Some people have defined
impromptu speaking as public speaking on the spur-of-the-moment
without preparation. It is precisely this definition and especially the
last two words that instill fear and panic in many people. (click here
for video) And yet
seldom is an impromptu speech given without preparation! If the
“preparation problem” is resolved, much of the fear and panic associated
with impromptu speaking can be substantially reduced or, at the very
least, controlled.
Some people have defined impromptu
speaking as public speaking on the spur-of-the-moment without
preparation. It is precisely this definition and especially the last two
words that instill fear and panic in many people. And yet seldom is an
impromptu speech given without preparation! If the “preparation problem”
is resolved, much of the fear and panic associated with impromptu
speaking can be substantially reduced or, at the very least, controlled.
Let’s begin, then, by defining and explaining what “preparation” means.
If the definition of preparation is thorough research and investigation
then “Yes,” impromptu speaking can involve no thorough research or
investigation at that time. But seldom does any speech include only
thorough research and investigation. Those, indeed, are often formal
speeches planned well in advance of the occasion. Too, they could be
those intended to fulfill classroom assignments.
“Preparation,” however, especially for impromptu speeches, encompasses
far, far more. Far more than thorough research and investigation! To
examine all that “preparation” encompasses should assist in reducing
some of the fear and panic — especially because speakers are much better
“prepared” than they, at first, may realize.
To begin, it’s important to understand that seldom are you asked to give
an impromptu speech for which you have no background knowledge and
experience. In many cases, the invitation to give such a speech occurs
because of a person’s special expertise in a given area. In this way, a
person can use that “special” expertise to enlarge, enumerate, and
expand on a topic. For the most part, and for most people, this is an
opportunity just ripe for the picking. When in a strange or new town,
just ask a local resident to tell you what to see, where to eat, or how
to get to a special location, and you will quickly be an audience of one
for a unique impromptu experience!
Seldom, if ever, is anyone asked to give (or would volunteer to give) a
speech that reveals his or her total ignorance or naivete. The best
advice if such a circumstance occurred would be to admit your lack of
knowledge: “I’m sorry, I have little knowledge or experience on this
topic. Please forgive me if I decline your offer to speak on this issue
at this time.” Having a couple of sentences in reserve if you are ever
asked to give a speech on a topic on which you are unprepared can help
relieve a great deal of stress and unwanted (or unneeded) anxiety.
How prepared are you in impromptu-speaking situations? First, if you are
aware of the circumstances in which you find yourself (or can even
anticipate them), you will have some facts, observations, or insights
that merit comment. A previous speaker may have made a remark that
deserves your attention. A current or evolving situation may have
captured your attention or that of your listeners. Even an interruption
or strange occurrence might need, at the least, a slight reference or
acknowledgment. Sometimes it is just these opening comments that will
calm your mind and give your brain enough time to assemble some
additional ideas.
Second, if you keep up with the news and current events explained and
developed in your local newspapers, magazines, television, and the
Internet, you have a large reserve of information you can draw upon to
shed light on the issue at hand or, perhaps, to put the issue into some
current or historical context. Try to see the bigger picture to which
this issue relates or, pretend it is a single tree in a large forest of
ideas, and it is your job to help define or describe the forest. In this
way the issue gains meaning, relevance, and worth.
Third, if you are a reader, think of the books, articles, and essays
that you have read that provide fodder for impromptu situations. Think
about any quotations that may apply, author anecdotes, or critical
insights you can share that have been written about by others. Often,
such ideas — especially when cited on the spur-of-the-moment like this,
can add substantially to your credibility and expertise.
Fourth, listen closely to the conversations of others. Realize, first,
that if you are talking you are not listening. It isn’t that you
necessarily want to use their ideas as your own — although that is
permissible in such situations (especially if a person will be in your
audience and you can acknowledge that person and your indebtedness) —
but, often people offer an idea to which you can respond, an alternative
you can recommend, or a different approach you can suggest.
