So, next Wednesday night, I’m giving a 2 and a half minute “speech” (really an introduction of my Youth Pride Chorus) in front of close to 3,000 people. (New Yorkers, at a little place on 57th and 7th). I have it memorized, but I would love some pointers from people who have public speaking experience in front of LARGE crowds. I am going to be mic’d
Ummmm…relax? Speaking before a large crowd is easy. Just focus on a few people in the crowd. Make eye contact with them, Speak to them. The rest of the crowd just goes away, and it will be over before you know it. Don’t worry. I coach high school Speech and Debate, and if my sophomores can do it, so can you.
A priest at our church used to give the lecters the same advice. “If you think you are speaking too slowly, slow down even more.” Inexperienced people tend to rush through their presentation and mumble words. This makes them consciously slow down and pronounce their words more clearly.
Just remember that the number one fear people have is public speaking. So before you go up there people are sitting in the audience thinking “I would never get up and speak in front of a crowd like this”. So when you go up there, everyone in the room is already impressed with you.
And Mrs Langan, beloved Speech and Debate coach, would always tell us, in her Southern accent, arms stretched out above her head, emphasizing every word, “Big, Big, BIG!!!” She wanted us to project our voices to the back of the room.
silenus, ever heard of her?
Take some slow deep breaths just beforehand. When we are afraid, our blood goes to our limbs which isn’t really going to help you.
Try to experience the butterflys as excitement rather than fear.
Mel.
“Ditto” to everyone so far. I try to find a few friendly faces and speak to them. I also agree with Casey. I always speak faster than I think I do.
I have found that I’m not even nervous about public speaking when I know my topic inside and out. I hope your speech is something you are well-acquainted with and feel strongly about, instead of just something you’re slightly embarrassed about…it will make a big difference to your confidence.
If you’re still feeling lost, memorize your speech backward and forward, and practice it in front of anyone who will listen. Practice it in the shower. Practice it to music. Dance to it.
I’ll second the practicing. Get a group of your friends or coworkers and practice in front of them.
The first time I spoke with a mic I had NO IDEA that there would be an echo! Really threw me off at the beginning and took me a few moments to get my bearings back.
Use a big voice, even if you are mic’ed. While the mic will handle all of the volume issues, your voice will come out clearer, cleaner, and stronger.
Also, as was mentioned, eye contact is a good thing! And keep your head up, especially if you have cue cards. And remember, even if you know your speech backwards and forwards, improvising on the spot if you forget a part is not a bad thing. Your audience will not know what you have written, so small deviations will not be noticed. This idea tripped me up for the longest time. I would skip a line or forget a sentence, and I would stall out for a couple of seconds. It did not look good. Then I realized that public speaking is essentially, a one sided conversation, and making it up as you go along is not hard. I found that I was using the cards as a crutch. When I got rid of them or just switched to short notes, it went much smoother. Plus it makes it a lot easier if you then have to field questions later on, which it doesn’t sound like you will have to. Still good advice to keep in mind.
A couple of other things. Move around. Even if it is just your hands, movement is good. Remember though, you want “animated” not “spastic monkey on crack”. Smiling is also a good thing. People always respond to a smile. Watch you “ums” and “ahs” as a stalling technique. A second or two of silence is much more effective. It gives the impression that you are gathering your thoughts, rather than stalling.
I have to second the talking fast bit as well. A two minute speech at a normal speaking rate can turn into a one minute speech with motor mouth, with very little difficulty. I’ve been there myself. It sucks.
That’ all I can think of right now, best of luck!
Actual eye contact makes some speakers – especially inexperienced ones – feel nervous. If you find this to be the case, focus instead JUST over the tops of the heads of the people in the back row, first one part and then another. Everyone will think you are speaking directly to them.
One famous speaker – I think it was Winston Churchill – said he used to visualize everyone in the audience as having holes in their socks. I don’t remember who it was who said he used to visualize the audience as naked! These supposedly keep you from being scared of the audience by remembering that they are after all just ordinary people.
