Keep it interesting

Fellow speaker,

To keep your speech interesting use:

• Variety in voice pitch and speed
• Personal stories
• Analogies
• Humor
• Audience involvement
• Body language
• Eye contact

Keeping 'em "riveted",

Tim

Get some satisfaction!

Fellow speaker,

To satisfy your audience's needs:

• Help the audience visualize the benefits of the solution
• Involve the audience in developing a path forward
• Phrase your solution in terms of the audience's needs
• Make the urgency of your solution match the audience's needs

Satisfied,

Tim

When in doubt leave it out

Fellow speaker,

Before including a new idea in your speech, get some other people's ideas about whether it fits with the overall speech topic. It is better to let the idea "sit awhile" than rushing it out in front of your audience and causing a bad reaction.

Waiting,

Tim

What to say what to say?

Fellow speaker,

To decide what to present:

1. Define your key message - what you want people to remember and do
2. Identify the arguments that support your message -  identify and address why the audience should care about your message
3. Identify where it is important to get audience participation, reactions, agreement, or buy-in.

Stepping,

Tim

Fine and refine

Fellow speaker,

To keep your presentation focused:

• Is the key message you have selected the most critical? Does this key message support the objectives of the presentation?
• Are your arguments understandable to all levels of your audience?
• Will your content convince the audience to agree with you?
• Are logical connections clear?
• What arguments need to be developed?
• What contrary arguments do you need to handle?

Thinking it over,

Tim

Know your audience

Fellow speaker,

Here are some questions to ask yourself about your audience:

• Is the subject controversial, familiar, or new to this audience?
• Who are they and what is their relationship to your topic?
• How well informed are they about the subject? What do they need to know about it?
• What do they expect from the event? From your presentation?
• Are they accustomed to a certain type of presentation?
• What do they know about you? What more do they need to know? How do they feel about you?
• Why are they present? Are they there by choice or by requirement?
• Are they likely to be enthusiastic? Polite? Apathetic? Hostile?
• Are there any other obstacles, history, or expectations that you need to take into account?

In the audience,

Tim

Know your situation

Fellow speaker,

Consider the situation of your presentation:

• Is it formal or informal?
• Will the audience have just finished eating, drinking, working, or doing something active? Will they be tired or alert? When was the last break?
• Who speaks before you? Who comes after you? How might this affect audience reaction?
• Are you the first or last speaker of the program? The day? The morning or afternoon?
• Are you expected to take questions or leave copies of your presentation?
• How much time do you have for the presentation? How can deliver your message on time?
• Will the physical setting of the presentation require you to adapt your talk?
• What control do you have over the physical environment?

Situated,

Tim

Whadayawant?

Fellow speaker,

Here's what you get from your audience:

• Persuasion
• Discussion
• Buy-in
• Feedback
• Sale

Wanting,

Tim

Make an adjustment

Fellow speaker,

Adjust your presentation based on:

• Size of the audience (large, medium, small)
• Formality of the situation
• Regularity of the meeting (one-time, occasional, frequent)
• Time of the day and other particulars of the occasion

Needily,

Tim

Questions without an answer

Fellow speaker,

To make the audience see you as an "authority," ask a question which no one in the audience can answer. Then, after everyone has had a chance to answer the question, answer the question correctly yourself.  Once the audience understands that you are the only one who can answer this question, they will focus on your speech and accept your authority as a speaker.

Unanswered,

Tim

Power of presentations

Fellow speaker,

Use your presentation to:

• Persuade the audience to take a particular course of action
• Convey something you want the audience to know
• Tailor information to meet the needs of a particular audience
• Provide a forum for discussion of controversial or challenging ideas
• Find out how people are reacting to a situation or an idea
• Gain commitment and alignment
• Get an audience to participate in designing a solution to a problem

Usefully,

Tim

Prevent presentation problems

Fellow speaker,

To prevent presentation disasters before presenting:

1. Arrive early
2. Bring your own cables, adapters, projector fuses and bulbs, etc.
3. Make sure your computer works properly
4. Turn off your computer's screen savers and automatic routines

Presentably,

Tim

Impromptu review

Fellow speaker,

Steps to speaking impromptu:

