BCA - BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Public speaking is a form of communication in which a person speaks face-to-face to a relatively large audience. In public speaking, the speaker speaks in a fairly continuous manner. Further, the focus of the event seems to be on a single product, which is the speech itself.
Public speaking is a process, an act and the art of making a speech before an audience. Absolutely everyone from the age of 10 to 90 has found themselves in situations where they have had to speak publicly. However, telling an anecdote at a corporate party, introducing yourself in class or delivering a paper at a conference does not necessarily make you a public speaker.
Selection of topic
DETERMINING THE PURPOSE: SELECTION OF THE TOPIC
The speaker's first step in formal speech making is to determine the purpose and topic of his presentation. In some cases, he is assigned a topic, usually one within his area of specialization. In fact, when he is asked to make a speech on a specific topic, it is likely to be based on his expone knowledge in that area. If the speaker is not assigned a topic, he must find one on his own. In his search for a suitable topic, he should acquaint himself with.
1. Background and knowledge:
Any topic which he selects should be one with which he is comfortable ensuring that it is within his area of proficiency.
2. The interest of his audience:
Selecting something which his audience can appreciate and understand is vital to the success of one's speech.
3. Occasion of the Speech/purpose of the speech:
Is the occasion a commemoration of a historic event or a monthly meeting of an executive club an annual meeting of an association of beauticians etc. Whatever topic is selected, it should be for the occasion. A speech about automated banking technologies might be quite appropriate for a group of young entrepreneurs, but not for retired pensioners. The purpose of public speaking is related to the occasion and it is identified while selecting the topic. The purpose may be:
- To inform or instruct: Here, the goal is to clarify, secure understanding and explain a process, issue or procedure.
- To persuade: The goal here is to create willingness among the audience, to accept the idea, proposal or claim as presented by the speaker.
- To encourage: Here, the goal is to raise the spirit of the audience, to motivate listeners and inspire them.
- To entertain: In social occasions, parties, anniversaries, cultural programmes, etc., one may have to speak in order to entertain people.
Audience analysis
One requirement of making a good speech is to know the kind of audience available for the speech. The content and manner of presentation of speech will depend upon the kind of audience and their attributes like education, qualification, age. The speaker should study his audience before and during the presentation in the manner narrated below:
Preliminary Analysis
In analyzing the audience before the speech the speaker should research the audience's characteristics that will affect his presentation. For example, the size of the audience is likely to influence, how formal or informal the speech be? The audience's personal characteristics also affect how one must structure the speech. Characteristics such as age, sex, education, experience, and knowledge of subject matter can determine how a speaker presents his message through the choice of words, need for illustrations, and level of details required. The speaker should adapt his speeches to suit his target audiences. This knowledge about the audience is the first step in adaptation.
1. Age:
The following questions regarding age need to be addressed.
What is the general age of the audience members?
How wide is the age range?
Does the audience include different age groups who need to be addressed differently?
What effect might the age of the audience have on the topic and purpose? What are the main points, which the speaker plans to speak on?
It is important to understand the effect of age on the examples, illustrations, and visual aids that the speaker may select further. Age will also have an effect on the language, which the speaker intends to use. Audience analysis is important.
Children may like stories.
High school children may prefer visual aids.
College students need informative presentations. Young adults want progressive and innovative viewpoints.
Old people may be interested in news and views.
2. Gender: The following questions relating to gender help the speaker to analyze the audience: Does the audience comprise all males and all females, or predominantly one gender?
Do males and females view the topic differently?
3. Background and attitudes:
How much knowledge or experience does the audience bring to this topic? Do their experiences and opinions differ so much from the speaker that he must adjust the way and construct the speech accordingly?
Will the audience identify with the speaker or see the speaker as an outsider? Does he expect the audience to be hostile even before he speaks to them? What is the ethnic, racial, and socio-economic composition of the audience? What does this composition mean for his topic and purpose?
Are there any implications here for the development of his speech?
