Public Speaking at Work: Articulate Your Value

Watch yourself on-camera and then get strength-centered feedback from the instructional team

Empathy - having a sensitivity toward others needs and wants.

• What you want to say should not be the primary focus.

• What is going to bring your audience the most value should be your primary focus.

Most people don't care what you want to say - they care about themselves and what value they can get from what they hear.

Take time to understand your audience - Are they there to be entertained, motivated, informed, are they there to learn a new skill, to solve a problem? 

As you put together your presentation break it down by section. Analyze each key point and sub point and ask yourself;

1. Why am I talking about this?

2. Do I need to talk about this?

3. What value does this bring to my audience?

   
   

Interact with your audience to make certain they’re involved

Improving Articulation

Eye contact is a natural occurrence when we are making a connection with another human being.

Presenters who are nervous or shy may avoid eye contact.

Research:

• More likely to remember what you said long after saying it

• More credible and believable

• Appear more confident in what you are saying

• Has magical effect of keeping us in the present

4 Guidelines

1. Speak to your audience NOT your props

2. Make eye contact with every participant (as a goal) in the room

3. Hold eye contact for 3-5 seconds

4. Break the rules when needed - Cultural, or If someone feels vulnerable or uncomfortable

Research referenced: journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0162291

Others notice how you handle yourself...your demeanor and confidence.

If you think you are sounding silly or stupid and you keep apologizing for every minor mistake in your speech, the audience will also remember where you messed up.

Truth is that ...

People remember how you make them feel. And this is often misconstrue.  Some think that in order to make someone feel something we have to tell an emotional story that brings them to tears.  NO. You can make your audience feel safe, and confident that whatever it is you are telling them is valuable and correct. And you can convey that simply through your demeanor.

1. Forget your minor mistakes as fast as you made them - you mix up a word

2. Fix your major mistakes unapologetically and with authority.

3. Whenever you are feeling unsure of yourself raise the volume of your speaking

Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Top-tier presenter are adaptable and flexible -  Adjust in order to be successful - not overnight but takes time

Not going the way planned? Change direction. Get audience input

Ask questions. Break the audience into groups to discuss a topic.

Develop a Growth Mindset - what can I learn from this/where can I grow?

leave ego at door - be lighthearted

Push outside your comfort zone/take chances

Can you facilitate or do you HAVE to give a speech?

Research is done

• You know what type of evidence you will use

• Your thinking in terms of providing value

NOW>>>>>

Plan how you want the presentation to go. How should the room be arranged? Will someone be setting the room up for you, or will you have to do that? Seating Chart to give to the Custodian who will arrange the room?

• Test the Powerpoint

• Test the PA system

• Flipchart Markers

• Place to put your notes

• Any obstructions blocking your audience members view?

• Any obstacles in the way of you breaking them into groups?

  
  

• No more than six words per slide. Marketing king Seth Godin says we should have just six words per slide – that’s not a lot of copy. Choose your words carefully and rewrite until you’ve got it just right.

• one image

Add images, graphics, and videos

• Review each slide individually and ask yourself - "If someone sees a photograph of this slide only, without context, what might they think?"

30 Seconds Filler-Free

Filler words like “uh” “um” and “y’know” not only make your talk more difficult to listen to, but they also make you seem less prepared and authoritative. For this exercise, record yourself giving a talk on any topic for 30 seconds, taking care to omit all filler words. Whenever you use a filler word, start over and try again. Do this exercise ten times, filler-free.

Imaginary impromptu speaking practice

Practice in speaking impromptu helps prepare you to speak on any topic, so that when you're called upon to speak you are comfortable and confident.

When at a meeting write down all the questions that are posed to others in the room.

With those questions in-hand, after the meeting, ask yourself what you would say if asked the same questions.

• · How would you begin your answer?

• · What would the body of your answer contain?

• · What type of evidence would you use to add credibility to your answer?

• · Would you include a call-to-action, and if so, what would it be?

• · If your response to the question was rejected, how would you handle that rejection?

One Minute Off-the-Cuff

For this exercise, you’ll set a timer on your phone for one minute and record yourself giving an impromptu speech on any topic that interests you. The only rule is that you can’t prepare for it in any way. This is designed to get you more comfortable speaking off-the-cuff and minimize the anxiety that comes from being afraid you won’t have anything to say.