In the modern world, the key to success is mastering the skill of public speaking. This is a special art in which every person can rediscover himself. He will speak beautifully and correctly, feel confident in front of any audience, and be interesting in communication. Of course, there are people who are born with this ability, but there are very few of them. Therefore, a person deprived of God’s gift should not worry; if desired, he can learn oratory. Age does not play a special role in this case, because it is never too late to acquire new knowledge and skills.
Of course, there are professions that simply oblige you to thoroughly learn art of oratory. These include politicians, judges, teachers, actors, announcers, etc. Even if you do not consider yourself to be in these categories, such skill in any case cannot harm you. Apart from the benefits, there can be no talk of anything else. It can be useful in life, for example, when applying for a job, and when making new acquaintances. Thus, this art can provide an invaluable service in a variety of situations.
What is public speaking?
This is the art of the living word. A person who owns it can easily convey thoughts to others. At the same time, his sentences are beautiful and clear. He feels confident because his speech is attractive and interesting. This is exactly what oratory teaches. The degree of mastery of it may vary, but you need to work on yourself in any case. Often in life we are faced with situations when we have to think about how to say or answer a question. To look convincing, you cannot do without important techniques of special skill.
Oratory and rhetoric participate in the formation of style and logical statements. They help avoid unwanted pauses and develop memory. Ordinary speech turns into attractive and is filled with the necessary emotions. A real speaker is always more interesting to the public than one who does not know how to correctly formulate his thoughts. In addition, timely arguments and facts contribute to the successful resolution of controversial issues. And this is a kind of guarantee of the best way out of conflict situations. Untrained people will only rarely be able to formulate their phrases clearly and correctly at the right moment.
History of oratory
The chronicles of oratory are transferred to Ancient Greece. It was here that great craftsmanship was given close attention. This is where the roots of stylistic patterns and the development of speech come from, because before the advent of writing, thoughts were expressed orally.
Greek orators skillfully influenced the public because they mastered the laws of logic and the rules of oral speech. They were able to achieve that eloquence served as their main weapon from a political point of view. Oratory, being the queen of the arts, could very effectively influence decisions in public affairs.
It was in Ancient Greece that the first school of oratory. Its outstanding masters were Demosthenes, Philocrates, Hyperides, Aeschines and other public figures. Among them, Demosthenes was able to achieve the highest achievements. Without his contribution, it is difficult to imagine oratorical practice and the basics of the theory of rhetoric, where the word was given great importance. People learned from his speeches not only in ancient times; the surviving theories are still relevant today. They are part of the golden fund of rhetoric as a separate science.
Speaking to an audience
Visual perception and appearance
When speaking in front of an audience, the speaker must prepare not only his speech, but also diligently work on appearance. It's no secret that a speaker is first greeted by his appearance. It has long been proven that appearance plays an important role in the first impression. Based on statistics, 55% of the persuasive power comes from the appearance of the speaker and visual perception listeners, for tone of voice - 35% and only 10% for words.
Listeners are first and foremost spectators. They will look at the speaker very carefully. Especially the female half pays close attention to detail. The outfit, hairstyle and demeanor will not go unnoticed. A person who is insecure, ill-prepared or indecisive quickly becomes noticeable. The public will not want to concentrate and delve into the essence of it speeches. And no matter how hard the speaker tries, it will be very difficult to win over the audience.
Maintaining attention
The art of oratory This is precisely the ability to deliver a prepared report or a speech constructed on the fly. A true master knows how to quickly navigate and construct logical sentences. In addition, he knows how to attract his listeners and interest him in his performance.
For maintaining attention the speaker uses special techniques that allow him not only to win over, but also to tune in to the same psychological wavelength. In this case, gestures and facial expressions, voice and intonation play an important role. After all, it is one thing to listen, and quite another to be heard. The famous poetess M. Tsvetaeva also spoke about this. Under no circumstances should the public be given the slightest reason to be irritated.
Contact with the audience
The speaker's speech is mostly a monologue. However, the speaker needs to be able to find contact with the audience. He must try to establish a connection, even an imaginary one. Only in this case can he count on a response. A good speaker is able to sense the mood of the audience and adjust his speech at the right moment. It is as if he reads the thoughts of the listeners and does not allow them to be distracted from the information being presented. This is similar to a mental dialogue in which the other party does not say their wishes out loud. In turn, this does not distract the speaker, but does not exclude two-way communication.
So art public speaking- This is an imitation of live communication. It is difficult for a beginner to achieve this, but it is quite possible when mastering basic rhetorical techniques. Among them: direct appeal to the audience, filling the speech with emotions, adhering to conversational syntax. Don’t worry in advance, everything comes with experience, you just need to make an effort and patience.
Another important means of establishing two-way communication is eye contact with the speaker. If you read the prepared text and don’t look up from the paper, the public’s interest will quickly disappear. In this case, the speaker independently builds a wall that protects him from the audience. It is not recommended to look at one corner or the ceiling. Only by looking from one listener to another can the speaker count on uniting the audience and achieving the effect of communication, even at the mental level.
You need to be able to read the reaction in the eyes. In this case, the speaker will be able to control the audience. As soon as he notices the first signs of listener fatigue, he can use one of the proven methods to relieve the audience. For example, this could be a recollection of a funny incident, an insertion of an aphorism or a proverb. It is advisable that they be close to the topic of the speech. You can even step aside from the report and tell a funny joke, winning over the audience. Emotional release when tired will best recreate a friendly atmosphere. All this will allow us to continue the performance, the interest in which will only increase.
