Speech Craft

PARTICIPANT'S MANUAL

A PUBLICATION OF

JCI INDIA

National Secretariat Ami Kalash, 2nd Floor, Ami Complex, IC Colony Road Borivali (W), Mumbai - 400

103. Tel.: (022) 28912354, 278913355 • Fax : 022 - 28910807 Email :

ijcns@vsnl.com • www.jciindia.in

Recycle Paper

Contents

Why Public Speaking?

What is SpeechCraft really?

The Conquest of Stage Fright.

Preparing for a speech

Presenting a speech Cliches and avoiding them

Some common mistakes Sir Winston formula

Borden Formula

Know your audience

Some Regular Speeches Welcome

Introduction

Opening Remarks Felicitation Speeches

Reply to Felicitation

Vote of thanks

Humour in Public Speaking

The Ten Commandments of effective speaking

Some popular quotes on Public Speaking

"it takes one hour of preparation for each minute of

presentation time."

- Garne Curgra!!

"A theme is a memory aid, it helps you through the

presentation just as it also provides the thread of

continuity for our audience."

- Dave Carey

"There are always three speeches, for every one you

actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you

gave, and the one you wish you gave." - Dale Carnegie

"No one can remember more than three points."

- Philip Crosby

"The audience only pays attention as long as you

know where you are going."

- Philip Crosby

"No one ever complains about a speech being too

short!"

- Ira Wares

"They expect a professional presentation, so the

expect to see a "'professional.'' Press appropriate[ for

the occasion, but don't be one of the crowd."

- Wess Coberts

What Public speaking means to you

t would be erroneous to presume that Effective

Public Speaking means only delivering speeches

to a huge audience from a podium.

When you successfully undergo a course in public

speaking you will learn the following invaluable

skills, which will help you in making an effective

presentations to even an audience of one.

1 You will learn to marshal your thoughts and present them in a logical sequence

2 You will learn to focus only on your subject.

3 You will learn to use your vocabulary to maximum advantage

4 You will learn to present all your thoughts in as few words as possible.

5 You will learn to describe your points appropriately with the use of facts, examples, parallels

6 You will learn to control your voice and make it pleasant to the ears.

7 You will learn to control and convey your emotions dramatically through your words.

8 You will learn poise even under adverse situations

9 You will appear more presentable, more confident, more mature and more positive to your listeners.

The speechcraft workshop:

SpeechCraft is one of JCI INDIA' most effective

programs and has resulted in developing

hundreds of wonderful speakers. The workshop is

designed to give you all the inputs that can

transform you into impressive speaker. This

manual will serve as a reminder of the sessions

you went through and a reference in future when

you are called upon to deliver a speech for some

occasion

Stage Fright

omebody once rightly said."

The human brain is a wonderful

organ. It begins functioning the

moment you are born and does not

stop until you are called upon to

deliver a speech!" The most

carefully prepared speeches are

never heard because of this mind block

called "Stage Fear" "Nerves" "Topophobia"

What really happens?

When you are seated in the audience, waiting for your turn to

speak, you start thinking,

"I am scared of what might happen"

"My grammar's so bad" "How can I do justice to such a vast

subject in just three minutes?" "Ooh, look at the size of the

audience" "They all seem to be so clever. I'm making a fool out of

myself" "Suppose someone picks an argument with me" "Oh God,

what will happen if I cannot even utter a word" "So many ladies

present, and I did not even shave properly" "So many men! I

should have worn my silk saree" "What will my father / mother/

wife/ husband/ employer / teacher/ sitting in the audience think of

this stupid speech?"

All these thoughts make you a trifle anxious, this increases your

heartbeat, you start breathing faster, and lo, the next thing you

know is that your mouth has dried up, your knees go wonky, your

mind goes blank and you are in the grip of that universal

phenomenon, "Stage Fear"

So, what do you do?

You start wringing your hands You drum your fingers on the

table/podium You tap a pencil or keep pressing the on / off button

of your pen. You scratch your hair You tap your foot or both your

feet You lean on the podium / table You keep removing your

spotless spectacles, clean with a kerchief,

put them on, only to remove them a minute later, clean them.

