Does public speaking make you or your key spokespeople nervous?
Afraid your fears and flaws (or theirs) might diminish your message or tank your reputation?
If so, you’re not alone; JERRY SEINFELD said, “At a funeral, most people would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy.”
If someone at your organization feels a little shaky about their speaking skills, be honest …
- How, how much and how well do you/they prepare to speak?
- How well do you/they analyze your audience before you step up to speak – their ages, occupations, levels of education, interests, political leanings, consumer behaviors, where they get their news, what TV they watch, how much they already know about your topic?
- Do you/they ever try to “wing it”? If so … Uh, oh!
- Do you/they rely on slides or notes and lose all eye contact?
- How well do you/they pivot when asked a tough question? Have you witnessed or, worse, delivered a nightmare exchange at the microphone and all eyes on you or your spokesperson?
Chemistry PR & Multimedia has the time-tested formula for public-speaking success, including expert speakers, speechwriters and even a certified, international award-winning coach on staff.
One blog can’t kick your speaking into higher gear all by itself, but we can recommend one formula here to elevate your rehearsals. We call it, “FOUR Rs X 10.” RECORD. REVIEW. REFINE. REPEAT.
Our process ensures you won’t under-rehearse nor over-rehearse. Yes, there IS such a thing as rehearsing too much.
- Prepare a solid draft of what you plan to say. If you feel comfortable speaking from a word-for-word manuscript, great! You can even pre-plan your ad libs, so they sound off the cuff even though you practiced them. If you prefer to work from an outline, bullet points or index cards, that’s fine. Just put some deliberate thought into what you’ll say and how you should organize it for this particular audience.
- Stand and deliver what you plan to say. RECORD it on your phone. If you plan to deliver a long presentation, break your remarks into segments, and apply the “FOUR Rs X 10” formula to each segment.
- REVIEW the recording. No one loves this part, but speakers who really hope to improve find it invaluable.
- REFINE what you say and how you move based on what you see and hear.
- REPEAT that process 10 times. Each time you review and refine, watch for a different opportunity to improve.
WATCH ONCE for opportunities to improve the structure of your speech. Does your speech have a beginning, a middle and an end? It should. Does it flow logically?
WATCH ONCE for opportunities to inject humor. Even the most serious topics benefit from some appropriate comic relief.
WATCH ONCE for missing data or stories. Where could your presentation benefit from some relevant data or a compelling story or two? Good speeches (and most audience members) need both – data + story.
WATCH ONCE to catch words and syllables that don’t belong — “uh” “um” “like” “you know” and “so” or words you struggle to pronounce.
CLASSIC TOASTMASTERS TIP: Consider ringing a bell or saying, “DING!” every time you hear yourself committing the crutch-word sin. One C-suiter insisted he could only have said “um” and “uh” about five times in a five-minute presentation … until … he watched the video and heard that dreaded bell ring 86 times! Video reveals all.
Remove jargon, too. If you must inject a jargon-y word or phrase, define it, so you and your audience stay on the same page.
WATCH ONCE for timing. Will your remarks fit in the time allowed? Honor the invitation. Don’t try to pack an hour’s worth of info into a 30-minute time slot. This matters most in media interviews. Talk too long, and, ready or not, they’ll cut to commercial. No mercy!
Edit out all nonessentials. Be sure to consider how much more quickly or more slowly you may speak on “Game Day,” with high-octane adrenaline coursing through your veins. Adjust your speed based on what you know about yourself as a speaker. Maybe even write “S-L-O-W D-O-W-N” or “HIGH ENERGY” at the top of your notes as a visual reminder.
WATCH ONCE for diction/enunciation. The more clearly you speak, the smarter you’ll sound. Pronounce ev-er-y sing-le syl-la-ble. Practice stressing ending consonants and words that end in “-ing,” too. That way, if you DO speak quickly, audience members still will understand you.
WATCH ONCE to make sure you’ve inserted thoughtful pauses. Insert LOTS of them … to help your audience members follow your train of thought and to help drifters tune back in if you lose their attention, and you WILL lose their attention. Even fascinating speakers can’t overcome today’s short attention spans 100% of the time.
When you get to a pause point, literally STOP and count 1 … 2 … 3 … in your head, without inserting an “um.” It will feel like an eternity to you, but it will sound perfectly natural to your audience members.
Write, “[PAUSE]” on your script everywhere you should pause, so you won’t blow past your key points at nervous-speaker speed.
WATCH ONCE with the sound OFF, just to identify any unintended mannerisms you should elminate (touching your nose, scratching your head, tucking your hair behind your ear, adjusting glasses, using unscripted hand gestures or body language).
WATCH ONCE to identify any intentional choreography you should ADD – gestures, facial expressions or steps forward, back, left or right as you move from one topic to the next.
WATCH ONE MORE TIME … After you’ve RECORDED, REVIEWED, REFINED and REPEATED 10 times, compare your first video to your last. You’ll be amazed how much you improved between the two. Then get out there and break a … lip!
Click HERE to explore USPR Member/Chemistry capabilities.
Click HERE to request a call or meeting.