Oratory in other types of speech communication
The multifaceted art of oratory includes not only speaking in front of a large audience, but also conducting a dialogue with an interlocutor, debates, discussions, and other types of speech communication. At the same time, the speaker’s speech should always amaze with iron logic, but at the same time be sincere and sensual. Only in this case can you count on the listener’s interest and disposition.
In any verbal communication, you can show oratory and leave an indelible imprint, a good opinion and earn respect by impressing with an interesting conversation. In this case, important importance is paid not only to the literacy and erudition of the speaker, but also to his emotionality, interest and ability to listen to his interlocutor. Of course, natural abilities also help with this, but the experience gained, speech culture and intelligence are not secondary.
Public speaking training
Anyone can learn public speaking. The main thing is to have a desire and focus on results. You should not be afraid of difficulties that may arise during the learning process. Only patience and diligence will bring the expected results. Even many famous people who were able to achieve success in speaking, initially encountered difficulties. For example, Margaret Thatcher managed to change her shrill voice, which was naturally so. Her hard work studying acting has paid off. The French politician Mirabeau learned to present memorized texts in such a way that they began to seem like real improvisation.
Public speaking training can be done independently, but in specialized schools and centers classes will be more effective. Developed programs and psychological trainings are popular ways to get rid of the fear of speaking in front of an audience, develop thinking and memory, replenish conversational skills and gain self-confidence. Here you can learn to formulate thoughts correctly, quickly interest the listener, gain artistic skills and speak beautifully on any topic, including impromptu. Experts will teach you how to choose the right intonation and skillfully use different speech techniques. They will talk about how to benefit from communication, introduce unproductive conversation patterns and reveal ways to avoid “uncomfortable” questions.
What is a good speaker?
Master of Oratory is the person who easily masters the living word and can, with its help, influence an interlocutor or an entire audience. Speaking about such a professional, one cannot fail to mention the high level of speech culture. Good diction eliminates any unclear pronunciation of words and individual sounds. The speaker is pleasant and easy to listen to because there are no tongue twisters or lisps. The power of the voice is manifested not only in volume, but also in the mental impact on the consciousness and will of the listeners. In other words, the speaking technique of a real speaker is approaching perfection.
An accomplished speaker skillfully uses various techniques. For beautiful speech, the use of popular expressions, well-known proverbs and sayings is of great importance. When they are unexpected, but said to the point, the speech seems more interesting and better remembered. Speaker's speech culture always judged by the richness of his vocabulary. The more words a professional has in his arsenal, the more interesting it is to communicate with him. And if, in addition to all this, the sentences are laconic and well-constructed, observing the accuracy of word usage and language norms of pronunciation, then such a speaker has no price.
- Anyone can learn public speaking. At the same time, it is important to tune in to luck and under no circumstances deviate from your goal.
- You should never show your excitement to strangers, much less talk about poor preparation.
- Avoid monotonous speeches, take the right pause and highlight the right words. Don't forget about intonation when raising and lowering your voice.
- Spend more time on training; it is advisable to rehearse a prepared speech at least 3 times.
- Try to interest the audience from the very beginning of your speech by coming up with an intriguing title.
- When speaking publicly, try to connect with your audience.
- During your speech, change your position and use gestures.
The main advice is this: to master the art of the living word, you need to learn to think beautifully.
Hello, dear reader! Let’s meet, my name is Oleg Bolsunov.
- I am a public speaking coach. This is a job and a hobby. More about me
I won’t write about how important it is to have public speaking skills now. I’ll just write that a successful person is a speaker. Why?
- Because speech is an important tool of a MODERN SUCCESSFUL person.
- Each of you, I am sure, buys a mobile phone with the maximum number of useful functions: so that he can not just call, but also take photographs, shoot videos. So? And this no longer seems excessive.
- This is how any employer wants to hire employees. with the maximum number of useful functions. Skill protrude, do presentations, reports – useful feature, do you agree?
Dear reader! Please click on the Google advertisement and read on. Thank you very much!
Is it easy to learn public speaking?
Various people enroll in my Public Speaking courses. Both confident people and insecure people. But after a while they are already good speakers.
And one hundred percent.
That's why I know that learning public speaking is easy. Any person with any data.
Don’t believe those people who tell you that learning rhetoric is difficult.
- It is as difficult and at the same time easy as learning to ride a bike, swim or cook in the kitchen.
- For a long time I believed my friends that only a select few can learn to play the guitar. Until I was 18 I believed. And then I bought a guitar and within a month I was playing quite well. After another half a year, I was one of the best in my dorm.
I also heard that a speaker needs some innate data and abilities. For example, charisma or self confidence…
Yes, they won't hurt.
It's all good. But most often people come to me without these qualities. And they get excellent results.
By purchasing along the way and charisma and confidence…
Need data. But others. At least a slight sense of pride and a little self-discipline.
Openness to knowledge, a positive attitude towards work and a desire for development are also useful...
About teaching public speaking
The famous proverb says that you can lead a donkey to water, but no devil can force him to drink. 
No matter who teaches us, no matter how he teaches us, we learn ourselves. And depending on how much knowledge we need, we learn.
There are two main elements in any training: theory And practice.
- They will be discussed in more detail at the end of this article.
