Oral public presentation on a moral topic. How to choose an interesting topic for a speech

Choosing a topic for a presentation is not as simple a task as it might seem at first glance. Sometimes it even seems that those - well, just a million. However, the choice can always be narrowed down. To choose the most suitable topic for a speech, you need to remember and know two things: who your listeners are and what they want to hear. Knowing this, choosing a topic for a speech will not be a problem. Yes, there are some subtleties - but we will tell you about them now.

Steps

Consider Your Goals

    Remember what the speech is about. The reason for which you will give a speech largely determines not only its topic, but even its content. Reason - some kind of holiday? Or, say, a wake? Maybe a ceremony? Or is the performance planned at a corporate party? Be that as it may, here's what to remember about the occasion:

    • If the occasion is an official event such as a funeral or a farewell ceremony, then the topic of the speech should be serious and appropriate to the occasion.
    • If the occasion is something fun, such as having to say a toast at a graduation, then it makes sense to stock up on jokes and tales to make people laugh, and not talk about, say, your own passion for numismatics.
    • If the occasion is a holiday, for example, a wedding, then the performance should combine humor, seriousness and a little bit of sentimentality.
    • If the occasion is a work event, then you should stick to the topic related to work, and not move away from your personal impressions.
  1. Remember what goal you are pursuing. Your goal should be closely related to the reason for speaking. Performances can be held to tell the audience about something, to convince them of something, or simply to cheer them up. A presentation can serve a variety of purposes. The most common targets are:

    • Informing. In this case, you need to stock up on facts and details related to the topic of your speech in order to show the audience something ordinary from a new side, or to tell them about something hitherto unknown.
    • Belief. In this case, you should work out rhetoric, learn how to correctly use metaphors and refer to experts in time. All this will allow you to convince listeners to take this or that action, beneficial or necessary for you.
    • Entertainment. Everything is simpler here - tell jokes, tales, funny stories from life and, even if you are trying to convey some serious morality to them, make them roll on the floor with laughter!
    • Celebration. If you are performing at a celebration in honor of some person or event, your goal is to show the audience what is so special about the hero of the occasion.
  2. Don't forget about unwanted topics. The topic you choose for your speech should be relevant and relevant, and therefore you face a difficult task: get rid of all irrelevant topics. Cope with this task - and your performance, at least, will not lull anyone or offend anyone. Here are some things to keep in mind in this regard:

    • Do not choose complex topics that will be impossible to explain to the audience. If you choose a topic that cannot be clearly explained within a short period of time without resorting to visual aids, the attention of the listeners will be lost.
    • However, you should not choose too simple topics that the audience will understand in 2-3 minutes after the start of your speech. If your topic turns out to be so trivial that it can be explained in two sentences, you will again lose the attention of your listeners. But you don't need that at all! After all, your job is to intrigue your listeners.
    • Again, do not choose too controversial and sensitive topics. Abortions? Firearms permit? Patriarch's watch? In principle, if your task is to convince listeners of something related to these topics, then go ahead and choose controversial topics. However, many will refuse to listen and hear you.
    • And finally, do not choose topics that do not suit the mood of the listeners. Speakers at the festival are advised to refrain from talking about irrigation methods, and those who need to speak to colleagues in honor of the day “insert the name of your profession” should not talk about how grateful you are to your own parents.

    Consider Your Audience

    1. Think about what your average listener knows. To speak the same language with the audience, you need to clearly imagine that the average person from the audience knows about your topic. If you, for example, speak at a congress of writers, then you can afford to pour intricate terms from philology, stylistics and linguistics. It is clear that this will be redundant if you are speaking in front of, say, chess players.

      • If you are addressing listeners who already have an idea about the topic of your speech, then you should not waste your time and theirs explaining the basics and basics.
    2. Consider the education of your listeners. The principle, in general, is the same as in the previous paragraph. Are you performing in front of professionals? Speak in the language of terms and complex phrases. Do you speak to students? Do not crush children with intellect, speak so that you are understood.

      • Again, you can lose the attention of listeners both by talking about something extremely complex and incomprehensible, and about something that they have known for a long time.
    3. Think about the interests and needs of your listeners. What do they need to know? What will interest them? Put yourself in the listener's shoes and make a list of everything you might be interested in. You understand that the audience of teenagers will be interested in something completely different from the audience consisting of their parents.

      • And really, imagine that you are a listener like everyone else, and you are sitting in the hall, listening to your own speech. Let's say if the listeners are teenagers, then imagine that you are a teenager too. Try to look at the topic from this point of view. Are you bored? Do you not understand? It's time to draw conclusions.
    4. Think about the demographic aspect. Among other things, you should have an idea about the age, gender and nationality of your listeners. Roughly speaking, it makes no sense to crucify pensioners about the features of the latest fashion trends. On the other hand, it would be pointless to talk about pension savings in front of high school students.