You fold, unfold or twist your hanky. You fidget with objects placed

on the table You grip the mike tightly You keep pulling your \ears,

digging your nose, or rubbing your

eyes, You keep chewing the locket of your chain You put your

hands in your pocket, or worse, You start jingling coins while your

hands are in the pocket And in short, you have lost your

confidence to speak.

Why does this happen?

When your brain senses your anxiety, it signals the release of

extra amounts of "Adrenaline" an energy giving fluid into your

body to help you combat the anxiety. An inexperienced person

does not know how to handle this extra flow of adrenaline resulting

in any or all the above manifestations of" Stage fear"

How do you get rid of your stage fear?

Ever tried taking a bath in cold water on a cold morning? Isn't the

first touch of the cold water pure torture? After the first jug, the

second is not all that bad, the third one is ok and soon you start

revelling in the tingling, refreshing feeling that only a cold water

bath can give you. Stage fear is something like this. The first

speech is the worst. The first thirty seconds are the worst even for

accomplished speakers.

You can never really conquer stage fear. After thousands of

speeches, accomplished speakers still feel the flutter of butterflies

in the stomach, as soon as they get up to speak. This is a good

sign. It is your body telling you that extra energy is available to you

in case you need it. So the difference between an accomplished

speaker and a novice is that the accomplished speaker has

learned to channelise this flow of energy.

The following tips will help you tackle this phenomenon:

1 Ensure that every speech is well prepared.

2 I repeat, ensure that you prepare, prepare, prepare

3 As you walk up to the dais to begin speaking, try to walk slowly. Consciously take deep breaths.

4 Before you begin, look around the hall. LOOK at your audience. You are sure to find some friendly faces. Address your first words to them. 1 Welcome every opportunity to speak.

2 Get your spouse to critically observe your speech and give you suggestions on improving the next time.

3 Begin your speech with formalities or a good personal anecdote. It need not be very funny. Its main purpose is to help you and not the audience.

4 Never attempt to "by heart" your speech. You are guaranteed to fail!!

So, you have something in common with EVERY speaker in the

world. Remember as long as you are nervous at the beginning,

you can use it to deliver your best.

Preparing for a Speech

here is no such thing as an

impromptu speech. Every speech has to

be prepared. The amount of preparation

depends on the newness of your

subject. For example, if someone were

to ask you to speak about your college

days, you would need less than minute to prepare. I am sure

the "current

political scenario" will need more thinking and

hence more time to prepare.

Most often, when you are invited to speak, your hosts will say,

"Speak on anything. Whatever your favourite is" (In the beginning,

try to get your host to give you a subject. If not, find out what is the

occasion, what is the background, who are the organisers, what is

the objective of their organisation. These should give you enough

for a generalized speech.

When you have a subject:

1 Try and do as much research as you can on the subject. The libraries, the Internet, experts on the subject, newspapers, magazines, even your family are good sources. Try and make notes, even if they are disjointed, after every such interaction.

2 Remember, the audience is not expecting a treatise on the subject. And try as you might, there's going to be at least one person in the audience who knows more than you know!

3 Using the material you have gathered; write out on an essay, as if you have been asked to write an article for a magazine. Remember every speech or every essay has a Beginning, Body, and Conclusion. So, when you write your essay try to sequence it using all the various tidbits of information you have gathered.

4 Read the entire essay once. Use the marker and highlight the main points.

1 Put down the main points on 5"x 3" cards. Number the cards sequence.

2 Now, relax. You do not have to do anything else.

3 On the day of the speech, just carry the cards with you.

4 As you stand up to speak and glance at the card, all the matter you have written in your essay about a particular point will come back automatically to you.

5 Do not attempt to learn a speech by heart. Your memory will play tricks on you and you will end up embarrassing yourself.

6 Even if you know a subject very well, the points written on the card will help you to sequence yourself and deliver the best.

FORMULAE FOR EFFECTIVE SPEECHES

"A well prepared speech is already Nine - tenths Delivered."

Though there are many formulae for this, let us discuss 2 popular

formulae • The Sir Winston Method

• Borden formula

• THE SIR WINSTON METHOD:

The five secrets of speaking the language of leadership.

• Begin strongly: Impress your audience with an opening zinger.

• Focus on one theme: A speech is like a song using a full orchestra. There are many different instruments but it has one dominant melody.

• Use simple language: Toss out the beat -around -the bush' jargon and pick up your pace with personal, colourful language.

