Public Speaking for Technical Communicators Matthew Stern Principal Technical Writer Best Software, Inc. Anyone who speaks is a public speaker “How many of you have given a formal presentation like this one?...How many of you have spoken to another human being?” Public speaking isn’t just giving a formal presentation trying to stave off stage fright by picturing people in their underwear Any time you speak is public speaking – and the techniques are similar whether you are speaking in front of one person or one thousand. This is what I’ll cover in today’s talk.

What will be covered Overcoming nervousness Preparing your talk Developing a good stage presence Table topics: Your chance to practice Resources for further development

Tips for overcoming nervousness Know it’s natural – It’s a sign that you want to do well Practice Know that the audience is on your side Bring moral support, like a friend or coworker Picking out audience members and speaking to them one on one Nervousness comes when we want to do something that matters to us, and the outcome is in doubt. Nervousness only a problem when it makes us freeze up and choke Practice Practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes confident When you know you speech, it’s one less thing you have to worry about. Knowing that the audience is on your side: “How many of you came out here to see me screw up?” You spent $21 or $23 to see me succeed – and get valuable information. When you speak at a staff meeting, your boss wants you to give information that helps the group. When you interview for a job, your prospective employers wants you to be the last person you have to talk to.

Preparing your talk Know your audience Organize your talk Use humor correctly Select the correct visual aids and use them correctly

Know your audience Do your homework Watch the audience’s reaction during your presentation Learn from Trent Lott As important in public speaking as in technical writing – “Who is the audience?” Present your information so audience can understand and accept (example: talking about computers) Not the politician’s trick of talking out of both sides of your mouth Do your homework Conferences: What type of attendees go? Who are the other speakers? Even the type of exhibitors can help you determine the audience Interviews: No excuse not to know about the company where you’re interviewing Meetings: Make sure you invite the right people Audience reaction: If they’re interested, give them more If they’re confused, ask them specifically if they need any clarification. “I can see you’re confused. How can I clarify this for you.” Not: “Any questions?” If they’re bored, you might be covering materials that might not interest them, or you’ve gone over their heads. Ask questions, or skip to some materials that interest.` Trent Lott: The audience isn’t just the people in the room.

How to organize a speech Opening: Introduce the theme of the talk and the points you are covering Body: Present your points and provide supporting subpoints Closing: Recap your points and end with the main thing you want the audience to remember Overview of organizing a speech Say what you’re going to say, say it, and tell them what you just said Rule of threes: Opening, body, conclusion Body: How many points should you use? Typically three for a five-to-seven minute speech. Add more for longer speeches or less for shorter Advantage of speaking from an outline, you can add or take away detail depending on time Closing: The final thought Leave the audience with the key point you want to remember For a persuasive speech, this is the Call to Action – what do you want the audience to do with the information you give them?

Use humor correctly Only use humor when it fits your speech Choose humor that is appropriate to your audience Use humor to make your point Draw upon personal experience Deliver humor with confidence Find your own humor Some serious thoughts about humor When used correctly – effective at building rapport, breaking down resistance, and illustrating points When used incorrectly – damages speeches and reputations (aviator’s “pitchforks and…” error of inappropriate humor) Only use humor when it fits your speech: You’re not obligated to be funny to be an effective speaker – Consider Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Humor is most effective when it introduces the theme of the talk Use humor to make your point “Cell Phone Rudeness” speech example – provides a more memorable illustration Draw upon personal experience The best humor comes from your own experience. Audiences will be drawn to your story because it  is personal and real. Deliver humor with confidence Give your humorous story with confidence, enthusiasm, and a smile. Don’t preface with “Here’s a funny story.” Give audience time to laugh. If they don’t, keep going without comment Find your own humor (answers question “What if I’m not funny?”) Take notes of humorous incidents you’ve seen and save them Avoid telling jokes from joke books – you can bet people have heard them before

