Public Speaking Tips for Student Presenters

1. Public Speaking Tips for Student Presenters PEoPLE focus Presented by Andrea White, Ed.D.

2. Why is Public Speaking a Useful Skill? • Students who are comfortable with public speaking do better in school • People who are comfortable at public speaking earn more money in their careers and are more likely to get promoted (Columbia University Research) Glossophobia can impact my life? PEoPLE focus

3. Meet Jessie Meet Jessie…. Jessie’s teacher just assigned the class a research project on a topic of their choice. Students were instructed to compile the information on the topic and be prepared to present to the class in an oral presentation. PEoPLE focus

4. Tips Jessie Can Use to Improve Her Presentation • Know Your Topic • Know Your Audience • Organize Your Thoughts • Enhance Your Presentation • Know Your Space • Practice, Practice, Practice • Visualize Your Presentation • Begin and End Strong • Be Yourself • Have Fun Ten Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking PEoPLE focus

5. 1. Know Your Topic Do your research • Include verifiable and credible facts • Adding facts and figures to a presentation is shown to increase audience retention by 20% • Look into what experts say about the topic…talk to one if you can • Make it relevant to your audience PEoPLE focus

6. 1. Know Your Topic • Jessie watched an interesting segment of a ESPN show with her Dad called “Broke.” It was about some very wealthy professional athletes who despite make major league bucks, were broke after they retired from their sport. • She thought the topic of What Happens to Wealthy Professional Athletes When They Retire may be interesting to pursue and besides, she knew several boys in her class who aspired to be in the NBA or NFL someday. • She had a good idea where to start her research. This could be a breeze. PEoPLE focus

7. 2. Know Your Audience • A speaker needs to understand to whom you are speaking…in this way they can can tailor the approach • Different topics will be interesting to different groups • Once you know your audience you can think about ways to have them participate • If an audience is not given an opportunity to participate, their interest can drop by 14% PEoPLE focus

8. 2. Know Your Audience • Jessie knew her audience. It was her classmates. She knew that both the girls and boys in her class were interested in sports so she was certain her topic would be of interest. • She was also aware that she would be able to provide some opportunities to have her classmates participate. • When she threw out a name of an athlete, she could even inquire who knew: • The team they payed for • What they earned in a season • What their greatest accomplishment were PEoPLE focus

9. 3. Organize Your Thoughts • Decide the key points you want to get across • Remember that the purpose of presentations is to • Inform (let people know about a topic) • Entertain (keep people engaged) • Motivate (encourage them to act on the information) • Think about ways to do all three. PEoPLE focus

10. 3. Organize Your Thoughts • Jessie got to work…. • She found information from a variety of credible sources like ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Forbes and Money Magazine. • There was a lot of information she just needed to determine her key points. • After thinking about it… she decided to present the following key points • Pro-Athlete Salaries • Statistics on percentage of athletes who go broke after they retire from the sport • Highlight the story of 3 athletes who went broke • Identify the reasons they get into financial trouble • Share some thoughts on what athletes could do to avoid the risk of losing all their money after retirement • Highlight 3 athletes who have done well in retirement PEoPLE focus

11. 4. Enhance Your Presentation • Delivery is key: • What you are presenting (content) • How you say it (voice) • How you present yourself (non-verbal communications) • eye contact trick—the 5 points • Tell stories to enhance a key point you want to make PEoPLE focus

12. 4. Enhance Your Presentation • Jessie knew she had to project her voice so everyone could hear her clearly. • Since non-verbal communications matter, she wanted to add some interesting touches to her presentation that would allow her to release any nervous tension. • She had the stories of the athletes and she thought she could share one or two of them with video clips during her presentation. PEoPLE focus

13. Know Your Space • Be clear on when and where you are presenting • Where possible, set the stage • If using audio-visuals and/or props, make sure they are working, tested and available • If there are barriers, roll with it…. PEoPLE focus

14. Know Your Space Jessie wanted to organize the space for her presentation in a way that would engage her audience more fully into her presentation. She asked her teacher if she could rearrange the desks so she would have space for some props and action moves that would allow for greater audience participation. One of her idea was to dribble a basketball in the beginning and end her presentation with a football toss. Jessie planned to request that she could spend some time in the class the afternoon before the presentation to get a feel for the room set up and her computer equipment. PEoPLE focus

15. Visualize Your Presentation Practice, Practice, Practice • Get a clear mental picture of you successfully doing your presentation • Use as much detail as possible • Engage your senses • Eliminate doubts • Increase your skill with practice • Invite constructive feedback • What aspects are working well? • What areas can be improved? PEoPLE focus

16. Visualize Your Presentation Practice, Practice, Practice • Jessie practiced her presentation in front of her Dad who offered some constructive feedback. • Her older brother (who was forced to watch by her Mom) said it was really interesting. He also coached Jessie with her basketball dribbling. • Jessie decided she would wear an outfit befitting her presentation. She borrowed a referee’s shirt as she thought it would be a nice touch as all the sports she was bringing up had referees • Jessie visualized her presentation from the moment her teacher called upon her, through the arrangement of the desks to her opening and closing segments. • In Jessie’s research one of the athletes mentioned the power of visualization in the performance of their sport. PEoPLE focus

17. Begin and End Strong • End • Summarize why the topic matters to your audience • Tell a story • Engage the audience in a Q & A session • Begin • Phrase the topic as important to the audience • Start with some facts that make it relevant • Tell a story PEoPLE focus

18. Begin and End Strong • Jessie opened with some amazing statistics: • 78% of NFL players are either bankrupt or under financial distress within 2 years of their retirement • 60% of NBA players go bankrupt 5 years after leaving their sport. • One of those athletes earned $400 million during his career and another $21 Million in a single season. • As Jackie dribbled the ball and let it roll away, she had their attention. • By the end, the Q & A went into overtime as her classmates wanted to know her sources and wanted to know more. Jessie shared how though some athletes struggled others had done well and what they did differently. • Jessie’s presentation was a slam dunk and a touchdown. PEoPLE focus

19. Be Yourself Have Fun If you are enjoying the experience it will show in your voice and your non-verbal communications • Use you body • Let your personality shine PEoPLE focus

20. Be Yourself Have Fun • Jessie was relieved her presentation was over and she had to admit it was fun. • Jessie knew that she had raised the bar for herself and was determined to use the tips for future presentations. • Jessie saw herself as having career opportunities that would allow her a better paying job and opportunities for promotion. • Though nervous at the beginning, Jessie was prepared and felt confident. • She moved around the space comfortably and when the football wobbled on the pass, her classmates were fine. PEoPLE focus