• Draw a picture in the listener's mind: Transform dry abstractions into powerful pictures

• End with an emotion: Express feeling from the heart when you cap your speech.

Remember:

Everyftimefyoufspeakf-fyoufarefauditioningf orfleadership.

JamesfC.fHumes B. BORDEN FORMULA:

The use of this simple formula is the difference between good

speeches and very ordinary ones. It can be applied to most types

of speeches particularly those of an informative nature. As the

informative speech is the most common type of speech delivered

today, you will readily agree that the Borden formula is important

to know and follow.

• Ho Hum! In this phase of the formula, you must arouse the audience interest in what you have to say - you must awaken them! In your opening remarks ask a question, tell a story, startle your audience, Use an exhibit. Don't think for one minute that the audience is sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting eagerly for you to speak. They are asleep! Ho Hum, they say -" I wonder what this fellow is going to talk about." So in your first sentence you must arouse them from their Ho Hum! Attitude.

• Why bring that up: In this you must build a bridge -your listener lives on an island, an island of his own interests - you must build a bridge from yourself to that island. The listener says to himself: "You caught my attention with your intriguing opening, but why - bring this subject up? What has it got to do with me?" Here is how a tax expert caught the attention of his audience. "You are probably wondering why you should be worried about VAT. There are a vast number of traders who do not show their true accounts to the government. Under VAT this practice will become virtually non existent. So how are you, an honest tax payer affected? Let us say, at some stage, between the manufacturer, the C&F agent, distributor, super stockist and you, someone did not pay tax or did not

reveal this transaction. Under VAT it would be possible to trace

the exact source and the penalties when found could be

crippling. There could be repercussions in the entire chain.."

Thus you must build a bridge to your listeners. Until this bridge

is built, you are not ready to begin the body of your speech.

• For instance: In this third phase of the formula, get down to cases. Ever since childhood, grandmothers have found that the best way of driving home a point is by way of stories. Let us assume that you have introduced your speech subject interestingly, arresting all "Ho Hums" with your first sentence

-that you convinced your listeners that the subject hits their interest. Now, get down to cases. Make your points with the help of real life, INDIAN or even local examples.

• So What? In this concluding section of your speech, demand action from the audience. The end of the speech like the lead of a pencil should have a point. The conclusion must be more than a forceful leave taking. It must answer the audience's question, SO WHAT? Therefore, in your conclusion, ask the audience for some specific action for e.g.

Contribute

Vote

Write

Buy

Boycott

Enlist

Investigate

Acquit

Convict

End your Speech with request for action.

Know your audience

ry and get to know as much as

possible about your audience, in

advance. Answers to the following

questions will

be of valuable help in preparing and

presenting your speech.

1. How many people will be present ? This will help you know

whether you need a mike. Larger audience demand a little

more formality while, with small audiences you can even be

conversational in your speech delivery.

2. What age groups ?

The young want a little more entertainment than the older

ones.

3. Educational levels ? A broad idea is more than enough. You do

not need not go into too many particulars. They might be

embarrassing.

4. Occupation ? Are you speaking to businessmen?

Professionals? Students? The approach to your speech will

vary, even if the subject is the same.

5. Subject Knowledge ? Is the audience aware of the subject? Has

somebody else handled it in recent times? Is it possible to find

out what he said ?

6. Time ? How much time do you have? Will the meeting start on

time? What else is on the agenda? Will you be required to stay

till the end of the meeting ?

7. Dress: How are members generally dressed?. Are they formal

or casual ? This will help you to be suitably dressed.

The Welcome Speech:

n a Jaycee meeting it is normally

the president who delivers the

welcome speech or the welcome

address as it is formally known.

Some guidelines:

1 Salutation: This is the first formal speech in a meeting. It is the duty of the speechmaker to start building a bridge between the audience and the people on the dais (Incidentally, the stage is called Dais pronounced dayis and not dayas) and so, his salutation will include the names and designations of all the people on the dais.

