I don’t like speaking in front of large audience
especially in a stage or in a meeting. I
am not confident. I feel I’m not a good
speaker. It is not that I don’t know how
to speak but it is because I am always concern on success of the overall
delivery of my speech which gives me the fear of getting mistake. And besides, I am not comfortable the way I
sound – my pitch, tone and diction. But
since it’s part of the job, I don’t have other recourse but to do it.
Some people have the confidence to speak in
spotlight claiming they don’t have nervous.
I admire these people. But it has
to bear in mind that it doesn’t take the confidence only. It’s not the ability to stand and speak
before the audience but it’s more on the quality of communication. What’s the benefit of courage to speak in
public if it will just pull you down with your flaws and weakness? Be both confident and fluent.
Public speaking is a skill that needs to
study to achieve. Because you will not
only speak all throughout on the podium but you will need to build connection,
convey the message and impart lesson to your audience. It is speaking the right way in the right
time and at the right place. When
someone declared he can speak in public, probably it’s pure courage and not the
art in public speaking. Few are those
who are good in effective impromptu oratory and they usually do not declare it.
In many times I heard presenters, speakers,
and even masters of ceremony (Tagalog or English) who are so fond to use blank
words like “ahh”, “errrrr”, and “hmmmm”.
It sounds bothering to hear and it turns to be annoying in the long run
of speech. It is tedious and tiresome to
guess what words the speaker will utter and besides the speaker looks pathetic when
he’s groping words to utter. It slows
the communication. It’s good to hear
spontaneous speech. Phasing plays
importance in speaking and words usage matters too.
To become good speaker you must be a good
listener. Know your audience. Put yourself in their shoes by talking what
you’re audience want. Listen to the
audience as you are speaking. This will
help you to know if you are offending and making bored the people in front of
you. And you must listen also from great
people since they are in a much better position to speak their wisdom and
experience. You owe to listen to your
audience to give them what they want to hear as this is also what you want to
hear from someone who is speaking in front of you. This is called a demonstration of respect.
Good speaking comes out naturally and at
its best when you speak from your heart.
To speak from your heart you must know what you are speaking. Know your subject, do your assignment, study
your material, prepare yourself and with these everything you will say is spontaneous. Even you are a self-proclaimed confident, do
not be complacent to rely on yourself that you’re the person that can speak well
anytime without preparing speech. What
happen, you are just brave enough to stand in front while opening your mouth
but nonsense like flavored-colored popcorn.
Preparation of your own speech at all times
is still important. Don’t let others to
prepare it for you because it is always best to do your own style. When doing it, it is easier to speak,
internalize, feel and deliver the message you want to transmit. In this way you will have the connection with
your audience. Do not imitate those you
are admiring, be on your own and speak yourself. Do not copy and memorize other’s work. You do not know the feeling how it was
written.
In talking for an assembly, you are
building the connection with your listeners by using your skill to get their
attention at all times. You must be powerful
to maneuver the whole talk. Do not
overconfident and complacent that you have already stored in your mind your
speech. Prepare yourself, study your
speech and the rest will come naturally.
It is not making yourself smart but it is making yourself important.
By
Alex V. Villamayor
October
25, 2014
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