You Can Be A Public Speaker

Author: Danny R. Von Kanel

Public speaking remains the number fear of people based on numerous of sources. It doesn’t have to be. Two recent experiences brought home the point that all of us can be a public speaker. It is amazing what we can do when we it’s not an option. While taking courses at a university (I’m 54) and speaking at church when my pastor was out sick, I stumbled upon some simple effective tools in communication – using them surprised my listeners and me. These easy steps take the fear pain out of public speaking and yield an effective finished product. Those straightforward steps include:

Write out your speech
Spell out a word for word rendition that will help you pinpoint weaknesses, define nuances of voice inflection possibilities, and places to insert personal illustrations or lighter moments. Work on a good beginning and ending.

Christian author and speaker, Rebekah Montgomery says, “Sometimes, I use a computer program that translates the spoken word into written copy – often with comic results so I never use that copy on the platform. I edit this back to an outline format otherwise the speech sounds canned.

Christian Professor, Dr. Susan Whitcomb says, “I write out my outline and notes and place activities or modeling of certain material for explanation purposes.”

My experience with a written speech involved taking a Classroom Management class at my alma mater during the summer of 2010, I was surprised to learn each student had to teach a chapter out of our textbook to the class. The anxiety level rose as I thought about my audience–a room full of graduate students who were less than half my age.

I knew that for me to be successful speaking I needed to limit any snafus and give myself the best opportunity for success. The key: preparation.

A word for word written rendition puts all of your thoughts in logical order. Having it placed before you in written form allows time for eliminating obvious weaknesses. Look for redundancies, faulty logic, poor grammar, and unnecessary repeated word usage when not for effect.

Identify sentences or words that offer a unique place for a change in voice inflection. Nothing can kill a speech like a monotone voice throughout. I have a tendency to talk in one voice frequency so I knew I had to map out places where I could change the inflection. Consider the possibilities of stressing certain words, speeding up or slowing down in places, and using silence to provoke anticipation.

Wrap your text with personal illustrations. Audiences want to see the speaker’s connection with the subject. My speech to the classroom management class included personal stories with students. Later, when my pastor asked me to speak in his absence, I used a speech laced with real life experiences of mine facing fear. Personal anecdotes bring with it certain amounts of emotion, energy, and empathy that all quality speeches possess.
Read it out loud
Reading will identify awkward sentences. If while reading you stumble, rewrite the sentence so it flows smoothly. Mark places you identified in the written version where you can slow or speed up. Change the pitch of your voice where you marked the written copy – experiment, the best changes will become obvious.

Reading your speech will always reveal places needing tweaked or changed.. Any stumbling at all means words are misplaced, punctuation should be added or changed, and/or the sentence is poorly written.
Critique what you’ve written
Consider inserting other personal stories or changing those already imbedded that will support the text in a better way. Try to decide where your audience may wander and/or lose interest. Add a humorous tidbit. Poke fun at yourself.

When I asked Rebekah Montgomery did she critique herself, she said, “Oh, yes. I let the Holy Spirit critique it to.”Dr. Susan Whitcomb says, “I review my notes and ideas several times for several days in advance.” Such critiquing should always involve substituting your best personal anecdotes or illustrations for good stories. Better stories are usually more emotional, drive home the point of the speech, and engage the audience.

Are there places your speech lags–losing your audience? Ask a friend or family member to read and give you an honest critique. Ask them to point out places the audience may lose interest. In those places, insert an interesting tidbit, related joke, or use self-deprecating humor.

I floundered momentarily in my classroom management speech while talking about avoiding student put-downs but recovered quickly with this planned anecdote. I said, “Matthew was a tall, good looking eighth grader who gave me fits with his constant clowning. I knew I needed a lighter moment but I got it a Matthew’s expense. I was standing by Matthew’s desk when he reached up and graced the hairs on my arm. He said, “Mr. Von Kanel, you sure are hairy.” I told the class I paused for a moment and then said, “Matthew, real men have hair.” All the girls cackled out-loud and provided a lighter moment but unfortunately at Matthew’s expense.”
Placed finished speech on some 4 x 6 cards
It’s not necessary to be word for word. Use an outline form as long as you can recall the details.

You may or may not have a lectern in giving your speech. Ideally, giving it without one brings you closer to the audience. If so, a written or outlined speech on 8 ½ by 11 inch paper is a little cumbersome and distracting.

Place the speech on 3 x 5 or 4 x 6 cards. Be sure to number each card so they will appear in the correct order. Though Montgomery writes out only an outline, she adds, “I do, however write out scripture, statistics, and quotes of others on 3 by 5 cards so I don’t accidently edit them.”
Practice your speech
The more you walk through speaking the exact speech you will give the more comfortable you become with the text. The importance of the speech will determine how many times. Memorize your beginning and ending. Step closer to your audience before giving the ending – and end with an emotional appeal.

Montgomery says, “I picture myself in front of the audience and give the speech start to finish in my imagination.”

In speech making, practice does make perfect. Reading your speech over and over is not enough. Find you a quiet and empty room, preferably one in which you can see yourself in a mirror and give your speech.

Use a timer. Make sure it falls in the time limit your given. I had forty five minutes for my classroom management talk – thirty for the church message. Wonderful speeches have been ruined when the speakers spoke beyond the allotted time.

A memorized beginning and ending assures you of connecting eye to eye with your audience at key moments in your speech. As a musician, what applies to musical presentations relates to our talks – people remember most how you begin and how you end. A nice personal touch is to step closer to your audience when you begin the closure – creating a sense of intimacy.

What were the results of my using the above techniques? In my classroom management class, I received an A. I commented to other class members that at least our professor grades light. They responded: “No Danny, you were really, really good.” My speaking at church passed un-eventful until weeks later when my pastor was to be in revival and the chairman of deacons said, “Brother Danny, the church family wants to hear you again. They loved the last time you spoke.”

I am inherently not a good speaker yet I excelled while using these tools. You can too. Audiences are waiting. Step up and deliver inspiring speeches and watch other opportunities come your way – touching lives with your words.

You Can Be A Public Speaker

Author: Danny R. Von Kanel

Write out your speech

Read it out loud

Critique what you’ve written

Placed finished speech on some 4 x 6 cards

Practice your speech

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