THE WONDERS
OF
PUBLIC SPEAKING
THE ASSOCIATION OF CATHOLIC STUDENT COUNCILS
6550 WAVERLY ROAD
MARTINEZ, CA 94553
www.tacsc.org
THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Students should leave this workshop knowing:
 Purpose of public speaking
 WWOWW
 Recipe for a great speech and tips
 Introducing a speaker
 Making announcements
Overview of the workshop:
This workshop will focus primarily on the techniques, goals and needs for public speaking
within the realm of student council. Beginning with the basic strategy of getting a message
across, the seminar will proceed to flesh out all the specifics of making a speech, introducing
a speaker, making PA announcements and using the telephone. While each of these methods
of public speaking have their own nuances and “things to remember,” a few basic themes—
essential to almost any form of communication—will be reinforced throughout the
workshop. These themes will include: keeping a message concise; tailoring the message to
the correct audience; and including pertinent information (Who, What, When, Why, Where,
How).
Workshop outline:
I. The Basics
A. The goal of public speaking – The student council should be clear about why it is
addressing an audience and should also be aware of how many times the student body has
been addressed in the last few weeks. The more often the students are addressed, the less
likely they are to respond enthusiastically or even listen to the message.
1. Why are you speaking?
2. What do you want to say?
3. What medium (podium, microphone, etc.) would best serve your needs?
4. When was the last time chosen medium was used?
B. WWOWW
Who are you speaking to?
-
Make sure your speech is written with the entire audience in mind. Consider the
possibility of making two addresses (if the project involves the entire school) one
to the younger grades and one to the faculty and higher grades. In this way,
understanding is maximized.
Why are you speaking?
-What reason does the student council have to command the attention of the student
body? Are you describing an upcoming project or activity? Are you simply trying to
promote school spirit and inspire the student body? How general or specific is the
topic? The answer to these questions will dictate the medium, content and format of
the address?
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
What’s the Occasion?
- What event or activity is being promoted? How specific do you want to be with
the details and particulars about the project? Is the council far along in the
planning of the activity warrant to the address? All of these factors must be
considered when the student council decides to speak to the school.
What do you want to say?
-
What does the speaker want to say? It’s not enough to know why, once all of the
“whys” have been answered, the content of the message must be carefully
thought through. Attention must be given to the audience (age, grade, etc.), to
the undertones of your message and to the dynamics of the group. The council
must speak to everyone!
What do you want to accomplish?
-
What does the council want to accomplish? The council must consider, once
again, the ultimate goal of the message:
To clarify?
To inspire?
To express concern?
To Foster Involvement?
If all of these questions are answered, the student council can get the most out of every
opportunity it has to speak publicly. Furthermore, the council can avoid “getting on the
soapbox” too often.
II. Speeches 101
A. Speech recipe
1. Introductions:
a. Grabber – Gain attention with a hook and establish rapport
b. Thesis – Introduce your perspective topic and give the audience
a reason to listen
2. Body: Main Point with Interest Element
a. Provide evidence to substantiate thesis
b. Limit to insure clarity. Four to five main points and one verbal
interest element per main point.
3. Conclusion
a. Review of main points and thesis
-Reinforce main ideas
-Summarize presentation
b. Call to action
-Give audience method to use information
-Encourage active participation
c. Concluding Grabber
-Create memorable impression
-Close presentation
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
B. Better speech tips & checklist for successful speeches
1. All communication is local – When you get right down to it, right down to the bedrock
of any piece of communication, the audience is sitting there thinking, “Now where does this
subject fit into my life?”
2. Where’s the beef? – Presentation starts with content. When content disintegrates or fails
to make sense, delivery suffers. Delivery alone, no matter how dramatic, cannot carry a
presentation. If you want to improve your delivery, crank up your content.
3. You’ll never miss with “you” – It increases the connective impact of your speech.
“you” is the most personal word in the English language. Only one word comes closer – the
name of the person you’re talking to.
4. The eyes have it – Eye contact is the most powerful tool a speaker can use. If you don’t
make eye contact, you might as well put in on e-mail it on the bulletin board.
5. Don’t point out your own mistakes – You are the expert on your topic during the time
your speech is made.
6. Be yourself – Your audience will forgive your nervousness, but they will be turned off by
false modesty or bravado.
7. Be confident – A speaker’s poise and confidence communicate as effectively as the
words that are spoken.