Fifth, depend on yourself. You have a wealth of information in your
“storehouse of useless knowledge”! Although an event or issue may
appear, at first, as just another scrap to add to the storehouse, that
morsel can become a treasured nugget in just such situations. Suddenly,
that little piece of knowledge can become the finger food that leads to
a feast of new ideas, thoughts, plans, and visions. When you are a
“sponge for knowledge” you build a foundation for the unexpected.
Sixth, you have viewpoints, positions, beliefs, attitudes, needs and
values that you have accumulated as a result of living your everyday
life. You are not a blank slate, and to draw from your own,
well-developed and securely established fount of ideas will add to any
public-speaking effort and make it personal and unique. In some cases,
this is all that is being requested when you are asked to deliver an
impromptu speech, and in many cases, this is all that can be expected.
What you must understand in every impromptu situation, your listeners
clearly understand the situation, and the expectations of you and your
performance are not the same as they would be for an address, a formal
speech, or a planned presentation. The expectations of audience members
will correspond precisely with the nature of the circumstances.
With a few ideas in mind, tell your listeners what you plan to say, say
it, then tell them what you said. Another organizational scheme is
simply to provide an introduction — perhaps just a brief look at the
current situation — a point or two for the body of the speech (a fact
and a personal example may be sufficient), and a final thought,
quotation, or additional insight as a conclusion.
Impromptu speeches do not need to invoke fear and panic. You are far
better prepared than you think, audience expectations correspond with
the situation at hand, and with just a simple organizational scheme, you
can master the circumstances just like a professional would. > Website Top
There is no doubt about the important
role that fear plays when it comes to public speaking. Public-speaking
anxiety is a disturbance of mind regarding a forthcoming public-speaking
event for which you are the speaker. As a fear, it ranks higher than the
fear of death. It is nearly universal, yet it obviously doesn’t prevent
successful speeches. Not only is it widely proclaimed, but it is widely
written about as well. In this essay I want to offer a philosophical
perspective that I have written about in my textbook, Communicating
Effectively (McGraw-Hill), but which has the potential for overcoming it
if practiced regularly.
Here is the key to this approach: Focus on your speech as a
communication task, not as a performance. Most speakers with stage
fright view speeches as performances. In viewing speeches as
performances, the goal of speakers is to satisfy an audience of critics.
That is, they realize their audience members will be analyzing and
criticizing their performance just as movie critics go to movies with a
different purpose and point of view than ordinary movie goers.
There are other characteristics of such a performance orientation, too.
Speakers view the speech as a formal talk, and because of the formality,
they tend to “put on” a false front or engage in somewhat artificial
behavior. The public speech, thus, is an extraordinary, exceptional, and
unusual situation undertaken in unfamiliar circumstances. Because of
this, speakers feel they must follow proper behaviors to be correct, and
their results — how effective they are in connecting with their
listeners — depends on polish, eloquence, and refinement.
The problem with a performance orientation is simple: effective public
speaking is more like ordinary communication encounters than like a
public performances. This is an important insight. Just as I
characterized the performance orientation, above, let’s look at the
characteristics of a communication orientation to see the differences.
First, the goal changes. No longer are speakers trying to satisfy an
audience of critics; they are, instead, sharing ideas with an audience.
And the goal of listeners is not to analyze and criticize, it is,
rather, to show interest in and even learn from what speakers have to
say.
There are other characteristics as well. With a communication
orientation, speakers must realize that public speaking is similar to
everyday conversation, thus, it is normal, natural behavior — not
formal, put-on, or artificial. When your communication becomes common,
ordinary, and average, rather than extraordinary, exceptional, and
unusual, a whole new mindset takes place that signals speakers that this
is a normal activity with which they are familiar. Being something that
is standard and routine, they can approach public-speaking opportunities
as occasions they can face realistically and approach in a pragmatic,
matter-of-fact, down-to-earth manner.
With a communication orientation, speakers frame the entire
public-speaking situation in a familiar way. Their speeches will reveal
genuine and true expressions of themselves, not behaviors that must
adhere to some standard of proper conduct. No longer does their effort
depend on polish, eloquence, and refinement; their results depend simply
on whether or not they shared their message.
