|
Friday, November 22, 2002
YOUR BUSINESS: Ashok Nalamalapu
Don't shy away from opportunities to speak in public
Copyright © 2002 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||
 |
Also on this page: ABOUT THE AUTHOR | |
Researchers say that many people fear public speaking more than death. Still, whether in business or politics, people who can convey their message clearly and concisely are the ones who keep climbing the ladder. "Public speaking is very much like writing or reading," Gaston Caperton, who grew up with dyslexia and went on to become governor of West Virginia, said to me during a recent interview. "When people begin to do public speaking, they are usually very self-conscious. "They are more concerned about the words they are going to say, how they look and how the words fit together, than they are just communicating to the audience." Speakers with a good knowledge of their subject, confidence and the ability to connect with an audience are much more effective. President Clinton is one example. Gov. Angus King is another. The governor has a conversation with the audience. He demonstrates intelligence but is approachable. He likes people and knows how to deal with them. He has a great sense of humor. He is a good storyteller. He knows how to connect with the audience. If you want to become a better public speaker, take every opportunity to speak in front of people. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Do the thing that you fear the most, then the fear will go away." You also should talk about a topic that you are knowledgeable and passionate about. And know your audience. The talk should benefit your audience. Most people want to hear about things that relate directly to their lives. Find out what they are interested in. "Speaking is like playing sports," Caperton said. "If you play basketball, some nights you might only score 10 points, and other nights you may score 30 points. Usually, when I give the worst speeches, it is because I have not studied the audience well enough to gain rapport and to understand who they are. "If you score 10 points, rather than 30 points, it is because you have not connected with the audience," said Caperton, who now serves as president of The College Board, a nonprofit association that administers the SAT test and has 4,200 member schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations. "When you connect with the audience, they inspire you, you're on, and they appreciate it and respect it, and you get better because you can feel the magnet, and the energy in the air that picks you up." Be sincere when you are speaking in public. I once asked King why people like his speeches. "I talk from my heart," King replied. "The worst performance of a speaker who does not read is better than the best performance of someone who reads his/her talk." Practice a few points of the talk during your conversations with friends and family, before the actual presentation, to test your ideas. Organize your talk so that it can flow. Highlight certain topics on a card and keep it with you during your talk to jog your memory. Do not memorize the talk. As a speaker, you should take deep breaths as much as possible, especially when you are nervous. Many people who are nervous tend to speak fast in order to complete the talk quickly. Slow down! Remember one of your previous best performances and encourage yourself with its memory. At the same time, keep your voice and face pleasant. And warm up your voice before your talk. "There are some people who have a powerful voice like a singer, the voice in itself is commanding," Caperton said. "There are other people whose language is poetic. There are some people who are passionate and deeply care about their topic." Also, use humor because smiles relax the audience, as well as yourself. Most people have a relatively short attention span, so involve the audience as much as possible. Intonation and pauses at the right places will make your audience pay more attention. "What I have found is that in speaking, stories are things that people remember," Caperton said. "The more personal they are to you, the more you can say with feeling, and sensitivity and meaning. So, my style is to outline what I want to say, and put stories in." To further involve the audience, ask questions instead of making statements. Use simple language - words like "we" and "us." Great speakers like Churchill, Kennedy and Reagan use language that could be understood by high school students. "I think one of the things that almost gets in the way, as a public speaker, is to try to be what somebody else is," Caperton said. "I believe that everyone has his or her own style." Don't be apologetic that you are not good at speaking or you did not get a chance to prepare. Just dive in, with your hands free, by your side, rather than in your pockets. Make a sweeping glance at your audience. Look to your left, look to your front, and to the right. You can focus on someone whom you know in the audience and talk to that person. This will give a good start. Tell your audience that it is a great honor to get the opportunity to speak with them. Tell them briefly what you are going to talk about. Finally, tell them what you just told in a nutshell. Great speakers repeat phrases. Just think of Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. Most importantly, practice, practice, practice. "When I ran for governor, I had never been in public office and never had that kind of demand in speaking," Caperton said. "By doing it over and over I got much better." By following these ideas, you can speak persuasively with one person or 100 people, both professionally and personally. Whether you want to get a promotion, or grow your business, or become a leader in your community or work with a group of people, public speaking is vital. By taking every opportunity to speak in public and learning from the mistakes, we will become better speakers and leaders.
|
||