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Becoming
an Effective Speaker
Practice
like you play.
With experience comes confidence, and that leads to success.
Speak to the wall or mirror and watch your shadow or reflection.
Practice on friends and family. They won’t stick around
for more than one inadequate speech and their criticism
can be valuable.
Scheduling
Obtain information on location, what is expected, and time.
You must act like a professional and be on time. Better
yet, be early. You hurry up and wait.
Test
all equipment prior to speaking.
Planning to use a fancy computer and that really cool projection
system? Makes sure everything is working before you perform.
When something goes wrong, and sooner or later it will,
know how to recover and deal with it.
Adapt
to the audience.
Know your mission. Keep to the schedule when speaking and
present information that best serves your audience. Don’t
waste your time or that of your audience. Be clear, concise,
and to the point. Avoid monotone. Incorporate words that
draw emotions from the audience. Q&A, when appropriate,
can amplify a good lecture. Use both verbal and nonverbal
communication. If speaking before a small audience, movement
can be a useful technique. Humor is a potent tool used by
many great speakers.
A
shakedown for support (especially monetary donations) should
be implemented creatively.
Follow up.
Network and schedule for the future.
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