What is Public Speaking?
In its simplest sense, Public Speaking is exactly what it says; speaking in public. This means that the speaker delivers an address to an audience in real-time, as opposed to a pre-recorded talk or presentation. Often Public Speaking is done in front of a live audience, although online live presentations are also becoming more and more common. Sometimes, a presentation may be both, live and online, as in a TED Talk, where the speaker addresses a live audience in person and the talk is simultaneously telecast via television and/or the internet.
Table of contents
- What is Public Speaking?
- Why is Public Speaking Important?
- Parts of a Speech
- Practising the Speech
- Creating Effective Presentations
- Delivering the Speech or Presentation
- And Finally…
Modern public speaking can be traced back to Greece and Rome. In ancient Greece, all citizens had the right to speak out about laws, either to oppose them or to suggest new ones. Over a period of time, some citizens grew more skilled at speaking in public than others. Recognising the importance of these skills, public speaking – or rhetoric as it was called then – became a subject that was actually taught to people. When the Romans came to power, they retained this aspect of public life and employed Greeks to teach oratory.
The formal form of public speaking that was popular in Greek and Rome carried on until modern times. After World War II, a more informal style of oratory was favoured. Today, audiences warm up more quickly to a speaker who seems to be “one of them” rather than a stiffly formal alien person.
Why is Public Speaking Important?
While the fear of speaking in public is said to be one of the most common, there can be no denying that public speaking is a skill that is much in demand in teaching, politics, business, entertainment and more. The spoken word can be much more persuasive and powerful than the written one, which is why politicians always address rallies and make speeches on television.
Even now, in an internet age, live talks that are broadcast are much in demand over pre-recorded presentations. Presentations may be slicker but live talks are definitely more persuasive.
Some areas where public speaking skills are absolutely important are:
- Politics: Politicians must address rallies and debates on public forums to persuade voters.
- Business: From sales presentations to boardroom meetings to motivational speeches to sales teams and more, people who speak well are more likely to succeed in the business world.
- Teaching: Even in this internet age, in-person teaching is far more effective than recorded lessons or textbooks and blogs.
- Local body meetings: Even small, informal groups respond well to those who can speak effectively. Whether it is a Church group or a PTA meeting, the most influential persons are those who can speak well.
Parts of a Speech
Public speaking begins with the writing of the speech. Even those who seem to speak off the cuff are those who have actually prepared a variety of topics well in advance.
So let’s take a look at the different sections of a well-prepared speech.
Introduction
A good speech begins with a good introduction. The opening part of the speech must grab and hold the attention of the audience. Just like a good novel begins with a gripping first paragraph, a good speech begins with an attention-grabbing opening.
The opening can be a story, a startling fact, an intriguing headline or even a joke. It must be suitable for the occasion, however. A joke will go very badly in a speech at a funeral, for example. Also, the opening must suit the style of the speaker. Some people are good at telling jokes, others are not. Some can carry off a very sombre beginning, others may not. So the opening, and indeed the entire speech must suit the style of the speaker.
Body
The body of the speech is a series of points and sub-points. Some of these may be supported by examples. Examples are a powerful way to convince audiences of the points that the speaker is putting forward.
An important factor in writing the speech – and particularly the body of the speech – is the amount of time the speaker is allotted. If the speaker falls short of the time, the audience may feel short-changed. Indeed, the speaker may not be able to fully explain his or her viewpoint and thus fail to persuade the audience. If the speaker overshoots the time, the audience will get restless and may indeed reject the speaker’s entire viewpoint. Therefore, the speaker must use the time allotted wisely.
A good thumb rule is to allot one minute per point, with one minute reserved for the opening and conclusion of the speech. Thus, a ten-minute speech will have nine minutes set aside for the body, with one minute taken by the opening and conclusion. Therefore, the speech must have a maximum of nine points in the body.
Conclusion
The conclusion is a very important part of the speech. If the speaker gains the audience’s attention at the opening, keeps that attention and builds trust during the body of the speech, the conclusion will determine if that attention and trust bear fruit. The conclusion must be as powerful as the opening, for that is what the audience will carry with it after the speech.
A good conclusion summarises the speech and, most importantly, gives the audience a call to action. The most famous example of this is in Mark Antony’s speech at Julius Caesar’s funeral in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”. Mark Antony begins the speech by assuaging the audience, which is mainly hostile. In the body of the speech, however, he convinces them of Caesar’s good intentions. In the conclusion, he has them baying for the blood of Brutus and the conspirators. That is a powerful conclusion indeed!
Practising the Speech
Once the speech is written, it must be practised.
In public speaking, it is very important at this point not to learn the speech by heart. A speech learned by heart can have many stumbling stones for the speaker. A forgotten sentence may cause the speaker to freeze up, unable to remember what comes next and unable to even skip the next point and go on to the one after that.
Therefore, the speaker is well-advised to remember the points rather than the exact words of the written speech. When the speaker knows the points well, even a forgotten word or phrase will not trip him or her up. Instead, the speaker will be able to move on and thus finish the speech effectively.
Practice can be in front of a test audience, such as family and friends in an informal context or colleagues in an office context. Such practice will also give the speaker feedback on the effectiveness of the speech.
Creating Effective Presentations
Presentations can help support a speech but must never supplant them. A presentation can make a speech very effective, buttressing the speaker’s words with visuals.
However, a good presentation must never overshadow the actual speech. The speaker must remember that the audience has come to hear a speech, not be entertained by fancy graphics.
An effective presentation is therefore one that:
- Supports the speech
- Does not distract from the speech
- Does not simply put the speech in written form before the audience
- Helps the speaker move effectively from point to point
- Provides effective visuals for the examples put forward by the speaker
Delivering the Speech or Presentation
Once the presentation and speech have been prepared and practised, the time comes to actually make the speech.
On the day of the speech, it helps to arrive a little early and check out the public address system, seating, etc. This might not always be possible but if it is, the speaker is well-advised to take advantage of it. It also helps to talk to technicians so that the speaker gets full support from the technical side.
In delivering the speech, effective speakers often use hand gestures to emphasise points. In a lecture situation, speakers may also move around in the auditorium. This helps the speaker come across as friendly and “one with the audience”.
Eye contact is another aspect that a good speaker uses. It helps if the speaker can make each member of the audience feel as if he or she is being spoken to personally. Good speakers make slow sweeps of the audience, making and holding eye contact just long enough. Too long eye contact and the member of the audience may feel uncomfortable or even threatened. Too little and the member may feel belittled.
Body language is crucial in public speaking. If the speaker is stiff, the audience may take it as a sign that the speaker is not being honest. If the speaker is too relaxed, the audience may feel that the speaker isn’t taking the topic seriously enough. Therefore, the speaker needs to convey sincerity with body language.
And Finally…
The art of public speaking is an important part of most public life. Whether it is a sales presentation or a lecture or even an informal talk, the speaker needs to have command over certain skills to speak effectively.
Preparation, practice and presentation are important skills for a speaker to develop to be impressive. The more one speaks in public, the better one gets, therefore the speaker needs to welcome opportunities to address various audiences.