NationStates Jolt Archive

[link of relevance] (http://www.ma.lwv.org/EssayContest/Awards%20Event.shtml)

500 words. It seemed to be such a brutally limiting guideline while writing the essay. Now, though, I wouldn't mind if they made me do it in five words. I'm really not one for public speaking...perhaps, if I were reading a Poe poem...maybe. Something I wrote is quite another matter.

I've never, ever, ever, ever done it before. In my life. I cringe at the mention of public speaking. Presentation. Whatever. From what I hear, Fanueil Hall has the capacity to hold a whole lot of people.

So, that said, I'd be keenly interested in pointers. Advice. Whatever you wish to call it. Lots of it. Massively large quantities. I'll need it. I'll give you a virtual cookie. Ask Bodies Without Organs. My virtual cookies are the greatest.

Learn the topic so you know it by heart. I'm very nervous when keeping puplic speeches and I have found that I can't read any notes I've made to help me...
So learn your stuff.

Don't look anybody... Make fake eye contact, look peoples foreheads. everybody thinks you are a good speker and and most important if you are lucky you can imagine beeing alone... works for me to a point.

Hope thee help :)

Yes, also practice it once or twice in front a small audience of trusted friends helps or if you don't have any, try the mirror or your dog ;)

Have one paper with a couple of relevant words on it. So you know what you will be talking about the next 20 seconds.

I really doubt they will be counting words. More like time spent talking.

1) Notes are only to remind you to talk about something. Don't expect to read from it. In fact if you look down too often, people take it like your embarassed, don't belive it, or hiding somthing. It's about presentation. Know your topic well!

2) Get in front of the mirror and do your speech. It will open your eyes and it will either get you over the fear factor or significantly increase it. ;)

3) Don't worry about the audience. They will forget about the talk unless you drop your pants or something. ;)

4) If you can start with a joke it helps. I once had a talk infront of a couple hundred people and said "Hi my name is Hannibal and I am an whoah wrong group"

Public speaking is not an issue for me. Knowing your topic makes it go easier.

PS. *EDIT*

Try to avoid AHH and UHM. There are many people that actually count them. :)

write about hitler being bad and if they dont put u as winning u can call them hitler lovers and run away

1. Know your subject.
2. Write your own speach. Don't let anyone else write it for you and try to memorize what they have written.
3. Practice, pactice, and practice.
4. When you are done with #3, practice.
5. Before you get in front of the audience, take a couple of deep breaths and let them out slowly.
6. Do not read your speach. Use notes or note cards.
7. Look at the audience, but don't make eye contact.
8. Have confidence, you can do it.

Oh, and did I mention you should practice? You will do well.

7. Look at the audience, but don't make eye contact.


Really, I make eye contact all the time.

Then again it can be said I like to hear the sound of my voice. :p

I am constantly giving presentations so here is the deal.

1) know/understand your topic. It is infinitately better to thoroughly understand your topic than to simply memorize. (Assuming by public speaking you are being graded on passing on information rather than simply reading an essay/speech or such)

2) Make lots of eye contact. Talk to the crowd, but repeatedly talk to an individual as well.. Meaning, direct various points to various members of your audience. See if they understand what you are trying to convey, if they do then move on to a new point and a new person, if not then elaborate a little bit.

3) get the crowd to participate. Depending on the nature of the presentation, this might vary from making a joke to asking questions. Start with simple question because people in the crowd will be nervous to speak up at first.

4) understand why your audience is there. What are they interested in hearing? What are their motivations? If they are there because they are forced to be then make lot of jokes. Make points that pertain to their lives.

If they are there to absorb detailed information(rare) then provide that. Have to catch interest first, details generally come later.

ect ect.

5) Details are usefull in papers, not in presentations. Main points only please.

6)Shut down hecklers quick. If you have something they cant beat you on, browbeat them early(with anything)(condesention works extremely well with these types, they are only heckling to gain respect anyway). It will discourage more beligerant attacks later. Depends on the situation, and your power relative to theirs and your gravitas. Make sure you dont come off as defensive though. Its better to ignore than to come off as defensive. Mobs can smell blood in the water.

If you can, get a heckler on your side. not always possible.
Just a few days back I ran into a guy who was there(because I found out later his GF was there and he had nothing better to do). He wasnt heckling yet but he was the type. He was laughing throughout and flirting with his GF. So I called him out and started asking him some questions. Not direct challenges yet, but more towards where his interests lay and he wanted and if he thought what I was saying might or might not have an impact on his life. Turned him right around because all of a sudden I got him thinking about what HE wanted and if my presence could or could not help him.

7) Firm back, clear voice, act confident even if you are scared out of your mind.

8) if you messed something up, you have to gauge your crowd before deciding whether to correct or move on. Is it an error that is significant? Did the crowd catch it? is it something that can be corrected in the Q&A afterward? If it can be fixed later then move on, If not then point it out that it was a slip of the tongue. No one expects you to be an actor who can recite flawlessly.

9)
If you believe in what your are saying then dont sweat it. Natural and informal is better.

If you dont believe then you better practice like hell.


**MOST IMPORTANT

Relax. Chill.


They are people just like you. they have roughly the same motivations and fears.

Don't have a nervous breakdown in the middle of your speech. I did that one, it wasn't fun.

Another thing not to do, don't pass out. Another thing I did, although it was a different speech.

Apparently both times I was doing really good on the speech. I'm not one for public speaking.

