Making a speech can be one of the most difficult things to do in this world and the fear of public speaking is one fear that ranks so high on the list of many people. Public speaking is speaking in a structured and deliberate manner in a bid to inform, educate, entertain, influence and inspire others. This means that there are two variables involved in this equation and they are the speaker and the audience. If the big day is approaching (of making a speech that is) and you sincerely, have no idea of how to go about it this piece will, give you general tips that will help to improve your performance.
One of the things that will help you is to develop a positive mindset about the task itself as if you can win in your mind the other parts will automatically fall in place barring any unforeseen circumstances. Here are some factors that you need to take into consideration for your speech to be the perfect presentation you want it to be.
Microphone - The essence of the microphone is to amplify sound in conjunction with other equipment but sometimes some speakers use microphones and are still barely audible. This is usually due to not knowing how to use a microphone properly. Depending on the type of microphone, you can amplify your voice to the maximum if you know how to position it. As a golden rule make sure you speak directly into the microphone and do not tap the head with your fingers or blow air into it, as you do not want to damage the diaphragm. If the previous speaker used a particular microphone and was audible all over the hall but people could not hear you when it was your turn, then probably you just violated the golden rule of using microphones, which is positioning it too far from your mouth. Also remember that it is not a chewing stick so do not put it in your mouth, as some speakers are prone to do. Having the next speaker wipe off spittle after you have finished using the microphone might just be an embarrassing situation you do not want him or her to experience.
Stage - Depending on the kind of event at which you are supposed to make a speech, there will always be some sort of platform, lectern or dais from which you are expected to deliver your speech. If it is a lectern, choosing whether to leave the lectern and move about is purely a personal decision but my take is that any movement during presentations should add value to the presentation and not take from it. Some speakers prefer to pace around the stage but they stand the risk of giving the audience an impression of being stalkers especially if the movements are not coordinated. On movements on stage, the golden rule is they must add to the presentation.
These are factors in public speaking that usually go unnoticed and the truth is that no matter how prepared you are if you do not utilise them well your presentation will be marred.
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