Public Speaking
Public speaking is the art of being able to stand in front of an audience and deliver a prepared speech, which will inform, influence or entertain the listeners. It can involve motivating the listeners to act in some way, adopt a new idea or approach or it can even tell a story. A person engaged in public speaking is called an orator and this person should be able to evoke emotions in the listeners through the delivery of the speech.
Public speaking was an important part of life in ancient Greece with the first speeches appearing more than 2500 years ago. Although the mediums through which speeches are delivered have changed through the centuries, the basic principles basically remain unchanged. The orator should know the room and be familiar with it. The size of the room will affect the loudness of your voice and how you have to project it. This also depends on whether or not you will use a microphone.
Public speaking requires practice so that you do know the speech and not have to read it directly from the paper. In this way, you can look up and speak directly to the audience and only refer to your notes when you need to refresh your memory. When practicing, you need to visualize yourself speaking. Practice in front of a mirror so that you can see yourself when you look up. Record yourself delivering the speech to determine whether there are any words you need to enunciate more clearly and to make sure you use the right expressions in your tone of voice when speaking. You should also practice delivering your speech in front of a small group of people who can give you constructive feedback to help you make improvements, if any are needed.
Facial expressions and hand gestures are also an important part of speaking to an audience. Listeners get bored when listening to a person who doesn’t change the tone of voice, who reads from the paper without looking up and one who doesn’t use any other means of demonstrating excitement for the topic. Smiling and looking happy shows the audience that you do enjoy both the topic and delivering the speech.
You should arrive early and walk around the room. Greet some of the guests and get to know some them through polite conversation. It is much easier to speak to a small group of people in an informal situation than to immediately start speaking to the full audience.