Speaking Knowledge
Speaking Knowledge
Anyone who is adept at public speaking knows there are some fundamentals to always remember and many of them have to do not only with speaking but with leadership itself.
Once you are up at the podium and ready to make the speech, keep in mind that you also need to listen. Watch the audience, see how they are responding and pay attention to the body language you see out there. When you start to speak, keep it in your head that you need to make a difference in what you say. Say what you mean and mean what you say! Try to use the fewest words with the fewest syllables. Be economic with your words …its all about the idea not how many big words you know.
You want to make your audience feel like you are speaking for them not just to them, and being specific can help. Use anecdotes or examples rather than having all generalities in your speech. Youll be more fun and more interesting to listen to.
Make certain that your speech has a structure to it. Its okay to share thoughts as you go but everyone, including you, likes having a road map and good structure will give one to both you and to the audience. Cultivate a clear speaking voice so you are easy to understand. And last but not least, the real cardinal rule of public speaking. Speak to the audience not just for yourself. The audience wants to be engaged and to be included.
Public speaking is a great gift and a wonderful way to share your opinions. Every audience appreciates a speaker who is humble and modest. Be positive, be confident, but dont get on an ego trip. Implement these things and the audience will love you.
