BUS 271: Public Speaking Module

what is your FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT test as a speaker?

-clearly communicate the purpose and benefits of attending your speech

public speaking increases your potential to:

-to connect -to create -to reach and impact your audience

What are the 5 steps of developing an effective speech?

1) choose your topic 2) develop your benefit statement: The benefit statement should answer the question: why you? 3) develop your positioning statement: The positioning statement is an expansion of the last step that tailors your benefit statement to a specific audience.; Don't skip this step; it will help you focus your thoughts, minimize interesting but off-point digressions and help maintain a coherent structure and flow through the research, writing, editing, and ultimately, speaking phases. 4) derive your title 5) create your content

what are 9 characteristics of effective public speakers?

1) confidence 2) passion 3) practice 4) speak naturally 5) authenticity 6) keep it short and sweet 7) connect with your audience 8) paint a picture through storytelling 9) repetition

what are 7 benefits of incorporating gestures into your speech?

1. Clarifies and supports your words 2. Dramatizes your ideas 3. Lends emphasis and vitality to the spoken word 4 .Helps dissipate nervous tension 5. Functions as visual aids 6. Stimulates audience participation 7. Helps You Become Highly Visible

10 Tips for Managing Performance Anxiety:

1. Know your topic 2. Get organized 3. Practice, rinse, and repeat 4. Challenge worries 5. Visualize your success 6. Do some deep breathing 7. Focus on your material 8. Don't fear a moment of silence 9. Recognize your success 10. Get support

Use Four Step Approach to Managing Q&A's

1. Listen: don't jump to conclusions 2. Understand: paraphrase to confirm understanding 3. Communicate & Involve 4. Respond: Direct response to both the questioner and the rest of the audience

5 Techniques to Capture and Maintain an Audience's Attention:

1. Surprise: reengages the audience's brain 2. Suspense: slowly build your idea like a verbal puzzle 3. Storytelling: Share a compelling story to illustrate your point 4. Senses: The greater the sensory engagement, the stronger the interest 5. Involve: invite participation

What are the best ways to start a speech?

1. Use a quote 2. Start with "What if...?" or "Imagine..." 3. Ask a Question 4. Use a dramatic pause or silence 5. Cite a statistic 6. Share a meaning statement

6 Key Elements, Errors, and Practices to Develop Greater Vocal Impact:

1•Volume--try to vary your voice 2•Pitch and Resonance (a low pitch is preferred) 3•Pace and Pause (slower pace is seen as more credible) 4•Intonation (use all patterns appropriately): 5•Ending a sentence with a rising tone indicates a question or suggestion 6•Ending a sentence with a descending tone is usually interpreted as an order A flat intonation is used to indicate a statement

Jeremy knows when he gets excited, the pitch of his voice rises. He can't wait to share his ideas on helping homeless puppies. Is that excitement something good for his speech?

Enthusiasm is always good, but Jeremy will need to watch his pitch to keep it under control.

In speaking to the hospice nurse convention about the use of baby monitors, which statement would be an effective opening?

Let's imagine Patient #1 is in crisis, and you want to keep an eye—or an ear—on Patient #2.

Jayden has one hour for his part of customer service training for new employees. Which is the best way to reinforce the learning?

Set aside some partnered role play time with employees.

Dennis was looking at TED Talks online to get a better idea of what makes a good speech. He noticed that TED speakers often begin with a story or an extended analogy. The reason they do this is most likely which of these?

Stories and analogies align with how people think and remember.

Peggy often became frustrated in her Introduction to Psychology course as the professor answered one student question after another, taking the class further and further from the lecture topic. What has gone wrong?

The professor seems to have lost control of the audience.

Why does a public speech transcend a one-dimensional transfer of information?

There's a difference in the level of energy and engagement in a live "performance"—whether it's a speech, dance recital, political rally, or musical event. Keep in mind that those attending a public speech expect an experience that transcends a one-dimensional transfer of information. Engage students to share their experiences.

Most of us are comfortable speaking in front of six to ten family members at dinner. Why does the label of "speech" make us so fearful in front of six to ten coworkers?

