Advanced Public Speaking: Dynamics and Techniques

Copyright © 2015 by Ruth Livingston, PhD.

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Rev. date: 01/21/2015

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CONTENTS

Chapter One: Introduction

Topics to Be Covered

Importance of an Advanced Public Speaking Course

Harnessing Your Fears

Why We Are Anxious When Presenting

Advantages to Nervousness

Discussion questions

Chapter Two: Five Canons of Rhetoric

Ethos

Logos

Pathos

Five Canons of Rhetoric

Invention

Arrangement

Style

Memory

Delivery

Summary

Chapter Three: Immediacy Behaviors and Delivery Techniques

Immediacy Behaviors Identified

Smile

Eye Contact

Displaying Warmth and an Open Posture

Proxemics

Messages That Cultivate Unity

Sincere Compliments

I Messages

Using Names

Personal Examples or Stories

Before and After the Presentation

Summary

Assessing Immediacy Behaviors

Chapter Four: Storytelling

Why Tell a Story?

Preparing for the Story

Elements of a Good Story

A setting from which the audience understands and relates

An interesting main character(s)

Start with a meaningful, unexpected hook

Conflict

The ending

Oral storytelling

Memorable language

Be positive

Visual aids

Adapt

Body language

Chapter Five: The Motivational Speech

What Is a Motivational Speech?

Motivational Topics

Monroe’s Motivated Sequence

Attention

Credibility

Preview

Need

Satisfaction

Visualization

Call to Action

Comparative Benefits

Narrative Speeches

Make it Personal

The Principle Must Be Applicable and Simple

Figurative Language

Emotional Appeals

Quotes

Summary

Visualization

Call to Action

Chapter Six: Interviews

The Significance of Interview Strategies

Preparing for the Interview

Getting Experience

Research

Selling Yourself

Introducing Yourself

Nonverbal Language

STAR Interviews

Responses That Achieve Results

The Follow-up Letter

Phone Interviews

Turning People Down

Summary

Activities

Chapter Seven: Listening for Success

Defining Active Listening

Breaking Bad Habits

The One-up Story

Concentrating on Our Need to Know the Information

Our Judgments of Others

Our Desire to Simply Fix the Problem and Move On

Why We Tune In and Tune Out

Listening Attentively

Rules for Conversation

Ask Questions

Interpreting a Variety of Nonverbal Cues

Interpreting Message Content

Interpreting Emotional Meanings

Understanding the Listening Process as It Relates

to Communication

Remembering Information

Summary

Activities

Silence is Key

Chapter Eight: The Lecture or Workshop

When to Lecture

Objectives

Relate Information with Clarity

Learning Styles

Familiar Words

Vivid Language

Novel Verbs and Phrases

Summary

Incorporate Resources to Provide Credibility

Back Up Information with Understandable Examples

Illustrations

Personal Stories

Hypothetical Examples

Ask for Student Input

Summary

Employ a Variety of Media such as PowerPoint Presentations, Models, and Videos

PowerPoint or Prezi Presentations

Summary

Develop Activities and Discussions That Involve

Your Audience in the Experience

Employ Immediacy Behaviors

Delivery

Construct an Effective Close

Formulate Questions That Engage Learners

Final Questions

Summary

Evaluation for Lecture

Evaluation for PowerPoint Presentation

Chapter Nine: Impromptu Speeches

Everyday Speeches

Think Organization

Introductions

Getting to the Point

Final Summary

Brevity Is Essential

Answering Questions

Confident yet Friendly Posture

Media Interviews

Errors to Avoid

Summary

Chapter Ten: Sales Presentations

Know All There Is to Know

Believe in Your Product or Service

Research Your Potential Client’s Company or Organization

Listen to Your Potential Client

Research Your Competitors’ Strengths and Weaknesses

Ask Your Client Situational Questions about

the Presentation

Prepare Yourself for Objections

Prepare Your Presentation Equipped with the Knowledge of Your Prospect’s Needs

Organizing Your Presentation

Do Not Waste Time

Make the Presentation Enjoyable and Interactive

Practice

Personal Appearance

Summary

Preparing for the Sales Presentation

Presentation Outline Template

Chapter Eleven: Special Occasion Speeches

Commendation Presentations

Toasts

Roasts

Speeches of Presentation

Acceptance Speeches

Eulogies

Keynote or Guest Speaker

Organizational or Convention Keynote Addresses

Commencement Addresses

After-Dinner Speeches

Symposium and Panel Presentations

Emcee or Facilitate Events

Summary

Chapter One

Introduction

The objectives of this chapter are to:

✓ Understand the course topics.