Without theories It is possible to learn, but it is difficult. Theory helps to quickly master knowledge and quickly master practice. Without practices learning is even more difficult. Knowledge without practices- Just gossip, which are gradually are forgotten. Alternately receiving knowledge and securing them on practice, we learn any skill.
Later, when the skill is learned, we do not remember the knowledge and do not control our actions - we just do it.
Public speaking is not a simple skill.
It requires practical exercises related to speaking in front of other people.
- You can do exercises by yourself, in front of the mirror.
- Possible - before video camera.
But in this case, it is useful to periodically find practice in speaking, at work, at meetings, at parties.
One way to organize practice is to gather a group of friends who are also interested in mastering public speaking and learning together.
This happens often. Friends or colleagues who might be interested are interviewed. Those interested are usually found. And after the first meeting, rumors about cool leisure bring even strangers. This brings so much pleasure that other entertainments are put aside.
You can study together with a friend. And, alternately, be a demanding teacher and a talented student.
It is very welcome to gather family evenings and do exercises with your family.
This is not only an interesting and useful family leisure activity, but also strengthens trust and understanding between all participants in family performances.
But if you still study on your own, that’s also good.
So where should you start?
Self-instruction manual on public speaking
1.Theory.
- 1. How to perform without these mistakes.
- 2. oratory.
2. Practice.
Lesson #1.
Read any of these parables:
Stand in front of the mirror and tell any of them in your own words. At the same time, without making mistakes (using the theory that I advised you).
If you are already doing well in front of the mirror, turn on the video camera.
A webcam, for example, or a video camera on a smartphone.
When this turns out well, tell this parable to one of your friends.
Next time you can do the same with any story(news) from the Internet.
Here's an example. The most ordinary story told by the most ordinary person:
- And subscribe to our YouTube channel. There are many interesting videos there.
The public speaking self-teacher is practical lessons for independently practicing public speaking skills. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to fit all of my 15 years of speaking experience into one article, but even if you implement what I shared here, you will significantly improve your level of skill as a speaker.
Lesson #1. Worry about your health
If you have thin and crooked legs, if you have three hairs and bulging eyes, if you have no voice, be proud - you are a MASYANYA.
Excitement is a feeling familiar to almost all beginning speakers. But in essence, there is nothing wrong with being worried. On the contrary, the presence of excitement is an indicator that you are responsible for your performance. If you didn't care, you wouldn't worry so much. I think all great speakers feel nervous at the beginning of a speech. And the larger the audience, the greater the excitement. Even though I have to perform, I feel nervous every time before going out. Personally, my knees are shaking. But this trembling goes away 3-5 minutes after going on stage. One speaker said about this: “Two minutes before going on stage it’s easier to shoot me than to go out into public, but five minutes before the end of the performance it’s easier to beat me with a whip than to kick me off the stage.” The excitement goes away as soon as we start performing, we start talking. The main thing is to endure the first 3-5 minutes. Then it becomes much easier. For more information on how to stop performance anxiety,
Lesson #2. Piano in the bushes
A piano in the bushes means the presence of homemade preparations. When you have homemade preparations that look impromptu, you amaze your listeners with originality, speed of response, and the audience enjoys it.
Sometimes in lectures I ask a question to which the audience knows the answer. And he gives it one hundred percent. To which I put my hands on my belt and ask in bewilderment: “How do you know this?” Or, when they compliment me, praise me, I say: “From now on, more details, please.” Usually this causes laughter, smiles, people get pleasure and joy, which attracts them to my performances.
Homemade preparations are not only a stock of some phrases. These can be anecdotes, stories, popular expressions, metaphors, analogies, and poems. Whatever is appropriate at the moment. Sometimes lecture participants come up to me and talk about their problems. To which I have a prepared story: “It could have been worse...” When I tell it, they benefit, laugh, are surprised at my reaction to their situation, and most importantly, they understand that everything is not as bad as they thought.
How to find blanks? Listen to other speakers and notice when the audience laughs or likes something. Read literature and note the points that you liked. Collect parables, anecdotes, aphorisms and make notes on what topic they are suitable for, so that at the right moment you can pull your piano out of the bushes.
Lesson #3. Use everything at hand
An experienced speaker is distinguished by the fact that he can weave any subject or event into his speech. This makes the performance lively and interesting. It feels like everyone in the audience is participating, and the audience enjoys how the speaker uses everything for good. For example, someone sneezed. You can say: “Thank you for your support, I’m telling the truth!” If your mobile phone rings: “By the way, how can a mobile phone be used in our business or in this matter?” If someone from the audience shouts out the desired answer to a question you asked: “It’s so nice to be surrounded by professionals, people who understand what the essence of this problem is.”
When I conduct public speaking trainings, to practice this skill, I invite participants to complete the following exercise. During the presentation, training participants show any object that they have at hand. And the speaker’s task is to insert this subject into his speech. Don’t just state and name it, but weave this subject into your speech. After performing such exercises (when you are deliberately and deliberately interfered with), participants begin to feel much more confident.
Once, during a public speaking training, a cockroach crawled onto the board during a speech by one participant. We must give credit to the speaker. He was not at a loss, but applied it in his speech: “As soon as you start talking about benefits and benefits, new people appear who want to use our company’s products!” He used a cockroach in his speech, did not get confused, did not falter in surprise, but, on the contrary, made an advantage out of it. The audience reaction was amazing. Everyone complimented the speaker on his use of the cockroach in his speech.
