Oral and Written CommunicationSession 1
Steve Seepersaud
Steve’s No. 1 rule in public speaking
DO NOT READ YOUR
SPEECH!
Psychology of public speaking
• You’re nervous for good reasons.
• Almost all of us feel this way.
• Doesn’t have to be perfect to be good.
• Optimal level of arousal.
Dealing with nerves
• BREATHE!
• It’s okay to be nervous.
• Accept, rather than push away.
• Preparation can help calm nerves.
Key talking points
• What are your main messages?
• Think about 2-3 key talking points.
• Make them known early.
• Reinforce throughout the speech.
Keeping things simple
• Know your material.
• Study; don’t memorize.
• Be conversational.
• Don’t script things out too much.
A-B-C rule of public speaking
Audible
Brief
Compelling
Four C’s of public speaking
Core message
Confident
Clear
Conversational
The audience
• Your message; their needs/wants.
• Smaller gap means better experience.
• Substance may remain constant.
• Form tailored to the audience.
Audience analysis
• What do we know about them?
• Demographics are important.
• What is the knowledge base?