It’s also good to realize that even excellent, experienced speakers get the jitters, too. It’s what keeps you sharp and focused.
Good luck!
If the situation lends itself, tell a small joke, or ask the audience if they’re enjoying themselves, or get them to respond to you in some positive way. You wouldn’t believe how much easier - and less daunting - it is to talk to an audience of smiling faces.
I also agree with moving. Gesture with your hands, turn and face your group now and then, and wander around a bit. It’ll help you burn off some nerves.
Practice even if only by taping it to listen to your pace.
Remember that the audience have no idea what you are about to say and are listening largely to your content. Whatever nervousness you experience is far more apparent to you than it is to the audience.
Put your speech outline on cards. Don’t try to have the whole speech, there’s a good chance you’ll get lost and never find your spot again if you’ve got the whole thing written out. Use a ring to hold the cards all together so you don’t drop random cards on the floor.
The microphone may keep you from gauging your volume accurately. I often think I sound as though I’m whispering and must resist the temptation to shout. If the person before you sounded fine, you probably don’t need to worry.
You’ll probably screw up at least once. Accept this, work on a way to recover from it. What little joke are you going to use to stall for time if you lose your place for example? Don’t forget that your audience is on your side, most won’t even notice a minor flub, nobody will remember after about five minutes even if they do notice. Good luck!
Everything has been covered really well, but I’ll emphasise a couple of points that were important to me when I had to speak.
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Cue-cards are very, very helpful. Write clearly.
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Speak slowly and clearly. I don’t know how many times I told myself to do this before the event but as soon as I got in front of the spotlight I started rushing.
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Smile.
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It depends on your topic, but try and use your hands a bit for emphasis on certain points.
Adding to Emperor Penguin’s speak loud and clear even though you’re mic’ed – don’t feel as if you have to be right on top of the mic. Sure it’s dramatic to see a rapper with his lips practically brushing the microphone, but microphones are designed to give you some generous space.
If you’re too close, your speech will be full of “plosives” – the PoPPing sound that consonants like P Produce when PeoPle Proceed to sPeak in close Proximity to a mic. It ends up sounding like drumming and interferes with the rhythm of what you’re saying. If you’re about 10" a way and speak with a confident volume, you’ll be fine.
I use cue cards with key words. I often stumble over particular words in a speech so I make sure THOSE words are incorporated into the cards. There is no ryme or reason to the words I trip on so having them at hand keeps things going smoothly for me.
Also, there is no harm in writing out entire sentences if you feel you have to use the EXACT words for something to make sense.
Casey1505’s advice is always the first advice I give any new speaker. As your nerves tighten you talk faster, get scared they’re getting bored, and try to rush to the end.
(If you aren’t reading the whole Gospel of St. John, you are not going to be up there that long. Let them hear and understand what you’re saying.)
Slow down.
Deep breath.
Speak slowly.
Cue cards are a good thing to hold onto, too. That way you don’t feel so alone up there.
I’ll second: If you flub, don’t dwell on it. Chances are, nobody even noticed it. Or if they noticed, they don’t care. So don’t say: “Excuse me, what I meant was such and such.” That just blows it up unnecessarily big. Just go on with your speech as planned.
If you’re including a joke in your speech but nobody laughs, don’t worry. It happens. I used to do warm-up for a show for a while and sometimes crowds just are non-responsive. Might be the weather, might be that they encountered something they didn’t like beforehand.
In general: It’s a two-minute deal. Don’t worry too much. Just remember: The audience (for the most part) doesn’t know you, and you don’t know them. Look at them as one really big person you’re talking to. (I’d go easy on the picturing people naked part, but that’s just me)
I’m sure you’ll do a great job.
Actually, Eats_Crayons, in my experience, most people who are unused to microphones hold them too far away, which makes them sound like they are mumbling even if the volume is sufficient (this is a particular problem if the venue is noisy, with lots of people talking to each other instead of paying attention to the speaker). NotWithoutRage, are you male or female? Male voices seem to carry better on most microphone setups, and women are usually the ones who need to be closer to the mic to avoid sounding like they’re mumbling.
Good luck!