PR Writing - Giving Speeches & Presentations

Knovio

...adds video and audio to static PowerPoint presentations.

Vcasmo

...allows uploading of slides to combine with audio or video presentation.

Empressr

...allows use of video and audio, collaboration, and sharing, and it provides analytics.

MyBrainShark

...allows you to add URLs, polls, and surveys to existing PowerPoint presentations.

SlideRocket

...allows you to embed interactive elements, such as tweets.

Slideshare

...allows you to share PowerPoints on sites like LinkedIn. It also provides analytics.

SlideBoom

...includes audio, video, animations, and graphic annotations for slides. It provides analytics and allows group sharing.

Keynote

...is Apple's answer to PowerPoint.

TimeGlider

...is a timeline creator useful for time sensitive presentations.

Prezi

...is one of the most excuting tools in this roundup, according to Hurley Hall.

Google Presentations

...is part of Google Drive. This is similar to PowerPoint. It has more than 450 and has a set of images to add.

AuthorStream

...provides public, private, and social media sharing. It allows password protection of presentations. It includes live broadcast and analytics, among other features.

Zentation

...syncs slides and video for upload to YouTube.

Celebratory Speech

A celebratory speech is designed to honor some person or event. Such speeches are often trite and boring, but they don't have to be. If a person is being honored for lifetime personal achievement, why not start out with an anecdote that best exemplifies the actions being honored? This is much better than a chronological recap of the person's life as if you were reading an obituary.

Use Your Computer Monitor Or Tablet

A desktop, laptop, or tablet is ideal to show the presentation to a few individuals. The tablet presentation is popular on media tours when talking one on one with reporters or analysts.

After the Event

After a speech is given, you must prepare a news release about what was said to be delivered to news publications.

Drafts of a Speech

After developing an outline, the next step is to write a rough draft for the speaker. Keep in mind the time constraints on the speech. The speaker should use this draft to add new thoughts, cross out copy that doesn't seem to fit, and rewrite sentences to reflect his or her speaking style. The give and take between speechwriter and speaker is an ideal relationship.

Outline

After gathering the material you need, you must prepare an outline. The outline for a speech has three main parts, the opening, the body, and the closing. The opening is the part of the speech that must get the audience's attention, establish empathy, and signpost to the conclusion. The body of the speech presents the evidence that leads to the conclusion. The conclusion summarizes the evidence, pointing out what it means to the audience.

Practice Q&As

After identifying the purpose of the interview, develop tough questions the reporter might ask and quiz the spokesperson on them. This will help executives, who aren't accustomed to being interrogated, not lose their cool if a journalist gets intense in questioning.

Do a Postmortem

After the interview, review the outcome with the spokesperson becomes a learning opportunity for the spokesperson. Let the spokesperson see coverage of the interview, so he or she can identify points of success and points that need improving in future interviews.

Activating Speech

An activating speech is designed to get the listener to do something. Direct and specific action is suggested and urged. A basic principle of an activating speech is to give the audience something to do after listening to it. Write to a congressional representative, vote for a candidate, purchase a product, or take steps to improve your neighborhood park.

The Lead

An example of the first approach is "Susan Jones, President of XYZ Corporation, Spoke About Environmental Regulations". A better approach would be "Susan Jones, President of XYZ Corporation, Says Rigid Environmental Regulations Are Strangling the Economy".

Make Comparisons & Contrasts

An extra three cents in gas taxes would be enough to build 400 miles of highway next year.

Informative Speech

An informative speech is one that tells the audience something it does not know or understand. An informative speech might tell the audience about local zoning and building regulations, the results of the latest United Way campaign, the expansion plans of a local major corporation, or budget problems facing the state's education program.

Focus On the Benefit

Any speech must tell its audience what they will gain from the information.

Give Specifics

As you outline the key points of a speech, you must make sure they hear things they can remember. Consequently, the audience wants the benefit of that person's thinking and analysis.

Visual Aids For Presentations (Summary)

Audiovisuals increase the chances of audience retention and understanding. PowerPoint can create attractive slides that can be used in a variety of formats, such as paper copies, computer displays, webpages, flash drives, and DVDs. Prezi is a scrolling rather than a slide based visual aid. The key to successful visual aids is brief copy and large type.

Use Humor Carefully

Avoid side comments and jokes that may offend any subgroups in your audience.

Watch Your Facts

Be absolutely certain you are giving your listeners information that is reliable. Check and double check your information.

Other Speech Structures

Beginning, middle, end. Problem, complication, resolution. Inciting incident, rising action, climax, falling action, and final outcome.

Basic Elements of a PowerPoint

Choose a font that is easy to see on a projector screen; a three inch letter is readable from thirty feet. Use sans serif typeface for text; arial, helvetica, or calibri are the easiest to read. To open hyperlinks without moving the cursor in front of the audience, press tab to your link, then enter. PowerPoint 2010 and later editions can make video files of your presentation; click file, save, and send, then create a video. Embed music by selecting your song, using insert on the slide, and then the fading tool to adjust the volume. Review your slides for consistency by viewing the thumbnail versions on the side. Print handouts of slides in print preview; select print, what, then select handout layout for three slides per page. For business presentations, stick to the minimal PowerPoint transitions; appear, fade, wipe, and zoom. Align your copy left or right for easier readability.

