Most students have problems with their nerves when presenting a speech in class. This comes from not developing experience in presenting to a crowd. The student walks up to the front of the class and his or her palms begin to sweat, dry mouth makes breathing difficult, and the chills set in.Then unwelcome speech habits pop up during the presentation such as um, basically, like, or honestly. When uttering these words in a speech too frequently, the audience becomes distracted from the content of the speech and begins to count the “ums” or “likes” that embellish a failing presentation. These distractions can destroy a well written presentation and the audience will miss the point of the speech. The student should make it a goal to eliminate these nervous traits.
Eliminating nervous traits can easily be done by taking deep breaths and slowing down with the delivery of the speech. The speaker should practice the key points of the speech and speak only on bullet points he or she ultimately knows about. Reading a speech is unacceptable in a college setting and by presenting on key points only; the presentation will be more successful.
The speaker should not rock, but rather move around in the presentation. The speaker should never stand behind the lectern, as this isolates the student and makes him or her psychologically trapped. The speaker should believe he or she is in charge whether the speaker wants to be or not. The audience has to sit there and listen to what is said, so the speaker has the power to make the speech exciting or dull.
The speaker can keep the audience happy or sleeping happily for the duration of the speech. The decision is completely up to the speaker to settle on what turn out he or she wants from this speech. The speaker should never become too serious and he or she should make the speech humorous whenever possible. The majority of speeches presented in a humorous form are almost remembered in its entirety whereas a serious speech is hardly thought of before the end of the class.
One rule to remember is that if the speech has a rocky beginning, the speaker should never apologize to the audience. The audience will never know if the speaker made a mistake unless he or she brings attention to the error. The speaker can play off the mistake by making a fun joke out of the error. This provides a chance for the speaker to recover and move forward.
Creating a Speech with Humor
Humorous speeches are easier to write than serious speeches and it is imperative to offer clean tasteful humor to keep the audience engaged. “Though information is important, people will never remember what was said; but they will remember how it was said.” This quote was taken from a 1992 speech by the Director of Energy Services, Greg Lambert from Sierra Pacific Power in Reno, Nevada. As a writer and avid lecturer, I have remembered this quote and use this example regularly.
When writing a humorous speech, it is beneficial to smile and laugh at the joke when presenting the speech. This is important for the speaker to remember so it doesn’t look like he or she didn’t understand their own punch line. This will not bode well with the audience as the students may think the speaker is dishonest or false.
If the speaker cannot keep to humor, he or she should remember the cliché “Honesty is the best policy.” If the speaker is nervous and has the chills, the speaker should comment on this by saying, “Gee, it was warmer back at my seat!” This phrase is understood by any audience member who has given a speech before. This honest attempt at humor can break the ice and the speaker can relax and continue speaking.
The reaction of the audience will inspire the speaker to press on as he or she believes the audience is less intimidating. The speaker should never state a negative comment as this will plant the seed of doubt in the audience. If the speaker makes a comment of how he or she is boring, the audience will agree and never laugh at any of the humorous punch lines the speaker has prepared becausethe audience already believes the speaker is boring.
Rules Speakers Should Remember
The speaker should try to know his or her audience. The speaker can see what the audience is like by asking questions at the beginning of the speech. He or she should consider the occasion for the speech or current events that may interest the audience. An audience can change so he or she should adapt to the reactions of the audience. Some items for a speaker to remember are not to speak negatively, be careful of foul language, and watch out for political traps.
The speaker should remember in a speech to relax by breathing deeply, avoid tension, and act cheerful. Simplicity is the key by avoiding complex detail and sticking to two or three points. Showing humor is important whenever possible and avoiding overly serious comments help. Creating an image is important to show the speaker’s unique personality or experience.
Last, memorable content in speaking often stays with the audience long after they leave the auditorium. To become a successful presenter the speaker should overcome fears with practice. This is the only sure way a speaker can understand his or her technique in presenting a speech. By keeping it light and humorous, the speaker can relax and make sure the information presented is in the most beneficial way to the audience.
After the speaker has become more comfortable with experience, he or she will know how to present a speech regularly without very much humor and the front of the room will be just as warm as the seat where he or she was sitting.
Patrick Tremblay
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