How to Prepare for Public Speaking / ITech content

Contents:

• Learn to speak

Sound and communication design expert Julian Treasure emphasizes that the soundscape we experience daily has a significant impact on our mood and productivity. In his book, The TED Talk: Speaking. Listening. In "I Hear," he explores the role of sound and speech in our lives, focusing on how the proper use of sound elements can improve information comprehension and enhance communication effectiveness. Treasure emphasizes that paying attention to the sound environment can be the key to creating a comfortable and productive environment in both personal and professional life. The author offers tips for creating a comfortable sound environment, even in a noisy office. He shares methods that will help you better hear your interlocutor and effectively convey your ideas to others. It is important to learn to manage sound stimuli to increase productivity and improve team communication. Using special headphones, properly organizing your workspace, and using acoustic screens can significantly improve the sound atmosphere. These recommendations will help create a more comfortable environment for work and communication with colleagues. The book "TED Talk: I Speak. I Listen. I Hear" is available in Russian from Piter Publishing House in digital and print formats. Smart Reading, an online service specializing in useful book summaries, has prepared a summary of the author's main ideas. The full summary can be read or listened to on the platform, and with Smart Reading's permission, we are presenting an excerpt. It covers key aspects of preparing for a public speech, including vocal warm-up, gestures, speech planning, and technical aspects. This material will be useful for those seeking to improve their public speaking skills and effectively convey their ideas to an audience.

Learn to Speak

The voice is a simple process: it is simply a stream of air passing through the vocal cords. However, it is a powerful and subtle tool that allows you to persuade, inspire, and evoke a wide range of emotions. With the voice, you can effectively motivate people to take action and convey ideas. Proper use of the voice helps establish rapport with the audience and build trust, making it indispensable in communication and public speaking.

In communication, the manner of delivery plays as important a role as the content of the speech. Even the most profound thought can lose its significance due to poor presentation. At the same time, a talented speaker, capable of conveying simple ideas, quickly establishes rapport with the audience. Key elements of a successful speech include your unique personality, charisma, and the values ​​that brought you to the stage. These aspects help build trust and engagement with the audience, which, in turn, facilitates more effective perception of information.

To improve vocal control, the author offers several effective methods. First of all, it is important to regularly practice breathing exercises, which will help develop the lungs and improve vocal control. It is also recommended to practice articulation by pronouncing various tongue twisters and phrases, which contributes to clarity and expressiveness of speech.

Another important aspect is working on your intonation and timbre. To do this, you can record your speeches and analyze them, identifying weaknesses. Don't forget the importance of emotional tone, which makes your voice more appealing and memorable to listeners.

Also, it's helpful to practice reading aloud, which not only improves diction but also helps develop confidence in your speaking abilities. Regular practice will significantly improve your vocal control and make your communication more effective.

• learn to breathe deeply;
• take a few vocal lessons;

• record your speech on tape, analyze and consciously work on weak points;
• work on timbre (listen to your voice in different registers and try to get used to speaking not “from the throat”, but “from the chest”);
• listen to how your voice sounds in different poses (stand up straight and, stretching your neck forward, say your name; then lower your chin to your chest and say your name again; notice that the most beautiful and organic timbre occurs when the chin is parallel to the ground);
• practice semantic stress by pronouncing simple phrases with an emphasis on different words: “I'm going to work” (first the main word in this phrase is “I”, then “go”, and so on) - and with different moods (cheerful, sad, inspired, depressed);
• develop the habit of the ideal speaker's posture: the back is straight, the crown of the head stretches upward, as if tied to the sky with an invisible thread, chin parallel to the floor, body muscles toned, shoulders relaxed and down, feet firmly pressed into the floor (you can imagine roots growing from the soles of your feet).

When preparing for a speech, it is important to consider several key aspects. First of all, you need to thoroughly study the topic to confidently master the material. Prepare the structure of your speech, highlighting the main ideas and arguments. Practicing in front of a mirror or with friends will help improve your public speaking skills and reduce anxiety. Don't forget about non-verbal communication: posture, gestures, and facial expressions play an important role in the perception of your speech. It is also worth testing the equipment in advance to avoid technical problems during the speech. Remember that a successful presentation depends not only on the content, but also on your confidence and ability to interact with the audience.