Use Round Numbers

Don't say 253,629,384 Americans. Say more than 250,000,000 Americans. And use numbers sparingly.

Avoid Empty Phrases

Don't say in spite of the fact when because works just as well. Another common one is saying in spite of the fact that when though or although would be better.

Use Simple Words

Don't say print media when you mean newspapers. Don't say possess when have means the same thing.

Avoid Jargon

Every occulation and industry has its own collection of specialized words. Don't use words and acronyms that are unfamiliar to your audience. You may know what ROI means, but many in the audience may not.

Speaker Training & Placement

Executive and staff speech training is often the job of the public relations professional. Top executives of an organization must be exclusive about what speech invitations they accept; factors such as the sponsoring organization, the size of the audience, and whether the venue advances organizational objectives must be considered. A speech provides additional opportunity for publuc relations professionals to increase publicity by inviting the press to cover it, preparing news releases, distributing audio and visual clips, converting the speech to an op ed piece, reprinting it in a brochure, and posting excerpts on a webpage.

How to Introduce a Speaker

First, contact the speaker in advance and get a copy of his or her professional background. Ask the speaker about his or her objectives for the presentation, the value of the topic to the audience, and any other thoughts about the forthcoming talk. Like any speech, the introduction should have an opening, a body, and a conclusion. A good speech introduction doesn't summarize the speech and, even more important, it doesn't include every detail of the person's background. The biggest mistake is giving the speaker's background in agonizing detail. A final note from Friedman, "It is not typically an ocassion to make a joke at the expense of the speaker or to humiliate him or her."

Reassure Spokespersons

Identify both positive and negative aspects of their performance. Let them know that you don't know, but you'll find out is an acceptable answer.

Harness Your Laptop to a Computer Projector

If you are reaching a larger audience, you can project a PowerPoint presentation on a large screen in a meeting hall.

Vary Sentence Length

In general, short sentences are best. However, occasionally break up a series of short sentences with some longer ones.

Use Contractions

Instead of do not, say don't. Say won't instead of would not. It makes your speech more conversational.

Use Bold Verbs

Instead of saying profits went up, use a more descriptive word such as exploded or skyrocketed. However, don't use bold words and phrases that might be mistaken for hype.

Don't Dilute Expressions of Opinion

It blunts the crispness of your talk if you say things like "Of course, it's only my opinion" or "It seems to me..."

Create Patterns of Thought

It's alright to restate a phrase to create a pattern of emphasis. Hilary Clinton once used this phrase in one of her speeches, "If women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will floirish. If women have a chance to work, their families will flourish. Repetition in triplets, as Clinton did, reinforces a theme and helps the audience retain information.

Know Your Objective

Knowing your objective is the most important requirement of all. In preparing a speech, the first step is determining what you want the audience to know or do.

Avoiding Bad PowerPoint Presentations

Limit yourself to six words per slide. Avoid cheesy clipart; instead, use professional royalty free images. Don't use transitions such as spins or disolves. If you use sound effects, make it infrequently and use original, not PowerPoint, canned effects. Don't print and distribute your slides; they shouldn't work without one key component, you.

Create DVDs & Flash Drives

Many organizations put PowerPoint presentations on DVDs and flash drives so they can be sent to reporters, customers, and field personnel for viewing. A low tech version of this is to make copies of this in a journal, as a kind of extended fact sheet to tell reporters about your company.

Timing Your Speech

Murphy found employees who attend sixty minute seminars as opposed to three twenty minute seminars learn less. When making a longer presentation, try to work in a change every twenty minutes or so. This might be a three minute stretching break or exercise or an activity or showing a video. A break every twenty minutes might not make sense for something like an eight hour training session, but the chunking model might still be useful at some intervals. Despite Murphy's research, experts argue that there's nothing magical about twenty minutes, but there is ample evidence that shorter is better for learning and aptitude.

The Basics of Giving a Speech

Nonverbal communication is important in a speech; speakers should be enthusiastic, make eye contact with the audience, and use gestures that support their words. The recommended length of a speech at a luncheon or dinner meeting is twenty minutes; such a soeech would be ten pages, double spaced. Speeches should have one to three key messages.

Key Messages

Objectives provide the framework of a speech, but they must be supported by key messafes given throughout the speech. The major point is that people hear a speech and only remember two or three points.

Composing & Formatting PowerPoints

One key rule is to make sure your slides aren't cluttered with fancy clip arts or borders. Another common mistske is to include too much copy. Use no more than four bullets, and no more than four or five words for each bullet. Some experts advise there should be no more than ten lines of copy per slide. Others say no more than twenty words. Transitional slides, from one topic or major point to another, may only consist of one or two words or an image. A standard rule is a minimum 24 to 28 point size font. Also, be sure that you have at least a two inch margin between every copy. In other words, keep it simple. You should use clear, bold fonts with colors that contrast with the background.