2 General Welcome: "It is my pleasant duty to welcome you all to this meeting"

3 History: A few words about the past of the event that is happening, "XXX Jaycees was started in the year 1999...."

4 Purpose of the meeting: "In the Jaycee set up, the president of a chapter is elected and holds office for one year We are present here today to witness the installation ceremony of the 19

th

president of our chapter"

5 Individual Welcome: All the people on the dais who are not members of your chapter need to be individually welcomed. The order is first, the most important person for that meeting, generally the chief guest. Followed by the guest of honour, if any, the installation officer, the zone president, zone vice president and so on. Do not begin the individual welcome by saying, "when we went to meet Mr. our chief guest,.." This is irrelevant. Similarly phrases like "Who readily accepted our invitation" "Who has come here in spite of his busy schedule" These are cliches and spoil the impact of your speech.

It would be much nicer to say "We are honoured with the

presence of ..We welcome you Sir". "A long pending desire

has been fulfilled today with the presence of Mr...in our midst, I

welcome you, sir."

1 Specific Welcome: Welcome the VIPs in the audience, not necessarily by name, such as, "The past presidents of our chapter, presidents of the Rotary and Lions Clubs, Pressperson present in our midst.."

2 General Welcome: Once again, welcome everyone present.

�. Conclusion: "I hope you will have a pleasant evening" Thank

you.

It is not necessary to say, "On behalf of . Jaycees and on my

personal behalf" This is another cliche. The fact that you are

standing on the dais denotes that you are doing so on behalf of

your organisation and it does not matter whether you personally

want to welcome someone or not!!!

The welcome speech in the biggest of meetings, should not last

for more than 5 minutes. A normal meeting requires only a 2

minute speech

The

Introductory

Speech:

he objective of this

speech is, apart from letting

the audience know the relevance of the person being introduced,

to build a bridge between the guest and the audience. You will be

given a resume of the person being introduced well in advance. If

not, ask the president for the resume. If he does not have it, there

is no harm in asking the guest himself to give you a copy.

Underline all the points you think are relevant for your audience.

Just as you would in a prepared speech, prepare a 5x3 card of the

main points and deliver as you would, a prepared speech. Some

things to remember:

1 However important the speaker, you will not take more than 2 minutes to introduce.

2 It is an unpardonable sin to READ the bio data of the guest. Don't ever do it.

3 The salutation in the beginning of your speech is to be abbreviated, probably, "Mr President /Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen."

4 Keep the name of the introducee in suspense till the end of your speech

5 Your speech should highlight the achievements of the speaker relevant to his assignments with you. For Eg., when a trainer is doing a program, give his credentials as a trainer. He might also be a successful businessman. Unless his training is business related, you need not give too many details about his business

1 It is a good idea to give some details about his personal background. Avoid the word "happily" when you talk about his marriage!

2 Announce his current assignment in a slightly louder tone at the end of the speech and then his name, even more loudly. "May I present to you, ladies and Gentlemen, the Managing Director of Reliance, Mr Mukesh Ambani"

3 When a person is well known to the audience, spend some time with him before the meeting; highlight a few things that the audience may not know, likes hobbies, his children's achievements.

4 Even when someone is well known, it is incorrect to say "our guest is so well known, he needs no introduction, but I have the task and so for formality's sake." Your job is to introduce, not pass comments. In this case as said before, concentrate on little known aspects of the guest's personality.

5 Avoid the cliches, " None other than" No one else but"

If a speaker is being invited to

speak on a particular

subject, your introductory

speech should loosely

answer the following:

Why this subject,

Why this subject for this

audience

Why this subject for this

audience at this time

Why this speaker for this

audience for this subject at

this time.

Felicitation Speeches:

felicitation speech is

delivered when someone's

achievements are publicly

recognised. While following the

formula given for the prepared

speech, particular mention must

be made of the hardships the

honouree went through to

achieve what he did. This speech

serves to praise the

speaker, appreciate his efforts. Something that he cannot do to

himself! It also serves as a motivator to the audience to emulate

his feats. The honouree's bio data is your ground document. You

need to spend some time with him and get him to talk about his

achievements, before the event.

A full salutation, a few remarks related to the subject and the

honouree are the right beginnings of this speech.

Reply to the

Felicitation Speech:

This speech is given

by the person who is

being felicitated. It is

generally a thank you

speech. A thank you to

the organizers who

honoured him, the

people who helped

him achieve what he

did.

A full salutation precedes this

speech.

Vote of Thanks:

his is the speech which triggers off an exodus to the exits!

