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Now that we agree that the most important component about a speech or talk is the audience, we start preparing with a clear image of our listeners in mind.
That’s why your objectives should not be based on your interests alone, but also on the interests of your audience.
By the time you finish speaking, your audience should have gained valuable knowledge, important insights, delightful entertainment, or deep understanding of an issue of concern. The audience must perceive the considerable value of your speech. And the value your audience should perceive will determine the specific content and the objectives of your talk.
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An effectively structured talk divides the content into its thematic components and provides the audience with the unambiguous meaning of your message. A solid structure simplifies complex content and guides the audience effortlessly to your conclusion, while giving you opportunities to emphasize certain aspects of your talk along the way. The following information is designed to give you the summarized version of what to do as you structure and organize your data for presentation.
Standard Structuring
A well-structured talk is always divided into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. If this sounds a bit too stifling or is too reminiscent of public speaking and speech class from the “oppressive” days of high school and college, think of it this way:
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Do you want to write your talk out word for word, or do you just want to use memory joggers such as index cards, notes, or bulleted lists? The option you choose depends somewhat on your comfort level with the material you’re presenting. Of course, as discussed above, you should never read a written manuscript, as this practice tends to decrease your connection with the audience and can increase your discomfort, self focus, and anxiety. Your reasons for writing out a manuscript word for word should primarily be to understand and dissect your material and message, to match your words to the audience for the most impact, and to provide you with the essence of your talk, from which you will consciously stray only when you see a clear benefit in doing so.
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When Harrison was in school, back home in his native Germany, he “tested” all of the tried-and-true preparation techniques that have made their way into every schoolkid’s arsenal of studying techniques-from sleeping on the research material stuffed under his pillow to falling asleep while listening to a tape of his own voice recording of the material. After all, a cassette tape on autoreverse would replay the recording all night long and slowly but steadily enter the subconscious mind of the learner, wouldn’t it? Well, unfortunately for millions of high school students, there is no scientific evidence that this actually makes a difference and no reliable data, based on widely varying results in Harrison’s early years of “sleep-and-learn research,” that would support such practices as useful learning aids.
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Whether it’s time for breakfast, time for lunch, or even time for dinner, keep your food intake to a minimum a couple of hours before your speech. Speaking for a purpose requires all of your mental and physical faculties to operate at optimum performance. Don’t sabotage the processes that take place by burdening your system with anything other than what you need for energy and proper hydration. Eat a light, healthy meal consisting mostly of protein and carbohydrates. Limit fats and fiber right before a talk. This means limiting your liquid intake drastically at this point, aside from small sips of water to keep your mouth hydrated and your throat from getting dry due to preperformance jitters. Read more »
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You’ve made it to Presentation Day. Your talk is just minutes away. The audience is in the venue; they are exchanging “Hellos” and “Nice to see yous,” shaking hands, joking around, and otherwise making casual small talk. One by one they’re getting comfortable in their chairs, arranging their notepads, and pulling out pencils and pens to take notes with, anticipating what you will share with them and what you’ll be like as a speaker.
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Your preparation and rehearsal are about to be put to the test. The following steps will help you center yourself and get ready for the moment of truth as you prepare to face your audience.
1. Find a quiet place where you can focus on important aspects of your speech.
2. Loosen your jaw by opening and closing your mouth wide as if you were yawning.
3. Take several deep breaths and let the air expand your abdomen; feel the energy starting to surge through your body.
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OUR BODY, FACE, and voice comprise a whopping 93 percent of all of our communication efforts, according to an oft-cited study conducted in the early 1970s at the University of California at Los Angeles. You’ll learn more about the study and the social scientist who conducted it later in this chapter. Suffice it to say for now that in order to become a confident speaker, learning the language of the face, the body, and the voice is critical to your development as a compelling conversationalist and a persuasive presenter. Rest assured also that your audiences will be vocally or silently grateful if you’re not one of those boring dullards who relies on the content and the words of their message alone to get the point across. You’ve been an audience before, a bored or puzzled one likely, so no doubt you understand what we mean.
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The camera doesn’t lie, and the use of video for feedback and critique is imperative when we coach clients. Considering the ubiquity of the camcorder, it is surprising how few of our clients have ever seen themselves on videotape before.
Taping your performance is the next best thing to personal coaching. While on video, we see ourselves from the second perspective, that of the audience. Try to be objective and look at everything from your hair, to your dress, to your posture, to your gestures and the way you move. Take note of everything that stands out for you. Divide your list into positives and negatives.
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Angela was nervous. She had a hard time looking into the eyes of her audience. As a young start-up entrepreneur looking for funding, she was several minutes into her presentation to a small group of venture capital investors when she remembered what her high school public speaking coach kept preaching about eye contact. Whenever she felt nervous and at risk of losing her train of thought, all she had to do was to focus on her material and find a spot on the wall just above the heads of her audience. That way they’d still feel as though she was looking at them, without her having to look directly into their eyes. And if the group was smaller and this strategy was too obvious to the audience, she was to focus on a spot right between the eyes of the person she was directing her talk to at the time, thereby avoiding the “dreaded” direct gaze of the critical observer.
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