      • If there are many more men in the room, then it makes sense to choose a theme that is either gender-neutral or male-oriented.
      • The nationality of listeners can give a good clue when it comes to choosing a topic. If the most diverse audience listens to you, then topics related to the relationship of people of different nationalities will do. On the other hand, speaking to people of the same nationality, you should not count on the success of topics such as racial diversity, interracial marriages, discrimination against people of some nationality that is not represented among your listeners, or the selection of some other nationality.
      • Again, the background of the listeners is an important factor. A listener from Sochi may be extremely interested in one thing, but a listener from Oymyakon is completely different.
    5. Think about your relationship with your audience. Speaking in front of friends or family can be much more personal than speaking in front of a room full of strangers. Again, it's one thing to speak to superiors, it's quite another to speak to subordinates. Based on all this, change the tone and content of the speech.

    Consider your own interests and knowledge

      Choose a topic that interests you. If the fire of enthusiasm burns in your eyes when talking about something, you can be sure that the flame will spread to the listeners as well. In other words, the situation is advantageous from all sides: it will be easier for you to tell, it will be more interesting for the audience to listen to you.

    1. Choose a topic about which you know enough. If you are speaking at some professional event, it will be more than logical to choose a topic in which you are, if not an expert, then at least a very “advanced user”, and then your performance will sound at the proper level. However, even in less “professional” cases, you still need to talk about what you understand. You can even make a list of such topics for yourself!

      • Of course, it is not at all necessary to be an internationally recognized authority and luminary in order to effectively speak on a topic. You can take a topic with which you are simply familiar, and then do a little research and supplement this topic with the results.
      • When choosing a topic with which you are not very familiar, be sure that its further study will not be too difficult. You know, sometimes finding information can be very, very difficult.
    2. Of course, you can choose a topic on a more local scale - say, based on city news and magazines.
    3. Moreover, the topic of the speech should be relevant to the audience. Speaking to high school students, you can talk about entering the university, etc.
  3. Choose a topic that resonates with your personal experience. If the occasion allows, then you can tell an incident from your own life related to one or another memorable episode. The main thing is not to tell anything that would make the listeners feel uncomfortable, and watch yourself so as not to start talking too emotionally.

    • Remember that you can add something personal even to a seemingly completely unpredisposing topic. For example, speaking about your own career, it is quite possible to tell some funny incident from life.
  4. Choose a topic that you can talk about. The topic for your speech should be such that you can speak clearly, clearly and convincingly. You need to work with the topic confidently, only then you can achieve your goals. In addition, listeners should trust you as an expert, as an authority on the issue that the topic of the speech concerns. Roughly speaking, if everyone knows that you are the only child in the family, then few will consider your words about how important it is when you have brothers or sisters to be convincing enough.

    • Whatever the topic, you must capture the minds of the listeners. How to do it? Through the words of speech, and only so. Your presentation should be such that the audience, leaving the hall, takes with them a new look at the problem, new thoughts, new opinions. If you can’t achieve this effect by speaking on the chosen topic, then it makes sense to choose something else.

The history of the world has already met dozens of specialists in oratory, whose speeches we still remember. The most recent geniuses of this art were Hitler, Khrushchev, and other politicians who held a campaign speech. More often, it is politicians who give an example of how to turn ordinary speech into something more, an element of history. You should know that writing texts for speeches brings money, because the topic of the speech can be any, including earnings.

But it is not always the case. For example, the last "strong" speech was given by Steve Jobs in 2005, and it was not a presentation of a new product. With the help of oratory, he encouraged students at Stanford University to strive for dreams and about the benefits of looking for opportunities in life's failures. Using the techniques of speech, Jobs touched on vital topics, endearing himself to the audience, and the speech went down in history.

For some, this is a hobby, while someone studies eloquence so that the presentation will receive the highest marks and be useful.

An excerpt from the main part of Steve Jobs' speech

“Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved it. You need to find what you love. And this is as true for work as it is for relationships. Your work will fill most of your life and the only way to be completely satisfied is to do what you think is a great thing. And the only way to do great things is to love what you do. If you haven't found your business yet, look for it. Do not stop. As with all things of the heart, you will know when you find it. And like any good relationship, it gets better and better with age. So seek until you find. Do not stop".

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't fall into the trap of dogma that says to live on other people's thoughts. Don't let the noise of other people's opinions drown out your inner voice. And most importantly: have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know who you really want to be. Everything else is secondary."“Stay hungry. Stay reckless."

If you analyze any speech by Steve Jobs, you will notice that it resembles a conversation - it is very understandable, natural and laid-back. Constant pauses, which are an integral part of speech, give emotionality to the text.

Despite the fact that this speech is considered one of the best delivered in modern times, some experts believe that Jobs lacks the correct gestures and body movements and the speech is not the limit of oratory. But do not forget that for this person this was not an activity, rather it was a hobby and duties, as the owner of the company. By the way, the presentation of new technology always looked very exciting.

Where can you find this art?

Yes, almost everywhere, in everyday life, we are constantly surrounded by such moments. Sports, friendships or other part of your life is filled with them. Maybe you don't always remember it, but if sport is a part of your life for you, then where do you look for motivation? That's right, in the words of athletes when they talk in public about their results. Sport, like business or war, requires motivation.