Do these differences make a difference? A communication orientation has
several advantages for speakers. First, and I am quoting my textbook
here [without using quotation marks] it means that all those negative
past public performances you may have had — from elementary school
through high school — can be deleted from your memory. After all, those
were “performances,” and they no longer fall under your new mindset,
your communication orientation.
Second, you do not have to memorize your speech. Performances create
anxiety because of the fear of forgetting words, thoughts, or your place
in the speech. One of the biggest fears people have regarding giving
speeches is forgetting what they have to say during the speech. It is
being embarrassed which is the overpowering thought. Think about it, how
often do you have memory blocks during conversations with others?
Seldom, of course. When you are talking with others during speeches, you
are having a conversation with your listeners, not talking at them.
The third advantage of a communication orientation is that speakers can
focus on their real purpose in speaking to their listeners — getting
audience members to accept and understand their information or change
their attitude or actions. There is an important and worthwhile
consideration here that may help speakers change their focus: Listeners
are more interested in what speakers have to say than in evaluating
their performance.
One thing that happens when speakers change from a performance to a
communication perspective is that they become less concerned about
themselves—the performer—and more concerned about their mission.
Performers have to be concerned about their performance for that’s what
they live for. Now, with a communication perspective, speakers can stop
their preoccupation with themselves, “How do I look?’ “How will I do?”
“What will they think of me?” “Will they like me?” This is a major
re-orientation because it will quiet their mind by reducing the amount
of self-chatter. They will be able to stop defending their ego against
failure and criticism. Threats to their ego have no real implications
now.
What all of this means is that if speakers dress in comfortable clothes,
practice positive self-talk, are well prepared, picture (visualize)
themselves doing well, take several deep breaths before speaking, pick
out friendly faces and make eye contact with them, and plan to offer a
reward after the speech, all the elements of potential distraction will
have been eliminated, and all the elements of comfort, encouragement,
and support will be supplied so that the communication orientation has a
real opportunity to work at full capacity.
Speakers can do all of the things recommended for eliminating, or at
least reducing, the fear of public speaking. There are many of these,
and what works for one person may not work as well for another. The
overarching, umbrella-like concept, however, that can make it all happen
— whatever the individual elements employed — may just be a broader,
more comprehensive principle. To adopt a communication perspective
rather than a performance perspective may be the very key that unlocks
the door to confidence, comfort, and effective public speaking.
She
rose from her seat slowly, not knowing whether or not her legs would
support her body. She moved to the lectern with her head down so she
would not be distracted from her concentration on the first words she
wanted to say. Her muscles were tense; her heart was beating five times
faster than normal; and she had butterflies in her stomach. When she
reached the lectern, she knew she couldn’t pick up her notes because her
hands were trembling. She waited a moment to speak so she could gather
more saliva and allow her shaking knees to settle down. This wasn’t her
first public speech; it happened every time she had to give one.
Nobody doubts that next to snakes people fear public speaking the most.
Fear of public speaking ranks higher than a fear of heights, being
closed in small spaces, spiders and insects, needles and getting shots,
mice, and flying on airplanes. Anxiety is triggered by stress, and some
people are more vulnerable than others, but it is the same process no
matter what you fear. Experiencing fear is universal, and fear of
speaking in public is nearly universal.
Our bodies react to anxiety in different ways, however, the most obvious
signs include tense muscles, trembling, churning stomach, nausea,
diarrhea, headache, backache, heart palpitations, numbness, “pins and
needles” in arms, hands, or legs, sweating or flushing, and dry mouth.
Avoiding things that make you anxious is only a temporary solution, and
it will make you worry about what will happen next time. Also, every
time you avoid something, it is harder the next time you try it.
Avoidance, too, sets you on a pattern of avoiding more and more things.
For some people, just the thought of having to give a public speech can
trigger an adrenaline surge that quickens your pulse, raises your blood
pressure, and kick-starts your anxiety. Just reading the opening
scenario to this essay may be enough to cause some people to tremble or
shake.
If it will help you cope with anxiety, remember these four things:
First, even experienced public speakers get nervous before a
presentation. Second, nerves do not need to be your enemy. Third, no
matter how nervous you are, you are probably the only one who knows it.
