UG PROGRAMME – SEMESTER - VIII

MODULE III

Public Speaking is when you stand before an audience and deliver a speech in a
formal or an informal situation. Speaking in front of a large audience is usually a
daunting task and it is very natural for a person to become nervous. As public
speaking has become a serious career option, many people are enrolling for classes
where they are taught skills and techniques to speak well before the public.
However, to be a good public speaker, it is necessary that one should know the
different types of public speaking and the skills required for each one of them.
There are basically four types of public speaking, namely, informative, persuasive,
ceremonial and extemporaneous. Each type of public speaking is different from the other
and has specific characteristics. Let us review the different types of public speaking.

Informative
When a person gives a speech before an audience to impart information on a
particular topic or issue, it said to be an informative speech. Business presentations,
seminars in colleges, class presentations in schools are some examples of
informative speeches. A person preparing for an informative speech has to research well on
the topic. It should be short and precise because long speeches actually bore the
audience. While preparing for the speech, one should have the audience in mind and
aim to cater to their needs. Your speech should include all the facts but you cannot
take sides on a particular issue, because you are there to inform them and not to
influence. The success of an informative speech will depend on how much the
audience could understand from the speech.

Persuasive
Persuasive speeches are those where one tries to persuade or convince a group of
people. These speeches aim to influence and change the opinions of the audience.
This can be a difficult task as you would be facing a group of people who may have
totally opposite views from your own. The most important point that has to be kept
in mind here is that if you want to influence others' views and ideas, you have to
show your enthusiasm while speaking. However, one must remember that one is not
there to wage a war and should talk without hurting others feelings. Persuasive speeches
are most commonly used by sales and marketing people to attract the interest of
potential clients in their products. They are also used to influence political and
religious views.

Ceremonial
Ceremonial speeches are usually given on occasions like weddings, funerals, graduation
parties, retirement parties etc. The most important factor to make these speeches effective,
is to add a personal touch to it. One gives these speeches for people one knows and
it would be great if one can bring in stories and incidents about the respective
person. The speech can be humorous, touching or emotional, as per the occasion
and the mood. However, one should take utmost care not to hurt feelings by making
snide remarks about them.

Extemporaneous
Extemporaneous, also known as impromptu speeches, are those where you will be
asked to talk about a particular topic without prior notice. As this may come all of a
sudden, it is very likely that you may become nervous and panicky. This is quite
normal, though you will have to carry on with the task because it may affect your
career growth positively or negatively. You have to quickly think about the important

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points regarding the topic and speak before the audience with confidence, although
you may be very nervous from within.

Public speaking is a skill that can be improved through continuous practice. A

talkative person may not be able to give the best speech. To give a great speech,
one must first understand the type of speech one is expected to give and should
prepare on those lines. A good public speaker is one who understands the needs of
the audience and is flexible enough to adopt changes that may arise while giving a
speech.

Essentials of Public Speaking

Tips for a Great Presentation Opening
The following are some ways through which a successful opening can be achieved
in public speaking.
A strong opening. Ensure your opening is clear, focused, attention-grabbing and
full of audience benefits. There is no disputing the fact that you want the people
listening to become truly interested in what you have to say. Once you have a great
opening planned, your excitement and confidence will rise and you become less
apprehensive.
Practise the opening. You need to practise the great opening you have developed.
Practise the first few minutes of your talk thinking about everything: the words, voice
modulation, gestures, movements, etc. Know the flow of your words and find the
best places to pause for emphasis. Your goal is to have the first few minutes so well
prepared in your mind that your nerves about getting started are greatly reduced.
Think success. Spend some time thinking about how successful the opening will be.
How engaged and interested your audience will be. How confident and relaxed you
will be. Visualising those things is a big step towards making them happen.
Rehearsal. The rehearsal is the final mental run-through that incorporates both the
practice and the visualisation. The rehearsal might be done anywhere you find
yourself.
Do not memorise. Kevin Eikenberry, an expert in converting organisational, team
and individual potential into desired results and the Chief Potential Officer of The
Kevin Eikenberry Group, says all this talk about practice and rehearsal may lead you
to think, “I just need to memorise my opening.”
Nothing could be more wrong. When we memorise, we focus on the words. If we
mess up the words we have lost it. Forget the memorisation. Remember the
audience. Focus on the message, your approach and your desired outcome.
Level of Anxiety Good for Public Speaking
When presenting you need a little anxiety as this will improve recall, raise energy
levels and make for a more focused, dynamic speech. A totally laid-back speaker can
easily bore the audience.
Too much anxiety or too much relaxation is also not good. We need enough tension
to give us energy, and enough calmness for clear thinking and recall. We need the
right balance.
Practical Session for Success
You can find a quiet place where you can ensure that you will not be disturbed for
some minutes. Close your eyes and direct the focus of attention to your hands,
imagining what they feel like when they relax.
As the relaxation spreads, allow your mind to drift to a time where you felt really
comfortable. Maybe a time you had a good time and were laughing and having fun
with friends. Begin to get a feel for the reality of this time. Notice what it is like to