What is the art of oratory

If the topic of eloquence is a hobby for you, then you can not delve too deeply into the subtleties, but you should know the basic components of a good speech.

  • Preparation. The key to a successful performance depends on your preparation for it. The clothes in which the performance will take place require careful selection.

It is important for a girl not to wear a lot of makeup and to have a modest appearance. This will put the audience at ease and not be distracting.

For men, it is important to look neat and ironed. Show success and confidence, otherwise the listener may simply not attach due importance to the words.

You need to pay attention to the elements depending on your audience. Indeed, for businessmen, money and the high cost of style will be an important element. For schoolchildren or students, a simpler and more casual look is suitable.

  • Introduction. You can start with a story from life or an unusual phrase that should hook the listener. This technique is called "hook". In the speech of Steve Jobs, which we talked about above, the “hook” was used in the form of a joke.

Always use pauses between main parts of speech. It helps to digest what has been said and at the same time you can see the reaction of people.

Oratory is based on the ability to draw images, but only the right images. It should be what can be visually represented, and if it's about numbers, then you need to use slides or translate into something that can be visually measured.

  • Main part. Of course, there are no specific rules for the main part, but a couple of tips can be given. Break the speech into blocks in a logical way so that it is clear where you are moving into another part of the speech.

Do not make a monologue out of the speech, otherwise the listeners will simply get bored and will feel like guests. Ask rhetorical or direct questions, draw someone from the audience into a conversation, you can call on the stage. Ask to do something. Talk energetically.

  • Conclusion. You can end your speech with a beautiful phrase or take a step back. No need to stretch the conclusion and tell something else.

You can emphasize the main thing from the speech and at the end start to lower the tone. Then everyone will understand that the performance is over. The art of ending a speech briefly and clearly requires mandatory practice.

  • Personal examples and stories. Now it is difficult to surprise with some facts or insert something completely new for the target audience into the text of the main part.

Therefore, personal stories are on a par with pauses and images in the foundations of the art of successful performance. Let's say if you are a businessman, it would be good to tell you how you earned your first money. Telling a story from life, you bring the viewer closer to you, give you the opportunity to imagine yourself in your place. And if you write a speech correctly, then you can integrate key points into the story and convey the necessary information to the viewer.

Genre of speech

Oratory is divided into types and a person can delve into any genre. Here are the main directions of this art:

  • scientific genre;
  • political;
  • judicial speech;
  • church genre;
  • other types of eloquence.

Money as the goal of oratory

Currently, trainings and seminars, where the topic of how to make money is discussed, has swept the Internet. Actually, the Internet has contributed to this. He opened up opportunities for earning, and hence for learning. After all, before the main source of self-study was the book.

An example of speeches by millionaires at universities or online seminars in the Internet space - this all relates to business topics, where the main task is to make money. The purpose of these speeches is to motivate the listener, charge them with emotions and the desire to do something. All this is driven by the desire to have a lot of money and be independent. A good way to convert the knowledge of oratory into money is to open a school for the practice and study of eloquence.

court speech

Judicial speech as a genre came to us from ancient Greece. In connection with the growth of the population, politicians studied oratory, and judicial speech was of great importance at that time. The fate of a politician could be decided by the ability to speak in public. In Greece, this skill was trained and paid a lot of money for it.

Since in the courts at that time everyone had to defend himself, citizens who had money paid logographers for the text, and court speech made it possible to avoid punishment.

The court speech, like any other, consisted of an introduction, main part and conclusion. The man thus tried to pity the judges and make them believe that his court speech was not fictitious.

Judicial practice in ancient times was the property of the people, and many people gathered for the court, so it was problematic to speak without proper preparation.

Judicial speech, as a genre, has a place to be and develop in modern times and can bring money to professionals. All prosecutors and lawyers prepare the text of the speech in advance, this is what distinguishes a good lawyer. In order for a court speech to impress the judge and jury, techniques in rhetoric are used.

An example of Lincoln's speech

In 1863, a few months after the bloody battle, Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg Address. There is no need to talk about oratory and attitude to professional rhetoric here, there simply would not be enough space for receptions in it. But the text written by Lincoln, forced to shed tears and cling to the soul

The public speech lasted only about two minutes, but history will not forget those two minutes. As a result, this speech was carved on a monument in the Lincoln Memorial.

“Eighty-seven years have passed since our fathers founded a new nation on this continent, owing its birth to freedom and devoting itself to proving that all people are born equal.”

“Now we are going through the great test of civil war, which will decide whether this nation, or any nation like it by birth or calling, is able to endure. We met on the field where the great battle of this war was fought. We have come to consecrate a part of this land - the last resting place of those who gave their lives for the life of this nation. And that in itself is quite appropriate and worthy.”