Use different objects or events during your speeches and weave them into your speech!
Lesson No. 4. Touch all channels of information perception
In psychology, there are three main channels of information perception: visual, auditory, kinesthetic. Conventionally, people with different channels of information perception are called: visual, auditory and kinesthetic.
Visual learners are people who primarily perceive information visually. With the help of pictures, images. In order for them to better perceive information, they need to draw on the board, show or depict something. They need to see everything with their own eyes.
Auditory learners are people who primarily perceive information through hearing. They care what you say. They want to hear more than see. They perceive information better by hearing.
Kinesthetics are people who perceive information through sensations and feelings. In order for them to better perceive the information, they need to be given a chance to try, smell, feel, and hold in their hands what you are talking about.
Lesson #5. Get ready for performances
Most people want to gain confidence, determination and composure when performing on stage in front of an audience. One way to achieve this result is to prepare for performances.
Self-confidence is directly proportional to the time spent preparing. The more time you prepare, the more confident you will feel in front of an audience. Good preparation drives away fear. Going on stage unprepared is the same as appearing naked on stage.
An excellent teacher, writer, speaker, businessman, millionaire Vladimir Spivakovsky lives and works in Ukraine. A unique personality whose performances touch the heartstrings of everyone who listens to him. One of the secrets of his successful performances is that, despite the fact that he is not constantly in public, he spends the rest of the time preparing for the exit: he incubates ideas, realizes and retests them. He is preparing for his performances.
In order to feel confident, you need to prepare for your performances.
Lesson #6. Rehearse
-Is it possible to not prepare and perform well? – I asked one legendary speaker.
-Can! - he answered. And he continued: “Once I attended a celebration in one company.” I was invited to the stage as an honored guest, hand over flowers. One of the organizers offered to give a farewell message to the employees of this company. I asked: “What should I focus on?” They answered me “Whatever you want.” - “How much time do I have?” - "How many you want!" There was no time to think. And I gave a short but fiery thirty-minute speech on the benefits of positive thinking. And although I spoke without preparation, the audience was delighted with what they heard and thanked me for my performance.
— How do you manage to speak at seminars without preparation? – I asked the next question.
“Vitya, it turned out well only because I have been speaking on this topic for a very long time and I have a lot of experience,” he replied.
If you have extensive lecturing experience, if during your speech you choose your words easily and freely, if you are able to impromptu, then you have no need to prepare. But if the situation is different, then it’s probably worth paying attention to preparing for performances.
So it’s still better to prepare for your performances. As they say, “Genius is 99% work and 1% talent.” And if you want to work successfully with the audience, you need to pay attention to your speech even before going on stage. When you are ready to speak, you know what you are going to talk about, you feel more confident.
Once your thoughts have taken shape, rehearse your speech from start to finish. When giving a speech, imagine that there are listeners in front of you. Present them clearly, and when you actually find yourself in front of an audience, everything will seem familiar to you. The more often you do this, the more confident you will feel when you have to perform.
If possible, speak in front of your family, loved ones or friends. Is there anyone around? You can retell the speech to your pets. For example, a cat or a dog, or a parrot.
It will be good if you record your speech on a voice recorder. I don't recommend it on a video camera. When you see it from the outside for the first time, it causes embarrassment and discomfort. If you are looking at yourself through a video camera, try to ensure that you are alone in the room.
You can do a “cold” rehearsal. When you are standing in line or riding in public transport, you can ask strangers to listen to your speech. This way, you can practice and at the same time attract people interested in your performance to your business.
How to rehearse
- Rehearse to remember ideas, not words
- Rehearse out loud
- Rehearse from start to finish every time
- When using visual aids, rehearse with them
- If possible, rehearse with your audience.
Lesson #7. Reflect
Only after you have done the job do you understand where you should have started.
It should also be noted: was there a sequence of presentation, or were there jumps and repetitions? Have examples and stories been provided for all points? Have the main points been explained? Did you express your thoughts clearly and clearly? Did you manage to attract and retain the audience's attention? And so on. By analyzing your speeches and the speeches of other speakers, you can significantly improve your public speaking skills.
Lesson #8. Speak so that everyone can understand you
Avoid technical terms and phrases in your speech. Special terms may be accessible only to specialists in this field, and others may not understand your words and tune out your speech. Use simple language. But if you used a term in your speech, be sure to provide the necessary explanations.
In the movie “I Robot” there is a wonderful dialogue where a female doctor speaks in scientific language, and her interlocutor asks her to say the same thing in simple language. The dialogue is like this:
-Tell me, Doctor Kalven, what do you do?
-First of all, I’m developing the psychology of the robot. True, I’m still developing an interactive interaction interface and a program for complex interaction of technical modules.
- So what are you doing here?
-I'm trying to make robots look like people.
-What couldn’t be said right away?
Speech must be accessible if you want the person to think about making a decision, and not about what he just heard! There is no need to admire the fact that you know some scientific word. Our task is for people to understand us and make a decision immediately after our speeches, and not to think about our speech, as we beautifully and floridly expressed ourselves. You can read more about this.