C. Analyzing your audience
1. Determine why you’ve been asked to speak and select and appropriate topic
2. Identify your expected audience
- Note characteristic of majority (old/young, professional/nonprofessional)
-Determine styles of communication (audience’s style/your style)
3. Find out when and where you speak
- Time of speech (after lunch, end of day, etc.)
- Order in which you speak (1st, 3rd, etc.)
- Select number and type of interest elements.
- Plan seating arrangement
- Determine where to set up visual aids
- Plan walking movements
- Test equipment
4. Determine what your message will be.
D. Interest Elements in Public Speaking – Your audience will find it difficult to remain alter,
attentive and involved without these interest elements:
1. Vocal quality – vary pitch, rate and loudness. Establish conversational manner
2. Humor – Analyze your natural style. Consider appeal to audience.
3. Stories – Select to pertain to topic. Limit length.
4. Analogies – Use to convey abstract ideas. Select those that are readily understood.
5. Quotations – State accurately. Select from an established source.
6. Visual aids – Determine type based on audience size.
7. Gestures – Use to underscore message. Use to illustrate your words/points.
8. Walking pattern – Choreograph your verbal message. Choreograph movement according
to audience.
To determine which of to select, consider your natural style.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
E. Controlling Nervousness
1. Prepare and the unexpected will be less likely to rattle you.
a. Discover your presenting environment
i. number of people attending
ii. room set-up
iii. time you are speaking
2. Combat physical reactions to nervousness through physical controls
a. Move about before presentation
b. Move about during presentation
c. Hide nervous twitches
d. Use diaphragmatic breathing to increase oxygen flow, thus controlling the
following nervous manifestations: tight chest, shallow breathing, unwanted change in
vocal pitch, lapse in memory.
e. Use Binaca or citrus fruit to keep the right amount of moisture in your mouth.
3. Develop mental strategies
a. View presentation as an interpersonal conversation.
b. Establish eye contact with friendly faces
c. Move eye contact as comfort level increases.
d. Interact with audience prior to presentation.
e. Make personal reference to individuals with in the audience.
Remember – Even the most seasoned, professional speakers get nervous. But the
professional uses the nervous energy to create spontaneity and spark. Now you can be like
the brow. Use the positive aspect of nervousness without being overwhelmed by the
negative.
F. Listening to and evaluating speeches
1. Why good listening skills are important
- According to communication Professor Ralph G. Nichols, immediately after listening to a
speech, we can only recall half of what was said. After several days, only about 25 percent of
the speech stays with us – if we don’t forget the whole thing.
2. How listening is defined
a. Listening starts when you sense the information from its source.
b. Listening involves the interpretation of messages – emotional and intellectual
barriers to listening
i. not paying attention
ii. misinterpreting a message
c. Listening involves evaluating what you hear.
d. Listening involves responding to the speaker’s message.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
3. The FACE-IT solution for effective listening
a. Act like a good listener – It is important to change your physical body language
to form one of a receiver, much like a satellite dish. Your face contains the most
receptive equipment in your body, so it is only natural that you should tilt your face
towards the channel of information
b. Make eye contact – Your eyes will complete the eye contact that speakers are
trying to make. A speaker will work harder at sending out the information when they
see a receptive audience.
c. React to the speaker – Your fact must move and give the range of emotions that
indicate whether you are following what the speaker has to say.
d. Open your mind – Processing information is difficult when you argue mentally or
judge what the individual is saying before he/she has completed.
4. Evaluating public speeches
a. Criteria for evaluating public speeches (see interest elements in public speaking)
b. Learn the art of criticism
5. Ethics of responsible speech
a. Understand the power of the lectern.
b. Speak truthfully and be certain of your facts.
c. Be willing to rock the boat.
d. Avoid excessive and inappropriate emotional appeals.
e. Use credible sources.
f. Never try to be purposefully ambiguous.
g. Choose current sources
G. Three Types of Speeches
1. Prepared speech – This type of speech involves a great deal of preparation (days,
weeks, or even months. The speaker may have revised the final speech several times
before delivering it to the audience.
2. Extemporaneous speech – This type of speech involves little preparation. Usually
a speaker is given some notice (say 15 minutes) to prepare a speech that must be
approximately two minutes in length. The speaker should not write his/her speech
word for word, but rather get down a main idea and create bullet points to support
the main idea.