• Think about your self-presentation: who are you, what are your values, why do you do what you do? A few phrases on this topic will help the audience tune in to your wavelength, and you will deliver a good performance.
• Set yourself to generosity - your speech is for the audience, not for the speaker. Good speakers strive not just to speak, but to teach their audience something valuable.
• Answer three questions: What do you want to achieve with your speech? What do you expect from the audience? What does the audience expect from you?
• Outline the main idea of ​​the speech. It is necessary to be able to say only what is necessary and important, discarding everything inessential. Choose one thesis for the speech, but present it with all possible depth.
• Formulate it clearly and distinctly. Avoid cliches.
• Plan messages for all four types of listeners: Connectors (who enjoy making connections between people and phenomena and are interested in the reasons behind actions), Logicians (who enjoy facts, statistics, and expert opinions), Doers (who are interested in the practical details of implementation), and Experimenters (who look for hidden opportunities and unexpected applications of any idea).
• Make a plan for your presentation. First, write out all the points on separate sheets of paper, then analyze them, discard the unnecessary and irrelevant, and group the rest in a logical order. Take a photo of the resulting plan to avoid losing the results of your work. Or use one of the mind mapping services.
• Plan the plot development: first, unfold the big picture to the audience, then outline the details and summarize.

• Tell stories: they have enormous power over people who, for about 100,000 years of their history, had no written language and passed on everything they knew and could do orally. For your examples to be memorable, they must have at least the simplest plot. There are six classic plot arcs: rags to riches (the rise of the hero), riches to rags (the fall of the hero), the pit (fall, then rise), Icarus (rise, then fall), Cinderella (rise, fall, rise again), and Oedipus (fall, rise, and final fall). According to research by Project Gutenberg, the plot of approximately 20% of all literary texts follows the rags to riches arc. But the most popular arcs with readers are the Oedipus, the pit, and Cinderella.
• Rehearse. Repeat your speech in its entirety, with all the details, until you can confidently speak it from beginning to end.
• Monitor your speaking rate: the optimal frequency is from 100 to 200 words per minute.
• Divide your speech into semantic blocks of approximately equal duration. Come up with a break for each part. This will help you adapt your speech to different events where you will have different time available.
• If you want to remember your speech, use one of the mnemonic techniques - for example, imagine the speech as a route that goes through rooms with some objects. But speaking from memory is not necessary! Most speakers do not rely only on memory.
• Of the many auxiliary tools, the author recommends using presentations, cards with the main points of the speech written in large and clear letters, or a teleprompter located behind the audience (if this is technically possible at the chosen venue).

Don't worry if you lose your train of thought during the speech. Years of experience with TED speakers show that audiences respond sympathetically to such moments and often support the speaker with encouraging applause, waiting for them to regain the flow of their message. This confirms the importance of maintaining confidence and continuing to share your ideas, even in challenging situations.

When preparing a presentation for public speaking, it's important to have a secondary screen. Reading slides with your back to the audience creates discomfort for both you and your audience. The optimal solution is to use a small screen for yourself to see the content while the audience follows the same slides on a larger screen. This will allow you to maintain contact with your audience and create more engaged interaction during your presentation.

Avoid using slides that contain a lot of text or lists. An effective slide should include only 1-3 keywords and a visual image. The rest of the information is best conveyed verbally. This approach makes the presentation more visually appealing and helps retain the audience's attention.

To create a harmonious and professional look for your slides, it is important to adhere to a consistent style, font, and color scheme. This will help your content appear more cohesive and structured. Use a single font family, while allowing for different sizes for headings and body text. A unified color palette will ensure visual unity and make your presentation more engaging for your audience.

The gestures used by American actors trained in the Michael Chekhov method include five key gestures: pushing, pulling, lifting, throwing, and tearing. Each of these movements can be performed in six directions—up, down, left, right, forward, or backward—and varied in intensity. This diverse range of gestures allows actors to express six core character motivations: desire, rejection, giving, receiving, persistence, and surrender. This makes gestures a powerful tool for creating deep and layered characters on stage and screen.

