Public Speaking with Sincerity Enthusiasm Confidence and Simplicity

With Sincerity, Enthusiasm, Confidence and Simplicity (SECS) you will find it easy to become a good public speaker.

Many people have a natural fear of public speaking. This mainly comes through lack of experience.

Firstly, people don’t understand the principle of SECS, and how it must apply to speaking in public. Secondly, they don’t practice the art of public speaking enough to overcome this fear, and thirdly they often lack the motivation to get a message across to their audience.

The first two factors are relatively easy to overcome – the third factor is a little more difficult because you have to have something you believe is worth talking about. If you don’t genuinely believe in the value of your subject then don’t talk about it.

We will talk about motivation a little later in these notes because it is truly the prime reason behind good public speaking.

Sincerity
As mentioned above, the SECS principle is made up of four key elements with sincerity as its first element. A speaker must be sincere if one wants to communicate with any audience – whether it is one person or one hundred.

If you are not sincere in what you have to say then why are you saying it?

Sincerity means a number of things – it means being honest with your audience – it means you believe in what you are saying and it also means you believe that what you have to say will be of interest, and benefit, to your audience.

If, in fact, you are not being honest and you don’t really believe in what you are saying, this will very quickly become obvious to your audience – in which case – don’t waste their time or yours.

Enthusiasm
The second element of the SECS principle is enthusiasm.

You must have a genuine enthusiasm and personal interest in what it is you want to talk about.

If you cannot engender enthusiasm for your subject there is no way in the world that you will light this fire in your audience.

This comes back to the purpose of why you are speaking in public.

There are many reasons why a person chooses to speak in public and these range from having a message to get across, to sharing an experience or to impart some particular knowledge that will benefit other people.

Another reason why people speak in public is to build up their own self-confidence. If the speaker lacks enthusiasm for what he, or she, is trying to say, the audience will also lack enthusiasm for the speaker..

Public speaking is simply another form of communication and to be effective it must be done with enthusiasm.

Confidence
The third element of the SECS principle is to be convinced that what you say is true, that it is worth saying and that it fulfils a purpose.

In order to acquire this conviction you must be confident that you ‘know’ your subject.

This means not only research, but understanding fully, the subject for discussion.

It does not mean that you have to know everything there is to know about your subject, no one can ever claim that sort of knowledge, but you do need to know all you can about your topic.

To be effective, it is important that you ‘know’ the subject you want to talk about.

Having this knowledge is the first step towards gaining self confidence in your ability to address the Public. Self confidence is as much a mental thing as it is physical and, in Public Speaking, it can be tremendously enhanced through practice.

But – practising what?

Knowing your subject is part of the equation – the other part is preparing the presentation.

This preparation involves organising your talk in a logical way – it involves selecting the key points and weeding out lesser information. A focused presentation is aimed at achieving the purpose for giving the speech.

The research, and preparation, that goes into a properly prepared public speech is often, the largest component of any worthwhile talk.

A five minute talk could well take hours of research, preparation and practice before it is acceptable.

Practice is probably the key to being successful in this area – as it is in so many other fields of endeavour. A valuable aid in practising is to make a “flash card” that you can hold in the palm of your hand. Pick out the key words for the various parts of your speech and use these as prompts during your practice sessions. Practice in front of a mirror – look at your facial expressions – look at your body language – they all send very clear messages to your audience. Practice with the help of friends – ask them to be critical – they can really help your presentation. Practice your speech with a tape recorder to check how fast you talk – to check your tones – your pauses – the timing.

In the case of public speaking “familiarity breeds confidence” so, the more familiar you become with what you want to say and, the more you practice it, the more confidence you will acquire.

Confidence is intimately associated with sincerity and, to be successful in public speaking, confidence and sincerity will always go together.

Simplicity
The fourth element of the SECS principle is the need to keep your presentation simple, logical and straight forward.

This does not mean that your talk should be ‘simplistic’ – it means that your message must be uncomplicated, unambiguous, to the point and, understandable.

Do not use words that your audience are unlikely to understand, do not use, or quote, foreign words, or phrases, unless they are clearly translated and their use rationally explained. There is a well known acronym used in the selling game that applies equally to the art of Public Speaking.

