Public Speaking Chapter One

1. Public Speaking Chapter One Speaking with Confidence

2. Why Study Public Speaking? • There are two main reasons to study public speaking: empowerment and employment. • Empowermentis to have the resources, information, and attitudes that allow you to take action to achieve a desired goal. • Being a skilled public speaker will give you an edge that others lack (even those who are more educated, have better training, or who may even have better ideas). • This is because being able to communicate and to position yourself for leadership puts you “ahead of the pack”

3. Empowerment (continued…) • When you are confident in your public speaking skills, you are able to express yourself with assurance, conviction, and confidence. • This makes others confident in you and your message. • Being an empowered speaker can open up career and leadership opportunities. • This is because doing so gains you respect and gives you confidence.

4. Employment • Employment is to gain employment. • Charles M. Schwab said, “I’ll pay more for a person’s ability to speak and express himself than for any other quality he might possess.” • If you speak well, you possess a skill that others value highly • Whether you are currently employed at an entry-level position or aspire to climb the corporate ladder, being able to communicate effectively (and “talk yourself up”) is the key to success – in any line of work.

5. Employment (continued…) • The skills needed (and most sought by employers) in terms of public speaking include: • ethically adapting information to listeners • organizing your ideas • persuading others • holding listeners’ attention • Communication skills is THE TOP FACTOR in helping college graduates gain employment.

6. Employment (continued…) • Interviews: • People interviewing you rely on what you’ve written on your resume and how you present yourself and communicate with them. • What carries more weight? • Being able to communicate in person and talk about yourself and your abilities is much more important than what is written on a resume. The resume only lists what you have done, the communication part of interviews tells or shows prospective employers what you can do.

7. Public Speaking and Conversation • As a public speaker, you will need to learn to make decisions on your feet (like in a conversation). • These decisions will be based on: • your knowledge of your listeners • your listeners’ expectations for your speech • their reactions to what you are saying

8. Public Speaking and Conversation (continued…) • Public speaking is more planned than conversation. • you should spend plenty of time practicing your speech • as you are practicing (both alone and in front of others), you should also be revising and editing your speech • Unlike conversation, public speaking is formal. • as a result, slang or informal language is NOT APPROPRIATE

9. Public Speaking and Conversation (continued…) • **Remember, you only have one chance to make a first impression. If you have to present information twice, your audience is already lost and will have preconceived notions. **

10. Communication is a Process Noise • Model of Communication Source Channel Receiver Message Message Feedback

11. Model of Communication • source – the public speaker is the source of the information and ideas for an audience • encode – the job of the public speaker is to encode, or translate, the ideas into verbal and nonverbal symbols (codes) • code – a verbal or nonverbal symbol for any idea or image • message – the speech itself (both what is said and how it is said)

12. Model of Communication (continued…) • decode – it is the receiver’s job to translate the speaker’s codes into ideas and images (to understand the speaker’s message) • channel – the visual and auditory means by which a message is sent from speaker to receiver • to be successful, the visual and auditory symbols must match!

13. Model of Communication (continued…) • receiver – the individual audience member • noise – anything that interferes with the communication of the message • external noise – physical sounds • internal noise – physiological or psychological causes • feedback – verbal and nonverbal responses provided by and audience to a speaker

14. Model of Communication (continued…) • context – the environment or situation in which a speech occurs • time • place • the speaker’s and audience’s cultural traditions and expectations • * No speech occurs in a vacuum. Each speech is a blend of circumstances which can never again be replicated. *

15. The Heritage of Public Speaking • rhetoric – the use of words and symbols to achieve a goal • Aristotle formulated guidelines for speakers that we still use today. • In Medieval Europe, the clergy were the most polished public speakers. • In the 18th century, British subjects in the colonies listened to the town criers and impassioned patriots of what was to become of the United States

16. Public Speaking and Diversity • Such factors as the gender, ethnicity, and culture of both speaker and audience are crucial components of the context of a speaking event. • to be effective, public speakers need to understand, affirm, and adapt to diverse audiences

17. Improving Your Confidence as a Speaker • Understand Your Nervousness • your body summons more energy to deal with the conflict you are facing (shaking, knees quivering, stomach fluttering, etc.) • you are experiencing physiological chances because of your psychological state

18. Improving Your Confidence… (continued…) • The most common causes for feeling nervous when speaking publicly: • fear of humiliation • concern about not being prepared • worry about one’s looks • pressure to perform • personal insecurity • concern that the audience wont’ be interested • lack of experience • fear of making mistakes • overall failure

19. Improving Your Confidence… (continued…) • People feel the most nervous right before giving their speeches. • the 2ndhighest level of anxiety is when the teacher explains the assignment • the least amount of anxiety is experienced when preparing for a speech

20. Communication Apprehension • There are four styles of communication apprehension: • average – a generally positive approach to communicating in public • insensitive – tend to be less sensitive to apprehension because of previous experience in public speaking • inflexible – highest heart rate when speaking, uses fear to motivate them • confrontation style – high heart rate at beginning, but tapers off to average levels

21. Understanding Your Communication Apprehension • It is important to understand your style of communication apprehension because: • it helps to know that you are not alone in your experiences • having an idea of your own style may give you greater insight into better manage your apprehension • research supports the idea that communication apprehension may be a genetic trait

22. Public Speaking Tips • Keep these tips in mind while speaking: • you are going to feel more nervous than you look • almost every speaker feels nervous • anxiety can be useful

23. Building Your Confidence as a Public Speaker • don’t procrastinate in preparation • know your audience • be audience-entered rather than speech centered • select an appropriate topic • be prepared • develop and deliver a well-organized speech • know your introduction and conclusion • re-create the speech environment (as close as possible) while practicing

24. Building Your Confidence as a Public Speaker • use deep-breathing techniques • visualize your success • give yourself a mental pep talk • focus on your message rather then your fear • look for positive listener support for your message • seek speaking opportunities • after your speech, focus on what you have accomplished rather than on your anxiety