Lesson #9. Repetition is the mother of learning
“Repetition is the mother of learning”- says popular wisdom. After all, listeners are practically like children. Sometimes a five-year-old child needs to repeat a phrase several times for him to hear us: “Olya, put on your socks... Olya, put on your socks... Olya put on your socks...”, “Seryozha, tidy up the toys...”, “Seryozha, tidy up the toys...”, “Seryozha, tidy up the toys...”. And only then, most likely, he will hear you. The same is true in oratory. In order for the audience to hear you, understand you, and get the meaning that you convey, it is necessary to say this several times. There is an opinion that the listener perceives 15% of the information the first time, 75% the second time, and only the third time perceives it completely.
If you want to convey some important information to your listeners, do it several times. Say your thought, idea over and over again. Maybe in other words, but do it.
Two righteous men lived in one village. But people went to listen to sermons only to one righteous man, and from the second, after listening to him once, they left for the first. And the second righteous man decided to find out from the first what his secret was. He comes and asks: “Why do people come to you and stay with you, but always leave me? What are you telling them? The first righteous man replied: “First I tell them what I am going to say. Then I tell this in detail. And then I repeat what I said before.”
The presentation follows the same pattern. First, we state what we are going to talk about (products, business opportunities), then we talk about it in detail, then we summarize and call people to action.
If you remember the scheme of a motivational speech, then it can be done according to the following scheme: thesis (the main idea that you want to reveal) – example – conclusion. The conclusion must be drawn after the examples and stories told. Sometimes listeners lose the main idea or idea behind the stories. Therefore it should be repeated. You can use the same words, you can use different ones, but it’s definitely worth repeating. So, once again: statement, example, conclusion (repetition of the statement).
I know the founder of a company, a brilliant speaker and motivator. Listeners always listen to his speeches with enthusiasm. One of the techniques that he often uses in his speeches is the technique of repeating basic, main thoughts. Sometimes its repetitions immediately follow the statement of the main idea. For example: “In our company you can have a residual income of 2, 3, 5 thousand dollars a month.” Further he reveals this idea and shows how. And at the end he repeats again: “ So let's summarize. In our company you can earn residual income of 2, 3 and even 5 thousand dollars per month. To do this you need to do this and that. Take action!”
So let's summarize. In order for your listeners to 100% assimilate your thoughts and ideas, they must be repeated several times during the speech. And always remember, repetition is the mother of learning.
Lesson #10. Make your speech expressive
Expressiveness is the verbal design of speech. The main task of working on an expression is to find “the only necessary placement of the only necessary words.”
Thoughts that are not put into a worthy verbal form are not able to spark interest, create a mood, awaken a response thought, a desire to act, that is, they are not able to influence the audience. Aristotle wrote: “It is not enough to know what should be said, but it is also necessary to say it as it should; This helps a lot to ensure that the speech makes the right impression. Expressiveness is a means of influencing the audience. Expressiveness makes a thought clearer, more visible, and, therefore, touches emotions and thereby helps to realize the plan. The more complex the subject, the greater the degree of clarity should be. In addition to clarifying ideas, expressiveness maintains contact with listeners and holds their attention.
Read more about how to make your speech expressive.
Lesson #11. Be emotionally resilient
One of the most important skills of a speaker is emotional stability during speeches. Unfortunately, we don't always perform in ideal conditions. The audience can be different, the room may not be very prepared for lectures and seminars. Imagine, you are giving a presentation, the door creaks open and three more people come in. They take their seats. They didn't say anything, but they attracted attention to themselves. Not only did the speaker look at them, but the whole room looked at them. When they pass, then you can continue the performance. If the speaker is greatly distracted, does he forget what he was talking about, where he stopped? How to make sure you don’t lose your thoughts and remember where you stop? The easiest way to do this is to keep your attention on your presentation, and not on those listening. Yes, you paused, but your attention is on the performance. They passed, you told an anecdote to regain the attention of the audience (and to gather yourselves), and again you continue your speech.
How to train your attention? You can do this exercise in pairs with someone: everyone reads their poem line by line, one line, another line. Everyone tries to read their poem from beginning to end. At the same time, you listen to what your partner is saying, and at the same time, you need to continue telling your poem further. If you get lost, it's okay. Start reading your poem again. And so you recite the poem until you get confused when someone interferes with you.
If you have no one to train with, you can turn on the radio, TV, stereo system and start reciting poems. Use volume to regulate the level of your emotional stability. The louder it is, the more resistant to disruptive interference you will be. Having trained in this way, you will feel much calmer and more confident, even if during the performance there will be rustling noises, mobile phone calls, and someone else will be talking. It won't distract you.
Lesson #13. Create pictures
Very often, listeners easily perceive our information in the given image, the created pictures that we draw in our speeches with words. This is especially important if we present information that is difficult to understand.
When the disciples asked Christ why he spoke to the people in parables, he answered: “Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, and they do not understand.”. He compared the Kingdom of Heaven to leaven, to a net thrown into the sea, to merchants looking for pearls.
Another example. If you want to give your listeners a clear idea of the size of the country, do not estimate its area in square kilometers, but name the cities that could be located on its territory and compare its population with the city where you are speaking. Listeners need to create pictures and images. Explain the unknown through the known. Read more about creating pictures and images during performances.
