Improving your public speaking and presentation skills

1. Improving your public speaking and presentation skills Chris Joffrion Director of Debate Western Kentucky University

2. Tips to improve your speech writing

3. Before you begin… • Analyze the occasion and your purpose • Analyze the audience

4. What goes into a good speech? • Begin with a solid introduction • Grab the audience attention • Establish your credibility • Preview the main points

5. What goes into a good speech? • Begin with a solid introduction • Transition clearly to the body of the speech • Limit the number of main points • Each main idea should be well supported and developed • Transition clearly between each main point

6. What goes into a good speech? • Begin with a solid introduction • Transition clearly to the body of the speech • End with a strong conclusion • Transition clearly into the conclusion • Summarize and review main points • End on a strong note

7. Tips to improve your Delivery

8. Is not what you say…it’s how you say it • Make eye contact with your audience • Ground yourself • Talk WITH your audience not AT your audience • Sound interested and energized • Don’t be afraid to pause • Make effective use of visual aids

9. Tips for effective power point presentations • Limited color and professional themes • Limit the amount of text – 8x8 rule • Limit use of animation • Don’t speak to the screen • Don’t be reliant on the slide show

10. Communication apprehension and The fear of public speaking

11. Why are we so afraid to speak? • Novelty and inexperience • Poor past experiences • Fear of judgment/consequences • Thinking that public speaking is different

12. Stage fright = fight or flight • Increased adrenaline • Shaking • Stuttering • Speaking Faster • Pacing • Excessive gestures • Pacing

13. Coping with our fear of public speaking • Rethink the role of the audience • Build confidence through practice • Manage the physical effects • Know how you are going to start the speech • Know how you are going to end the speech