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Things I would like to do before death
Things I would like to do before death
During my education I have had three public speaking classes, and I was not very successful in them. Since my future plans involve some public speaking I decided it was time to do something about it. I needed something that would help me to deliver complex information with ease, and to set me free of fear that I have when speaking in a front of large crowd. The book entitled Technically Speaking by Jan D'Arcy seemed as a good start. Jan D'Arcy is recognized as one of the top speech coaches in the U.S. and her clients include accomplished organizations and companies such as NASA, Microsoft, Advanced Technology Labs, Targeted Genetics, IBM, Boeing, Starbucks to name a few. In Technically Speaking she talks about several things that are interesting to me.
First is use of generalization and importance of audience analysis. Important points she makes are:
• Never overestimate your audience’s knowledge base
• Never underestimate your audience’s intelligence
• Every individual in audience has different worldview
• Audiences have multilevel of knowledge
• Start with basics and slowly broaden up
• Define, decode, associate and be clear when delivering information
The author stresses that audience is speakers’ partner not foe. The most interesting part was author’s use of the biology to explain how to overcome fear. Key idea was to understand and accept fears. Once accepted the fear can be nixed with breathing, laughing and relaxing. To deliver information image of speaker is also very important. The main point author makes is that more than half of the information audiences receive is from the body language.
I liked Technically Speaking. It was interesting due to many examples that author provides for each point she makes which made book very easy to read. I would recommend this book especially to the people who are technology professionals or plan to become technology professionals.
The universal points that I got out of the book are:
• Communication is a must to succeed
• Information presented should be simple (but no to simple)
• Everybody has fear toward public speaking
• Have a specific, realistic and emphasized message
• Speakers image is “bought” first
• Audience is speakers partner
• Rehearse speech
That is what this book educated me about public speaking and I anxious to apply newly learned material.