So the speech must be short enough for people to catch it before

they leave the hall! 30-45 seconds Max. No salutation. Go straight

to the subject, "I have the pleasant task

of thanking.."

OH God, please Save us from...

Over a number of years, many speakers have used phrases which

have no meaning, are inappropriate; do not reflect the right

emotion, or downright plain silly. They are called cliches. The

following is a small list. I am sure you can add to it: Do avoid them.

They do not add value to your speech. They subtract from its

effectiveness.

In spite of his busy schedule Sparing a few precious moments of

his time When the organizers came to invite me I was.. Unless

and Until None other than Last but not the least Friend

philosopher and guide I am sorry to take up so much of your time

With these words I conclude my speech For making this function a

grand success Thought provoking speech I assure the speaker.. A

token of our love

Some common mistakes we make:

Dais: it is Dayis and not Dayas

A person or an organiser who sponsors is called a SPONSOR.

There is no word in the English language called sponsorer.

It is MEMENTO and not MOMENTO

It is always Ladies and Gentlemen and not Gentlemen and Ladies.

Ladies are mentioned only if there are women in the audience!

Chairman (when it is a man) Chairperson (When it is a woman)

but not chairwoman.

If you are shortening the name of a person - Mr Rakesh Tandon is

either Rakesh (if you know him very well) or Mr Tandon. Never is it

Mr Rakesh.

It is either "Jc Murthy" or it is "Mr Murthy", never "Jc Mr Murthy".

It is always, RISE "for the Jaycee Creed". Not RAISE. The two

words have totally different meanings here.

When you stand before the audience

The audience sees a speaker before it hears him. It also forms an

opinion of him before he says a word. "Timid", or "aggressive", it

may say to itself, or "How poised". Whether these judgments are

valid or not, they are made. Hence a speaker must consider how

he looks to the audience. The following elements help the

audience form an opinion:

• Posture

• Movement

• Gesture

• Eye -contact

• Visual factors

• Dress POSTURE:

You should stand, with your

feet 12-15" apart. One foot

should be slightly in front of the other. This position will enable you

to distribute the weight of your body equally and help you stand for

a long time without feeling the strain. Your body should lean

forward slightly.

Your hands should be loosely resting on one another near your

belt buckle. Your fists should be open. They should look like you

are about to clap, with one hand over the other. Never rock back

and forth on your feet. This easy position of the hands makes for

good gestures or use of notes. Under no circumstances should the

hands be in the pocket or on the hips, folded in front of your chest,

or clasped behind your back. These positions give an

unfavourable impression of the speaker.

The question, "What shall I do with my hands?" is a psychological

rather than a physical one. The answer is, "Concentrate on what

you are saying and the audience will not notice your hands." If

there is a speaker's stand, you may grasp it or rest one arm on it.

But do not lean over it, or drape yourself on it as though it were a

prop to hold you up. If there is a desk, place your notes on it if you

wish. But then stand clear of it. Avoid slumping over stand or desk.

In general avoid stiffness and exaggeration. Strive to be natural.

Movement�

During a speech, only your face, hands and upper body do the

moving. Your waist and legs are generally steady. If it is a long

speech, you may shift your weight from one leg to the other.

GESTURES:

Gestures, that is movements of the hands, body or face should be

meaningful. The good gesture illustrates or emphasizes what is

said, strengthening and clarifying it. A speaker may count off

points on his fingers; he may point with full arm extended to some

object or in some direction. He may outline with his hands and

arms contrasting sizes or shapes. He may let his face mimic an

emotion, a grimace; or he may use his entire body to simulate

some action, such as throwing a ball. Don't think of a gesture as

being just a hand gesture. Get the whole arm, the whole body into

it. Let the gesture precede the word by a fraction of a second.

Don/t be halfhearted in your gesturing. Carry the gesture through

to the end. But avoid making showy gestures for their own sake.

Let the test of the gesture be that it is decisive, significant and

natural.

The amount of gestures you use will depend on your personal

preference. Gestures can be powerful aids to good speaking.

When you rehearse your speeches, practice appropriate

accompanying gestures. After you have tested them, decide

whether you will use them or not.

