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May 9, 2003
A Quick Guide to Effective Public Speaking
Delivering speeches or presentations can get tricky. There are many common missteps to avoid, from over-gesturing to subconscious wobbling. Here are 6 rules to ensure that you click with listeners:
Public speaking holds many pitfalls for even the most prepared speech-giver. And the blunt truth is that most executives are not very good at it. With their limited skills, even the Gettysburg Address could be received with yawns. But don't let the dozens of potential setbacks—including nervous tics, inappropriate humor and a drowsy audience—dishearten you. Avoid common mistakes and get listeners hooked with the following techniques:
Keep your gestures within your power space.
Some speech experts refer to the region from your belt to your eyes as the "power space." Keep facial and hand gestures within this area for maximum impact. Hyper Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is the sole transgressor of this rule.
Stop wobbling.
You may not even be aware that you're doing it, but you may be among the many speakers who sway back and forth from one foot to another, inadvertently distracting or lulling listeners. Keep your feet firmly planted to the floor—or take a few steps, pause to emphasize a point, and come back.
Don't channel Robin Williams.
Some self-deprecating humor will encourage listeners to relate to you. Jokes, however, could estrange some of your audience and alter their perception of you from authority figure to would-be clown.
Look at your audience, not your props.
PowerPoint is helpful, but it can also become a handicap. Master your material so that you will only need to take occasional, brief glimpses to find out what's on the screen. Then redirect your attention to your listeners.
Serve up your words.
With open palms, gesture as if you're serving up your words like you would a meal tray. This is an effective way to connect with listeners or emphasize your arguments. Be sure not to point, however, because this can strike some as patronizing.
Acknowledge your unease.
So you sweat profusely or are prone to stuttering? Mention it quickly, before it occurs, so you can relax as well as subtly urge the audience to be on your side. For example, you can tote tissues and briefly tell listeners that you will need to dab your forehead from time to time.
Source: Keynote Like a Pro
Jeff Wuorio
Business 2.0, April 2003
http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,47799,00.html
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