4. Appearance:
Regarding appearance, the following questions are important:
Is his appearance similar to that of his audience?
Is he better or worse dressed, more formal or more casual, than they are? How are they likely to expect the speaker to be dressed?
Whether their appearance in relation to the speaker cause him to feel inferior or superior?
5. Context:
Two specific questions are considered in this context. They are:
What about the place, time, and occasion for his speech. Do any of these impose restrictions on what his audience might consider appropriate or create expectations that he has to take into account?
Analysis during presentation
Audience analysis should continue as the speaker starts making his speech. This is also called as feedback phase. This phase of audience analysis gives the speaker information about how a listener is receiving his words. With this information, he can adjust his presentation to improve the communication result. The eyes and ears of the speaker will help him get this feedback information.
Facial Expressions of the audience will tell him how listeners are reacting to the message. From smiles, blank stares and movements he will get an indication of whether they understand/agree with the message or not.
Researching the Topic
After the purpose of the speech is determined, the speaker should gather the information, which will form the basis of his speech. He may select the main ideas and then gather additional information that will be in support of the core idea. In some cases, this involves mentally and logically searching supporting experiences for idea development. Sometimes he will have to conduct primary research in a library or by running through company records. With some topics, he may need to consult colleagues or people from other companies. This list of core ideas may be gathered in a haphazard or disorganized manner. Lazer the workable ideas can be put together into a unified theme. In short, he has to do whatever is necessary to get the information he needs, by organizing his speech.
Once the speaker decides on a topic for his presentation, he can determine the main points that will serve as the basis of his speech. He can discover what they might be by simply asking himself some questions about his presentation topic. A few of them are as follows:
If his speech is informative, he will ask primarily what and how questions, such as what are the main themes of this topic? And how can he develop each theme?
If his speech is persuasive or intended to promote common feelings, he will ask more why-related questions, such as i) Why should the audience be interested in this topic? (ii) Why should they agree to what I say?
In developing the points, which he intends to make, he should always keep his audience in mind:
(a) Who are they?
(b) How much do they already know about his topic?
(c) How do they think?
(d) What do they think about his topic?
If this audience is/going to be interested in listening to him, he will need to adapt his speech to them and present them with new ideas, or at least present old ideas in a new light.
This kind of research in the topic and his audience will help the speaker to write the speech and make a dir presentation before his target audience.
Planning and drafting the speech
When preparing for a public speech, each speaker should consult a wide variety of sources. When the research has been completed, the speaker should organize all the information, arguments, and evidence into a complete outline. les purpose is to help the speaker to understand both sides of the speech issue. It also serves as a source of specific information, which the speaker will include in the outline for his or her public speeches.
Although variations are sometimes appropriate, usually he should follow the time-honoured order in planning the speech:
1. Introduction
It is rightly said, “A good beginning is half ending" and “First impression is the last impression." So, it becomes imperative that the speaker makes an impressive beginning to capture the attention of the audience.
Regarding introduction, following some tips would be in order.
1. Establish rapport by making a reference to:
- Chairman's remarks,
- Previous speaker's words,
- The occasion of meeting,
- Showing pleasure and happiness.
2. Focus attention on:
- Raising possible questions,
- Listing facts and figures,
- Creating a story,
- Making reference to famous personalities,
- Mention a Proverb or quotation related to the topic occasion.
Body
Body is the main part of the speech. This contains the main contents, for which the foundation has been laid by the introductory part of the speech. The body of the speech is structured according to:
- Purpose,
- Audience.
The other points to be kept in mind are:
- Begin with easy ideas and substitute difficult explanations with simpler ones.
- Begin with acceptable ideas and move to newer ones.
- Incidents should be narrated at a faster pace.
Conclusion
The conclusion should hold attention. It may take the shape of a question or quotation. Only sentences should be and the concluding remarks should not be dragged. The concluding observations are related to:
- Summary of the main theme.