Lesson No. 14. Have an appropriate image
“They greet you by their clothes...”- says popular wisdom. Is it true, “...guided by the mind”. Why does the audience meet the speaker by his clothes? After all, he has such a bright soul, he is kind and decent. He wishes only the best for people. Why do they look at what he looks like? The fact is that everything new, everything unknown in people, just like in animals, causes fear. Fear of the unknown. A speaker we don’t know comes on stage. He hasn’t even gotten to the microphone yet, hasn’t greeted the audience yet, hasn’t given them a compliment to win over the audience, but we can already see him. “The process has begun” in our unconscious: what kind of person is this? What to expect from him? Does this person pose a threat to me, evil? Or does it bring me goodness, prosperity, prosperity, wealth, success? If a person is evil to me, then his speech would sooner end. And if there is prosperity, wealth, success, then, probably, you can and should cooperate and interact with it. And those sitting in the hall begin to perceive the speech coming from the speaker, when the unconscious gives a signal: everything is in order, everything is fine, you can listen to him. So, thanks to the appropriate image, we win over the audience and make listeners want to perceive our information. I will write a separate article about how appearance affects speech perception. Stay tuned.
Lesson #15. The most important lesson
Many people talk about wanting good health, but who actually gets on the treadmill in the morning? Many people talk about wanting to lose weight, but who actually goes to the gym? Many people talk about wanting to change their lives, but who actually tries to do something? Many people have the desire to perform confidently, but who actually takes the stage?
Perform as often as possible! No matter how many books on athletics you read, it will not make you run faster. In order to run fast, you need to train, get on the treadmill and run. No matter how many books you read about how to learn to swim, you will not learn to swim. It is necessary to train in a pool, on a river, in a pond. As they say about this: “You can’t learn to swim by sitting on the shore!” The same thing happens with performances. No matter how many books on public speaking you read, it will not make you a better speaker. In order to perform well, you just need to perform more often.
A reporter once asked the greatest hockey player, Wayne Gratsky, what made him the most successful player:
— You are very effective, what does this mean, what are your principles?
- I'm just playing, the rules are known
— How do you calculate the probability of a hit, what underlies your actions?
- You know, I don’t calculate anything, because I use a single point of view when playing.
- Which one?
“I know exactly in which case I won’t end up.”
- Well, which one?
- If I don't hit!
The secret of the most productive player in hockey is that he tried to throw the puck into the opponent’s goal as often as possible. And the more attempts he made, the more goals he scored. In other words, he didn't think about how to throw, he didn't read about how to throw, he just made throws. The same thing happens in baseball, and in basketball, and in football, and in other sports.
There is an online joke about this.
A newcomer asks his sponsor, who easily makes effective “cold contacts”
— How do you manage to have such success with “cold contacts”?
— It’s very simple, I like a person, I approach him and ask: “Are you interested in becoming a sponsor for others?”
- They can, of course... and send you somewhere.
And suddenly, with a satisfied grin:
- But they agree more often!
To successfully conduct “cold contacts”, they must be carried out and dealt with. To sell easily, you need to practice sales. It's the same with performances. Take advantage of every opportunity to perform. When young people, students, and high school students come to my trainings, I am happy that they learn about many ideas at such a young age. And they have huge performances to go into adulthood with stage presence. Personally, I started performing when I turned 25 years old. How much time I wasted! If I still spoke in educational institutions, I would definitely be a real Cicero or Demosthenes. Perform as often as possible! Get on stage and speak! Stand up and speak up! And remember: “The money is on the stage!”
Conclusion
So, the public speaking self-instruction manual is a set of practical lessons and recommendations on how you can independently improve your public speaking skills. By putting these tips into practice, you will significantly increase your professionalism as a speaker. True, this will take some time. It all depends on your learning speed.
If you want to quickly master the skills of highly paid speakers, then follow the link here: https://goo.gl/78GryW
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Founder of the business community “New Generation of Speakers”
P.P.S. Speakers are not born, they are made.
Oratory (eloquence, the art of eloquence) is the art of public speaking for the purpose of persuasion. Oratory is a harmonious combination of rhetoric, acting techniques (presentation) and psychological techniques. Oratory and the properties of oratory are studied by the science of rhetoric.
Natural eloquence
Manifestations of natural speaking ability are often found in everyday life. Let's imagine a situation: one person walks along the road, not seeing the danger threatening him, and another, raising his voice, warns him about it. Another example. One person falls into the water, and another raises a cry for those around him to come to the rescue. Examples of natural eloquence can be found in villages, where people communicate loudly and emotionally, almost shouting to each other (“across the street”), or in the market, where everyone communicates something about their product. Such manifestations of eloquence do not require special preparation. The voice in such cases rises naturally, under the influence of feelings and appropriate circumstances.
Oratory
There are situations when a person needs to say something beautifully and convincingly, but the necessary emotions are not present at the moment. This requires special self-management skills, which can be acquired through the practical application of oratory techniques. Oratorical eloquence, as a special form of art, arose in ancient Greece. No other ancient culture - neither Egyptian, nor Akkadian, nor Chinese, nor Indian - pays such close attention to oratory as the Greek, and does not provide high examples of the substantive and stylistic perfection of dialectics and the art of the spoken word. Oratory teaches how to make ordinary speech oratory. The traditions of modern oratory take their origins from the ancient rhetoric of Ancient Greece and Rome. However, modern techniques of oratory are based on the conditions of the technical development of mankind. Thus, the speaker today is assisted by sound and visual means, which makes his speech more effective than hundreds of years ago.
