Public Speaking: Plan, Prepare and Practice (Sarah Clements Commentary)

Sarah Clements

The comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said, “According to most studies, people’s No. 1 fear is public speaking. No. 2 is death. Death is No. 2. Does that seem right? That means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

At the beginning of every semester in my business communication course, I ask my students, “How many of you enjoy giving a speech?” To my dismay, most students do not raise their hand.

They aren’t alone. A whopping 95 percent of people experience some degree of anxiety when asked to speak, researchers say. That means only 5 percent of people in the U.S. do not experience a form of speech apprehension when preparing to deliver a talk.

There are four common reasons people do not like speaking in front of an audience: fear of being stared at, of failing, of rejection and of the unknown. Which fear do you have?

As scary as it may seem to speak in front of an audience, your speech anxiety can be reduced significantly if you plan, prepare and practice your presentation. In fact, according to Lilly Walters, speech consultant and author of “Secrets of Successful Speakers,” speech anxiety can be reduced by a full 75 percent with careful preparation.

An effective presentation includes the following components: an introduction, a body and a conclusion. I’ll cover each of these.

• The introduction should include some kind of attention-getting device, such as asking a question, stating a statistic or making a bold statement. Next, you should demonstrate the relevance of your talk by showing your audience what its members might expect to gain or take away from your presentation. Finally, demonstrate to audience members your credibility by including such information as your research background or professional experience, and then end by previewing the main points you want to discuss.

• Now move on to the body of your speech, which includes your main points, oral citations and transition statements. When developing your main points, three is enough; you don’t want to overwhelm your audience. Oral citations are simply an acknowledgement of your sources for the presentation. For the transition statement, use simple sentences that connect main points together and inform the audience you have shifted from one point to the next.

• Finally, be mindful of your conclusion, in which you restate your main points and end with a clincher, the last thing you say in your speech. The clincher should ideally connect back to your attention getter by referencing your statement(s), statistic(s) or question(s).

Here are some additional steps to consider as you prepare your speech. First, always try to select a topic that you are actually interested in. Your interest in a topic will be reflected in the enthusiasm you convey to your audience. Next, find credible research to support your topic. By stating your sources in your speech, you build your speaker credibility.

In addition, when using visual aids, use action-oriented titles — for example, “Building Profitable Businesses Through Social Media” — and include pictures and graphs. And while it is acceptable to create speaker notes, try to keep them to a minimum. Too many notes may cause you to read your information.

Once you have planned and prepared your presentation, you are ready to practice. By simply practicing your planned speech, you are helping to reduce your apprehension by 75 percent. There are many ways you can practice. You could use your smartphone to record yourself. Another option is to practice in a room by yourself or in front of family, friends or co-workers. Try visualizing your speech — in other words, close your eyes and present your entire speech.

Finally, remember that when presenting your speech, it does not have to be perfect. Your audience will never know if you accidently said the wrong thing unless you point it out.

So go plan, prepare and practice your speech. Doing so will reduce your speech anxiety and make you feel more confident.

Sarah Clements is a business communication instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business. Email her at SJClements@UALR.edu.