“But still it is not in our power to consecrate this field, make it sacred, spiritualize this land. By the deeds of the brave men, the fallen and the living, who fought here, this land is already sacred, and it is not in our modest power to add or subtract anything. What we say here will only be glimpsed and soon forgotten, but what they did here will never be forgotten. Let us, the living, devote ourselves to the unfinished business that these warriors were doing here. Let us dedicate ourselves here to the great work that lies ahead of us, and be even more determined to give ourselves to the goal to which those who have fallen here have given themselves to the end. Let us solemnly swear that their death will not be in vain, that this God-protected nation will find renewed freedom, and that the power of the people, by the will of the people and for the people, will not disappear from the face of the earth.

Historians say that Lincoln decided to write the text for the speech himself, taking as a basis the principle of equality from the Declaration of Independence and relying on the great figures of the past. According to eyewitnesses, the speech was so strong that it made the people believe that all the victims were not in vain, and they are not fighting against other states, but are fighting for the freedom of the people and the future of their native state. Just one text allowed people to unite, like a family, to resist the enemy.

Example of Chaplin's text

Charlie Chaplin's speech test is called in Russian translation "How I fell in love with myself" and became our story and the main speech of a person. He said it on his seventieth birthday.

True, there are rumors that in fact the example of the text could have been written by fans from Brazil. There is no clear evidence that this was the work of Charlie Chaplin, as well as exact evidence of forgery.

Despite this, the speech on the topic of self-love turned out great and deserves attention - this is an example that you can use for your own purposes.

“When I fell in love with myself, I realized that longing and suffering are only warning signs that I am living against my own truth. Today I know it's called "BE YOURSELF".

When I fell in love with myself, I realized how much you can offend someone if you impose on him the fulfillment of my own desires, when the time has not yet come, and the person is not yet ready, and this person is myself. Today I call it “SELF-RESPECT”.

When I fell in love with myself, I stopped wanting another life, and suddenly I saw that the life that surrounds me now provides me with all the opportunities for growth. Today I call it "MATURE".

When I fell in love with myself, I realized that under any circumstances I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens only at the right moment. I can always be calm. Now I call it "SELF CONFIDENCE".

As I began to love myself, I stopped stealing my own time and dreaming of big future projects. Today I only do what gives me joy and makes me happy, what I love and what makes my heart smile. I do it the way I want and at my own pace. Today I call it SIMPLE.

When I fell in love with myself, I freed myself from everything that harms my health - food, people, things, situations. All the things that led me down and out of my own way. Today I call it "LOVE FOR YOURSELF".

When I fell in love with myself, I stopped always being right. And that's when I started making fewer and fewer mistakes. Today I realized that this is "MODITY".

When I fell in love with myself, I stopped living in the past and worrying about the future. Today I live only in the present moment and call it "SATISFACTION".

When I fell in love with myself, I realized that my mind can interfere with me, that it can even make me sick. But when I was able to connect him to my heart, he immediately became my valuable ally. Today I call this connection "WISDOM OF THE HEART".

We no longer need to be afraid of arguments, confrontations, problems with ourselves and with other people. Even stars collide, and out of their collisions new worlds are born.Today I know that this is “LIFE”.

Churchill's public speech (part)

Churchill is a master at writing text for speeches. A speech on a military theme in 1940 did not leave anyone indifferent and provides an example to follow.

“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. We are facing a severe test. Before us are many long months of struggle and suffering. What is our policy, you ask? I answer: to wage war on sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the power that God can bestow upon us; wage war against a monstrous tyranny that has never been equaled in the grim and mournful list of human crimes.

That is our policy. What is our goal, you ask? I can answer in one word: victory - victory at any cost, victory in spite of all the horrors; victory, no matter how long and thorny the path to it may be; without victory, we will not survive. It is necessary to understand: the British Empire will not be able to survive - everything for which it existed will perish, everything that humanity has defended for centuries, what it has strived for for centuries, and what it will strive for will perish. However, I accept my duties with energy and hope. I am sure that people will not let our cause perish.

Now I feel entitled to demand help from everyone, and I say: "Let's go forward together, joining our forces."

Churchill was allowed to write this text by the techniques of the art of eloquence. Historical this text made directness and honesty of statements.

A month after the speech of the ally of England, the Germans defeated and captured, on this subject he wrote another text and spoke with it. Parts of his speech should be found and read, this is a good example if you want to write a speech or your goal is to make a cool presentation.

Sports, friendship, family, hobbies are topics on which you can write professional texts and apply oratory. Examples or parts of oratory texts can be found on the Internet or seen on television. This is a must if you want to write a text that is good for reading and speaking. A book on public speaking will also help with learning, reading specialized literature has made my ability to properly conduct a dialogue, thanks to which friendship with people has become stronger, and a recent hobby has begun to pay dividends.

What is the main cause of fear in public speaking in front of a large audience? How to learn to make fiery speeches and stop being afraid to speak in public?

Hello, friends! Alexander Berezhnov is in touch and I am glad to see you on the pages of our blog!

I know that I have already intrigued you with such a headline and all this will really be in the article.

And how does it relate to public speaking? - you ask.

