SPEAKING AT THE TOP: The Art Of Public Speaking

SPEAKING AT THE TOP: THE ART OF PUBLIC SPEAKING

By

Austus Ofmat Nwanne {Mr. Tackle}

                     

                                                                              

Before you read too far, I must quickly warn that this article is not for everybody. Yes, it’s not. It’s strictly for people who are dreamers and are keen on making their dreams come to reality. I mean, it’s for people who are aiming at the top and are ready to get there, despite the fact that the ladder of success is always crowded, and that is why this article is titled, “Speaking at the Top…”. I remember once having a chat with a friend sometimes ago, and he made it clear to me that his aim is not to speak in public. My answer to him then was direct and simple; in as much you want to be successful in life, then you should equip yourself with what it takes to remain at the top, and one of them is, “…the Art of Public Speaking”.

One of the virtues of communication is the ability to pass out information and receive responses from the hearers. The response could be verbal or in form of an action or gesture. As a matter of fact, I’ve come to understand that everybody can talk, but not everybody can communicate, and even those who can still try their best to communicate find it hard to address a large number of people{say, 10 people upward}, because speaking before a crowd could be so freezing to some, and to others, it could be so pleasant. It is against this background I wish to take us through a few kilometres journey on what I call, “Speaking at the Top: The Art of Public Speaking”.

Yes, I said public speaking is an art; a craft and a skill that is learnt and acquired, just the way a child learns his/her ABC. From my end, I’ll say, public speaking is the “art of speaking/addressing a group of people in a formal or informal gathering, with the aim of informing, influencing, motivating, persuading, or entertaining the listeners”. Naturally, the thought of facing the crowd{especially the unfamiliar faces} gives one butterflies, and within a short moment, one starts feeling nervous, with different thoughts running through one’s mind. One of the greatest thought that freezes us, even before we face the crowd is what I call, “THE FEAR OF FAILURE”. Once this is conquered, believe me, we are set to have a smooth journey through public speaking.

However, the success of public speaking is not in delivering a great speech alone, rather, it includes our ability to keep the audience interested, at least, for 80% of our speech. A great speaker has the power to spell-bind the audience, invoke emotions, and even trigger reactions from the audience. Mastering the art of public speaking is easy for some people who have the in-born trait, while to some, it must be learnt and developed, but whichever one it is, all can do it. Below are some of the essential things to note while preparing for a public presentation/speech:

·         Who are my audience?> This is an important thing to consider in public speaking. The point is, for you to present your speech perfectly, you need to know who your audience are. Their gender, age group, religion, profession, etc. It is your knowledge of who your audience are that would determine the type of words you’ll use in your speech. It would be totally wrong for one to be addressing a group of Muslim and use words like “Praise the Lord”. So, knowing your audience goes a long way to help you in no small way.

·         What am I speaking on?> In order not to drift away from the topic one is to speak on, it is highly important that one should know what he or she is asked to speak on. Ask yourself questions like, “what am I expected to talk about?”. Imagine an aspirant who went for a political campaign, on getting there, he starts telling the people about how the world was created, and how science says there is no God. Such a person needs no soothsayer to tell him/her that he/she has lost the election. Lolzzzzz….     

·         Why was I asked to speak?> There is a quote that says when the purpose of a thing is abused, defeat is inevitable. As a speaker or someone invited to say something before a group of people, try as much as possible to keep the purpose you are to achieve in mind. That is not the time for you to take things personal. Most people who are over-confident tend to fall into this trap. So, watch out!!!

·         How can I pass my message?> Your understanding of the above mentioned tips would help you strategize on how to pass your message. You are free to devise a convenient means for this. If there would be a projector, you can prepare a slide for your presentation. Also, if it has to deal with little children, you might not go with projector, but rather make use of papers with different picture illustrations. So you see? Your understanding of the above would help you know how to pass your message across to your audience.

·         When am I speaking?> This is a question many people don’t even bother to ask themselves, but this point is highly essential, because it would guide you and also help your intro. When you get to the event, as a speaker, request for the printed copy of the order of events for the programme. This would not just help you to know when you’re coming on stage alone. It would also help you to know who/what programme would come before you and after you. Take for an instance, you are to talk on a very serious topic{motivate, inspire or encourage the people}, and you’re coming up immediately after a comedian who just left everybody laughing. If you are not prepared for that, the people might see you as the next comedian for the day, and you might not pass across your message. So, your understanding of when you’re up matters a lot.

WATCH OUT FOR EPISODE 2 !!!

Categories: Articles