3. Impromptu speech – This type of speech has little or no preparation. A speaker
will have to think on his/her feet to fill up the allotted time that he/she will be
speaking.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
III. How to Introduce a Speaker
A. Before the speaker arrives
When you invite a speaker, always let him/her know the following information:
1. The fee for his/her appearance (including/excluding travel and lodging expenses)
2. The theme for the occasion.
3. How long he/she should speak.
4. Where he/she will appear on the program.
5. How many persons will speak beforehand, how many afterward and who they will be.
6. The lengths and titles of the speeches preceding and following his/hers.
7. How many people will be in the audience.
8. Information about the age, sex and education level of the audience.
9. Information about special interests of the audience or special projects they have
undertaken as a group
B. After the speaker accepts the assignment
Send the speaker a litter informing him/her where he/she should appear, the time and
who will meet him/her. Ask the speaker, if possible, to send you a brief biographical
sketch of him/herself. In addition:
1. Make arrangements to have someone meet the speaker and fill his/her time until
he/she is to speak.
2. If necessary, make luncheon arrangements for your speaker.
3. If necessary, make lodging reservations and send the confirmation to your speaker.
C. Introducing the speaker
The purpose of the introduction is to create a desire in the audience to hear the speaker
and his/her subject or both. You want to make the audience like and respect the speaker
for his/her accomplishments.
1. Be brief.
2. Do not talk about yourself – talk about the speaker.
3. Emphasize the importance of the speaker and his subject.
4. Emphasize the relevance of the speaker’s topic to the audience.
5. Use humor if it is appropriate to the occasion.
D. After the speech
1. Write a thank you letter to the speaker and enclose the check (if you haven’t paid
him/her already).
2. Mention in the letter comments overheard after his/her speech. Most speakers
appreciate critical comments, if they are constructive.
3. Express your own appreciation of the speech.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
IV. Using the telephone
A. Clues for using a business telephone
1. Answer the phone courteously, “St. Ann’s School Student Council office, (your
name) speaking. May I help you?
2. Always try to take a telephone message. Obtain a name and telephone number if
possible. Leave the message on the desk in plain sight. Later, remind the person
about the message.
3. If the information someone is seeking can be obtained through the main office,
explain to the caller that this is the student office and refer them to the main office.
4. Most student council phone lines are business lines and often have an allotment of
calls per month (usually 80) at three minutes each. Be careful and considerate of the
business phone line.
5. Keep an accurate record of all calls made. Indicate the following information:
Date
Person calling, telephone number and reason for call
Place/person called
6. Remember that the office telephone is for business calls ONLY!
B. Contacting a Speaker by telephone
When contacting a speaker or anyone by telephone be sure to:
1. Introduce yourself and have smile in your voice.
2. Be professional and polite.
3. Give all of the details including: date, time and place; length of speech; content of
speech/subject matter
4. Inquire about fee and how it will be paid (before or after the speech
5. Do your best to place the call from a land line as with a cell phone you may lose
the connectivity.
6. Do not have anything in your mouth (food, gum, etc.)
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
10 Guidelines to Being a Better Speaker
1. Be sure you understand what you want to say.
- What is the real purpose of the message?
- What do you expect the listener to do?
2. Clarify your ideas before you attempt to communicate them.
- Can you accurately say what you want to say?
- Are you interesting and/or meaningful?
- How many ideas should you try to include? How many do you have to include?
3. State your message as simply as possible.
- Do you really need technical language or will ordinary English get the job done?
- Will the words you use mean the same thing to the listener that they do to you?
- Are you being as brief as possible or desirable?
4. Consider the entire environment affecting your communication.
- What impression does the form of your message convey?
- How well, when and where the message is receive affect the listener’s
interpretation of it?
5. Be aware of your receiver.
- Can you make the most of the person’s or group’s know needs or interests to
ensure your message is heard and understood?
- Are you telling the person or group all the necessary information?
6. Consider the overtones of your message as well as your intended meaning.
- Does the “tone” of your message say more than the basic content?
- Can other interpretations of your meaning cause your message to be
misunderstood?
7. Provide for and encourage feedback.
- Can the receiver tell you what he/she understood easily?
- Can the listener ask for more information?
- How can the person or group report feelings or actions that result from your
message?
8. Follow up your communication
- When you finished your message was it complete?
- How ill you know when it is complete or what further steps you’ll need to take?
9. Be sure your actions support your message.
- Do you expect people to do as you say, not as you do?
10. Try not only to be understood, but also to understand.
- Do you listen to feedback?
- Do you understand what others say to you?
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
- The true leader will avoid using….
KILLER PHRASES
How to destroy ideas and chloroform creative thinking….
A swell idea, but…
We’ve never done it that way before.