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bring back something of the feeling of that time and let those feelings begin to build
up almost as if you were back there.
Once you have that feeling, imagine watching television and looking at yourself on
the screen, taking your time, looking cool and relaxed giving that presentation
comfortably.
Then drift into that screen and experience what it actually feels like to be speaking
in that way with similar feelings to those you had in the first memory. Spend some
comfortable time doing this almost as if in a dream. When you have enjoyed this for
a few minutes open your eyes feeling refreshed and alert.
Do this over a few times to make sure you have it clear in your mind. Repeat this
exercise regularly and notice the differences.
Some people find this type of exercise easier than others. If this is difficult for you,
consider engaging a self-confidence trainer to give you hypnotic inductions for
rehearsing events such as public speaking.
Presentation format
Before you start planning your presentation, find out from the organizers how much
time you have and what format they envision for your talk. Will you be part of a
panel or will you be speaking alone? Will you be in a regular session or are you the
dinner speaker? Do you have 15 minutes or an hour? Do they prefer to leave time for
questions? If yes, does that come out of the allocated time you have been quoted? It
is important to know what is expected of you so you can be well prepared and not
have to scramble last minute to readjust your talk due to unanticipated logistics.
Audience
Get information about who will be attending your presentation. Will the head of the
company be there or just co-workers? Are all participants experts at the topic or will
there be novices present? Is there a mixed group of people representing different
backgrounds or is everyone on the same page regarding technicalities? Depending
on the audience, you will have to spend some time giving varying degrees of
background on the material and explaining certain concepts.
Location
If you have the opportunity, take a look at the location before the time of the talk. It
will help you visualize the context of the event and ensure that you are not caught
off guard by peculiarities of the space.
The take-away message
If someone who missed your talk were to ask an audience member in the elevator to
sum it up, what would you like that person to say? Focus on that message. Start out
with this summary statement in mind and build your presentation around it.
Outline
Once you have an idea of your presentation's main message, spend some time
thinking about the structure of the entire talk. All of the material you cover should
contribute toward communicating your core message effectively. Start by writing an
outline of the talk including main sections and subsections.
Strong start
The first couple of minutes of your talk should be the most prepared and polished.
You want to get off to a good start. Those are likely to be the most nervous moments
so it is best not to leave anything to chance. By being well prepared, you can convey
your messages with confidence. It is important to establish early on that you are
prepared and are worth people's attention.
Motivation

