–graduatedandstartedmycareer,apromisingjobinfinance. 

Still,Iavoidedpublicspeaking.Asamanagementtraineeinalargecompany,Ioftenfoundmyselfaroundtheconferencetableamongagroupofunfamiliarfaces.Whenitcametimetosimplyintroduceourselvesaroundtheroom,Iwouldstarttosweat.Itsoundssostraightforward,sosimple:

“I’msoandso.”Whywasitsohardtospeakup?

Asitturnsout,Iwasnottheonlyonearoundthattablesweating.AGallupPollsurveyshowedthat40percentofU.S.respondentsfearspeakinginfrontofanaudience.Specificphysiologicalsymptomsaccompanythisfeelingofanxiety:

sweating,shakingkneesandhands,quiveringvoice,flushing,rapidheartbeatandnausea.

ThoughIdidn’tfeelsoatthetime,Iwasluckywhen,aspartofmyjobtraining,Iwas“stronglyencouraged”tojoinaToastmastersclub,somethingIwouldneverhavedoneonmyown.Myfirstspeechservedtoopenmymouthand,moreimportant,ithelpedtoopenmyeyes.Inwhatseemedtobealifetimeofafive-minutespeech,Isaid“ah”or“um”33times.Youmayfindthathardtobelieve,asIdid,butthemostastonishingpartwasthat

Imyselfhadnotheardasingleoneofthem.

Today,manyyearsandspeecheslater,seldomutteringan“er”or“ah,”IcanlaughwhileIstillcringeatthatlong-agomemory.AlthoughIstillgetnervous–yes,everytime–Ihavelearnedtocontrolthosebutterflies,justasyoucan.

AsWalterCronkitesaid,“It’snaturaltohavebutterflies.Thesecretistogetthemtoflyinformation.”Here’show:

Alwayslookforsubjectmatter 

–majorideasthatyoucandevelopintoaspeechandminoronesthatfitintoalargertheme.Noticedetails.Noticelifeandcircumstancesaround

you.Forexample,photographerRonTarverwascoveringNewYork’sAfrican-AmericanDayParade.Hewroteabouthow,whilehewasstuckintraffic,awomanturnedtohimandsimplyasked,“Aretherereallyblackcowboys?

”Tarverwrote,“Fromthatpointon,Ihadastorytotell.”

Chooseasubjectyoucareabout 

thatispersonaltoyoubuthasauniversaltheme.Personalstoriescancarryapowerfulbutcommonmessage.Abreastcancersurvivortoldofherexperienceinaspeechtoco-workers.Sheemphasizednotonlythemedicalaspectsofthediseasebut,morehelpfultotheaudience,whatfriendsand

familycoulddotohelp,suchascookamealorofferaridetosomeonerecentlydiagnosedwithcancer.

Evenifyoucannotchoosethetopic,personalizeit.

Makeyourspeechinterestingtoyouandchancesareitwillbeinterestingtoyouraudienceaswell.Sayyouaregivingafinancialreport;comparethenetincometohowmanyHawaiivacationsyoucouldbuywiththe

moneyearned.

BeforeSpeechDay

Preparationgoesalongwaytoeasethosepre-speechjitters.Justasyouwouldnotexpectalargeweddingtohappenwithoutproperplanningandorganizing,agoodspeechneedsattentionfaraheadofthedayoftheevent.

Startearly.

Assoonasyouknowyouhavetogiveapresentation,startworkingonit.Thisisnotimeforprocrastination.Thinkaboutyourmessage.Getideasdownonpaper,evenifitisonlyaroughdraft.

Ifit’seasier,startwithanoutline.

Organizeyourspeechinalogicalsequence, 

suchasfollowingatimeline.Notonlywillyoubeabletorememberitbetter,theaudiencewillbeabletofollowiteasier.Havingalogicalpathtofollowwillhelpalleviatethefearofforgettingyourspeech.ResearchersattheUniversityofManitobafoundthatofrespond