Fundamentals
What are some ways you can help reduce your anxiety prior to presenting?
Prepare!!
- Being well-prepared/ over-prepared allows you to be confident in your speech
- Practice handling anticipated questions that may arise.
Be Idea Conscious, not Self Conscious
- When you have your purpose defined, you reduce irrelevant details that may be presented.
- We are most effective when we do not think of each step of each procedure needed to complete a task but instead focus on the desired result.
- Your audience is paying attention to what you are presenting, not your physical appearance.
- Focus on what matters, whether then assume things you cannot control.
Physically Relax
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Focus on your breathing: Take several slow, deep breaths before speaking.
- Slow breaths will calm your breathing down, and allow you to relax.
Visualize your success.
- Stay confident that the presentation will go as expected.
- Relax your shoulders, neck, and any tight muscles by stretching.
A Research Strategy requires you to reflect upon your topic broadly before pouring into the details.
- What are some things you should consider prior to developing your developing your research strategy?
How much time do you have?
What key terms may need definition?
What might your audience already know?
What type of information do you need?
What are some Common Planning Pitfalls
Not allowing enough time for incubation
- Rule of thumb: 1 hour of preparation for each minute of your speech.
Not building in time for unexpected emergencies
- Rule of thumb: Overestimate at least 5 hours of preparation in your schedule
Keep working through writer's block
- Don’t give in to temptation to do more research or planning
- For your speech to succeed, you must stop getting ready to create and start creating.
Not Practicing Orally
- Rule of thumb: Plan to orally practice for 3 days before your actual speech date.
- First time you present should never be in front of your audience.
An attention getter is a few sentences that captures your audience interest and invite them to listen to you.
What are some things you could use to develop your attention getter?
Share a story, a quote, a joke, a startling sentence or a provocative question.
Why is it important to make sure your body language is authentic and matches the theme to your presentation?
Anything that does not fit the presenter or message will unintentionally appear as:
- Funny, damage credibility, distraction from content
Why do people like to stay within their comfort zone?
Gives us confidence and security
What is the difference between an informal and formal outline?
Informal Outline uses words or phrases to identify the essential points a speech will cover.
- Uses bullets and short sentences
Formal Outline uses full sentences and phrases based on exactly what you want to explain to the audience.
- Uses full sentences and details. (examples, statistics, etc)
What are some things you should do to plan your preparation phase of developing a presentation?
Make a Realistic Timetable
- Determine the necessary time required to prepare a good-quality speech
List Tasks, Estimate Time
- Establish an honest estimate of time needed for each tasks in the speech-making process
Determine the Order for Completing Tasks:
- Step by Step plan of what needs to be completed first, second and so on.
Set Intermediate Deadlines for Major Stages:
- Ensure that your deadline for all these steps is attainable and realistic.
Please list and explain two ways you can build relationships with your audience?
Establish Credibility
- Use your introduction to gain the audience’s respect for you as a knowledgeable and trustworthy presenter.
Establish Common Grounds
- Emphasize similar backgrounds, experiences, interests, and goals to show what you and your audience share.
Refer to the Setting/Occasion
- Demonstrate personal connections directly with the time/place.
Flatter your Audience
- Audience members who perceive that you like them will be more interested and engaged in your speech.
Refer to a Person in the audience
- Demonstrate that you relate successfully to one of the audience members.
Use Humor
- Show your audience that you both laugh at the same things/ find the same things funny.
Gestures
Eye Contact
Body Tension
Volume
Leg Posture
Pauses
Facial Expressions
Body Movements
Body Posture, Body Activity
Why is stepping out of your comfort zone important?
- Getting away from the typical way we do things will introduce us to new (communication) skills.
- First attempts will be difficult, but it will become easier.
What are 2 different ways you can define unfamiliar terms? (Think definitions). Explain the terms!
Logical Definition
Historical Definitions
Operational Definition
Definition by Authority
Definition by Negation
Definition by Example
Please define the following:
General Purpose
Specific Purpose
Primary Audience Outcome
Contributing Audience Outcome
General Purpose: The type of speech
Specific Purpose: Specifics of the type of speech
Primary Audience Outcome: Main point(s) you want your audience to learn
Contributing Audience Outcome: Subpoints of your Primary Audience Outcome.
Why is having a strong opener/introduction important?
Ensures that your audience is engaged prior to beginning your speech.
Helps you build relationships with your audience to help keep them open minded.
What does "Leading with your Gaze" mean?
Directing your audience attention through body language and movement.
Looking where the audience should look to direct their attention.
- Allows for engagement
- Ensures the audience is paying attention
What are the 5 steps of Public Speaking?
Plan
Investigate
Compose
Practice
Present
Test the credibility of the authorities you're considering talking about/quoting.
Prior to using a testimony from a credible authority, what are you some things you should ensure?
Is this person qualified?
- Are they an expert on the subject?
- Are they free of bias?
- Does this person have access to the necessary information?
What are the 4 different types of speeches
Informative
Persuasive
Invitational
Evocative
Why is a conclusion important?
Allows you to reiterate the main key points to help ensure the audience remembers them after your presentation.
Why is it important to pay attention to your audience's facial expressions and body language?
Your audience’s facial expressions provide insight to the presenter
- Allows you to see where your audience "stands" during your speech?
- Do they understand the information or are they confused?
- Are they paying attention or are they distracted/bored?
By reading your audience’s facial expressions:
- You are able to make spontaneous decisions and adjustments to capture attention effectively
Please explain the 5 steps of Public Speaking
Plan
- Initial decisions and analysis
Investigate
- Research for resources and materials
Compose
- Development of speech materials
Practice
- Preparation for oral performance
Present
- Culmination of all your work
- Sharing your work with an audience
Please specify three of the following types of patterns:
- Chronological Patterns
- Spatial Patterns
- Cause- Effect Patterns
- Problem-Solution Patterns
- Topical Patterns
Chronological: Following a time-ordered format
Spatial: Arranged by points according to the relationship of physical location.
Cause-Effect: how events that occur in sequence are
causally related.
Problem-Solution: Topic of concern, and then explains how the concern can be best addressed.
Topical: Structure is to create a list of components that support your thesis.Determine the best way to lead your audience through your reasoning pattern.
Please define the 4 types of speaches
Inform: Speech designed to explain, instruct, define, clarify, demonstrate or teach
- Invite: Speech designed to explore a topic with an audience, or invite the audience to respond
- Persuade: Speech designed to influence, convince, motivate, sell, preach, or stimulate action
- Evoke: Speech designed to entertain, inspire, celebrate, commemorate.
How long should your introduction and conclusion be? (Think about what percentage of your speech the introduction and conclusion should be)
10% each.
10%- Intro
80%- Main Points/ Body
10%- Conclusion
What are some benefits of incorporating effective body language to your presentation?
Purposeful body movement complements your message, and adds authenticity to your overall delivery.
- Support your message.
- Increase authenticity.
- Enable balanced audience connection.
- Brings you closer to different audience members
- Attract audience attention.