| Author | Speech | P H
Super Administrator
Posts: 213
Joined: 07.09.06
 | | Posted on 28-09-2007 19:43 | |
| I am the best man for my friend at his wedding tomorrow. I am really looking forward to it. We just got back from the rehearsal today. It has suddenly dawned on me, though, that I am really not much of a public speaker. I am somewhat nervous.
I have a speech jotted down. But I have to do a bit more work on it cos whilst it looks ok on paper, and I can follow it perfectly when reading it, it doesn't come out too well when standing up and speaking the words out loud.
Then again, it could be bit a like hearing a recording of your own voice, how it never sounds like you think you sound.
Anyone got any advice? Any good jokes? .......  | 
| | Author | RE: Speech | Jim
Super Administrator
Posts: 159
Joined: 30.11.06
 | | Posted on 29-09-2007 03:52 | |
| While I don't have any jokes on the top of my head, I do have some things that I do when speech-ing. No matter how confident I am beforehand, when I'm actually talking I'm as nervous as a coffee addict with a deadline.
So what I do is I either have my hands in my pockets, or folded in front of me. If I don't, my eyes keep looking down to see that they shake out of nervousness. So relaxing, or at least ACTING relaxed is the key. When I use a podium I usually lean foreward onto the podeum with my hands folded. Apparently this makes me look comfortable and relaxed, although I'm sweating bullets. Since you'll be giving a speech, I suggest the stance with one hand holding a glass, and the other in your pocket/on the table.
Another tip, don't think, just talk. When you start thinking, the stupidest things will race through your mind to distract you, suchas: "I wonder how my brain makes my mouth work" and " I wonder how I'm able to stand up". Once you start questioning motor functions, you loose the ability to use them. So, thinking about talking makes talking harder to do. Just get the speech out, loudly and clearly, try not to pause or stutter. Although personally, I have an easer time adlibbing it than reading publicly.
Advanced techniques like pacing and gesturing can be done later in the speech, but if done at the beginning, sometimes looks nervous.
Anyways, I'm a bit of a slob, but a fairly decent speaker (according to other people), although I hate getting up in front of people and talking due to the pressure.
I've never found that picturing people in their underwear while I'm talking eases the tension, the only thing that ever accomplished is me stopping in mid-speech to scream "Have you no dignity?!? put some clothes on!"
Oh, and one last thing that I do a lot, when starting the speech I usually comment on my self negatively like "Well, I'm not really a good public speaker, but...." or even using a little bit of humor like "I don't know how well this speech will go, I'm not a good public talker, the last time I made a big speech, they threw me out of burger king..."
This lowers the expectation people have for the speechmaker, and make them more relaxed about listening to it. Since you lower their expectations, its easier to surpass them.
Or you could just quote the GodFather, that usually works. |
| | Author | RE: Speech | P H
Super Administrator
Posts: 213
Joined: 07.09.06
| | Posted on 29-09-2007 09:59 | |
|  Thanks Isaac,
I hadn't even got as far as thinking about my motor functions.
I can certainly cut down on the pauses, but I might not be able to help the stuttering. I have had a stutter (though very mild) all my life, and probably because of this I have avoided public speaking.
I am not frightened in the sense that I fear for how I look or sound, I just want to do the best I can for my friend, and give him the biggest public shaming of his life 
Thanks for the advice, Isaac, I'll keep my hands out of sight and think about what you've said.
Well, here we go... Wedding starts in four hours....
Edited by P H on 29-09-2007 10:00 |
| | Author | RE: Speech | P H
Super Administrator
Posts: 213
Joined: 07.09.06
| | Posted on 03-10-2007 20:49 | |
| Well I got through the speech.
I didn't get nervous as I didn't have time to - I was so busy all day.
When the time came I just launched into it. I got a few laughs and the groom got a red face.
 
So thanks again, Isaac, I appreciate it.
Edited by P H on 03-10-2007 20:50 |
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