Tips for Public Speaking

Types of Public Speaking Persuasive case presentation Ceremonial event speeches (wedding speech, awards) Extemporaneous networking, “off the cuff” speech Informative presentation or lecture

Know Your Audience Prepare, prepare, prepare The most important thing is to know the audience you will be speaking to. Are your audience members young, old, academics, students, etc…. Knowing your audience will help you to prepare the tone of the presentation. It is okay with a younger audience to be more satirical at times or have a few tasteful jokes ready. Sometimes an older audience may want something more to the point and not as long of a presentation. With an academic audience you will want to be more factual and support your references. These are just a few audiences you may encounter.

Persuasiveness Treatment presentation to patients Focus on your delivery Present problems followed by solutions Use of imagery or models Remember your audience Knowing your audience and their personality is key. In the case of treatment plan presentations, begin with visuals such as intraoral cameras and show the patient proof of the problem. Give reassurance and if possible stories about yourself or other experiences. This may bring the patient comfort. Then present your proposed solution. Remember knowing your audience means speak their language not dental language. Patients care about Price, Pain free and the result.

Ceremonial The “fun” speeches Know the appropriate time to toast For toasts, the most important thing is at the conclusion of your speech to start with “I would like to raise our glasses…..etc.” It is important to prepare for your toast and mix emotion, humor and love all together. The formula to your toast according to Chris Salierno is Introduction, Welcome, Farewell, Acceptance and Congratulations

Extemporaneous “The Elevator Pitch” Press speech On a whim Practice, Practice, Practice Press speech On a whim Most common form of public speaking. Speak slowly, clearly and to the point. Short and sweet is the best way to keep the audience engaged. Practice in the mirror to see how you present when speaking. Be mindful of your body language and your expressions, especially your hand gestures and the use of “um.”

Informative No one likes a slide with a bunch of words because they start to read the slide and lose their attention and focus. They read the slide and read the slide and read the slide….. To you that’s reading the slide….. STOP! This is a funny slide….. Ask your audience who took the time to read the slide and they will realize it repeats

Informative Engage Fewer words Clean and concise Tell the slide - don’t read the slide This is great for the presenter to seem more informative of the topic rather than just reading off the slide. Anyone can read off the slide but a great presenter uses slides as an outline. If you are giving a speech or a presentation you should be so prepared that you know what slide is coming next. Flowing through your presentation is important and can be the difference between losing an audience’s attention. Make sure you start your presentation with engagement. Capture the audience’s attention and keep them focused. A story, question, present a picture or something that causes the audience to want to listen to you.

General Tips Practice before presenting Colors and backgrounds Font size Number of words The best way to prepare is to experience the environment before your presentation. Walk around, see how the audience will be seated, what kind of stage you have, are you behind a podium, how is the sound, etc, etc It is better not to have surprises. Don’t make your audience struggle to read a slide. Be mindful of the contrast on the slides, font size, etc.

Take Home Know your audience Be mindful of the type of speech Practice makes perfect

Thank You This presentation was brought to you by the American Student Dental Associations and the Leadership Development Work Group For more leadership resources, visit: www.ASDAnet.org