It is the KISS principle – Keep it Simple Sam.

Unfortunately, human beings have a tendency to make things far more complicated than they need be.

It seems to be a never-ending challenge to simplify and, thereby, clarify our intentions, and our meanings, so that we can actually say what we want to say and avoid misinterpretation.

Proper, clear communication between two people, let alone a hundred, seems to be one of the most difficult endeavours of the human race.

Preparation, practice, sincerity and keeping things clear, simple and straight forward, will go a long way towards conveying whatever message you want to pass on through Public Speaking.

Techniques
What we are concerned with here are the basic fundamental techniques that will improve the quality of your speaking. These techniques can be acquired with practice.

Correct Speaking
Generally you will need to have a good understanding of correct grammar and the proper use of the language.

You will need to know the make up of your audience so that you can deliver your message in the manner they can understand.

There is absolutely no point in using technical terms if these are not going to be understood.

On the other hand it can be demeaning to talk down to your audience in what might be seen as a ‘simplistic’ manner.

Public Speaking can often be made more interesting by the use of words strung together in new, or different, ways. For example – “I met this old man – his skin was as delicate as rice paper.” Genuine enthusiasm, and sincerity, will often hide some of the lesser slips of incorrect grammar or improper wording.

Voice Control and Breathing
In order to be able to speak effectively one must be able to speak clearly. The speaker must be heard. You must project your voice in a clear, and forthright, manner but, avoid any impression of shouting. No audience will appreciate being shouted at; nor will they like a speaker when they cannot hear what is being said.

Effective speaking requires you to speak in a measured way, not too slow, and not too fast.

You need to learn to speak naturally but not mechanically. You need to be able to demonstrate sincerity and enthusiasm in your voice – you need to learn to vary the pitch to emphasise a point.

The “pause” is a most effective tool in Public Speaking. It can also be an area of embarrassment if not done intentionally.

Similarly, the use of repetition is another tool that will enhance a talk, if properly used, but it can become a source of annoyance if over used.

Good speakers learn the value of deep breathing – that is to inhale through the nose and force the air down into the lungs, pushing down onto the stomach muscles.

You then exhale by contracting the stomach muscles and forcing the air out through the mouth.

This is the natural way of breathing when lying on our backs and relaxing – it is the natural way of breathing for babies and young children. As we grow older we seem to lose the art of slow, deep breathing and exist mainly on short, shallow breaths.

Most of us have read of the benefits of taking a few, slow, deep breaths to calm us down, and relax the nerves, before tackling a difficult task.

This is just as true in the case of Public Speaking but deep breathing is also an essential tool in the development of a “quality” voice.

Deep breathing should always be practiced with a feeling of relaxation – it should be a conscious effort to relax – try to develop the technique of feeling your whole body relax – of getting rid of tension – of clearing your mind of worries.

Motivation
Before we go into the Preparation and Planning aspects of a speech, you must be very clear of the purpose, and reason, why you are giving the speech.

It doesn’t matter whether you are talking to one person, or to an audience of one hundred, it doesn’t matter whether you are talking in English or Chinese, the principles remain the same.

Going for a job interview is as much a matter of Public Speaking as it is talking to a room full of people. If you apply the principles of Public Speaking in selling yourself, and your abilities at a job interview, it may prove very valuable to your future.

By clearly understanding the purpose, and reason, of your talk, you can shape it the way you want in order to achieve your goal.

There are many reasons why people make public speeches but you have to know why you are doing it – what benefit will your audience get from the speech – what benefit will you get – but - most of all – to be successful at Public Speaking, - you must have the motivation to want to do it..

If your ambition is to be a Teacher – every lesson you give will be an exercise in Public Speaking. It is a special type of Public Speaking but the SECS principles apply just as much in a classroom as they do in any public forum.

Preparation
For any Public Speaker to be effective, they must be fully prepared, as must be the speech itself.

Each Speech needs to have a plan – one that will be the pathway leading to the destination you wish to achieve.

There is no value in knowing your subject if you don’t have an understandable way to get the message across.

At the same time, there is no point in having the best laid out plan in the world if you don’t know what you are talking about.