I assure you, all these tricks are directly related to overcoming the fear of public speaking! Checked by my 7 year old practice.

Public performance- an interesting topic! Note that the title of the article is not "How to Learn to Speak in Public in an Hour (Day, Week)?" because it's actually impossible, it's all a painstaking and gradual process. Who in the subject - will confirm my words.

If you have read the previous articles, you probably noticed that they all have a practical focus. Here my friends and I share our experience and summarize the accumulated knowledge. They are obtained as a result of hard and regular work. And it is not just words.

1. My public speaking experience

In 2010, in the city of Stavropol, we created a club with like-minded people "charismatic speaker", which regularly held classes, invited interesting guests (politicians, businessmen, actors, TV presenters), went out into the "fields" and trained to speak in public, overcoming their fears and complexes.

Today our club has switched to a new format and with colleagues we also conduct trainings in public speaking in youth institutions of the city of Stavropol and the Stavropol Territory. All this is done free of charge. Thus, everyone can improve their public speaking skills.

The topic of public speaking is very close to me. From the second grade, I began to perform on stage, studied vocals and choral singing, performed solo in the city of Stavropol and beyond as a performer of classical and patriotic songs.

Therefore, today I am not only not afraid to speak, but also love to do it very much, I teach these skills to others. He has spoken before several thousand people at city and regional events, held mass actions as a presenter, was a speaker at round tables of various levels, held presentations of projects in different cities, gave interviews on television and radio.

Many of my friends and acquaintances say:

“Don’t feed him with bread,” just let him speak!”

Indeed, public speaking is my passion! I have been doing this consciously and regularly for 7 years now.

Experiment

Before writing the article, I conducted a large survey among my friends and acquaintances (surveyed about 50 people). Among the respondents were people of both public and non-public professions.

I only asked them two questions:

  1. “Do you like public speaking? (yes/no) and why?
  2. What are you afraid of when speaking in public?

It turned out that most people are really afraid to perform. Among the main fears my friends identified:

  • fear of appearing ridiculous in front of an audience;
  • fear of losing the logic of the story;
  • fear of letting your team down(if you are a trusted representative of such a team);
  • fear of "talking too much" from excitement.

As a result of the survey, I found out that there is a direct relationship between the size of the audience, the level of the event and the status of the listeners present.

That is, the larger the audience, the more solid the event and the higher the status of the guests, the more difficult it is to perform in front of such an audience.

Public speaking is as much an art as writing music, writing poetry, carving wood, etc. I would even say that this is more complicated than the examples given, since psychology, the inner mood and the personality of the speaker himself play a huge role in public speaking.

The topic of public speaking is very extensive, it includes a huge theoretical base on the posture of the speaker, appearance, style of presenting the material, the art of speaking, facial expressions, gestures, the ability to hold the attention of the audience, and so on.

I am convinced that all this can only be learned through regular practice.

And in the article we will talk about the psychology of public speaking, and in particular about the fear that many people have at this moment and how to overcome it.

2. Why do most people experience overwhelming fear in public speaking? main reason

So, friends, before you do any business, you need to turn to the theory of this business.

In order to overcome fear in public speaking, you need to know why it occurs.

Fear- this is a protective reaction of the body, which helps us avoid fatal mistakes and threats to life. Moderate fear, or rather, slight excitement is a useful and necessary emotion at the time of our speech. It helps us concentrate better and not lose our train of thought. But excessive fear to the point of trembling in the knees is the main opponent of any speaker!

2.1. So what is the main cause of fear in public speaking?

It's all about our ancient instincts.

Since ancient times, people did everything together, that's how it was easier to survive. Together they hunted and escaped from wild animals. Together they defended themselves from the raids of other tribes. That is, it was not accepted and even dangerous to separate from the team.

And any public speech is, first of all, an expression of one's individuality, most often one's own point of view. Here you just need to stand out from the crowd and be "not like everyone else."

For most people this is very difficult to do.

3. Public installation “Be like everyone else! Don't stand out!"

From early childhood, we were taught to be obedient and humble, fulfilling the will of adults: parents, educators, teachers.

Remember yourself in kindergarten... This is the same secure institution as a school, institute, army and even a prison. Here we went for a walk, for lunch, and attended other collective events. Still, after all, a person is a herd animal and feels uncomfortable alone. And most importantly, it can develop only in society.

Surely you remember the famous fairy tale about the boy "Mowgli", who grew up among the animals. But few people know that modern mankind knows dozens of such examples. This is especially true for India. There, children were lost in the jungle and brought up in animal packs. Wolves and other animals replaced their parents.

Even after they were found by civilized people, such children could never become people in the modern sense. They did not speak, but howled at the moon and ran on all fours. Therefore, it is psychologically very difficult for many of us to accept the very essence of public speaking, especially if we were brought up in an environment of "non-public" people.

Another interesting fact.

Scientists have proven that at the time of public speaking, many people release the same amount of adrenaline as when skydiving.

Fear of public speaking has been found to be second fear after the main thing - the fear of death, and for some it even comes first!

