Public speaking - love it or hate it, in some cases it's inevitable

[Paul Adams]

It had to come eventually
Managed to get away with a very short presentation for my final year project at uni 9 years ago, but now it seems I'll be expected to give workshops to colleagues and customers.
*gulp*

I think it should come with practice, but at the moment it scares the bejesus outta me, even in front of a handful of people.

Are you one of those abnormal people that make public speaking seem really, really easy?

[Moby-Dick]

Its not that easy but there are a few pointers to think of.

practice....lots. ( If you do have to use powe****** , it has a usefull rehersal mode , so you can check timings )

speak much slower than you think you are - most people when they are nervous tend to speak a little to fast and it shows.

I'm sure you'll be presenting on things that you know pretty well anyways ,which is another point in your favour.

Just think of it a little bit like a forum post - if your speaking is as well versed as your typing then you'll be fine !

[Lee H]

I find that thinking I'm in the pub with a few mates "talking" to them as opposed to a bunch of strangers works well

Saying that, my first attempt at public speaking was a nightmare really - I was shaking like the proverbial dog and you could see it from the back row

[Big RICHARD]

Imagine all of them naked...... mmmmmmmmm!

[Nick F]

I had to give my final year project last week. Spoke for about 15 minutes and used powe****** rehersal mode which tells you how long you spoke for.

Say something funny at the start to set the atmosphere and you will be cool.

[Agent]

Im one of those scarey people who is fine standing up infront of others and talking, provided i know what im talking about
My uni last uni project lasted about 20 mins, while most people were around 5 mins. Infact, when its about a subject i know and enjoy, id go as far as to say i enjoy it somtimes
Then again, i want to go into leacturing.

[Paul Adams]

speak much slower than you think you are - most people when they are nervous tend to speak a little to fast and it shows.

I'm sure you'll be presenting on things that you know pretty well anyways ,which is another point in your favour.

Hehe, today was day 1 of of our 2-day "Creating Effective Workshops" workshop - I did okay with the eye contact thing but I rattled off my sample 5-minute presentation in about 4.6 seconds.

Yeah, dealing with a topic I'm comfortable in should be no problem - it's the worry of keeping peoples' interest and not boring them (or conversely going waaaay over their heads).

Imagine all of them naked...... mmmmmmmmm!

I work mainly with guys - so imagine a Homer Simpson girly scream there

[Big RICHARD]

Hehe, today was day 1 of of our 2-day "Creating Effective Workshops" workshop - I did okay with the eye contact thing but I rattled off my sample 5-minute presentation in about 4.6 seconds.

Yeah, dealing with a topic I'm comfortable in should be no problem - it's the worry of keeping peoples' interest and not boring them (or conversely going waaaay over their heads).


I work mainly with guys - so imagine a Homer Simpson girly scream there

Hehehe! I wasn't questioning your sexuality.....HONEST!

[Allen]

I hate it. I really do. I don't have a problem (as far as I'm aware) with speaking out, but I get really conscious about the fact that I go red. I don't get embarrassed, I just go red. And when I go red, I can feel it and it unnerves me. If I didn't go red I'd be able to speak up in front of anyone without a problem!

Weird.

:edit: Oh, and some of you will think that it's purely embarrassment, it's not. I spoke on the radio (Heart 106.2, Xmas Eve 1999 or 2000, can't remember) in front of a probably millions and I didn't feel uncomfortable about it at all, didn't even go red.

[Steve]

Im one of those scarey people who is fine standing up infront of others and talking, provided i know what im talking about
My uni last uni project lasted about 20 mins, while most people were around 5 mins. Infact, when its about a subject i know and enjoy, id go as far as to say i enjoy it somtimes

Clearly Agent is some long-lost brother of mine.

[Paul Adams]

I hate it. I really do. I don't have a problem (as far as I'm aware) with speaking out, but I get really conscious about the fact that I go red. I don't get embarrassed, I just go red. And when I go red, I can feel it and it unnerves me. If I didn't go red I'd be able to speak up in front of anyone without a problem!

Weird.

I have always gone beetroot-red when I feel I did something daft or someone (I don't know too well) contradicts something I say.

I find it much easier to keep conversation/presentation light-hearted to keep people laughing - today in class it was a few flippant comments about coming from Hull (aw shame) which is twinned with Reykjavik... neither of which many people know the location of

The problem is that for me going red is a feedback loop - I can feel the heat emanating from my face and it makes me more self-conscious :/
There may be a solution in downing a few vodkas prior to getting up and giving my presentation... except that it might end up karaoke-style, of course...

[Big RICHARD]

I have always gone beetroot-red when I feel I did something daft or someone (I don't know too well) contradicts something I say.

I find it much easier to keep conversation/presentation light-hearted to keep people laughing - today in class it was a few flippant comments about coming from Hull (aw shame) which is twinned with Reykjavik... neither of which many people know the location of

The problem is that for me going red is a feedback loop - I can feel the heat emanating from my face and it makes me more self-conscious :/
There may be a solution in downing a few vodkas prior to getting up and giving my presentation... except that it might end up karaoke-style, of course...

Hull = near the Humber bridge! (East Riding of Yorkshire)
Reykjavik = Iceland (Capital of...)

[Auran]

I'm one of those people that make public speaking seem really easy and also quite enjoy it. But I have a few things that I do to make it seem that way.

1. Ensure I know the subject in enough detail to talk through what I want to get across and cover the level of expertise of the audience
2. Find out who the audience is and what they expect from the presentation (though sometimes you have to make a best guess on this)
3. Always write my own slides etc. for presentation, so I'm not trying to present something that clashes with my presentation style (cf No.5) and so I can taylor it to the audience
4. Engage the whole audience - not just the main person you need to get a point across to. It is always the person you haven't looked at that will catch you out with a question from leftfield. You will at least see it coming if you make universal eye-contact
5. Now this may sound wierd - but I don't stand up and do the presentation. Well I do physically, but it isn't my personality - I get up and act the presentation based upon number 2. Thus I don't get embarrased by mistakes as it isn't me that's made the mistake

[Howard]

I hate it. I really do. I don't have a problem (as far as I'm aware) with speaking out, but I get really conscious about the fact that I go red. I don't get embarrassed, I just go red. And when I go red, I can feel it and it unnerves me. If I didn't go red I'd be able to speak up in front of anyone without a problem!

Weird.

:edit: Oh, and some of you will think that it's purely embarrassment, it's not. I spoke on the radio (Heart 106.2, Xmas Eve 1999 or 2000, can't remember) in front of a probably millions and I didn't feel uncomfortable about it at all, didn't even go red.

I'm pretty much the same.

I get so self conscious and sweat/go red that it buggers me up.

I had to do one in business studies last year and needless to say I crashed and burned.

[Swafe]

Ahhh, the old chesnut that is public speaking.

Hate it myself, mince my words, go red, die, the usual, but sometimes its gotta be done, so good luck with it, just get a can of red bull down ya before you go in and you wont go wrong... well it works for me, makes me hyper, and gives me more confidence to speak and fast ! Infact, after a can of red bull I dont shut up.. whoops

[Norky]

I don't like it, but I get it over with. I'm usually alright provided I know what I'm saying, I just go into autopilot. My only problem is that my hands shake, even though my voice is fine and I don't really feel nervous