And, fourth, as long as you act like you are confident and play the role
of a secure and knowledgeable speaker, you will be in command of the
public-speaking situation.
There are six time-tested ways for dealing with nervousness. Remember,
throughout this discussion, that some nervousness can be helpful. It
produces energy, stimulates motivation, fires enthusiasm, and spurs
animation. For many public speakers, a little nervousness empowers them
to be inspiring, lively, even fascinating.
The first time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is to be
prepared. If you prepare your speeches so thoroughly and so carefully
that you cannot help but be successful, you will have taken the first
giant step toward dealing with nervousness. I have never heard of a
speaker being too prepared. If you begin your preparation early—as early
as you can—you will be able to continually work with your ideas in your
mind and change information as you think of new ideas or new ways of
saying things. Also, early preparation gives you time to hone, polish,
and perfect.
The second time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is to be
positive. The best way to be positive is to stay engaged in
constructive, practical, useful, and productive work. When you give your
mind time to worry or to dredge up negative thoughts and ideas, it will
fill the available time and then some. If you are speaking on a topic
you care about, and if you discover information you want to share, you
are more likely to have an optimistic, confident, and upbeat frame of
mind. Start by believing you can give a successful speech.
Visualization is closely related to being positive, and it is commonly
used by musicians, athletes, and actors. Picture yourself walking up to
the lectern, having complete control over your behavior, delivering a
forceful, effective talk, to a supportive, approving, responsive, and
sympathetic audience. Repeat this process of visualization over and
over.
The fourth time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is anticipation.
First, anticipate some nervousness. It is common, but it can serve as a
positive, contributing feature. Second, anticipate role playing. One of
the best ways for countering any nervousness is to role play—just like a
stage actor—coolness, calmness, and confidence. If you look like you re
in charge and in control, your listeners will believe it. Third,
anticipate something less than perfection. There is no such thing as a
perfect speech. Remember, your audience will not know what you plan to
say, only what you actually say. Thus, if you make an error, lose your
place, or forget to say something, anticipate continuing your speech as
if nothing happened.
Focus is the fifth time-tested way for dealing with nervousness. One
problem that increases nervousness is when speakers focus on themselves
rather than on their listeners or on their message. Worrying about
yourself and your image—“Will my listeners like me?”—is vanity, and it
is vanity of the worst sort. Worst sort? Yes, because to focus on
yourself puts you above both your audience and your message. The entire
process of speech preparation and delivery should be audience centered,
so to suddenly shift the focus from them to yourself, not only demeans
but discounts your prior preparation. Focus on audience-centered and
message-related thoughts such as, “I have an important topic that will
interest my listeners and hold their attention, and I have information
that will be both useful and valuable for them.”
The final time-tested way for dealing with nervousness is experience,
and there is no substitute for experience. Public speaking courses and
organizations such as Toastmaster’s serve a valuable function—first
steps in gaining experience. Those truly interested in becoming
effective public speakers must take advantage of the opportunities in
clubs and organizations, churches and family gatherings, weddings and
bar/bat mitzvahs, and in work situations as well.
As public speaking experiences continue, your fears about public
speaking will recede until they are replaced by the healthy nervousness
that empowers you not only to do well, but to seek even more such
opportunities. You are likely to find, from these experiences, that you
will look forward to public speeches with interest, eagerness, and
passion. It is at that very point when all your butterflies will be
flying in formation!
Let’s just say that as things have
worked out in your life, that what you would like to have more than
anything else comes down to giving what must be considered the speech of
your life. How you come across, how you present yourself, and how you
affect a group of people, is going to determine whether or not you get
what you want.
The speech of your life comes from you, and your success depends on your
message, you the messenger, and your magic. You can think about your
message being the meat, you the messenger being the potatoes, and the
magic being the spice. Let’s look at each factor.
The meat of your message depends first on study. Study is what makes
greatness. Whether it is based on your own background, the experiences
you’ve had, or research and investigation, great speeches reveal a depth
of knowledge and understanding.
When your message comes from deep within you, it reveals your soul. Soul
is that animating essence that we associate with your life. A great
message is not just words; it is emotion, body language, and passion or
spirit. People listen to your soul.
