Poll: Public Speaking

[Ernie]

A thread to discuss public speaking and any tips you have for public speakers.

Please keep this thread light and kind and avoid a condescending tone or patronizing comments.

[joshuabgood]

I generally enjoy public speaking so long as I get to choose what to speak about.

[Neto]

None of the options really apply to my case. I would not say that I have a "natural ability'" for public speaking. I had speech classes in both HS and college, and also took a homiletics course in Bible college. But in spite of not really feeling that public speaking is a forte of mine, during our time in mission work I did a lot of services to report on our ministry in Brazil. While in Brazil, I took my turns in preaching at the mission Sunday afternoon services, and always had something ready for every service in the Banawa village, in case they asked me, which I would say was every time we were there in the village and there was a service. I take my turn teaching our adult men's class, usually for 2 or 3 months at a time. I accept opportunities to speak or preach at other congregations when asked. (I have spoken at our congregation, but have never been asked to 'bring a message'. The only times I was the main speaker there was during the time we were in active duty as Bible translators.)

I speak when asked, but do not seek it. I always experienced a good bit of nervousness before a speaking engagement, but once I started in, it didn't bother me. I always had notes, sometimes very extensive, but I never followed them closely. I always enjoyed interaction with those in the audience (question times), but I don't typically make a lot of actual eye contact, even in one on one conversation. This is largely due to cultural reasons, having grown up among Native Americans, and having lived with the Banawa, who like most native peoples do not do much eye contact. (While direct eye contact is a 'major cultural value' in Western society, in native cultures it is commonly considered an aggressive response.) I have to consciously force myself to do it, and then to keep it short, according to the accepted intervals reported in research articles I have read. There is nothing natural about it at all for me. There is also a physical element in this that may be part of the reason I do not do much eye contact, in that I have a sight condition that requires a fair bit of brain power to keep my eyes focused together. So I can listen better if my eyes are closed. (This isn't bogus nonsense - a medical doctor explained this to me, and I found long ago that if I'm working on something where I cannot see it clearly, due to wearing tri-focals, etc., I can do it better if I just close my eyes, instead "seeing with my mind and my fingers".

[Robert]

I do not like to speak, but I love to communicate and teach. It might sound like splitting hairs. Maybe it is.

I do not like standing up in front. I would always walk around and sometimes down the isles a bit. I always used an overhead with images and writing for others to read along.

[Judas Maccabeus]

I generally write out my sermon text as I intend to deliver it. Generally, first draft is in longhand, than I dictate it into the computer, which transcribes it. If I speak without notes, I will sometimes get on asides, and not be able to get back to my main text. Writing it out prevents this.

[Ken]

I’ve been doing it for a living for about 30 years. In my first career with the government having to give lots of presentations to various decision-making bodies from regional fisheries councils up to Congress. And now for the past 18 years as a HS science teacher.

I always have some sort of bulleted notes to work off of, either PowerPoints or hand-outs of some sort. But I speak extemporaneously, I don’t read lines of text. And in the classroom a lot of it is Socratic method. I’m always calling on kids to keep them on their toes.

[JohnL]

I don’t do public speaking but I can share about my favorite preachers who do.
They love God and their subject. You can see a smile on their face as they share God’s Word.
They don’t try to pass themselves off as a scholar who is above everyone else but share as a fellow-believer.
They know what they want to say and don’t ramble. Their subject topic is specific and they share examples from the Bible.
They generally preach no more than 15 minutes.
They don’t use their preaching for grinding axes. They encourage and exhort to walk as a Christian who loves Jesus.

[mike]

I generally enjoy public speaking so long as I get to choose what to speak about.

Yep. It's all about the subject matter. If it's something of genuine interest to me, I'm going to enjoy studying it and talking about it. I can enjoy teaching just about anything from the Bible, although some sections are more challenging than others. I do just a little speaking in business contexts, and that can be enjoyable as well.

The studying is the hard part - finding enough time, and being able to focus without too many distractions. The easy and more enjoyable part is the delivery -- if and only if the prep has been done. Being up front without enough or any preparation is the stuff of nightmares.

[ohio jones]

I often write out most of what I want to say, but only refer to the notes in a general way when presenting. But I do put time stamps in the notes to keep me on track, so I know whether to speed up or if there's time to tell a story.

[Robert]

They generally preach no more than 15 minutes.

I do fall short on this account. I am just getting started at 15 minutes.

I do try not to go past 30. By using the overheard, the images, often short video clips and words presented seem to help everyone stay focused and pas the time easily. Interaction is often standard for me. I like more conversational talks.