3.1. How can we overcome this ancient instinct?

Friends, the easiest way to do this is simply by realizing that the modern world has changed, new “rules of the game” have appeared. Public speaking, and leadership in itself, has become a very important element of modern people. These qualities are especially pronounced in those who have great ambitions and want to achieve a lot in life.

Friends, remember!

People are afraid to speak in public because of the fear of criticism, i.e. if you are afraid to speak in public - this is a signal, a kind of small call to the fact that you are highly dependent on someone else's opinion and you have self-doubt.

This is very important to know. Since if we want to solve a problem, we clearly need to understand the cause of its occurrence. As a doctor, before treating a patient, he sends him for tests or conducts appropriate examinations in order to accurately diagnose.

So, we have established that the fear of public speaking is common to many people. It is a fact!

Have you ever thought that speaking in public is very useful? This trains your communication skills, erudition, allows you to develop the ability to correctly formulate thoughts and make them more consistent.

You have noticed that many professional speakers are far from poor people, and this is also no coincidence. Remember, we drew a parallel between fear of public speaking and self-doubt. I think everyone understands that in order to earn money you need to be a self-confident person. Otherwise, your success will be very unstable.

So, dear readers, we come to the most important thing!

4. Practical techniques and exercises to overcome the fear of public speaking. "Fast" and "slow" methods

There are basically two ways to solve this problem:

  1. Slow;
  2. Relatively fast (stressful).

Example

You can learn to swim slowly, that is, go to the pool, study with an instructor, wearing a special swimming vest. Then you will gradually, in a few weeks, learn to swim, and this will not affect your emotional state.

The second way is fast, but rather "stressful". I think you already guessed what he suggests.

A person who cannot swim is taken out in a boat to the middle of the lake and thrown out of it. In this situation, the "teachers" assume that the instinct of self-preservation will immediately force the poor fellow to act, and he will learn to swim in a couple of minutes.

Of course, extremes are not always good, but their dosed use clearly helps in life.

How can such an example be projected to overcome the fear of public speaking?- you ask. But this is already interesting.

So, let's move on to the practical part:

4.1. "Slow Way"

I will summarize it in three main principles:

Principle #1: Familiar audience and interesting topic

I suggest starting small. This is how great things begin. Gather at home a few of your friends - like-minded people. You must be doing something together. Whether it's sports, computer games or work.

Agree with them that on the day of the meeting you will present them with very interesting information. Prepare yourself and do it as if you are in front of a large hall and hundreds of people are watching you. Give it your all, don't give yourself any favors!

I also train from time to time. This keeps you in shape. When your friends, acquaintances or relatives look at you, then there is nothing to be afraid of, especially if you speak on a topic that is interesting to you. In this case, your performance will certainly be very worthy.

Principle number 2. Don't compare yourself to others, develop your own personality

I'm sure you've noticed that every good speaker has his own way of speaking. Just remember our Russian comedians: Evgeny Petrosyan, Vladimir Vinokur, Maxim Galkin, Viktor Koklyushkin, Elena Vorobey. Politicians: Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. TV presenters and actors: Vladimir Solovyov, Tina Kandelaki, Vladimir Pozner.

All of them are loved by the audience, but each has its own unique image, which is inherent only to them, thanks to their charisma.

Find yourself, your unique image. The view of your friends from the outside will help you with this. Ask them what style do you perform best in? How do they perceive you? And based on this analysis and your own feeling, develop your own style of presenting a public speech.

Principle number 3. Practice!

Participate in performances, discussions, take the initiative wherever there is an opportunity to speak publicly. If you have time and desire, find like-minded people and create a discussion club. At first, it can be placed at home, and later transferred to the base of your work, study or public organization.

And now we will get rid of fear by stressful methods ...

4.2. "Quick Way"

As I already wrote, there are certain technologies that allow you to quickly get rid of the main problem - the critical perception of others. To do this, you need to increase your stress resistance through certain exercises.

The logic here is very simple: if you can withstand a strong critical assessment of people (necessarily strangers!), Then you can speak in public and not worry about it for sure!

Go!

Exercise number 1. "Cleanliness is the key to health"

You dress up as a cleaner (cleaning lady), take a bucket of water, a rag and a mop, go to the nearest public transport stop, preferably on a weekend, so that there are fewer people on the buses.

Then get on the bus, and saying: "Cleanliness is the key to health", start washing it with your accessories. =) At the same time, you are talking with puzzled passengers and the driver. After driving 5-6 stops, you get off, paying the fare, and repeat this exercise 5 more times. I advise you not to start this exercise alone, as it will be quite embarrassing for you to do it alone.

Exercise number 2.

Surely in the summer on the streets of your city you can find points selling ice cream. Usually this is a refrigerator, next to it there is an umbrella from the sun and a girl (rarely a guy) sells ice cream. Your task is to approach the girl and offer your help in selling her ice cream. Tell us a little about yourself, say that you are undergoing training and this is part of your task.