Select the correct visual aids and use them correctly When to use them As a roadmap for long presentations To capture ideas the audience gives in a talk For handouts and audience notetaking For demonstrations Considerations Consider room and audience size Design for visibility Have backup aids ready Like humor, can benefit or distract Might be used as a crutch. Using PowerPoint to give the presentation so you don’t have to Example of the salesperson who insisted on showing me all his slides, even though they didn’t pertain to me. When to use them To provide the audience with a roadmap of where you are in a long presentation – Easy for people to see at the back of the room To capture ideas…like a white board or flip chart For handouts and audience notetaking (love the PowerPoint Handouts feature) For demonstrations Considerations Room and audience: Flip charts work better for smaller rooms with plenty of light. Design for visibility: High-contrast, large fonts, limit amount of text and detail For computer presentations: make sure you have a projection screen and LCD projector that can handle the room

Using computer presentations Always have backup equipment and software Turn off screen savers and automatic timeouts Download necessary Web pages to your local drive Lower screen resolution (1024 x 768 or 800 x 600) Develop scripts and practice Check for spelling and grammatical errors Always have backup equipment and software: If you use a notebook, always bring your power supply. Don’t depend on your battery. My notebook has been in the service department of a major electronics chain. What if they didn’t have it ready? Download necessary Web pages: In case Internet connectivity is unavailable, slow, or requires too much effort to set up. Lower resolutions: Larger text is more readable from a distance, and more likely to sync with LCD projector Develop scripts: Ever seen demos where someone tries using a feature that isn’t there or crashes? Or someone forgets how to use a feature. What works best is to work out a script of the items you want to demo, including paths to commands, and then practice to verify that the features work and you’re comfortable using them.

Using PowerPoint Design for readability High-contrast colors Simple, non-distracting backgrounds Large fonts Ample white space Highlight points as you present them Avoid distracting noises and screen animations Watch out for typos! Non-distracting backgrounds Problem: Companies that insist on making their logos big and colorful – audience looks at it instead of text Use less obtrusive colors and blend into background Don’t use PowerPoint XP’s AutoFit feature that shrinks the font to allow you to add more text to a slide. Keep your fonts large and white space ample. Highlight: One of PowerPoint’s more useful features – Keeps audience focused on point you’re covering Notice that in my PowerPoint that I don’t use annoying shutter clicks or stupid animations like letters falling from the top Typos are another distraction. Your misspellings will be writ large and be the brunt of your audience’s jokes

Developing a good stage presence Eye contact Appearance Body language Vocal clarity, projection, and variety Pauses Ahs, ums, and filler words Developing good content is important, but you need more: Need to deliver it in a way that commands attention and keeps it You need to develop a good stage presence. Eye contact: Very important, because it enables you to connect with your audience – practice speaking to individual people around the room (the others around that person will think you have eye contact with them too) Appearance needs to be neat, professional, and establish the right image for yourself. It is just as harmful to be overdressed as underdressed. – Come off as too slick, a “suit” Avoid large, bright jewelry or body piercings that draw attention to them, not you Body language: natural, relaxed, expressive. Projection: Speak from diaphragm, with plenty of air to support the voice Variety: Subtle changes in volume and pacing. (Avoid example of one speaker who went from whispers to shouts.) Remember pauses – most effective because it adds emphasis and gives audience a chance to reflect. Pauses: Like rests in music, enable you to catch breath while adding dramatic effect, giving audience time to digest and reflect. Ahs, ums, filler words: Very distracting The people who use them the most are the ones who speak in public all the time – politicians and movie stars. When they don’t have their Teleprompter or scripts, they don’t know what to say. Also “you knows,” “well,” and excessive “ands”.

Table topics Pick a number 1—12 to get your question Answer the question directly Organize your talk with an opening, body, and closing Stay within time (at least one minute, no more than two and a half) Have fun!

Recap It’s OK to be nervous. Know your audience Organize your talk so that it is easy for you to deliver and the audience to follow Use humor and visual aids only when they support your talk Polish your delivery, but focus on giving quality content

Resources for further development Toastmasters International: For a meeting near you: www.toastmasters.org Nightingale Conant: For audio and video programs on public speaking: www.nightingaleconant.com My Web page: For tips on public speaking, speeches, books, and links: www.matthewarnoldstern.com

Questions?