How do I prepare for public speaking appearances?
I have never been deterred by public speaking. I enjoy talking to large groups or groups of any size. I am okay if there is a stage associated with it or of very recent a screen.
But I do give considerable attention to what to talk to the groups about.
As I prepare for 3 public appearances this week, I not only reflect about the speeches themselves but also the process how I prepare for and design a speech.
I have taken the last few days to understand how it is that I plan for the speech. Hoping that a story would be born out if it.
Let me begin with the bad thing: I am very last minute.
The actual speech will not be done until about half a day before I hold it. Why?
Well, normally I first start with some fact finding, researching background material or numbers of recent things related to the topic of my speech. If the topic warrants, I reach out to some people and see what they have to say about it.
Most of my material is from-
reading
conversations with others
statistics that I find online
the history of the topic; all of that in no particular order.
Now let’s get to the good part.
I often find myself talking to my farm, the dogs, the trees a week before my public appearance. All of that information keeps surfacing randomly in my head. Somedays I have a quiet dialogue with things around me and with myself, on other days, I don’t think about it all.
I think that’s the method. To let the information sit in your head for some time.
My thoughts are usually around-
How do I engage the audience on the topic
How do I make them part of my thought process
How d0 I reach them – do I provoke them, what do I say to capture their attention
Where are they coming from, what do they think before my speech and what do I want them to think after my speech
Do I want them to feel comfortable or do I want to take them out of their comfort zone
Which tonality am I going to apply to which part of my speech. When am I going to be calm and serene and when louder and aggressive?
I can tell you, there is quite a rumble going on in that black box of my head.
I have often caught the dogs look back at me, and then saunter off. They’ve realised by now that I am talking to some invisible thing.
Sometimes I panic and think "OMG, I am never going to be ready, never going to get a handle on this topic."
And then suddenly, one fine hour, it is all crystal clear. The flow is there, the story born (much like this post). After that, all that remains to be done is to take some notes to ensure that the nervousness in the moment does not derail me.
That said, I don’t leave the speech to happenstance. There is a ton of ground work and mind work and mental rehearsals that go on.
The point of writing this is to show you what works for me when it comes to public speaking. Maybe we can share notes or this is something that you can learn from.
PS- I am not much for American politics, but I agree whole heartedly with Franklin D Roosevelt's take on public speaking. Check out the caption image.