Considering whether to Read or not to Read a Speech
- It is Ok to read a speech if you are testifying before a congressional subcommittee. No media are present and all of the members of Congress are ignoring you anyway.
- If you get invited to give a speech, speak. If you get invited to a reading, read. (However, great authors don't read at their own book readings, they tell stories instead.)
- If you try to memorize your speech, it will only make you nervous because the chances are great that you will get off track. Instead, familiarize yourself with your message and your stories.
- If you do decide to read, read the speech over and over and over again silently.
- Re-format the words on your page so you can see the words easily while standing up.
Perfecting your Sound
- Don't drop the volume at the end of a thought. This is OK and common in normal conversation, but when speaking to a group or on TV, no one will be able to hear or understand you.
- It’s good to listen to the voices of people you admire in the media, but don’t try to mimic them and don’t feel bad if you don’t sound exactly like they do. There are all kinds of good, strong, solid voices. Not everyone has to sound the same.
- Television will suck the natural energy out of your voice. Speak louder and with more energy than usual, but don’t yell.
- If you don’t boost your energy level like you are telling a story in a noisy restaurant, you will sound flat and monotone on TV.
- If you are nervous, you may speak softer and flatter than usual. You need to speak with more range and variety when on camera. If you just speak with more volume, you’ll seem unnatural.
BY TJ Walker
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The Night Before the Big Speech
I am a confident speaker. Very Confident! But even I have my limits. If I had to speak in front of an important audience for the first time and I had to be unshaven, that would shake my confidence. That almost happened to me today. I woke up in Los angeles this morning and went to shave, but half an hour before I needed to leave the hotel, I realized I had left my razor and shaving cream at the beach the day before back in New York. Oops! The clock is ticking and I look like a bum! Fortunately, I was at a first class hotel and house keeping brought me a razor and shaving cream in less than five minutes. I made my speaking engagement with a clean face.
So what’s the lesson? If you’ve got a big speaking engagement, that’s not the time to skimp. Motel 6 and Econo Lodge might be great bargains, but you are unlikely to get a razor delivered in less than five minutes. And that can make the difference between giving the speech of your life and delivering a presentation you’d rather soon forget.
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Bully Pulpits: Speaking Secrets of World Famous Leaders
SpeakCast Tutorial:
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Publisher: TJ Walker
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