How to
Be an
Effective
Public Speaker
(Even
When You Think it is Impossible)
Whether you are
conducting a meeting for a small group, making a presentation to a Lions
Club or serving as Master of Ceremonies at a large convention, you can
drastically increase your chances of being a successful public speaker if
you will follow some very simple rules.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the more you
prepare, the more likely you are to have success. Here are some simple guidelines for
success.
â Never speak in
public unless you are prepared. To
get prepared:
· Decide what you are going to say.
· Write it out.
· Read it aloud ahead of time.
· Revise and refine your comments.
·
Use your notes when you are speaking, but don't read
them.
â Avoid using
"space fillers" such as, "At this time,"
"Er," "Um,"
"Uh," and the like.
â Don’t adlib
during your presentation; stick to your notes. Don’t read your notes!
â Don’t tell
jokes. You might offend someone.
Even if only one person is offended, that is too many.
â Don’t try
to be funny. Leave that to standup
comedians.
â Never introduce a
head table without notes that include each person’s name,
position/title, and District or home club.
â If you make a
mistake (which can certainly happen even to the best speakers), correct
your mistake very matter-of-factly and move on. Don’t giggle, laugh, or make a
comment like, “It must be the water here” or “I
can’t read my notes.”
â Don’t bring
attention to something that does not need to be highlighted by saying
something like, “Here’s my Cabinet Secretary, Lion John
Simple. Your wife’s not here,
huh John?” or “Here’s my Cabinet Treasurer, Lion Bill
Bent – where are you Bill?”
Mention only those who are present.
Know your facts and stick to them.
â When you are
conducting a meeting in public, don’t turn to someone else and say,
"What should I do now?” or “Can they do that?” or
“Now what?” This shows
that you have very little knowledge of the process in being and that you
are not in control. When the
audience finds out that you are not in control, they stop paying attention.
â Always start
everything at the scheduled time, even if many of the expected participants
are absent. More of them will be on
time for the next scheduled meeting.
Check everything out beforehand (PA system, tape recorders,
projectors, etc.)
â If you plan to
introduce someone in the audience, make sure they are there before you
start. If they are not there do not
mention them and do not bring attention to their absence.
â Don’t try
to be “cute” at the expense of someone else. Avoid trying to make jokes about someone
in the audience. If you absolutely
must lose your cool and pick on someone, pick on yourself or make fun of
yourself (but this often backfires).
â Address people by
their correct titles. Don’t
address non-Lions as Lions. Make
sure you know who is a Lion, Lioness or Leo and who is not.
â If you are
introducing someone in the audience, use the correct name for their
organization, not what you think it might be. Do your homework.
â Be confident, be
calm, be professional, be relaxed, be the best you can be!
Most good public speakers are not
born that way.
Most good public speakers get
that way because they are well prepared and rehearsed.
Most good public speakers are a
bit nervous when speaking before a group of people.
Most good public speakers appear
to be calm and in total control of the situation.
_____________________
For an electronic
copy of the PowerPoint slide show used during the "Effective Public
Speaking Strategies" session at the 2005 Lions USA/CANADA Leadership Forum,
please contact the Presenter via e-mail at:
Info@FairfaxLions.org
____________