Being a Good Panelist

Panels follow the same basic principles as speeches; however, they also involve special preparation for dealing with opposition, interruptions, and hostile questions.

Interview the Interviewer

Preparation and research for the interview should include asking the reporter what the story is about and what topics they want covered. This way, the spokesperson can have command of pertinent information.

Use Questions

Questions often get the audience more involved. Does anyone know the average family income in the United States?

Ways to Manage Speech Content

Remember the speech is usually part of a larger context; so don't feel obligated to force too much information into a single speech. Because a speech is a live interpersonal event, Bisenbach suggests focusing less on information and more on inspiration, less on lecture and more on conversation. Focus on the feel and the do in addition to the know; most speeches focus on data at the expense of emotion and interaction. How do you want your audience to feel; inspired; reassured; challenged; admonished? Know what action you want your audience to take and clarify it in your speech. Keep your primary objective in mind and don't let the subject stray from that objective. Identify the three most important things to impart on your audience and adress them.

Word Selection

Remember, a speaker talks to listeners, not at them.

Visual Aids For Presentations

Sight accounts for 83% of what we learn. When a visual is combined with a voice, retention increases by 50%. Color increases the viewer's tendency to act on the information by 26%. Use of video increases retention by 50% and buying incentive by 72%. The time required to introduce a concept goes down by 42% with visuals.

Creating Effective PowerPoints

Slides should only contain key points you want to share with the audience.

The Next Paragraph

Speaker quotes, additional facts or figures, and other relevant content that provides context for the speech.

The Basics of Speechwriting

Speechwriting requires clear objectives, effective organization of relevant key messages, knowledge of the audience, and a close working relationship with the person giving the speech. A speech is a powerful communication tool; it must be prepared for listeners, not readers; it must fit the auduence, be specific, get a reaction, have a definite objective, and be timely.

Be Prepared

Spokespersons should be aware of key organizational information before interview requests arrive.

Repurposing a Speech

The audience reach of a speech is multiplied when the key points are shared in a press release. A speech can also be edited and shortened in op eds published in news publications. If a speech is particularly important, it can be printed as a brochure and sent to selected opinion leaders.

Main Considerations When Writing Speeches

The author, the speaker, the goals and content of the speech, and your ultimate objective, or what effect you want the speech to have on the audience.

The Second Sentence & Paragraph

The event where the speech was given, the location, the attendance, and the reason for the meeting.

Defining the Audience

There will be 400 Latin American and Caribbean business executives, government leaders, and chamber of commerce representatives. Attendees will have divergent knowledge about information technology, so the speech will need to reflect middle of the road language and translations. English is the official language of the conference but the second language of the attendees. The speech must employ simple sentence structure and basic word choice. Colloquialisms, contractions, and US centric language should be avoided.

Strategy

This can be described as the setting and tone of the speech. The tone of a speech, or the speaker's viewpoint and attitude towards the topic, depends on the audience being addressed. From the standpoint of persuasion, you also have more control over your opposing viewpoint if you bring it up early instead of waiting for an audience member to bring it up. By bringing up an opposing viewpoint and acknowledging its validity, you can neutralize the audience's opposition to your perspective. Hostile or unfriendly audiences present the greatest challenge. This technique lets the audience know that the speaker understands or at least acknowledges their concerns.

Before the Event

This often takes the form of a media advisory, which is essentially an alert of the time, place, and substance of the event. An advisory is simply a short note that gives the speaker's name and title, the speech title, and details about time and place. Make sure the editors and journalists know not to report on the speech until after it is given. This request to the media is called an embargo, and it is often delivered in the context of an important speech being delivered at a specific time. Reporters attending the speech should be seated near the podium, and accomodations should be made for attending photographers and camera technicians.

Use Their Language

Use terms and expressions that are familiar. Similes, metaphors, and anecdotes are valuable only if they are pertinent.

Nonverbal Communication Speaks Volumes

Use vocal variation: speak faster, slower, louder, and softer. Use animated facial expressions to complement your animated voice.

Sample Screening Criteria

Will the speaking forum advance the goals or strategies of the company? Will it attract media coverage? Is the audience highly influential? Can we get extended reach through the host group's website or newsletter?

Avoid Modifiers

Words such as very or most should be deleted.

The Challenge of Public Speaking Engagements

Writing and giving speeches gives an excellent opportunity for your organization to gain attention from the news.

Use Personal Pronouns

You and we make the speech more personal instead of just talking at them.

Print Pages

You can distribute copies of your entire presentation to the audience. The software also allows you to open the presentation in a word document and create pages with thumbnails on the left and space for notes on the right.

Know Your Listeners

You can hardly know too much about your auduence. Age, gender, occupation, education, socioeconomic status, and any other facts, and especially why they are listening to this speech.

Post the PowerPoint Presentation On the Web

You can post an entire PowerPoint presentation to the company's website or intranet.

Use Direct Quotes

You can say "My colleague, Allen Knight, says..."

Use Visuals

Your audience will remember much more if you show and tell as opposed to if you only tell.