Preparation means having a goal – you must be clear as to exactly what it is you wish to achieve through your Public Speaking.

If you don’t have that goal before you, it will be very difficult to plot a course in the direction you want to take your audience.

Never forget – no matter how much preparation you put into your Public Speaking it will come to nothing unless it is presented with Sincerity, Enthusiasm and Confidence

It is also true that, no matter how Sincere, Enthusiastic or Confident you might be, you will not get your message across if you cannot present it in a logical, and understandable, manner.

The other thing you must try to do in your preparation is to keep the message Simple. This does not mean ‘simplistic’ – it means that your message must be uncomplicated, to the point and understandable.

The timing, and duration, of a speech are also factors in the Preparation. On most occasions you will know how much time you have for giving your speech. By measuring the number of words you can say in one minute, you will be able to find out how many words you will need in your speech.

SECS should always be the guiding principles in the preparation of a good public speech.

Planning
If you fail to plan you must be planning to fail

There is a distinction between Preparation and Planning just as there are also overlapping areas of interest.

Preparation, as we use the term here, refers principally to the development of the speech itself …… this includes the research, the study, the notes and the style and format of the talk …… and, importantly, the audience.

Planning on the other hand, takes into consideration the venue, the timing and location of the address, the occasion and, equally as important, the audience.

While proper Preparation should give you all the relevant information, and facts, you will need, it is the Planning stage that will determine how, what and where these will be delivered.

There are always a number of physical factors that, sometimes, can be considered in your planning. In a school environment the physical factors are usually fixed and the speaker will not have any choice about this arrangement.

These physical factors relate to the venue, the size, and type, of your audience, the acoustics, the lighting, the climatic conditions and the furniture. Occasionally, you may have some choice about some of these things, other times you won’t but, you should try to exert whatever influence is available, to set them up to your advantage.

For instance, if you are being introduced, ensure the person introducing you is given the right details.

If you are on a platform with a number of other people, try to have the podium separated from the group. Your audience will be better able to focus on you, and what you have to say, rather than being distracted by the movement of the others.

If you are addressing a small group, try to make sure they are as compacted as much as is practical, and then, talk to them on the same level rather than from a platform.

Watch out for gestures you make, either by way of body language or, artificially including them in your address.

If you are truly enthusiastic about what you have to say this will automatically translate into your body language and be conveyed to your audience.

Any attempt to disguise sincerity will be quickly picked up by your audience and hence, you need to restrict gestures to those that come naturally, and are made with meaning.

Suit your actions to your words and your words to your actions.

Finally, one of the most important facets of planning is to try and anticipate the response of your audience.

This is where it is good to practice your speech in front some friends and to ask them to make honest comments. It also helps if you can imagine yourself as being part of your audience.

If you can do this will you have a chance of gauging audience reaction, and thus, anticipate any need for clarification.

This process can be a great help in achieving the purpose of your speech. It allows you to see the pitfalls of being side tracked …… it allows you to focus on the main path, and thereby, lead your audience along the road you want them to take.

Make sure you understand, if you try to take your audience up a path they don’t want to follow, they will soon let you know.

Naturalness
To be a good speaker is to be a ‘natural’ speaker.

What this means is that you need to develop your style so that you can deliver a speech in the same manner as if you were talking to an individual.

Obviously there is a difference between ‘chatting’ to one person and ‘chatting’ to an audience.

The difference, however, is mainly in the amount of ‘force’ you need to make yourself heard.

Although being ‘natural’ is a simple process, its application can often be made unnecessarily complicated.

The factors that help make a speech ‘natural’ are the same factors you use when talking to a friend. These factors are:


 * Changing the pitch of your voice to rise and fall with the occasion.
 * Varying the rate in which you speak to help emphasise the importance, or the emotional attachment, to what you are saying.
 * Accenting certain syllables in certain words, and stressing certain words in appropriate sentences - exactly as we do when we underline words, or sentences, in a written text.
 * The cultivation of the “pregnant pause” to provide emphasis on important ideas…… The pause can give you the opportunity to see whether the point has been absorbed by your audience …… look at your audience …… try to see them as individuals …… try to feel the effect of what you have said …… if appropriate, use the pause to repeat the important point and drive it home.