✓ Comprehend the need for the course.

✓ Examine reasons for public speech anxiety.

✓ Evaluate ways to harness speech anxiety.

✓ Rate speaking ability.

✓ Plan to improve

The majority of college curricula require students to take a course that includes instruction in public speaking. Students typically prepare at least one informative and one persuasive-type speech in basic oral intensive classes, as part of the general core course requirements. As a speech professor, the majority of my students enter the first day of their first college speech class with dread. Frequently, students do not understand the need for a speech class on the first day, but later comprehend how learning to develop a speech is beneficial to their everyday conversations as well as to future professional presentations. Basic communication courses teach students to give short speeches to diverse audiences, but there is not enough time for students to consider public address within a variety of professional situations. For example, those entering the workforce need training in presenting impromptu and motivational speeches. Furthermore, people who interact with others in business need to understand how to conduct sales presentations, workshops, meetings, and interviews. The advanced public speaking course builds upon the basics to provide students with instruction and practice so they can adeptly make presentations in a variety of settings.

Topics to Be Covered

This text has eleven chapters. This chapter explains why mastering the art of public speaking is important to almost any professional career. Fear of public speaking can be a hindrance to success. Chapter one explains the phenomena of harnessing your fear so that you can redirect it and use it to your advantage. In the end, there will be discussion questions to start you on the path to becoming an effective speaker in various settings.

Chapter two explains the basic principles of speeches through Aristotle’s five canons of rhetoric. The ethos, logos, and pathos from Aristotle’s teaching of public speaking will also be explained. Decades of research would suggest that immediacy behaviors in the classroom increases student learning. Immediacy behaviors increase audience understanding, speaker credibility, and speaker likeability. Immediacy behaviors are important in a variety of speaking situations such as lectures, workshops, interviews, sales presentations, motivational speeches, and when conducting a meeting. Chapter three describes what the behaviors are and how they can be developed in a conversation and public address.

Chapter four addresses the art of storytelling. Storytelling has been used as an effective communication tool for as long as humans have been communicating. This chapter will explain how presenters can develop vivid stories to interest and influence an audience. There are exercises to practice the art and to develop a powerful story. Chapter five defines what a motivation speech is and has example topics. One of the organization patterns to be explored is Monroe’s Motivated Sequence. A narrative organization pattern will also be explained. The chapter includes motivational techniques such as the use of personal examples, compelling stories, figurative language, emotional appeals, and quotes. A template to prepare a motivational speech is provided.

Interviewing is important throughout one’s career. Chapter six gives instruction about how to do well in a job interview, academic interview, and when conducting an interview. Explanations are provided about how to prepare a resume and cover letter. Interviewing tips, which includes researching companies, organizations, job descriptions, and salary scales, are included. A plan to outline key qualities that interviewers will be considering is provided. Additional topics are proper introductions and nonverbal communication that make a good impression. Examples of questions and responses are offered. It is also important that interviewees know what questions to ask at the end of the interview and follow up with a thank you letter. Example questions are also supplied along with a section on how to effectively interview on the phone. Managers who are not successful in interviewing others lose credibility with potential employees and may not recruit the best team members to a company. A section of this chapter is devoted to various interviewing processes. Turning people down, who have been interviewed can be an uncomfortable situation. So techniques to graciously turn people down after an interview are included.

Listening is the most used skill in communication but the least taught. The most neglected language arts skill at all education levels is listening (Wolvin & Coakley, 1996, p. 33). Chapter seven explores the importance of learning active listening and provides a curriculum for listening in a variety of communication situations. Students will learn how to effectively take in verbal and nonverbal messages, interpret the messages, and remember information more effectively. Listening is an active process that must be understood and taken seriously in order to improve. A self-assessment is included at the end of the chapter. It would be suggested that readers take the assessment before the lecture and at the end of the course. There is an activity designed to help you improve listening skills.