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Spend a bit of time up front talking about the inspiration and importance of your
message. Listeners should get a bit of background on what motivated your work or
project in the first place. What may be a fascinating topic to you may not be to the
next person so don't take for granted people's interest in the issues you are
discussing. Explain why they should pay attention and why your comments matter.
Timing
People rarely want to listen to someone for longer than the allotted time. Few people
are such amazing speakers that an audience can't get enough of them. Do not
assume you are one of those few. Wrap up your talk on time. To achieve this goal,
ask someone to give you time cues by indicating when you have five minutes left,
two minutes and when you have run out of time. Once you get the last notice, you
should stop talking.
A common pitfall for presenters is to add unprepared introductory remarks to their
talk. The temptation of addressing previous speakers is great, but beware. If your
total alloted time is 15 minutes (a frequent limit with many speaking engagements),
adding a 3 minute intro (not to mention longer!) will use up 20 percent of your time.
However, this is something no one ever builds into their talk. Either prepare for this
or let go of the temptation to add commentary at the last minute.
Flexibility
Organize your talk and know it well enough to have the flexibility to skip certain
parts or expand on others depending on the circumstances. For example, if you do
add a last- minute introduction (as per the previous point), be flexible to skip a part
of the prepared content.
Confidence and enthusiasm
You have been chosen as a speaker because you know your topic. Make sure that
you exert confidence during your presentation. Don't apologize for what you don't
have with you to present or what you do not know. Rather, focus on what you can
talk about and discuss the material with confidence. This does not mean that you
should be arrogant or patronizing. It means that you should look comfortable
covering the material.
Be sure to enjoy your talk and show your enthusiasm about the content. Your
interest in the topic will be contagious and will likely result in a more engaged
audience.
Question-and-answer session
If there is a Q&A segment then be sure to keep a polite demeanor throughout. Thank
people for their questions and feel free to praise them for good points. If you are not
sure how to respond to a query then express your appreciation for the insightful
comment and note that you will look into it.
Practice makes perfect
Practice the presentation a few times: more if you have less experience, less if you
are a more seasoned public speaker. It can be especially helpful to give the talk to
someone who is not in your field and is not intimately familiar with the material. This
is helpful in seeing whether you have made the talk too narrowly focused or overly
technical. Such a practice session does not have to involve the entire talk, it can
consist of telling someone about your presentation outline.
Don't write out the material word-by-word and don't plan on reading text even if you
do have it all written down. Having the text written out and parts of it memorized will
constrain you. Memorize the structure of the talk and the outline, but not every
word.

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Contact information
Finish by giving the audience some contact information, including an email address
and Web site when applicable. Mention that you welcome people's feedback and
they should feel free to ask you questions either after the session or by sending you
email.
There are certain dos and don’ts that you need to always keep in mind if you wish
to achieve success via effectively communicating with the public. Here are the
important things to ‘do’ about public speaking that you need to remember:
Do plan your speech in advance. Being prepared beforehand will enable you to feel
confident about speaking in front of the audience.
Do maintain eye contact with the audience. You should maintain good eye contact
with those listening to you.
Do make sure you are standing securely. You will end up being in an awkward
situation if you suddenly tip while speaking.
Do speak slowly while making use of carefully chosen words. Remember, usage of
the appropriate words in speech can produce a lasting impression in the minds of
the listeners and can create a great impact in conveying an idea.
Do breathe normally while speaking. You need to stay at ease while talking to the
audience.
Do be at yourself. You need not don a different personality while speaking. This will
make you feel uncomfortable and also make the audience confused as your speech
gets affected in this way.
Do speak enthusiastically. No one prefers a speaker lacking in spirit. You need to ask
thought-provoking questions, make use of quotes relating to the subject of
discussion and relate startling facts- all to arouse the curiosity of the audience and
draw their interest.
Now there are the things that you are advised not to do too in case of public
speaking. Here are some significant ‘don’ts’ about public speaking:
Don’t waver from the main message that you are seeking to convey. Always bear in
mind that the audience cannot retain more than two or three things presented in a
speech. So, lay emphasis on the main points while speaking.
Don’t ever start fidgeting in front of the audience while speaking. Even if you are not
fully confident of something you must take care not express it this way.
Don’t lean while speaking.
Don’t look down and maintain eye contact with your audience while delivering your
speech.
Don’t make use of vocal pauses like ah, umm… etc. Make use of a proper word
instead like ‘now’.
Don’t waste too much time on answering questions asked and clarifications sought
by listeners. You must make sure that the main message that you wish to express
via your speech is conveyed within the time allotted for your speech.