We're afraid we don't know enough or will get asked a question we can't answer.

Deandra is giving a highly technical speech on a new medical device to non-scientists within her company. Her listeners will use what they learn in marketing, package design, and sales. She wants to be sure they understand the key features and points of difference with the new product, so she decides to incorporate an audience-participation feature in her speech. Which one of these is NOT a good idea for Deandra to use?

a game in which the audience breaks into teams to come up with funny names for the device

As with many things in life, getting started—in our case, writing the start to a speech—is often the hardest part. Which of the following is an effective way of opening a speech:

asking the "what if" question

_____ is one of the biggest success factors in public speaking.

authenticity

(T/F) An in-depth understanding can lead to oversimplification or over-complication when explaining a foreign concept.

true

gestures and body language are most effective when used as ____ _______.

visual punctuation

Which of the following is the best opening to a speech requesting funding for a new line of holiday-inspired fingernail polish colors?

"Luck consists largely of hanging on by your fingernails until things start to go your way," said Aaron Alston.

Which of the following is an example of the best way to manage audience questions?

"To sum up Megan's question, she's asking whether trees can cure pollution

what are the primary motivations for speaking?

-to inform -to persuade -to inspire

Having just finished an advanced degree in religion, Benjamin eagerly used his final thesis for his first talk. What probably went wrong?

A thesis is written with highly technical language in the field of study, leaving a general audience missing important terminology and background.

Which of the following is a frequent purpose for public speaking in a business setting?

Asking. You have to ask for contracts, funding, and other resources publicly.

For years, Elvia's friend made gentle fun of her for how her hands moved with anything that she said. Cutting back on all that movement will be important in the business context according to her friends. Which of the following is the best advice for speaking in a business context?

Being authentic should your first priority.

If the audience in the great hall grows restless during Jason's speech, which vocal technique should he consider?

Changing his volume up and down a bit to engage everyone

As Carlos plans to speak to his department, he considers what each individual might need from his speech. What characteristic of public speaking is Carlos demonstrating?

Connect with your Audience

Tamika's boss told her that putting the speech together about the new time card system would take three elements to get everyone convinced. What three things could he be referring to in terms of composing her speech?

Credibility, Logic, Emotion

Amelia truly appreciated the paired speakers' sincerity as they moved around each other seemingly inspired by how their topic affected them as they spoke. When she later saw them use identical "choreography" for a completely different speech, how did she probably feel?

Deceived. Unlikely to trust the speakers because of their artificiality.

Which opening would you use to open a speech to the homeowners of a mountain town about tree mitigation on their property?

Did you realize Colorado averages 2500 wildfires each year, according to the DNMS?

Frieda signed up for the speech titled, "Tax Planning and You." How did she feel when the speaker talked about his disgust for politicians who voted for the new tax law.?

Dissatisfied. Frieda did not see how politicians' past votes would help her planning

intonation. This describes changes in vocal tone within a sentence. In order to achieve the desired effect, use the three common intonation patterns appropriately.

Ending a spoken sentence with a rising tone indicates a question or suggestion. Ending a spoken sentence with a descending tone is generally interpreted as an order. A flat intonation is used to indicate a statement.

Leon is fearful of his first speech as a new manager to the customer input team. It won't happen until the biannual meeting, which is still four months away. What could he do to be less fearful?

Get some practice in by joining a local public speaking club.

Saib thinks the non-profit group will enjoy his talk about his role as a firefighter. How does he start to prepare for the speech?

He needs to narrow down his topic to something that best relates to this group.

saib thinks the non-profit group will enjoy his talk about his role as a firefighter. How does he start to prepare for the speech?

He needs to narrow down his topic to something that best relates to this group.

Carts have been rolling into cars in the parking lot. Getting all supermarket employees to help manage the problem is the topic of Ishmael's speech. What should he include in his approach?

He should include credibility, logic, and emotion

Joanne had to introduce next year's budget to the employees. She asked everyone to take a handful of beans and place as many or as few as they wanted into specially labeled cups (Utilities, Benefits, Salaries, ...) What technique of holding the audience's attention is Joanne using?