Chapter eight provides instruction on how to conduct interactive lectures and workshops. A rubric is provided with an evaluation form for a lecture. Students in the course should create a PowerPoint presentation for the lecture. The lectures should include activities to get the audience involved in the topic. Suggestions for involving the audience in discussions, bringing in other media, and the use of visuals are included.

Freshman level college speech courses are designed to teach students to choose topics, write outlines, and present informative and persuasion speeches; however, adults are called upon to present themselves without the luxury of preparation. Chapter nine will assist students in presenting themselves in classroom, social, and business situations where they do not have time to plan ahead. Topics include types of impromptu speeches, how to quickly organize thoughts with an introduction, body, and conclusion, and presentation techniques. In chapter ten you will learn how to sell a product or service to potential customers. This will be a culminating activity in that, a sales presentation incorporates research, powerful listening and delivery techniques, speaking that motivates others to action, and responses to impromptu questioning. The chapter includes a critical thinking group project in which you will create a product, decide who the client(s) will be, and give a sales presentation. The final chapter is special occasion speeches. This chapter explains how to give presentations for different occasions.

Instruction within this text will equip you in preparing for a variety of public speaking situations. The class is designed to include time for each student to give a motivational speech, lecture, impromptu speech, interview, group sales presentation, and special occasion speech. You will also be provided opportunities to improve your listening skills. The course is skills-based, allowing time for students to practice presenting.

Importance of an Advanced Public Speaking Course

The ability to effectively express our ideas is important to obtaining successful careers and relationships. You begin the process of learning to organize and present ideas in your first public speaking class. This course and text is an extension of the basics. Polishing your public speaking abilities will assist you in speaking with authority and confidence. The adept public speaker tends to cause conversational events to be more meaningful and memorable. An exemplary speaker secures the respect of others. The skills that you will build upon in this advanced course is to motivate others, conduct effective meetings, engage in active listening, speak off the cuff, interview, sell yourself, teach others, speak at special occasions, and develop immediacy behaviors.

Harnessing Your Fears

People in various leadership positions will need to speak to groups in a wide range of settings. Are you anxious about giving speeches? So are about 75 percent of all Americans. According to The Book of Lists, public speaking is the number one fear in America. McConnell (2009) suggests that those who have not mastered the skills and overcome the fear of public speaking are limiting their promotion opportunities. Professionals need practice and expertise concerning how to speak in various settings in order to enhance career opportunities. Kreiner (2008) posits that public speaking skills in various situations such as meetings, conferences, and ceremonies are essential to business success. Therefore, it is important that you not allow public speaking anxiety to hold you back from reaching your professional potential.

Why We Are Anxious When Presenting

The fear of public speaking is caused by various factors. One reason is that we have feelings of vulnerability. We think we are weak if we are afraid. Yet I do not know of anyone who perceives public speaking as a weakness in others, but individuals perceive any fear that they possess as a personal weakness. It is not a weakness, but a natural response. When you are in front of others speaking, you are looked upon as the expert in the topic, and you may worry that you will do something or say something that will make you appear foolish. If you do, it will soon be forgotten by your audience. Learn to laugh at yourself and move on. Your feelings of vulnerability are internal because you expect more from yourself than your audience expects from you.

To lessen your feelings of vulnerability, realize that your speech will not be perfect. Most of your audience has the fear of public speaking; so they do not view your fear as a weakness. Think of your audience as your friends bunched up on your living room couch, not a sea of eyes scrutinizing your every word. Talk nicely to yourself before you present. Think of the very worst thing that could happen, and how that most hideous and unlikely thing that can happen is not that bad. For example, my greatest fear when speaking is that I will have to go to the restroom when talking. If this happens, I can just excuse myself. The audience will probably find it amusing. I have had students fear that they would throw up during a presentation. Out of the thousands of speeches that I have heard, this has never occurred. I tell my students that if they throw up, I will hold their hair, give them a breath mint, and then we can move on. In the end, the worst that can happen will not. If something unusual or embarrassing does occur, it will give you a great story to discuss with your friends.