Finally, in a great message speakers share their scars. They reach into
their storehouse for the blemishes, faults, and sores that make them
human. Sharing their scars makes them human.
The important aspect of you as the messenger is that you be yourself.
Know who you are. To know who you are, be a self-monitor. Examine why
you do the things you do, why you say what you say, and why you think
what you think. Look at your behavior.
Be introspective. Examine your thoughts and feelings. This involves
self-searching, self-reflection, and self-contemplation. Know yourself,
and show yourself. Tear away the veil, and reveal the true you—who you
really are.
As a messenger, you must be sincere. This means being open, candid,
frank, honest, and truthful. When the covers of your book are opened,
are your contents thin, superficial, and shallow? Then enrich yourself
by reading, listening, observing, and experiencing.
Finally, as the messenger, be direct with your audience. Let your
audience understand what you know. Develop and polish rich, personal,
soul-wrenching stories that will grab, hold, and bind your audience’s
attention to your message.
As the messenger, you must project confidence (positive self-assurance),
credibility (an authentic, believable, convincing, and trustworthy
nature), comfort (that you are pleased and satisfied with your ideas),
success (accomplishment, achievement, attainment, and victory), and
polish (that you have spent some time perfecting, refining, and
improving your ideas).
In public speaking, nobody asks for perfection; they can, however,
expect polish!
Your magic represents the spice. It can be revealed in your writing, in
your delivery, and in your embellishment. “Magic” does not come from
supernatural powers or slight of hand. It comes from careful,
thoughtful, planning and preparation.
Write out some of your ideas. Use antithesis (opposites), or the setting
of one clause or other member of a sentence against another to which it
is opposed. “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be
nice.” “What counts is not the number of hours you put in, but how much
you put in the hours.”
Effective writing, too, utilizes parallel structure. Sometimes referred
to as continuums, serializing, or stacking, it occurs when ideas of
equal worth are given the same syntactical form. From the famous poem
constructed in parallel form, “Children Learn What They Live,” by
Dorothy Law Nolte, just two lines as examples: “If a child lives with
criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, he
learns to fight....” At the end of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A
Dream,” speech: “So, let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of
New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New
York....”
Effective writing utilizes triplets, or, a list of three things. A list
of three is always better than either two or four. Three is always more
than four! “People are born, people live, people die!” “If you want to
enrich today, plant flowers. If you want to enrich years, plant trees.
If you want to enrich eternity, plant ideas.”
Your delivery, too, contributes to the magic. Rehearse, rehearse,
rehearse. Delivery is a tool for expressing clear, interesting ideas
without distracting the audience. Effective delivery is conveyed by your
voice, language, and body.
Your voice is the sales tool that can sell your feelings and emotions.
It is the most powerful, persuasive, professional tool you own. Vary
your pitch (the highness or lowness of your voice), select the best rate
(it depends on your personality, the mood you’re trying to create, the
nature of your audience and the occasion), and avoid vocalized pauses (uhms,
and ahhhs). Pauses are for time to breathe, for messages to sink in, to
give listeners time to breathe, and for emphasis.
Language is important, and effective word choice can be magic. Study all
your life to be a wordsmith—one who knows, works with, and shapes words.
Pronounce words correctly, because incorrect pronunciation strips away
credibility. Use proper grammar; it is a key indicator of who you are
and what your background is.
Your body is an important part of your delivery. Pay attention to your
posture, personal appearance, facial expressions, eye contact, and hands
(forget your hands, but don’t forget to use them). And, never give your
ideas to an audience; give your speech to individuals in your audience.
Connect with one individual at a time. Weak eye contact looks insincere,
insecure, and uncomfortable.
Finally, embellish your speech by telling key stories, using power
phrases (“Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude”), and using humor
and quotations. Don’t use humor to get a laugh; use it to revitalize
your audience. The best humor occurs naturally.
The speech of your life comes from you. Now, when you are faced with
giving the speech of your life, you know you have control over the
message, the messenger, and the magic. The real greatness within you
awaits your recognition.