Properties of oratory speech
Oratorical speech is a type of monologue speech used in a situation where the speaker addresses a large audience with the goal of persuasion. The speaker’s speech has its own characteristics of composition and style, as well as a special relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic means of communication. There are several main qualities that distinguish oratory from other types of speech.[edit | edit wiki text]
The speaker addresses the people with an oratorical speech - not only to convey information to the listener, but also to receive a response in the form of interest (to convince) or some kind of action (to motivate). Such speech always has a propaganda character. To do this, the speaker must be inspired by the subject of his speech and put into it what he considers necessary and useful for his listeners.
In order for a speech to touch and interest the audience, the authority of the speaker or his special psychological mood is important. To induce listeners to take some action, the speaker, first of all, makes an effort himself, which requires special effort of will. This effort is felt in the speaker’s speech and is transmitted to his listeners, prompting them to action.
The influence of the psyche on the quality of oratory speech
SOME PRINCIPLES OF SPEAKING
"Speak differently from what is convenient for you to speak,
and in a way that is convenient for listeners to perceive"
Any business has its own rules. And in oratory too. The rules of oratory come down to managing the elements of speech, as well as using various speech techniques and principles to make the speech understandable, interesting and, as a result, more influential. Let's talk briefly about some principles of oratory.
Forget about yourself, get busy
This is the principle of confidence. An insecure speaker is preoccupied with himself. He is worried about the thought: what if they think badly of me? His excitement is voracious and eats up part of his attention - which is why the constrained speaker stammers and gets confused. Nothing except our own attitudes prevents us from being as liberated in front of an audience as we are at home. Get excited about the performance and you won't be left to worry.
The speaker is the master of the situation
Some speakers behave as if they have done something wrong or have not learned a lesson - they flinch at every remark from the audience, strive to answer in detail any inappropriate question and wait for further instructions from the audience. A deplorable sight.
We must remember that during the speech the speaker becomes the leader of the audience, so he must lead the audience, and not follow their lead. This does not mean that it is necessary to embody the dictatorial style - to be rude and strict. You should be gentle with your listeners, but resolutely go about your business. The speaker must control the audience and boldly implement his plans - listeners must see that the speaker knows what he wants.
If you don't excite the audience, the audience will engage with you.
There is this type of speaker - “nudists”. These are the ones who do not perform, but are boring - muttering nonsense under their breath for a long time. It seems that they have only two goals - to tire the audience and test the patience of the listeners. Usually, kind listeners interrupt the “nudist’s” speech with the question: “Can I pay you to leave us alone?” The angry ones hit (therefore, the “nudist” must be agile - be able to dodge flying tomatoes and run fast). The patient audience rewards the tedious speech with thunderous applause for the fact that it has finally come to an end. The audience needs to be captivated.
The principle of the performance
People love spectacles and vivid sensations. They are willing to pay for concerts, theatrical performances and attractions. Therefore, the audience, deep down, is waiting for an interesting show to unfold before them. This expectation of listeners must be met. A powerful performance entertains the audience and meets their expectations. Sluggish speech makes them feel like they are wasting the time of their lives. Turn your performance into an interesting performance.
If you want to be interesting, be interested
This principle echoes the previous one. If you express your thoughts indifferently and in an indifferent tone, then such a speech can hardly be called historical. Such a speech will be forgotten soon after it is delivered. Therefore, to make the speech interesting and impress the listeners, you should try when speaking. Add enthusiasm to your speech.
The principle of diversity
When we hear thunder, it means that we also hear interrupted silence - we perceive not the sounds, colors and phenomena of the surrounding world themselves, but the contrasts between them. The more contrasts (diversity) there are in speech, the more attention it attracts. Variety should be present in all elements of speech (except for diction - diction should always be clear): you need to speak brightly in some places, and moderately in others; with different emotional shades; sometimes louder, sometimes quieter; sometimes actively gesturing and moving, and sometimes standing still; changing the pace of speech - faster and slower; tone of voice - higher and lower. Also use pauses of different lengths and so on. Varied speech resembles a picturesque landscape, in which there is a purple sunset and blue sky, forest and mountains, lakes, hills, copses, etc. Such speech is attractive and you want to listen to it and listen to it, in contrast to the monotonous one, reminiscent of a desert to the horizon. Speak in a variety of ways.
Responsibility for misunderstanding lies entirely with the speaker
For whatever reasons, the listeners do not understand the meaning of the speaker’s speech - even if the listener has a slow brain and is distracted - the responsibility for the misunderstanding lies entirely with the speaker. This is an axiom. If a speaker makes statements to the audience: “Is it really not clear?” or “how stupid you are!”, then he is, to put it mildly, wrong, because, in this way, he is trying to shift responsibility onto the listeners. Speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood.
Complaints to listeners are inappropriate
As a rule, the majority of listeners are sane and disciplined, but sometimes among them there are aggressive, talkative and drunk people who distract and interfere with the performance. Of course, sometimes a careless student can be expelled so as not to interfere, but most often this approach is inappropriate. No matter how obscenely the listeners behave - fidgeting, making noise, asking unnecessary questions - you should not make complaints to them: they say, stop distracting me, or how difficult it is to communicate with you! No matter how hyperactive or indifferent the audience may be, they must be handled tactfully. Just as it is not the brick's fault that it is a brick, it is not the listener's fault that they are who they are. Be condescending to the audience, like a gallant gentleman to a lady.
Run out of topic, not your audience's patience
They say that time is money. In fact, time is more than money, because time contains everything we have - our whole life lies in time. Paradox: it is generally accepted that stealing money is bad, but taking away a person’s time by distracting him or making him wait is not shameful. To bore your audience with a boring performance means to steal a piece of their life. Finish speaking before your audience wants you to.