Involvement

They say that newspapers are written at a fifth-grade reading level. Most fifth graders do not read the paper. What communication point is being made with this writing level?

It is important to use common language that is easily understood by the audience.

With crews working shifts that span 24 hours a day, what is the most important thing for Satya to keep in mind as she prepares her live talk that will be replayed to employees on other shifts?

Keep it to 20 minutes or less

Zoya is fearful of her first speech as a new manager to her employee group, but she has three months before her promotion is announced. What could she do to be less fearful?

Learn more about public speaking by joining a speaking group outside the company.

This is Rocky's first time speaking to 400 people. With such a large room, what will Rocky need to help with his vocal delivery?

Microphone to help with volume.

JT let classmates in his group projects deliver the presentation component. After college, he looked forward to full-time employment and never having to make a speech again. Will he be safe from speeches in his career?

No, impromptu speeches are a common occurrence.

As an expert, Ann knew her research spoke for her. It surprised her when her boss asked her to make a speech to 15 people explaining new product features. Should this speech request surprise her?

No, it is common to be called on to elaborate on research to others.

To avoid fear of public speaking, we should realize that________ .

Public speaking is merely an extension of speaking skills we already have.

Trudy could pay $15 to view recertification training online or $100 to attend the in-person training. Why might she prefer to pay more?

The live speaker will offer greater engagement in the topic.

Cari has been asked to give a speech on safety regulations in her office. She's worried that the topic will be boring and her audience won't pay attention. What key aspect of the speech is she overlooking?

Thinking about what the audience needs and wants to know about this topic.

pro-tips for public speaking

Understand the power of pathos: Emotion often drives decision making and opinion formation. Believe in your message: You do not want to come across as insincere. Keep your speech brief: Too much information creates a cognitive backlog and state of anxiety in your audience. Make it memorable: Take time to condense your big idea into a short, memorable phrase.

Lily is about to start preparation on the assignment her boss gave her, which is to explain the cafeteria benefit plan to employees. As a first-year employee, she doesn't know much about the plan and has never dealt with this particular kind of benefit before. What will be the hardest part of encouraging coworkers to sign up early?

Understanding enough about the benefits that she can speak to their value with real sincerity.

As the cultural anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson said, "The human species thinks in metaphors and learns through stories." What does this mean for how you think about your speeches?

Use stories and analogies.

Mina has been asked to speak at the Business and Professional Women's club meeting. She is both honored and worried. What should be her key priority as she prepares?

Use the five-step process related to topic, benefit, positions, title and content.

We've been speaking to people since before we went to school, so why is speaking at a work event so scary?

We think it takes different skills because the situation is different.

Liam was so anxious to present the team's ideas to the Executive Team that after he handed out the copies, he gently stretched the rubber band throughout his presentation. Was this a problem?

Yes, while this may remove tension, it can easily be distracting to the audience.

You're tasked with presenting the overarching rollout of a new IT system that will change workflow for your whole company. You will be presenting to the entire division in a large auditorium. Your speech will be followed up by smaller, how-to oriented presentations for individual teams. Your primary objective should be to:

a] communicate the project process and benefits using common terminology and/or visuals

You want to incorporate audience participation in your upcoming speech, but you also want to maintain control of the audience and your message. When an audience member is asking a question, what should you be doing?

actively listening to not only what's being asked but also for the question's intent

what is public speaking?

an oral presentation or speech delivered to a live audience.

You're vying for an opportunity to represent your company at the local community college's career conference. (Did I mention the speaker chosen is awarded a $1,000 bonus plus two additional vacation days?) The topic is defined. What's your next step?

answer the question: why you?