1. Get mentally prepared (deep breaths, positive affirmations) – think first…then speak
2. Listen for focus cues – key words you can use later to build your speech (listening closely increases stock with audience)
3. Create tactful delays (repeat a question, walk, humor)
4. Choose and develop topic
5. End powerfully (review speech’s main points and end on an emotional high note)

Impromptu,

Tim

Ready room

Fellow speaker,

An "ideal" intimate speaking room should have:

• Horseshoe shape around you
• Equipment off to the side of room
• Extra extension cords

Roomy,

Tim

Getting balanced

Fellow speaker,

Challenges with different sized rooms:

• If a room is too large there is no intimacy
• If a room is too small – the audience is cramped and uncomfortable

Balancing it out,

Tim

Deep breaths

Fellow speaker,

To control your breathing:

1. Take a deep breath for five counts through your nose (i.e., in the time it takes you to count in your mind, "one, two, three, four, five")
2. Hold the breath for five counts
3. Breathe out five counts through your mouth
4. Repeat

Breathing,

Tim

Stand tall

Fellow speaker,

To be relaxed and comfortable onstage:

• Keep both feet flat on the ground
• Keep your legs uncrossed
• Position your feet about shoulder width apart when standing

Comfortably,

Tim

I came, I spoke, I feared

Fellow speaker,

Here are some common fears and something to remember when you feel these fears:

• Audience is hostile – audience wants you to succeed
• Not enough to say – you have a lot to say
• Forget what to say – notes are nearby

Defeared,

Tim

Speaker of note

Fellow speaker,

The type of notes you use depends on how well you know your subject:

• Main headings and subpoints – complicated presentation
• Main headings alone – given many times before and content is not too complicated
• Full-speech – one-time speech that you are not familiar with

Noted,

Tim

Make a peach of a speech

Fellow speaker,

Know the purpose of your speech:

• Information – present your facts that people need to do their job better
• Persuasion – change in behavior or ideas is necessary – sell your proposal to audience
  Motivation – your audience is demoralized by change or lacks optimism about future – your job is to enthuse audience
• Discussion – there is no set outcome for your speech - your audience has a decision to make on their own
• Entertainment – you want people to enjoy themselves by establishing a fun, light-hearted mood

Speechifying,

Tim

Banning bias

Fellow speaker,

Avoid bias (favoring some of your audience over the rest of your audience):

• Are the references to personal characteristics necessary?
• Is the language free of stereotyping language?
• If the document mentions more than one person, has the language treated each person equally?

Unbiased,

Tim

Toning up

Fellow speaker,

Consider the "tone" of your speech and make your speech:

• Conversational – speech should sound the way you would speak
• Positive – stresses the benefits for the audience
• Courteous – be nice to the audience – polite and respectful
• Confident

Toning,

Tim

Being indirect

Fellow speaker,

Indirect speaking puts the main points first before introducing the speech's message and is used for:

• Sensitive issues
• Complex information
• Content new to you - make sure to study up on this content before presenting!

Indirectly,

Tim

Dial direct

Fellow speaker,

Times to give a direct, to the point, message:

• Positive messages – for example: when answer is “yes” or with good news
• Summaries – for example: executive summaries or meeting minutes
• Routine messages – for example: addressing a complaint or service update message

Directly,

Tim

Benefits of being believable

Fellow speaker,

Believable speeches make your audience:

• Trust our message
• Understand the message
• React appropriately

Reactively,

Tim

I believe you!

Fellow speaker,

In order to write believably use:

• Appropriately specific details
• Supporting evidence
• Familiar language

Believing,

Tim

Q&A prep

Fellow speaker,

If you have a question and answer session in your speech, think up all the possible questions you could be asked and then practice answering those questions. Ask your friends to make up questions for you to answer.

Answering questions,

Tim

Speeching needs

Fellow speaker,

Make your speech:

• Believable - readers trust your message
• Appropriate - either leading with main points or saving main points for last

Speaking of speeching,

Tim

I can see clearly now

Fellow speaker,

When practicing for your speaking performances, close your eyes and clearly visualize the result you want. Imagine yourself standing in front of a crowd which is happy to hear your speech. As you talk, look around the room and see the interest in your speech in everyone's eyes.  See everyone focused on you and your speech.

Clearly,

Tim

Related and relevant

Fellow speaker,

When speaking about your abilities, make sure they are:

• Relevant to the speech
• Relevant to the audience
• Short and to the point

Related,

Tim