Public speaking is a learned skill. If you are not confident in your ability to organize and deliver a speech, you will be nervous. This text and course is designed to equip you with the skills needed to give a great presentation. Although it appears that some people are born with a talent to present, public speaking is a learned skill. The lack of training and experience are good reasons to be nervous. With work, you can learn the art and this course and the activities from the text will provide you with experience. The fear of public speaking almost always reduces with successful experiences.

If you have had a bad past experience, it can cause a fear that the experience will happen again. I have always had a fear of public speaking and have some experiences where my fear caused me to be noticeably nervous. I am the only one who remembers the shaking and quivering. Although I have given hundreds of formal presentations, not including classroom lectures, I still get nervous in front of a new audience. In one recent speech, I did not remove my notes from the lectern after I finished presenting because I was shaking so badly. My boss at the time was in the audience, and for some reason, this made me even more nervous than usual. The speech went well, and now I have another story to tell my students who are nervous about presenting. If you have a past experience where your nervousness was an issue, it is time to laugh (or at least smile) and move on.

A primitive instinct when your body experiences fear is called fight or flight (Dozier, 2007). When you are afraid, your body produces adrenaline that would give you a boost of energy to assist you in fighting a predator or running away. This hormone is what causes you to experience shaking, dry mouth, fidgeting, blushing, heart rate increase, and shortness of breath. You may wonder why I enjoy giving formal presentations if I still get nervous. One of my former students, Adam Hall, said, I love to present speeches, even though I get scared. It’s like bungee jumping without the ‘you might die’ thing involved. If you are a little anxious or terrified of public speaking, do not let that stop you. Move forward and use the nervousness to your advantage.

Advantages to Nervousness

Use the energy generated by adrenaline to help you. You can funnel this energy to your presentation, making your delivery more exciting. Be energetic. Nervousness is also a good motivator to prepare and practice. You will be less nervous if you know that you are prepared and adept at presenting a speech. Although you never want to be anxiety free (boring), you want to be confident. Be poised in appearance when speaking to your audience. Unless you tell the audience that you are nervous, they will not know. If you announce that you are nervous, you will feel more vulnerable to your audience, and thereby, become more anxious. Act the part, even if you do not feel confident, and be as prepared as possible.

Memorize the first two lines of your presentation, and then use an outline with your main points. Do not read a speech! If you are going to read the speech, just give your audience a copy of your essay. Instead, present the speech with energy and goodwill which will be inspirational. In the end, if you learn the skills, practice, and present as if you feel confident, you will give successful presentations. After presenting successfully to the same audience, the nervousness will diminish.

This text is designed to teach you how to give different types of presentations in an array of settings and to improve upon your listening skills. Enhancing your communication skills will be beneficial to you on a personal and professional level. To be willing to present in front of an audience, it is necessary to harness your anxiety about public speaking. Your fear will ease if you do not expect yourself to be perfect, and if you think of your audience as a group of your friends. Talk to them as if you were having a one-on-one conversation. Realize that the worst that could happen is not that bad, and thoroughly prepare for the presentation.

Discussion questions

1. Think about the best presentation that you can remember. Write at least fifteen reasons why this speech and speaker made the presentation meaningful and memorable to you.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Choose two of the characteristics above that you would like to improve upon and write a paragraph explaining your strategy for improvement.

2. Reflect upon a time that you were nervous about giving a presentation. Tell a person in the class about the event or write about the event.

After explaining this, write down the names of the people in the audience that you think cared about and remembered that you were nervous.

You are probably the only one. If you had a bad experience, it is time to move forward.

3. Although you may become fearful when presenting, you are not going to die. Other than that, write down or tell one other person what you are most fearful about when giving a speech. Then write down or discuss the possibility of your fear coming to pass. Finally, explain how this fear is not that bad in the scope of life and how you plan to move past it.

4. On a scale of one to ten with one being poor and ten being expert, rate yourself as a public speaker.

What are your goals for improvement? List five goals that you have that you would like to see improved upon when you complete this course.

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

References

Dozier, R. W. (1999). Fear itself: The origin and nature of the powerful emotions that shapes our lives and our