Have a question that has been nagging you for a while now but you are too embarrassed to ask aloud? Worry not, email me your question and I shall answer!
This week, I was asked, ‘Susie, can you give me some tips to start my speech on a right note?’
Hi ‘I-want-to-do-a-good-job-at-delivering-my-speech'. First things first, congratulations that you are not shying away from speaking to an audience! Public speaking is a skill and just like other skills it can be honed. Take a bow, because you have also correctly identified that starting strong makes a very favourable impression on the audience. As they say, well begun is half done!
While a few of us can have the same awe-inspiring, goosepimple raising impact as Maximus has when he reveals his true identity to Commodus and the audience at the Colosseum, or inspire the men, elves, dwarves, and ents at Helm’s Deep to fight against Sauron’s forces like Aragorn, we most certainly can channelise our inner John Keating and leave them with words that they can carry in their hearts for a long time to come.
So how do we do this? Gondor has called for aid and Rohan shall most definitely answer ( If you do not get this reference, congratulations! you will never know the pain of watching poor adaptations that just want to capitalise on the existing IP). Allez Allez, let us learn how to start strong!
Don’t hide
Okay, I can see the appeal of podiums. We all grew up seeing important powerful people standing behind one while speaking. Additionally, they are also helpful for resting the many files/notes you might be carrying but it is 2024. Podiums are one of the things that we as a society, collectively, decided to leave in the past. They seem to impose a barrier between you (the speaker) and the audience. There is a disconnect. It seems to indicate a unilateral flow of information and does not invite engagement from the audience.
Look them in the eye
So is this relatable?
If yes, take heart! If Sheldon Cooper can have stage fright, then we mere mortals stand no chance. While it is easy to remain glued to your notes and just read aloud your speech, if you are not actively looking at the audience members, you may come across as mechanical and boring. Think of it as a conversation with your friend where you are trying to convince her/him to give The Office another chance : 'just sit through season 1 because ‘it-does-get- funnier’. Imagine that conversation, imagine your body language in that conversation, the hand gestures you would use, how you would meet their eye and extol the many virtues of the show. Now replicate this as you step on to the stage and face your audience. Channelise that passion to draw them in.
Index Cards > A4 sheets of paper
Honestly leave sheets and reams of A4 size papers for bureaucracy and printers, you opt for small index cards roughly the size of your mobile phone so that they fit snugly in your hands. Write down the bullet points of your speech on them. These serve you in two ways, one they make you appear more confident, well versed with your topic and second, they force you to make eye contact with your audience because you have nothing else to read on that card except for a few words!
Embrace the fumbles and pauses
Ummmm, uh-huh, hmm all these are not just natural while delivering a speech/during a conversation/discussion but they make the speech/conversation/discussion interesting. They signal you are processing information, reacting, deliberating, thinking and when you speak after a pause, it carries weight. It means you are being intentional. You reflected. You processed it. So yeah, keep them coming!
Alrighty then,
Remove the barrier between yourself & the audience ✅
Eye contact ✅
Bullet points on index cards ✅
Not being flustered by pauses ✅
I am sure you are going to make a great first impression, deliver a speech with grace and leave the audience wanting to hear from you again!
Bonne chance!
P.S. This is easily one of the best comebacks from Howard!
