Public Speaking Course:
Give Me a Brake
... a mental brake that is.
Do you remember the Simon and Garfunkel song, "Slow down you move
too fast..."?
In your public
speaking course you will learn this same message can be applied to
your presentation. Most people tend to talk too fast (unless y'all be
from Aaalllaaaabbbaaammmaaa).
Here are some tips to use if you are a fast talker and need to slow
down.
Imagine that your audience is full of 5 year olds and you have
to explain some idea that is difficult to them. You must certainly speak
slower so they can understand what you are trying to say. Don't talk
down to your audience, but slowly and carefully talk with them. Slowly lift and
expand their minds with the important message you have for them.
Use hard, but memorable, word combinations to make you slow down
your speech so you don't mess them up.
When practicing during your public speaking course, concentrate on specific exercises
that vary the speed of your speech delivery so you have better
control over your talks. Remember silence also communicates, so with
"fertile minds", use "pregnant pauses".
Also, when you differ the speed of your presentation you will make it more
interesting automatically.
You must practice these sessions out loud if you want to be able to
do it properly on stage. I repeat, you must practice
voice pacing and inflection out loud. You can even use a digital recorder
to play back and be your own "worst critic" or your first
level professional speaking coach.
To save time, the voice pacing exercises can be done in the car, or
while doing your hair or jogging, etc. Sure, folks will see you at times
and wonder about your sanity, but when they hear what you sound like
after practicing in your public speaking course, they will likely remember "WOW"!
Often "less is more", so cut out some of your material so
that you do not feel rushed to get it all in one speech.
Going faster is usually useless because the retention level drops so
low that you may as well have not even said the material in the first
place.
Your presentation is meant to be slowly savored, to have the message
linger long in the minds of those with an ear to hear.
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