Public Speaking Tip

Public Speaking Tip IV: Your Communicative Ability
And What To Watch Out For

Check out the first three modules of this guide to public speaking For Actors (and non-actors as well):

Public Speaking I: Preparation And How To Structure Your Presentation
The Art Of Public Speaking Pt. II: 9 Ways To Communicate Your Message
Stage Fright III: Stage Fright And How To Get Over It

This last module and public speaking tip has to do with your ability to manage the individual parts of your personal communication.

You will want to be aware of the following while you are speaking in public.

Eye contact: How many times have you been annoyed at someone talking to you, but not looking at you while they were talking? Have you ever been in a presentation and the person who was talking never looked at you? If not, how do you think that would make you feel? Make sure you look people in the eye when you talk to them one on one. If you are talking to a group of people, scan the audience and try and make eye contact with everyone several times throughout your presentation. It will help them feel more involved and connected to what you are saying.

Gesturing: Have you ever seen someone who gestures a lot when they talk? Too much? How about someone who doesn’t gesture at all? What about you? Your gestures should be in line with what you are saying. Gestures can be used to emphasize a point or to help you keep the rhythm or the pace of what you are saying. Your gestures should be natural.

Position and Movement: Have you ever seen someone pace back and forth while they talk or bob back and forth? It’s a sign of nervousness or of excess energy that they have built up. But most of all, they are not conscious of themselves and of their movements and of what they are doing. You don’t necessarily have to stay in one spot when you speak, but be conscious of your movements and don’t pace!

Tone and volume of voice: This is one of the biggest reasons that presentations are not very interesting to listen to. Have you ever seen someone present for a while in a monotone or in a tone that was barely audible or just plain not very exciting to listen to? How is your tone of voice when you speak? Does it make people want to listen to you or do you speak in a monotone or in a tone that is barely audible? Be aware of your voice.

Language: Have you ever had a conversation with someone who uses such technical or difficult to understand language, that you really don’t get the message they are trying to deliver? Do you do that to people? Make sure the language you use fits the audience.

Expression (non verbal): Remember this. You communicate even when you don’t say anything. It is also possible to communicate in two ways simultaneously: verbally and non verbally. Just as when you are acting, if what you are communicating non-verbally is not in line with what you are communicating verbally, it will show. You always want those two things to be in line.

Pauses: Pauses can be very powerful. To get your message across, it is not always necessary to raise your voice or to speak quickly. Sometimes a lengthy pause, while looking at your audience (or not), can be much more effective. Play with it (while you practice your speech) and see what happens.

Personality, Humor, and Enthusiasm: Whatever you do, be yourself! When you find yourself speaking in front of people or while in a group, are you natural? Are you being yourself or something that you want people to think you are? As much as possible, just try and be yourself. It will be appreciated. Are you excited about what it is you’re saying? Are you passionate about the subject of your speech and is that passion shining through?

Managing your stress level: The page I referred you to about getting over stage fright will help you with this one. There are a couple things to remember here. Breathe! Speak at a loud tone of voice. It will help you to burn off some of the nervous energy. And use your hands to gesture naturally. Don’t leave them by your side or fidget. It will also help you to release some of your nervous energy.

One Last Public Speaking Tip:

As another public speaking tip, I recommend that you practice, practice and practice some more before you do your speech. While you’re practicing, there are two things I highly recommend.

1. Practice for someone you know and who will give you objective feedback as to how you did and how effective you are. Ask them to evaluate you on the areas I mentioned above. Someone who tells you that you are doing a great job, when that is not the case, doesn’t help you. Get someone who can give you a public speaking tip that will make you better!

2. Tape yourself either on video or at least on audio and then listen to what you did. If you’ve never done that before, you’re in for a big surprise! You might not recognize yourself or your voice, but that’s what other people hear and see!

Another Public Speaking Tip: FAQ

What do I do if I lose my spot during the presentation?

Stay calm and just remember your first two questions: What is my purpose of giving the speech? What is my objective? If you’ve prepared and thought about it, you should know why you are giving the speech and you should be able to talk about it freely. So do just that, and speak from the heart, just as if you were speaking to a group of friends.

Let us know if you need a public speaking tip to help make your presentation a success!

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Hi Tony
I would like to thank you for helping me with the monologue question I asked in October 2007. I went to the auditions for a Drama course and I am happy to say that I have been accepted as a first-year student at the Tshwane University of Technology. Please keep on sending me those newsletters and let me know where I can find books that will help me in my acting career. Thank you once more. Have a blessed day.
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