Don't worry about anything, unless the elastic/buttons/whatever on your pants is going to break or fall down. ;) Get started on the memorizing ASAP. That way, you could recite it word-perfect in your sleep by the time you have to present it. Oh, and sometimes they take off or write comments or something to that point if you fiddle with your clothes if you're doing it in a class. :D

Hey, thanks everyone. Just to clarify, I'd already written the essay...it was for an essay contest. I just didn't realize that I'd have to actually say it. Hopefully I'll do well...hah.


Don't have a nervous breakdown in the middle of your speech. I did that one, it wasn't fun.

Another thing not to do, don't pass out. Another thing I did, although it was a different speech.


Timeless words of wisdom ;)

Really, I make eye contact all the time.

Then again it can be said I like to hear the sound of my voice. :p

I've been in loooots of plays and the trick that works best for me is to look a little above the audiance's heads, it makes you appear as if you are standing tall and confident without making you feel nervous.

Timeless words of wisdom ;)
It was fun finding out several months later, when I brought it up and someone that was in the class said I was doing an excelent job, and pointed out specific stuff she rememebred from my speech. I was shocked to find thta she would remember something that long, from a speech I thought was really bad.

Act like you know what you're talking about, even if you don't. Expert power is the numero-uno of all effective persuasions...

1. Know your subject.
2. Write your own speach. Don't let anyone else write it for you and try to memorize what they have written.
3. Practice, pactice, and practice.
4. When you are done with #3, practice.
5. Before you get in front of the audience, take a couple of deep breaths and let them out slowly.
6. Do not read your speach. Use notes or note cards.
7. Look at the audience, but don't make eye contact.
8. Have confidence, you can do it.

Oh, and did I mention you should practice? You will do well.

These are excellent. (Although I think eye contact can be good - depends on whether it causes you issues.)

I'd add practice. :D

Seriously, 500 words is your friend. You should practice until its memorized.

Don't worry about knowing every word, but where you are comfortable saying it -- even if you vary a little. One of the key reasons writing your own speech is important (beyond ethical issues) is that the words should be yours so you are comfortable with them. Then you can have a few notes in case you have any trouble -- but you won't need them.

If your speech is well-crafted and you have no trouble memorizing it, giving it word-for-word is great as long as you vary your tone, emphasis, etc. Don't just recite it.

When you get more experienced, you will likely end up writing a speech, but only actually using the main points you want to make and a few key phrases. The rest will flow naturally, but change a little each time you give it.

EDIT: I should have read your link. Congratulations (BTW)!! :D :cool: Where your speech as already written, the same basic advice applies. Practice until you are comfortable speaking from memory. Then practice varying your tone, emphasis, etc.

AND DON'T WORRY!! :cool: Almost everyone is nervous before public speaking (even those who are experts). Almost everyone is much better at it than they think!! YOU'll DO GREAT!!

Hmm...when I speak to my class, I generally pull what I say out of nowhere. I can give a talk on just about any topic that's historical, although I'd have to make a good deal of it up, or rather 'infer' a lot of things. And the thing is, I get away with it.

For me, I'm no good at writing speeches. As long as I'm vaguely familiar with the topic I can talk about it without any practice or aids.

So mabye I'm not the best advice-giver, but I generally find that eye contact, frantic twitching, and the occasional random glance out the window helps keep the audience's attention. That and I quote The Clash a lot.

Giving a public presentation is easy. First the general outline ; tell them what you are going to tell them - say it, then tell them what you told them.
For ex; "Today I'm going to tell you about frunkles. frunkles are.... I appreciate you listening to me abou Fruncles. The thre most important parts are... done.

Now, if you are no good at telling jokes, forget it. Jokes take a considerable amount of comfor or you will not be able to do it. I do MUCH public speaking. I joke around, but I NEVER try telling a joke. (most I know are off color anyway)

I like to pick three faces, one on the left, the center and the right. Try to give each some eye time.

Hold your hands behind you. Don't figet with them.

Remove the word 'UM' from your vocabulary. Try not to drop the UM bomb. Replace it with 'well' or a suitable alternative. UM sounds dUMb.

Pace yourself. Be conversational.

DO NOT WRITE YOUR SPEACH WORD FOR WORD. Make an outline -remember it is simply a reminder. The general flow of info should be outlined plus some facts that may be useful. Nothing more.

Finally, don't laugh, but for good practice in front of a crowd go to kareoki night. Better if it is someplace you don't know anyone. You then have NOTHING to lose. Be a dufus, who cares? Get up and sing. Say something playful before and after. Pick an attractive woman and dedicate your song to her. 'Do you think I'm sexy' is a funny one if you dance like a goober and sing poorly - right next to her. Be a good sport and buy her a drink then leave her alone - she may follow she may not - who cares. If there is no attractive one then pick one who looks fun. Once again - who cares. It is a great way to crack your shell. Once you humiliate yourself that way public speaking is a breeze! :cool:

Adding to everybody's great words of advice-

If you're nervous, pretend that your audience is sitting there in front of you in their underwear. It'll make you chuckle to yourself and put you at ease.

I think the main thing to remember in public speaking - you have to captivate your audience. So, try to be as unique and interesting as you can with your subject and make sure you use plain English - big, complicated words are not a hit with anyone.

Update! :D

Thanks to everyone that helped. It went well, I guess. My thought processes, apparently, are in fine clicking order. My picture is in the Boston Globe NorthWest today. It could've been a worse picture.

I didn't manage to trip and kind of didn't look at the right side of the audience. It was hard. But, I did avoid being blinded completely by the flash.

So again, thanks for all the help, and apologies to the mods for gravedigging...if this counts as gravedigging.