Dealing with speech anxiety Using effective delivery skills Speech Fundamentals Dealing with speech anxiety Using effective delivery skills

Speech Anxiety

Speech anxiety is one of the most common public speaking challenges Most people have some degree of speech anxiety Speech anxiety can be minimized Speech anxiety can make you a better speaker!

First steps to overcoming speech anxiety Give yourself time to prepare and practice your speech Make sure you keep the purpose of your speech in mind (what are you trying to accomplish through your speaking; what is your main goal?) Understand who you will speaking to Why are they listening to you? What do they hope to learn or understand? What do they already know about you and your topic? What information do they need to know? What are the demographics of your listener(s)? Age, education, culture, etc.? Do they have any preconceived ideas or biases toward you or your topic?

Additional Tips Know your environment (where you will be speaking) Relax (do stretches or move around to relieve stress) before the speech Breathe (it’s ok to pause when speaking; you do not have to fill up every second with talking) Use extras wisely (if you’re nervous, you may fumble handouts and other items) Keep your focus on the material and message you want to get across Know your material thoroughly, and practice your presentation beforehand Remember, in most cases, your audience is on your side (most audiences want the speaker to succeed)

Use speech anxiety to your advantage by letting it inspire you to prepare well and to practice your speech!

Delivery Skills

What is speech delivery? How you give the speech! Includes: Verbal Techniques Volume, Rate, Emphasis, Vocal variety, Articulation Non-verbal Techniques Personal appearance, Gestures, EYE CONTACT

There are several styles for speech delivery Memorizing the Speech + allows eye contact - difficult for long speeches - room for precision errors - no room for improvising Reading From a Text + ensures precision - does not sound natural - no eye contact Winging It + sounds natural - has much room for error Speaking Extemporaneously + insures organization + allows for improvising - some room for error

In this class, you should plan to speak extemporaneously; that is, you will organize and practice your speeches, but you will not memorize them.

Experts tell us that delivery determines about 65% of the speaker’s message So, how you say something is probably more important than what you say, according to these experts. Keep in mind that Eye contact and facial expression make up 50% of your non-verbal message (so smile, and seem pleased to be speaking to the person or audience) Body movement (moving around, gestures) can enhance or detract from your speech. Use movement to emphasize points, but don’t overdo it!