How to Give a Speech: Basic Tips

I know that top executives often judge you by your writing and speaking ability. Once, when I was finished interviewing a CEO for a speech I was writing, he said he had something he wanted to show me. He went over to his desk and pulled out a file. Then this CEO said, ” I have over 5,000 employees and there is no way I can keep track of all of them. But I can tell a lot about a person’s thought process, by what they write and how they write it. “

He showed me the file and it was full of emails and letters and reports from employees.

The CEO went onto to say ” I do see a lot of writing. And when I see a well-written document that reflects a good thought process and the ability to put ideas into action, I put that document in the folder and tell my managers to watch that person.”

And – the CEO added – if I find that person is making a presentation, I go and see how he or she can speak and communicate with the audience.

The point of all this, is I know, obvious. People , even CEOs, judge us and our thought process by how we put words on paper, on how we logically develop our ideas, how we back up our ideas. On how we deliver those ideas in a speech to an audience.

Here some tips for you. And we will discuss these ideas as we progress through the course. I think we will have fun working together!

Basic Tips

Remember audiences tend to be very understanding and sympathetic. No one want to be up there and they admire anyone who does get up in front of an audience. So if someone “messes up” a word or a slide and has to correct themselves, this actually could be a plus. The audience roots for the Underdog, sees you as a human, not as some smooth talking speaker, and actually may identify with you more nad actually listen more closely. There is such a thing as being too “slick”. A good speaker has to maintain that “Aw Shucks” attitude too. Hand-outs are the part of the presentation that is often the most important. Because after you show a slide it’s gone. But people can take the handouts back to their desk and this helps them to remember your key points. A simple handout at the end, that lists your key points and what you would like your audience to do – what action step you would like them to take, is always a valuable tool in getting your ideas across. People bring different experiences to every conversation and your perception can vary greatly than your audiences. It reminds me of the old joke- a man goes up to heaven and God asks him what he wants to do. The man said – I want to give a lecture on floods. I was the world’s expert on floods while I was living and people would drive for miles to hear my insights on floods. God smiled and said – Okay – you can give a lecture on floods. But remember Noah will be in the audience. Why do you give a presentation. Why don’t you just email the information to people. A main reason is this: a presentation gets you face-to-face witrh the people that can make a difference, They can implement your ideas, they can act upon your suggestions. So don’t lecture to them, study their reactions, ask questions to see if you are all on the same page.When they walk out of a room, you should know their depth of understanding of your presentation. You should know what follow-up steps you need to take, so your audience completely understand what you were discussing, why it was important and what steps they are expected to take! They always say that you build a relationship by sharing confidential experiences with another person. And if they accept you and they share experiences with you, a friendship has been born. And isn’t that what a good speaker does, reaches out, shows he or she is human, shares a painful experience with you…? And remember that a good speech is like a good essay.. You need a clear thesis statement that tells the reader why your topic is important and the key areas that your paper will cover. It is like a mini roadmap to your paper, so the readers know where you are taking them and why the journey is important. How do you know that people are receiving the message you think you are sending? What steps can you take to double-check? Because every person brings their own set of perceptions to every meeting, every phone call, e-mail – in short, any type of communication! A good communicator looks for feedback – verbal, body language – all types of feedback. You can only be sure your message “got through” if you check the feedback! Did the project get done, did it get done the way you requested? Did you just give directions and not check to see if your message was received Don’t put in too much information. We are often to tell everything we know about a subject. But the real question every writer must ask is ” What does my reader already know and what do they need to know? ” Remember you are not showing off your knowledge, you are trying to provide the reader with information they need and can use! Beware of jokes.. These days – a remark made in jest, a good-natured joke sent via the internet … you never know! How many politicians, CEOs have been toppled by the wrong remark at the wrong time? How many times have their lack of sensitivity cost them a job?


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