Giving a
talk can be very stressful, especially if it's your first time. Be it big or
small, it's always intimidating. However, giving a talk can also be very
entertaining and interesting, provided you make the necessary preparations. If
you follow the guidelines here, you will be well on the way to achieving your
goal.
STEP 1
Have a deep
understanding of your talk. Prior to the actual day of presentation, you ought to know
the talk––in other words, inside-out. This does not happen naturally–– you must
prepare sufficiently. Use the internet to surf for ideas, read books, articles,
journals or any other published and unpublished sources. It may even be
worthwhile consulting some experts on the topic.
STEP 2
Jot down
clear notes.
Whether you prefer to work from sketchy, simple notes or from detailed, full
notes is up to you and the situation. A politician may prefer to read from
extensive notes in order to be able to refer back when needed; on the other
hand, a wedding speech may only require brief and summarized notes.
STEP 3
Get sorted
ahead of time.
All required materials should be put in place in advance of the speech. These
may include overhead projectors, laptops, white boards, flip charts, props,
etc., depending on the kind of talk to be delivered.
STEP 4
Arrive well
ahead of schedule.
On the day of the talk, give yourself plenty of time to ensure that you remain
calm and to avoid feeling any tension due to rushing. Keep track of time. You
must arrive in time and not on time. That will give you ample opportunity to
relax and still yourself mentally.
STEP 5
Test the
equipment and props thoroughly and ahead of time. These may be overhead
projectors, slide shows, laptops, etc. Good preparation in this area will
prevent last minute or on-the-spot panic situations or embarrassment.
STEP 6
Wear
appropriate clothes.
The speaker's dress code matters. Good dress adds beauty to your talk.
Nevertheless, extremes are always dangerous. Do not over dress; remember, this
is not a beauty contest!
STEP 7
Work on
tension reducers.
To elaborate: In every audience there are always three personalities; friendly,
ambivalent and unfriendly. To deliver the talk successfully, focus on the
friendly faces. Also, when giving a talk, you have to be animated. The audience
often loses interest if the presenter is too polite, timid or sheepish. Share
light moments with the audience to relax both yourself and your listeners. And
yes, you have to be alive!
STEP 8
Watch out
for troublemakers.
Why should that be necessary? After all, you're the speaker. Sometimes,
however, an audience can become aggressive. If you are bombarded with
questions, analyse them before you respond. If necessary, throw them back to
the author or the audience as a whole. By doing that, you can buy time to think
of what to say. Also, this will discourage the audience from asking contentious
questions. Only those who are genuine will persist.
It is also permissible to take questions and
offer to follow up with an answer later if it's complicated. Ask the person to
give you contact details after the speech.
STEP 9
Find a way
to rise above the emotion of the moment. It is an undeniable fact that giving a talk can
be intimidating. Nonetheless, it is also fun and entertaining if handled well.
The steps outlined above will help you prepare for that special talk.
Good Luck with your speech!
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#inspired by Mr.E.Nkonde, (Business Communication skills lecturer) _The Copperbelt University,
Zambia.
#Contributors:
WikiHow Editors;
NerSam,
Ttrimn, Shilp Jain, IsabelleZita, Ukulele, BR, Emma, Serendipitee, Clare Corban
Banks, DividedGuitarist97, Anna, Flickety.
________________________________________________________________________________
Written and Edited by
Dabbyson Al. Zimba