Compose a quatrain about the company that owns the outlet, then start inviting people passing by with it.

Your main task is to increase sales at the time of your active actions! Do this for 20 minutes. Repeat the exercise 3 times a day at different points.

Exercise number 3. "With a pacifier in the mall"

Buy a regular baby pacifier, put it in your mouth, and go on a field trip to the nearest mall. It can also be a market or similar crowded place. Approach different outlets with the air of an interested buyer. It is best if there are several other passers-by nearby. Stand with a pacifier in your mouth in line for groceries. When it's time to buy, look at the seller without removing the pacifier from your mouth, place an order.

Put the groceries in your bag and move on as if nothing had happened. Watch the reactions of others...

Exercise number 4.

Take the laundry detergent box and pour it into another container. Clean the box thoroughly. After that, pour powdered sugar (crushed granulated sugar) into the box, take a spoon and head to the cafe. It is best if there will be many visitors. Right in front of them, take out a box of laundry detergent with powdered sugar and start eating it with a spoon right in front of people and cafe staff.

Walk around the establishment with a demonstrative view. If you are asked questions, answer them, and at the end of the answer, offer to try your delicious powder.

I myself personally went through the first two exercises, and went through tougher ones, which I won’t write about. I think you get the point.

A lot more can be done based on these exercises. It all depends on your imagination and moral readiness.

I will say that it is best to alternate these methods.

That is, you first give yourself a shake-up, and then speak publicly several times in a row, but already having greater stress resistance. Your level grows and, like in computer games, starting from the first level, in the process of gaining experience, it increases.

I know that many will say, but where do you get the courage for such exercises. Friends, but you wanted to go fast, and for everything fast you need to pay something, in this case, stress. But I assure you that nothing bad will happen to you, and panic fear in public speaking will turn into only a slight excitement that will only help you.

Please take the survey:

5. Video of the most disastrous public performance...

Finally, I present to your attention the video with the most disastrous public speaking in front of the camera. I'm sure you will like it :)

Meet! Petr Polyachkin- speaker of the 21st century! (4:34)

Lecture 8

Questions:

  1. behavior during the presentation.
  2. Compositional construction of speech.
  3. Preparation for the program performance.
  4. Impromptu performance.
  5. How to answer questions.

A business person often has to deal with the need for public speaking. Many people have a natural gift for speaking. Some can make speeches impromptu, without visible effort, easily speak at any moment, giving pleasure to themselves and listeners.

Another extreme. This is a neglect of the preparation for the speech of overly self-confident people who rely on their experience or refer to being overly busy with other issues.

It should be remembered that a well-prepared public speech is, on the one hand, a sign of respect for the audience, and, on the other hand, an opportunity to declare oneself as a good specialist and an interesting person.

Tune in to the audience. Determine if the content of your speech meets her interests.

Carry yourself confidently during your speech, showing strong conviction in your words.

Start talking only after silence has been established.

Start your speech with a brief address to the audience, followed by a short pause.

Introductory words should not be loud. Watch for clarity of speech. Do not pronounce it quickly and monotonously.

During the speech, look at the audience (do not look at one point!). Watch the audience's reaction.

Move on to the presentation of the main issue after you manage to achieve a positive reaction from the audience.

Maintain self-control throughout the performance. Do not pretend that speech is difficult for you, that you are tired or insecure.

Do not enter into a discussion, even if provocative cries are heard from the place. They shouldn't be out of balance.

At critical moments of the speech, it is necessary to speak with particular conviction and confidence. It is useful to smooth out the sharpness with a few compliments to the listeners.

If the audience is tired, start talking lower, then raise your voice.

At the end of your presentation, thank those present for their attention.

2. Compositional construction of speech

1. Introduction.

2. The main part.

3. Conclusion.

Main goals each part:

1. Introduction

tasks

Generate interest in a topic

Establish contact with the audience

Prepare listeners for speech perception.

Techniques for attracting attention:

Appeal

Statement of the purpose of the speech, an overview of the main points to be discussed

Reception of complicity

Addressing events unknown to the audience



Return to the speech of the previous speaker

Appeal to known audience sources of information

Humorous remark

Questions to the audience, etc.

2. Main part

Summarize what has been said

Increase interest in the subject of speech

Emphasize what is said

Set tasks

Call for immediate action.

Methods

A brief recap of the main issues

Generalization of what has been said

Specifying perspectives

Illustrative ending

3. Preparation for the keynote speech

Write the way you speak, not the way you write.

Enclose phrases in brackets that can be omitted if necessary.

Include 3-5 sentences in each paragraph.

Use mostly active verbs, not passive ones.

For example, avoid: "We have opened five new branches."

Better: "We opened 5 new branches."

Limit the number of words in a sentence.

The speech should be typed at two intervals in a readable font. Between paragraphs - 3 intervals.

Underline words or phrases that you attach particular importance to.

Write numerical names (all numbers) in words.

The presence of a synopsis is obligatory, but one must try to speak not only according to the synopsis.

Accurately fix the time (regulation).