It won’t work.
We haven’t the time.
It’s not in the budget.
Too expensive.
We’ve tried that before.
Not ready for it yet.
Good idea, but our school is different.
All right in theory, but can you put it into
practice?
Too academic.
Too hard to administer.
Too much paperwork.
Too early.
It’s not good enough.
There are better ways than that.
It’s against school policy.
Who do you think you are?
You haven’t considered. . .
It needs more study.
Let’s not step on their toes.
Somebody would have suggested it
before if it were any good.
Too modern.
Too old fashioned.
Let’s discuss it at some other time.
You don’t understand our problem.
Why start anything now?
We’re too big for that.
The new teachers won’t understand.
The experience teachers won’t use it.
We have too many projects now.
What you are really saying is…
Has anyone else ever tried it?
It has been the same for twenty years so it
must be good.
Let me add to that.
I just know it won’t work.
Let’s be practical.
Let’s form a committee.
Let’s shelve it for the time being.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
The true leader instead uses these….
IGNITER PHRASES
I agree!
I looked at this last night and really liked
it!
That’s good!
That’s really neat!
Good job!
I made a mistake, I’m sorry.
Let’s go!
You’re doing better.
I like the way you came in today and got
your books out quietly.
That’s interesting.
That would be interesting to try.
Things are beginning to pop.
Keep going!
I couldn’t do that well myself.
You’re beautiful.
Do that again!
What good workers we are.
That’s an interesting idea.
Good work!
You’re on the right track.
That’s fine!
Keep up the good work.
That’s a winner.
Real good. Anyone else?
I appreciate what you have done.
See you can do it!
Great idea!
Let’s get right on it!
Great.
I know it will work.
Go ahead…try it…
We’re going to do something different
today.
I like that!
Good for you.
I never thought of that.
Congratulations!
Very good.
That’s a great idea!
Children there’s been some good thinking
going on here.
I’m glad you brought that up.
I’m very pleased with what you have
done.
I have faith in you!
You’re in high gear.
We can always depend on you.
We can do a lot with that idea.
That’s the way.
Fantastic.
That’s the first time I’ve had anyone think
of that.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
COMMUNICATION HELPERS
1. Silence
2. Paraphrasing - repeating back to the speaker what you heard him/her say from time
to time to let the speaker know you were listening.
3. Attentive body posture
4. Pleasant tone of voice
5. Good eye contact
COMMUNICATION STOPPERS
1. INTERRUPTING. Continuing to butt in time and time again with statements
about him/herself while another person is talking.
2. ADVISING. Giving unasked advice. Using statements like: “Well, if I were you...,”
“Take my advise…”
3. PROBING. Asking question after question in a demanding tone.
4. CONFRONTING. Putting the other person on the spot. Making accusations with
statements like: “Well, so what?” “Do you think I care?”
5. JUDGING. Continually making judgments as the person speaks about (1) the
person him/herself, or (2) the thing the person is talking about. For example, if
she/he adds, “My dog is a poodle,” you say “Oh, that's too bad. Poodles are such
stupid dogs.”
6. INTERPRETING. Adding your own ideas and conclusions to what the person
says. For example, if she/he says, “I have a dog,” you say, “You're an animal lover.”
7. DOMINATING. Flooding the person with words. Taking over the conversation,
and keeping him/her from getting a word in.
8. PUTTING DOWN. Making sarcastic and negative remarks about what the person
is saying and about the person him/herself.
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THE WONDERS OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
ARE YOU LISTENING?
Concentrate
*Be attentive!
*Tune in on CONTENT of message
*Tune in on HIDDEN meaning
*Get all the facts! Try not to get ahead or interrupt
*What are they NOT saying?
*Listen for emotions
*Tackle difficult material
Accept
*Be Open!
* Accept ALL messages (doesn’t mean “agree”)
*Accept WHAT is being said, and HOW
*Respect the speaker and his/her worth
*Find the speaker’s subject useful and worthwhile
*Hear the other person out completely, before responding
Let the other person know that you’re trying to understand by:
Respond
*Good eye contact
*Gestures such as nodding
*Verbally - "Yes", "I know", "Really?"
*Ask questions
*Repeat ideas
*Be a “sounding board,” (Don’t give advice, just repeat)
*If someone unloads, “Is there anything else?”
Empathize
*I know how you feel!
*Try to see the world through his/her eyes
*Put yourself in the other person's shoes
*Next time you see him/her, ask how everything turned out
EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD LISTENER!
Are you one?
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