Tuesday September
06
· Decide quickly what your one message will be - Keep in mind you have not been asked to give a speech but to make some impromptu remarks. Pick ONE message or comment and focus on that one main idea.
· Do not try and memorize what you will say - Trying to memorize will only make you more nervous and you will find yourself thinking more about the words and not about the message.
· Start off strong and with confidence - If you at least plan your opening statement, this will get you started on the right foot. After all, just like with any formal speech, getting started is the most difficult. Plan what your first sentence will be. You may even write this opening line down on your note card and glance at it one more time just before you begin speaking. If you know you have three points or ideas to say, just start off simple by saying, "I would just like to talk about 3 points". The first point is... the second point is... and so on.
· Decide on your transitions from one point to the other - After you have decided on your opening remark or line, come up with a simple transition statement that takes you to your main point. If you have more than one point to make, you can use a natural transition such as, "My second point is... or my next point is..." etc. Do not write out the exact words, but just the points you want to mention.
· Maintain eye contact with the audience - This is easier to do if you do not write down all kinds of stuff to read. Look down at your next idea or thought and maintain eye contact with your audience and speak from your heart. Focus on communicating TO your audience and not speaking AT the crowd.
· Occasionally Throw in an off-the-cuff remark - Because you want your style to be flexible and seem impromptu, trust your instinct and add a few words which just pop into your head. Keep it conversational and think of the audience as a group of your friends.
· Finally, have a good conclusion - Gracefully just state, "And the last point I would like to make is ....". Once you have made your last point, you can then turn control back to the person who asked you to speak in the first place.
Trust
Yourself. Remember,
you’re the expert in the moment. You don’t need notes or practice. You
just need you, your mind and your self-confidence to draw on the information
you know so well, inside and out. Trust your instincts and natural abilities
for starters.
Use
Emotion. Relate a
personal or emotional story to your subject, or a key point you would like to
make. Personal stories are remembered long after statistics are forgotten.
Chill. Only you know whether you know what
you are saying. If I say ‘last summer when Transit Saturn was conjunct my Venus
my relationships were not good’ – you have to believe me and you do not know
whether I am making it up or not.
Don't
try to cover too much
Be short,
succinct and to the point. The audience will love you!
Never
apologise
Think of the
"PREP"
system.
P >Point
"The point
I want to make is .........."
R >Reason
"The
reason I say this is ............"
E >Example
"For
example ............"
- "My experience ..........."
P >Point
"In
summary my point is ......."
Another
system is to use P P F
Past, Present,
Future
P >Past
"In the past we did it this way because ......."
P > Present
"However we
now do it this way because .....'
F >Future
"In the
future we envisage that .........."
Conclusion:
My favorite buzz word.
A movie I recently saw
My favourite sports team
The country I would most like to visit. . .
Talking on cell phones while driving. . .
Cloning should/should not be banned. . .
The most interesting marine animal. . .
My favorite t-shirt. . .
Working with the physically handicapped. . .
My most memorable haircut. . .
If I were invisible for a day. . .
We can preserve our natural resource by. . .
The most important things my grandmother/
grandfather taught me. . .
The most successful person I know about. . .