Principles are vectors that set the general direction. It is important to use the principles of oratory art appropriately and dose them correctly, depending on whether you are speaking at a lecture, at a rally or at a meeting.
Content:How many people there are in the world, there are so many levels of upbringing and education, different characters, opinions and worldviews, as well as the ability to evaluate current events. The speaker should overcome stubbornness and indifference, delusion and ignorance, resistance: active and passive. If you have a large audience listening to you, then your speech should be slower and louder. It is necessary to remove everything unnecessary and unimportant. Good choice of expressions and short sentences can enhance the impact of your speech on the audience. A speaker is a person who can and should win the attention, trust and sympathy of listeners. Public speaking lessons are fundamental rules. With their help, you will increase your impact on your audience.
Speech technique and voice
1) Perfect, clear and beautiful pronunciation is the basis of clear, free speech.
2) The beauty of the spoken speech depends on how clearly you pronounce vowel sounds in combination with clearly sounding consonants, and intelligibility is achieved by the full pronunciation of all sounds by the speaker.
3) Speech fluency can enhance both the clarity and beauty of spoken words.
4) Select the volume level and speech tempo in accordance with the acoustics of the room where you will speak. If there are more than seventy people listening, speak slowly and loudly.
5) Use short sentences, watch the expressions you pronounce, discard everything unnecessary and unimportant. This will increase the impact of your speech on the audience.
6) Refining your language is the most important condition for mastering the art of eloquence, so “clean” your vocabulary: eliminate all vulgar and ordinary expressions.
8) Avoid any carelessness, be fluent in your .
Persuasiveness is very important in public speaking. But “don’t go too far.”
The speaker and his audience: success with the public
1) Choose the topic of your speech wisely and master it perfectly.
2) The person speaking will be able to capture the attention of the audience and influence their minds. If he links his speech to a topic that is interesting or exciting to the listeners.
3) Always address the audience. Then the performance will not be a monologue. The speaker makes it feel like he has a keen interest in the listeners.
4) A charismatic speaker composes his speech in an engaging and dynamic style. Moreover, he never speaks in a cold, indifferent tone.
5) Your speech will be valuable to listeners if it serves to support or implement any practical idea.
6) A real personality behaves correctly both towards the enemy and towards the friend. Even despite religion, nationality, political views, financial and official position in society, gender and age.
7) Your confidence and calm are no less important than the words you say.
8) When studying public speaking lessons, remember: if you trust yourself, then your listeners will trust you too.
9) An eloquent speaker has the ability to evoke the imagination of his audience.
10) The public consists of different people: each has their own level of education and upbringing, character, and outlook on life. Therefore, you need to overcome delusions, ignorance, indifference, stubbornness, active and passive resistance on their part.
11) Present yourself as a person who can win attention, trust and sympathy.
13) You must have an understanding of the purpose for which you are speaking and what you are calling the audience to.
14) It is advisable for the speaker to provide for all those conditions that promote harmony and an optimistic attitude.
15) A speaker will achieve success if he is able to put himself in the place of another person. And also to look at things through the eyes of another.
16) Despite your criticism, severity and reproach, you still must make people feel that you are friendly and treat them with sympathy.
17) If the speaker is a positive creative person, but is attentive and does not get distracted from the subject of conversation, treats listeners with sympathy and maintains presence of mind, then success is guaranteed.
Thinking and discussion
1) The main idea of the speech is its soul. Strive to reveal it consistently in your speech. And direct all reasoning to reinforce and complement the key idea.
2) You need to organize your thoughts and feelings. Only in this case will they line up in a logical sequence.
3) The speaker should constantly imagine what he wants to achieve.
4) If the topic of the speech really “catches” you, then it will be much easier for you to express your thoughts and concentrate on the subject of the conversation.
5) Public speaking classes, in most cases, consider expression as the force that moves thoughts. It is she who is in close connection with us.
6) All thoughts, all images must be directed towards one single goal that the speaker has set for himself. And you must consciously remove everything secondary that does not relate to the main topic of the speech.
7) Learn calm reflection. The transition between thoughts should be smooth. This way you will achieve balance in expressing your thoughts.
8) Control the direction of your thoughts with your consciousness. The ability to concentrate is based on a person's willpower.
9) The discussion is a business exchange of opinions. During such a process, each speaker must reason objectively.
Address the audience, listen to the opinions of viewers
10) You should speak only on the given topic of the speech, avoiding any useless deviations to the side.
11) Remain calm if the listener expresses an opinion that does not coincide with yours. Oratory lessons contain the law of difference. No two people can have the same opinion. It gives the speaker confidence and also makes it possible to evaluate each statement on its merits.
12) Any speech by a speaker must have a purpose in which the points of view of people will be explained and the disputants will be reconciled.
13) It is necessary to behave decently. You are given the floor not at all to express your dissatisfaction with this or that person, especially one who is absent.
14) Listen carefully to other people. Reflect on what has been said and start speaking yourself if you are sure that every word you say will be said to the point.
15) The speaker needs to speak concisely, refraining from long and drawn out introductions. So start speaking in . Precise statements will add spice to your discussion.
16) Get used to expressing your beliefs energetically and figuratively. Do not humiliate the person who expressed the opposite opinion.