Speaking your mind – how to make a proper oral presentation in spite of your fears

 

[shaking speaker*]

Among the fears shared by most people is the fear of public speaking. Many of the bravest and most confident people shake at the mere prospect of standing up in front of their peers and sharing their knowledge. Yet, many such individuals find themselves in a situation in which they must or should do exactly that, orate. As it is completely unrealistic to make the fear and/or nervousness disappear, I will present a method for preparing oral presentations that will  be “good enough” and allow the speaker to make a positive impression on others.

1.   Topic choice – The speaker must be familiar with the topic and find it, at minimum, moderately interesting. Non-professional speakers cannot successfully fake knowledge and interest , i.e., the audience quickly grasps that the speaker is not an expert and/or is not excited by the topic. Therefore, it is a strategic mistake to speak about matters regarding which you have insufficient knowledge and lack passion.

2.  Organization – It is the task of the speaker to organize the material. Listeners do not appreciate having to make sense of the material. Thus, in order to ensure completeness and structure, begin by “brainstorming” ideas, whether on paper or the computer, and then group them, putting them in proper order. As any student that has had to suffer from an ill-prepared lecturer knows, chaos creates a negative impression.

3.  Outline – After organizing the material,  the next step is to construct an outline of the content, limiting the text to phrases and avoiding sentences. The biggest bane of listeners is being read to. Not far behind is the placement of the script on the PowerPoint slide. By avoiding a script and applying relevant phrases as the backbone of the lecture, the speaker speaks to the audience instead of reading to it.

4.  Practice – Even experienced lecturers profit from rehearsal. The practice audience can be team members, family or even pets. Each repetition improves the fluency of the speech and smoothness of the transitions. The actual number of repetitions required to attain fluency varies from person to person and situation to situation. Remember that audiences recognize and appreciate a well-prepared lecturer.

5.  Familiarity – An additional advantage of sufficient rehearsal is that the speaker can overcome the inevitable initial nervousness and demonstrate expertise. Regardless of how shaky the person feels in the beginning, the mastery of the content created by the practice takes over and shines above any signs of nervousness. Listeners respect content confidence.

It is important for speakers to recognize that public speaking is an art, i.e., it is a skill that constantly develops. No speaker is completely satisfied with the result. Perfection and potential are not relevant concepts when evaluating any specific lecture. The only issues are whether the speaker succeeded in transmitting the content and how to improve the next time. The most amazing phenomenon is that, at a certain point, some people start enjoying being the star of the show and relish the interaction with the audience. Even those that don’t enjoy the experience can make a competent oral presentation if they prepare properly.

 

 

* Picture captions help the blind fully access the Internet.

Picture credit