Reading without preparation, you can lose contact with the audience;

2. Preparing to read from the spot

This is also important when moving to a new paragraph, paragraph.

A paragraph is not transferred to another page in the same way as a sentence. Don't turn the page in the middle of a thought.

Use only one side of the paper: a thick stack of paper does not mean a long speech.

Number the pages (preferably in the right corner of the sheet).

Remove staples before speaking, do not staple pages.

Do not use slang words and terms.

Eliminate obscure and meaningless definitions and adverbs:

noticeably justified

excessive relatively

quite significant

approximately partly

minor significant

better sufficient

Get rid of verbal cliches and superfluous words:

currently better:

at the moment "now".

Remove expressions like:

as a matter of fact

Honestly

i have to add

interesting to note

attention needs to be paid to this

this should be remembered

worth saying

can i get your attention

let me say etc.

Simplify tenses of verbs: "we go, we went, we will go" instead of: "we would go, we're going to go."

When using a quote from a book, use the present tense: Leo Tolstoy reminds us. Chekhov talks about it, and so on.

4. Impromptu performance (immediately, without preparation)

Narrow the topic down to what you can talk about. Take into account the audience.

Think about the main idea or points you would like to make.

Decide what the conclusion will be.

The danger of impromptu speaking is that you don't know when you're done. "A few words" can turn into incoherent rhetoric if you don't have a clear conclusion in your head. Before you start talking.

Start with a main statement that will let the audience know what you are going to talk about.

Preparation and opening statement should take no more than 15 seconds (after proper practice, you can reduce it to 5 seconds).

When reviewing your presentation, answer the following questions:

Did you stick to the topic?

Have you highlighted the points that you have outlined?

Was the conclusion strong?

5. How to answer questions

Question types:

- neutral, usually requiring information or explanation;

- friendly, changing the attitude to what was said (for example, “I agree with what you said, but what can we do?”);

- antagonistic(hostile). Usually used as a prologue to arguing or disagreeing with what you have said (for example, "Do you mean that ...).

Keep the following in mind when answering questions:

Don't look arrogant. Answer questions calmly and accurately.

Show those who ask hostile questions that you understand why they feel this way about everything, let them know that you have nothing against them personally and would like to find a common language with them.

Listen carefully to the question. Repeat or paraphrase it to make sure you understand it and that every listener can hear it.

If necessary, divide the question into several parts and answer each separately.

Answer briefly and to the point.

If the questioner interrupts you, pause and let him finish, then continue with your answer, but do not let him distract you from the essence of the answer. If the person keeps interrupting, don't start an argument.

Link responses to your speech (“Like I said…”).

Don't let one or two listeners monopolize question time.

It is very important that each person creatively approach the preparation and delivery of oratory speech, use their natural data, individual capabilities more fully and widely, and skillfully apply the acquired skills and abilities.

Many of you are wondering: How to choose a topic for a speech in the Oratory Club?

There are at least 2 ways:

The Public Speaking Club knows successful examples of speeches prepared in both ways. In any case, the topic of your speech should captivate you, inspire you and, of course, should be related to the art of public speaking, rhetoric, eloquence, communication in order to interest other members of the club.

In addition, remember that people come to the Public Speaking Club to learn how to speak in public, keep fit, train and improve, so those presenters who give everyone the opportunity to speak are greeted with special gratitude.

The world of oratory is beautiful and multifaceted, and you can formulate countless topics of interest for speaking, studying, discussing, arguing.

We have prepared a hint to help you navigate.

5 main sections, each of which has a kaleidoscope of important subsections and fascinating topics:

1. Monitoring the state of the speaker
How not to worry during public speaking?
- speaker's energy

2. Sound (How do we speak?)
- The sound of speech (breathing, voice, speech rate, articulation, diction, intonation, etc.)

3. Video sequence (What do we show and how do we look?)
- Stage movement, gestures, demeanor, image
— How to use visual materials (projector, whiteboard, etc)

4. What are we talking about?
- Culture of speech + Style (we understand this very broadly: purity and literacy, beauty, expressiveness, creativity)
- Improvisation (both verbal and just a reaction to unforeseen circumstances. Here is humor and the ability to joke)
- The structure of the performance (Laws of composition)
– The content of the speech (Invention of ideas, topoi, laws of logic)
- Expressiveness of speech (lexical, syntactic, phonetic).
- Conciseness
— Logic

5. Interaction with the audience
- Attracting and controlling the attention of the audience
- Answering questions, managing a complex audience, neutralizing public terrorists
– Theory of the dispute (argumentation, etc.)
— Effective speech (how to make your speech effective, achieve the desired goal - to convince, induce to action)

Now the list of the most relevant topics for speeches in the Oratory Club is as follows:
1. Energy of public speaking
2. Speed ​​of speech
3. The role of pauses in public speaking
4. The speaker's vocabulary is the key to success
5. Ways of inventing ideas for public speaking (Topos)
6. How to answer questions (including "difficult" ones)?
7. Storytelling
8. How to give compliments correctly