Public Speaking: be sincere; be brief; be seated by Marc LeVine

“There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.” – Alexander Gregg

For some, the hardest thing they ever had to do was stand up in front of a group and give a presentation.?All sorts of negative thoughts come to mind.? Might I bore them??Will they heckle me? ?How will I be graded by my bosses and colleagues?

The fear of public speaking probably comes from our early grade school experiences.?Back then, our attention spans were much shorter and we refused to take seriously anyone lecturing us on any topic - including our teachers.?And God Forbid if any of us asked a question during the Q&A period. ?It was not cool.?To the guillotines! Off with our heads if we extended this thing an extra minute or so by asking a question.

We seem to carry this fear of potential disapproval of public speaking well into our adult lives. Ironically, we are just allowing additional time for our childhood audiences to grow up and learn how to mock us silently rather than with their former open and honest brutality. ?This is why we are taught to imagine those we are addressing as sitting before us in nothing but their underwear. ?This is supposed to help us level the playing field between our own performance and their possible reaction to it. I tried doing this and it didn't work.

There are much better ways to get over “stage fright,” or at least to learn how to deal with it without freaking out every time you step up to the podium. Practice makes perfect. Or at least better experienced.?There are those who can eventually outgrow their public speaking fears just by doing more public speaking in non-hostile groups like Toastmasters.?Others can rehearse in front of family, friends and even mirrors or record and critique their performances.?Some may never overcome the panic that can accompany speaking at live assemblies.?This is unfortunate, because many career fields require that their professionals speak in front of clients and colleagues.

How does one become a better public speaker?

Accept being nervous.

Being nervous at speech time is not a personality trait. It is only a painful reaction to a new situation you may be oversensitive about. Pre-speech jitters are very normal. The cure? ?Just speak confidently. Your nerves will be much less noticeable when you sound like you know what you are talking about.

Your key goal is getting your message across.

Focus your entire being on finding the most effective way to inform your audience.?Sticking to your plan will help take your mind off trying to guess how you are being perceived by them. ?Fact is, whatever we imagine they are thinking about us is usually incorrect.

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Plan.

Ice breakers, attention grabbers and such are useful tools for public speakers.?Take time to be strategic regarding your topic and presentation style. You will be more confident while executing your game plan. OPERATION: CONVINCE THE AUDIENCE.

Go off script.?

NEVER read to the audience.?They can do that on their own time. Be more personal and engaging. Speak from your heart and connect with them. Show them BOTH your confidence and competence.

Practice.

Practice your speech in a supportive environment where you will get honest feedback you can use to tweak your presentation in advance.

Be a good listener.?

Be astute in knowing that audiences send signals of approval and disapproval in real time through the questions they ask and the body language they use. Keep a receptive ear and a clear eye.

Maintain good posture.?

Much is said about the beliefs and convictions we telegraph through our voice tones and body language.?Don’t betray your confidence by carrying yourself with less conviction and poor self-confidence. And don’t clutch the stand or rock back and forth at the podium. You will only draw more attention to how you look rather than what you’re saying.

Be yourself.

This is always true of any dealings with other people.?Being authentic and genuine will help you gain acceptance and greater buy-in from the crowd.?We can spot a phony from more than a mile away and so can they.?

Public speaking allows us to form connections, influence decisions, and motivate change. Without communication skills, the ability to progress in the working world and in life, itself, would be nearly impossible. So, stand and deliver!

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The Author

Listen to Marc's latest interview on “Failing for You” with Jordan Yates

Marc LeVine is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions and Learning and Development Lead at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021.

His prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