Attention is both rare and fleeting, but there are a number of techniques a speaker can use to maintain an audience's attention. Based on the reading, which of the following is NOT an effective technique to use if you sense you're losing the audience's attention:

call a break and give audience members an opportunity to stretch

After three years as a member of his sales team, this was the first time Andy was presenting the quarterly update. He was not sure he knew enough about South-Metro regional sales. Which characteristic of public speaking may be Andy's downfall?

confidence

Each member of your work group is required to role-play a 5 minute employee coaching session in front of the management team. As one of the younger members of the group, your focus is on projecting a tone of confidence and command. Which of the following vocal techniques will make your vocal delivery more powerful when used judiciously?

ending key sentences with a descending tone

A speech is a form of trade. In this trade, audience members give their attention in exchange for a perceived benefit. Your obligation as a speaker is to ________.

factor your audience into your content

Having sat through hundreds (thousands?) of mind-numbingly boring presentations, you've vowed not to be that presenter. Quick check before you start working on your speech. Which of the following is NOT an effective way to involve the audience and answer their specific questions:

forgo the prepared remarks and use a Q&A approach for the entire presentation

You are rehearsing a forthcoming speech to an alumni association gathering. One of your friends—a "go big or go home" type—recommends you turn up the volume on your body language. You decide to video your presentation and review yourself. What effect should you strive for?

gestures that clarify and support your message

One of the most common barriers to communication is ____, the terminology associated with a given profession.

jargon

You've been monitoring business employment and career trends and have decided to develop a personal brand that allows you some measure of creative and financial independence. What action represents your best next step?

join a local speakers bureau and volunteer at low-stakes events

You've been thinking about how the world could/should be and have resolved not to let your fear of public speaking keep you from "being the change." You specifically want to overcome your fear that when you stand up in front the audience, your mind will go blank and you will be jeered off the stage. Which of the techniques covered would best address this fear?

list and rationally challenge your fears

Frank's coworker said, "Don't worry about one bad speech. Public speaking is not needed for a good career." While nice to say, was this consolation correct?

no, effective public speaking helps build a career

Stefania has a perfectly researched and written speech. While she might find it a bit intimidating to address so many people, she's sure it won't be that hard to read her carefully-crafted speech because the words are interesting. What is Stefania overlooking?

practicing vocal variety

Caleb wanted the employees to increase their donations to the company foundation. As he gave the annual report on foundation expenditures and benefits, he added uplifting background music in various places. What techniques of maintaining an audience's interest is Caleb using?

senses

Jonah begins his speech on the importance of a living will with a memory of his mother when she was 25 years old. After that, he defines a living will. His speech cycles between the progression of his mother's life and the formation and use of a living will. What technique of keeping an audience's attention is Jonah using?

storytelling

"That is an interesting thought. Since it is a bit outside the purpose of this talk, could we use it as next meeting's topic?" is an example of what Q&A technique?

tabling a question

One of the assignments for your speech class is to develop and present a five minute speech on a topic of your choice! You've chosen to speak on gun control, an issue that you're passionate about. You want to use your speech to recruit a group of students to lobby for changes in gun legislation. What's the key to achieving that objective?

tell a story that includes student gun violence victims and activist efforts

Rudy's office was three hours from the live speaker presentation, but there was a recorded version offered after. What is Rudy worried he might miss out on with the recording rather than the live speaker?

the stimulation of live performance

what are 3 ways to avoid confusion?

•Eliminate bullet points •Use stories and analogies •Display images and diagrams to illustrate your point

Ideas to to integrate your audience:

•Volunteer exercise •Audience survey •Question •Q&A •Partner exercise •Small group exercise •Written exercises or note-taking

Which is the best benefit statement for a speech to the Cashiers Association meeting?

After eight years as a cashier, I'd like to offer some easy ways to keep your drawer in balance.

Ollie, who takes his work seriously, is attending a speech given by the CFO of his company about a new benefits package. He knows that some benefits will be enhanced while others are going away entirely, so he really wants to pay attention and capture the details. He arrives in the large meeting room where the speech is being given, and as soon as the CFO begins his talk, the audience is instructed to choose a partner and spend sixty seconds playing catch with a stress ball in order to build team camaraderie. Ollie is most likely to respond to this plan with which feeling?

Annoyance. The exercise is a waste of time, and he feels manipulated by the forced playtime when bad news is potentially on the horizon. Annoyance. The exercise is a waste of time, and he feels manipulated by the forced playtime when bad news is potentially on the horizon.