It is important to use a variety of gestures to express emotions and thoughts. For example, pointing a finger can signal accusation, while raised hands with open palms express a desire to calm the interlocutor and demonstrate surrender. A gesture with one hand on the chin and the other on the chest indicates the process of reflection. Energetic and erratic hand movements can indicate the need to change the subject. Wide, open gestures or slamming a hand on an invisible table can convey strong emotions such as love or hate. Using these gestures will help make your communication more expressive and understandable to the interlocutor.

When using a handheld microphone, hold it four fingers' distance from your chin. Maintain this distance when turning or using gestures. Proper microphone positioning will ensure clear sound and improve the quality of your presentation.

Video your rehearsal and highlight areas where your gestures need improvement. This will allow you to better understand your movements and make your presentation more expressive and persuasive. When analyzing the recording, pay attention to how your gestures relate to the content of your speech and which ones can strengthen your message.

The author recommends avoiding speaking at a lectern. A more effective approach is to slowly move around the center of the stage. It is better to save the front stage for the most emotional moments of the presentation. This method helps establish a closer connection with the audience and makes the presentation more dynamic.

Use the peculiarities of time perception to enhance the impact of your presentation. Most people who read left to right associate the past with the left side of the space, and the future with the right. In Arab countries and Israel, where reading is done from right to left, this association is reversed. For the Chinese, the past is located at the top, and the future at the bottom. These visual representations can be effectively used in your presentation, demonstrating the transition from past to future, from problem to solution. Remember that the audience perceives your position differently: their "right" corresponds to your "left." Use this knowledge to create a more powerful and memorable presentation.

When choosing a venue for an event or evaluating a location where you've been invited to speak, it's important to consider all the details that shape the atmosphere. Ensure easy access and navigation, arrange parking for guests, provide adequate seating, and plan a schedule with breaks for rest and refreshments. Don't forget about a comfortable room temperature. Review the event dress code to ensure expectations are met. If you have a personal rider, send them to the venue in advance to confirm your requirements are met. This approach will help create a positive impression and ensure the success of the event.

Discuss all projection and audio equipment requirements with the organizers. Ensure that software versions are compatible. We recommend communicating directly with the technical specialists working at the venue for up-to-date information and to resolve any potential issues. This will help ensure the high quality of the event and avoid any problems during its execution.

Before the event, be sure to test the sound, lighting, and screen projections. This will help avoid technical issues and ensure a comfortable reception for participants. Proper audio and visual settings will create the right atmosphere and enhance the overall experience.

When transporting presentation equipment or props, it is highly recommended to have backup copies of all necessary items. This will help avoid unpleasant situations if something from your usual inventory is lost or malfunctions. Creating a backup for key items will ensure the smooth running of your presentation and improve your preparation.

Don't forget to bring spare batteries, necessary cables, and chargers. Save a copy of your presentation both on a flash drive and in the cloud to avoid problems in the event of a laptop failure. Discuss the exact start and end times of your talk with the organizers. Use a countdown timer to effectively manage time and stick to the established schedule. This will help you avoid a long presentation and keep the audience's attention.

TED speakers can see a timer projected directly on the stage, providing convenience during the presentation. We recommend using the built-in timer in the Mac Presenter View program. You can also create a timer yourself or download a countdown timer for PowerPoint from the Internet. This will help you effectively manage your speaking time and keep the audience's attention.

Check with the organizers if there are planned questions after your speech or if you need to leave the stage immediately after it is finished. This will help you better prepare and manage your time at the event.

Spend a few minutes preparing for your speech. Find a private place where you will not be distracted and focus on your thoughts. This will help you better organize your ideas and increase your confidence before going on stage.

Stretch from side to side to warm up your muscles. Shake your arms and legs to relieve tension. Tilt your head to the right and left a few times, reaching the maximum angle of rotation. Make a "brr-r-r" sound with your lips to warm up your voice. Then stretch the "ah-ah-ah" sound from a low to a high register and back again. Say a few tongue twisters to warm up your tongue. Take a deep breath in and out. Raise both arms in victory and don't forget to smile. These simple exercises will help improve your overall well-being and prepare you for the challenges ahead.

Prepare for your presentation, paying close attention to both your content and the audience's reactions. Make sure your message gets across and make sure you're heard.

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Be sure to check out the additional information:

• How to keep your webinar participants' attention
• 5 tips for an expert who wants to convey knowledge to a wider audience
• Storytelling in education: just a trendy thing or a really useful thing?