- Repeat thanks for the invitation
- Thank the audience
- Relate to the occasion
Organizing the Speech
Organizing the body of his speech is much like organizing the body of a report. The speaker takes the entire text and divides it into comparable parts. Then he takes these and further divides them. He continues to divide as far as is practical to do so. In speeches, however, he is more likely to use factors as the basis of division than time, quantity. The reason is that in most speeches, his presentation is likely to build around issues and questions that are sub-topics of the subject. Even so, subdivisions like time, place, and quantity are possibilities. After preparing a brief presentation, the speaker is ready to begin the preparation for presenting it.
The speaker will organize his preparation and presentation of speech on the following line:
1. On the basis of his own knowledge and interests, does he still think the topics that he has selected will be interesting to the listeners and engaging to them? This time, ensure that the listener likes the topic.
2. If this is the first time, the speaker has done research or if he has little knowledge of the topic, he will begin by reading some general information, taken from an encyclopedia or magazine article. If he knows or can think of any person(s) who has specialized knowledge about the topic, he must try to interview them. Specific notes are taken on what he reads and learns.
3. On a piece of paper, the speaker should write his presentation draft. Therefore, he must review it for the speech. Perhaps, it is something completely new from what he has already known or spoken on. That doesn't matter. What does matter is that it is truly the essence of what the speaker wants his audience to gain from the speech.
4. Below his presentation draft, he writes several questions about it, leaving space under each question for an answer. Remember, that if this speech is informative, he will primarily ask what and how kind of it questions and his speech is persuasive, he will ask more of, why questions.
5. The speaker needs to completely prepare his speech by carefully crafting his conclusions. He should warp up his ideas and give his audience a sense of completion. It should emphasize his main ideas, thesis and summarize the main points.
Presenting the Speech
A well prepared speech can go waste if it is not presented well. The success of all the efforts put in by the speaker depends on how skillfully he presents it.
At this time, he will need to decide on his method of presentation. There are three methods or ways of presenting a speech, presenting it exremporaneously, by reading it, or by memorizing it.
Ways of delivering the speech
1. Extemporaneous presentation:
It is the most popular and effective method of presentation. Using this method, the speaker initially prepares his speech. Then he prepares notes and presents the speech from them. This allows him to have good eye - contact, while he may feel confident, having the support of the notes with him.
2. Memorized presentation:
It is the most difficult method of presentation for most of us. Probably, a few speakers actually memorize an entire speech. Memorized speech does have poor display of non-verbal cues. The fear of forgetting the speech in between, is a big hurdle and does not allow the speaker to be at case. Instead, memorizing key parts and using notes to help through the presentation, is a better option.
3. Presentation by reading:
Usually, the inexperienced speakers use this method, as lack of confidence does not allow them to memorize even a part of the speech. Unfortunately, most of us do not read aloud well.
We tend to read in a dull monotone voice, producing a most uninteresting and larkluster effect. We fumble over words, miss punctuation marks and make similar lapses. Many speakers overcome this problem with effort, and eliminate it also.
While using any of these methods during the course of his presentation, the speaker also has to be aware of how his audience is reacting towards his speech. As has already been discussed in the section about audience analysis, the speaker's eyes and ears will give him feedback information.
For example, facial expressions of the audience members will tell him, how they are reacting to his message? From smile, blind scares and movements, the speaker will get an indication whether the listeners underscand or agree with his message. Wording includes non-verbal content.
Developing Confidence and Overcoming Fear
1) Know your subject well:
Prepare with the attitude that you should know the subject better than anyone else
2) Rehearse several times:
At last a few complete rehearsals help to memorize the subject matter and be confident. It also helps to improve the non verbal part of the speech
3) Pre-check the equipment:
The projector, screen, display board, etc., required during the equipment does no/work, it leads to humiliation of the speaker and loss of impact the speech, should be checked prior to the speech. If at the time of the speech, any of the equipment does not work, it leads to humiliation of the speaker and loss of impact on the audience.
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