Exercise:

Work out and practice appropriate gestures for:

1. Contrasting a tiny tot with a sumo fighter

2. I demand to be heard

3. When I see the tricolour flying there.

4. You know what a temple gopuram looks like

E�E CONTACT:

In conversation, we

all tend to look at the

person we are talking

to. Yet in public

speaking, many

beginners make the

mistake of looking at everything but the persons they are

addressing. Looking at the eyes of the audience makes people

feel that you are interested in them. It also gives you more

assurance. Let your eyes sweep around from person to person,

section to section, forward and back, side to side. You need not

keep eye- contact constantly; but do not neglect this excellent

method of establishing and maintaining rapport with your

audience. If you intend to read a quotation during the speech, do

not keep your eyes glued to the page. Take in a half - dozen or

more words of the text, and then look up at the audience as you

say them.

Notes:

There is little use bringing disorganized scribbling to the platform

with you. Your notes should consist of key-words, phrases or brief

sentences. These should be written clearly on small, numbered

cards, which can be kept in order and held unobtrusively in the

hand. quotations should be copied out in their entirety, preferably

type-written, and double - spaced. If you plan to read from a book,

use a large and obvious marker for your place. Neither you nor

your audience will enjoy your search for an elusive page.

DRESS:

The most important thing about your clothes is that they should be

appropriate to the occasion. What you have to wear depends on

the time, place and character of the function apart from your own

preference. The next most important thing is that your grooming

be neat. Untidy or rumpled clothes are as grave a fault as show in

dress.

Generally speaking, for men, you cannot go wrong with a light

coloured shirt and dark coloured

pants. Do colour coordinate

them. Wear the same coloured

belt and shoes with colour of the

pant. For Eg. A white or pale

blue shirt goes well with a black,

dark grey or dark blue pant.

Your belt should be black and so should your shoes. Your socks

should match your shoes (They match your pants only in informal

or casual wear) your socks must be changed at least once every

day. Please do not remove your shoes when you are on the dais.

Your socked feet could probably be seen by the audience. Worse,

the feet smell could put off other people on the dais. An underarm

deodorant is an absolute must especially in summer. Do not wear

garishly coloured shirts. Check with your host in advance whether

a tie and /or Coat will help or hinder. Follow his advice. If you are

wearing a Coat, the front coat buttons must be undone when you

are seated and you must fasten your coat buttons when you get

up. In a three button coat, it is enough to fasten the middle button

in this kind of an exercise. Do check in a mirror. If your belly

protrudes below the button, do fasten all buttons!

Remember to shave and shower before you go the meeting. Avoid

garlic and /or raw onions in the meal before the meeting. Use a

toilet just before your go on to the dais. Use the opportunity to

check on your hair, whether your shirt is tucked in properly.

Use a damp cloth to wipe your face of the shininess of grime or

sweat.

For women, a cotton saree or a salwar kameez suit are ideal.

Underarm pads in a choli will prevent the sweat stains from

showing. A light perfume / deodorant will lend grace. Light makeup

and a neutral shade of lipstick enhance the appeal.

VI. USING MICROPHONE:

Many people are afraid of this little gizmo. It can be your best

friend or your worst enemy. It can lend stature to your voice or

highlight all its limitations

A. TIPS TO USE A MIKE:

• Consider the mike as your friend - after all if it weren't for the mike, the audience could not have heard you.

• Always keep the mike at a level slightly below your lips; and its mid point in level with your chin. Make adjustments before you start talking

• Maintain a distance of approximately 12". This distance

varies, depending upon the mike's �pick up' ability. Your best would be to establish every time a suitable distance and then keep it steady.

• Never let your face be covered completely be the mike. This will hide the animation, smile and enthusiasm which your face is radiating. Only the mike will be seen in the photograph!

• Don't shout. Talk naturally and distinctly.

• Once a mike is adjusted, do not hold it or the rod that supports it.

• Remember you are mostly voice only to the largest portion of your audience. Use your voice effectively and don't worry if you think it sounds queer. 99.9% - it does not

�OUR VOICE:

It is no secret that sound is produced when the air you breathe

vibrates the vocal chords. It is modified and improved through the

movement of your tongue and lips. Ergo, the more control you

have over your breath, the better will be the quality of your voice.

The following exercises will help you take charge of your breath:

1 Take a deep breath. Block your nostrils. Start counting aloud until there is no breath left and you are forced to take in air from your mouth. Stop. Do this over three weeks. From an initial count of 5055 you could go up to 120-150

2 Place a candle on a table about five feet away from you. Blow slowly on the flame from this distance so that it wavers but does not get extinguished. Do this for three minutes daily for three weeks.