Personality and Appearance
Personality is what you are born with and it takes a person of uncommon will to consciously change this.

Appearance, on the other hand, is entirely within your own control ……. It is up to you to determine how neat and tidy you look or, how sloppy and unkempt you wish to be.

Either way you will make an impression …… it’s up to you to decide just what the impression is that you want to make.

Some people simply do not have the personality for Public Speaking which is entirely different to saying they do not have the ability.

Anybody, and I stress, anybody, who has the desire, and motivation, to get a message across …… anybody who is passionate about what they have to say …… anybody who sincerely believes in the benefits of their message to their audience …… and anybody who is prepared to put in the work to overcome their perceived natural ‘disabilities’, can become a Public Speaker.

Your personality won’t change …… your individuality will always be yours …… but, if you can learn to use your strengths and control, or moderate, your weaknesses, you can certainly start out on the path to your ultimate goal.

First impressions are important no matter what you may think.

This is why your appearance must be tailored to the type of audience you seek to address.

This means you should dress for the occasion and not affront your audience by disrespecting their standards.

If you are going to appear sloppy, and untidy, why would you expect your audience to think that your message is likely to be any different?

However, there are some occasions where you may find you can make an appropriate impact by tying your appearance in with the subject of your talk.

As mentioned above, the impression you wish to convey to your audience is something that is entirely within your control and, it is a key factor in how successful your presentation will be.

Another point worth remembering is that a sincere, and genuine, smile is a great starting point and serves to impart a mutual degree of confidence between you and your audience.

Guidelines
There are a number of guidelines worth noting if you are going to venture into the world of Public Speaking.

These guidelines are never set in concrete nor are they universally applicable to every occasion.

Common Ground
One interesting facet of Public Speaking is the need to find common ground with your audience. It helps a lot, therefore, if you can get them agreeing with you from the outset. One way to do this is to present a number of propositions, statements or questions that will engender a positive response.

The Start
It is often said that the author of a story must aim to grab the reader’s attention in the opening sentence.

This is no less true when giving an address …… your opening remarks need to get the audience’s attention.

It is usually advisable to avoid argumentative opening remarks that will generate negative and opposing responses.

You might throw out a challenge to your audience but, this needs to be done carefully, deliberately and, for a definite purpose. Another option is to start with a humorous passage that ties in with your talk.

Whatever your opening remarks, they need to grab the attention of your audience and generate their expectation of interesting information to follow.

The End
When planning the close of your talk, remember to finish up before your audience expects it. The closing of a speech is the point that is most remembered. You should always give as much thought to your closing remarks as you do to your opening comments.

The closing should never be hurried …… the closing needs to be carefully prepared and properly planned …… it needs to be the logical result of your address …… it needs to emphasise the purpose of the talk and spell out the goal to which you have been aiming.

Repetition
If you need to repeat your main ideas in order to drive home their importance and ensure they are reinforced in the minds of your audience, restate them in a different form.

Conviction
If you are not convinced of the ‘rightness’ of what you have to say then you will not convince your audience …… it is therefore essential that you must believe in the truth of your words.

Involve Your Audience
One of the keys to successful speech making is to personally involve your audience.

It is a well proven truism that the thing that interests most people is ‘themselves’. If you can seek out ways, and means, to illustrate to your audience how your talk relates to them personally, you will arouse, and hold, their interest.

You need to involve your audience with experiences they can relate to …… develop word pictures where your audience can become participants in the adventure.

Where appropriate, introduce personal experiences that will have a common link with your audience …… if they can empathise with you they will be in a better position to understand your purpose, and goals, for the address.

Informality
Always strive to find new, and different, ways of saying things without being over formal.

Seek out new, and interesting, ways to express yourself but, always do it in a manner that is understandable, and entertaining, to your audience.

Ego
Always be aware of your ego because, there is nothing that will turn an audience off quicker than an egotistic speaker.

Never forget that the audience is there for their pleasure and their benefit – they are not there for yours – so – if you have nothing to offer them – don’t bother with Public Speaking.