Speech Speed Bumps!

Greetings, fellow Steemians!

I trust we all had a wonderful day.

In public speaking, more important than what you say is how you say it.

Today, I want to share some mistakes speakers make that prevent their delivery from coming across as professional and appealing to the listeners' needs, eyes, and ears. These mistakes act as speed bumps, slowing down the success of a good delivery.

Poor Body Language:
Body language makes up about 55% of effective communication. Tone of voice accounts for 38%, and only 7% is about the words you utter.

Slouching, crossed arms, or avoiding eye contact can project disinterest or nervousness. I learned this from my speaking coach, Oliver Nshom. He said that every member of the audience doesn't have the same level of hearing, seeing, culture, and understanding. Act out what you are saying.

Not Reading the Room:

Failing to connect with your listeners through eye contact or tailoring your message to their needs can make your speech seem irrelevant.

The reactions of your audience members, such as yawning, sleeping, and disinterest, can mean that you need to step up your energy, use vocal variety (pitch, tone, pace), or even introduce humor or a story to get them engaged.

Monotone Delivery:

Speaking in a flat voice without variation in pitch or pace can lull your audience to sleep.

Winging It: This means lack of preparation.

Not being familiar enough with your material can lead to rambling, forgetting key points, and appearing unsure of yourself. Time invested in preparation is time well spent because it prevents you from stumbling over your words. Lack of preparation can lead to higher levels of stage anxiety, even for seasoned speakers.

Tips on How to Prepare for a Speech:

One of the ways to prepare for a speech is to first convince yourself. After all, if you can convince yourself, you can convince anyone. You can convince yourself by talking to the audience in the mirror. Another way to practice, which I think is the best, is to record yourself and later review the recording.

At first, watch and listen to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement. Perhaps there are some words that are difficult to pronounce; find alternative words that convey the same idea. Another way to practice is to talk to children.

This ensures clarity in your speeches. For this, I advise getting children who are outspoken and can ask questions whenever they don't understand a word or sentence you've said. This will push you to break down complex areas of your presentation.

Until next time, God bless you all!