3 Count from one to ten, with your "1" being an almost inaudible whisper and your "10" being a Shout at the top of your voice. Count backwards again with "10" being a shout down to

�1" being whisper. Do this three times a day as often as you can.

4 Repeat the words "EEEEE" "AAAA" "OOOO" ten times each every day. They help you exercise your lips in three directions

5 Open your mouth wide. Move your tongue in and out to its limit.

6 Move your tongue around your lips in a circle.

The Pause:

Public Speaking is like writing an essay. In an essay there are

commas, full stops, paragraphs, exclamations and questions, In

Public Speaking these are achieved by pauses. While a pause

conveys a measured tone of voice, it also gives you an opportunity

to breathe and even more important, to marshal your thoughts for

the next point. Some tips:

1 As soon as you reach the podium, don't start talking immediately. Pause. Look around the audience, like a batsman looking around at the field before he faces the bowler. This will take care of some of your nervousness, help you measure up the mood of your audience.

2 When you pause, do so clearly. There must be complete silence. Do not use "Um" "er" as pauses.

1 Pause at every place where punctuation is necessary in a written sentence.

2 Vary the length of your pauses to indicate the transition of your thoughts, the movement from point to point, and so on

3 Use silence as effectively as you would use your speech.

The Pitch:

A speech made in one tone throughout can make it dull and

monotonous. The volume control of your voice needs to vary to

convey different emotions. Anger, outrageousness are best

conveyed at a higher pitch while jokes and persuasive speeches

do no need a high pitch. Varying the pitch also ensure that you do

not damage your vocal chords unduly. When you talk, assume a

normal tone. Raise it or lower it when the occasion demands. If

you begin too high, you cannot keep it up for too long. Start too

low - nobody can hear you.

Emphasis:

When you lay a little more emphasis on some words in a

sentence, it is as if you are highlighting or underling them. The

emphasis is an immensely useful tool in the public speakers

armoury. Look at the following sentence:

Ram married Sita at Ayodhya yesterday.

Now see what emphasis can do to this sentence. Read it again

while emphasizing the words in capitals:

RAM married Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram

MARRIED Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram

married SITA at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram

married Sita at AYODHYA yesterday. Ram

married Sita at Ayodhya YESTERDAY.

Each sentence now carries a different meaning!

When you want to emphasize a word or phrase, pause for 2

seconds, before the phrase, and then say out the word or phrase

in a slightly louder voice. Simple. You have achieved your

purpose.

Humour in Public Speaking:

umour in Public speaking is used to lighten a moment, to

is a fine line that divides an entertaining speaker and a comedian.

The following guidelines will help:

There should not be any non-vegetarian jokes from the podium,

no, not even "eggetarian" Even if there are no women, do not risk

hurting the sensibilities of your audience. Look for CLEAN jokes.

The joke should NEVER be at the expense of any member of the

audience or any person on the dais. Rather it should be

complimentary, if is possible

Do not go for subtle jokes. They do not work in a crowd.

On the banana peel theory, the audience will simply love it if you

make yourself the victim of the joke.

Your joke should not be complex, long. You should not be using

more than six-eight sentences to crack your joke.

Your joke should be relevant to the subject or the point you have

just made or are about to make.

While it is a good idea to start with a joke, it is not strictly

necessary. Likewise the ending.

When you start cracking your joke, you will observe at least one

member whispering your punch line to his neighbour. This is a

particularly obnoxious Indian behaviour trait. Ignore it. There will

be quite a few who have not heard your joke. Even if they have,

there is no harm in repeating it. Remember, "It is not the joke

itself, it is HOW you relate it that makes it a hit"

Speaker's Ten Commandments

Thou shall not commence thy speech with

apologies. Thou shall not fill thy speech with

statistics. Thou shall not be overly sentimental.

Thou shall not exaggerates. Thou shall not be

sarcastic or unfairs. Thou shall not be dulls. There is

no excuse for a dull speech. Thou shall not murder

the queen’s English.

Thou shall not wander !rom the subject. Thou shall

not steal the time o! the audience and shall not be

long – winded.

S C C .