GIVING A TALK BY FIONA CUMMINGS

A cold blog today as my fingers are numb. I’m so cold and have some kind of cold too. Really sore throat and can’t stop sneezing. I’m in my conservatory. Without heating trying to be frugal. Not a good idea. I have been here for about five hours and now I’m writing with frozen fingers. I have been working. So many phone calls. Talking to loads of people. Now my day of work is over and how better could I end it other than a chat with my Bloggets. Even though I feel like an Eskimo right now!

 

 My day so far was spending the morning cooking dinner getting that out of the way and cleaning. Then work started. Teen on his way out and hub soon in.

 

Tomorrow I am going to attempt to make Choc chunky peanut and cranberry cookies.

100g pack of peanuts

140g salted butter room temperature

250g plain flour

1 half tsp baking powder

200g white caster sugar

100g peanut butter

1 large egg beaten

2 tbsp. golden syrup

200g bar chocolate chopped into chunks

 50g dried cranberries

 

Method

Turn on oven to 160

Spread out nuts and bake for seven minutes

Grease tray

Chuck all the ingredients into bowl make into breadcrumb texture. Make into cookie balls on tray leaving space in between each one cook for 12 minutes.

 

Gosh, that was exhausting. May be I will stick to going to my local shop and purchasing a pack? Having said that, there is nothing nicer than homemade, right?

 

One of the subjects I have been talking about today is public speaking. It’s interesting how some people have no fear of addressing the public, whereas others are absolutely terrified? So, why is this? I hope to try to analyse this in the next few paragraphs.

 

I have no issue in giving a public speech. No fear at all but, I do have fear going out on my own, though I do it. I know of people who are blind and can do anything out of the house get anywhere. Even places they have never been. Now this to me is a nightmare. They are the super blind. But they will no way give a talk in public. The thought of speaking in front of an audience, sends shivers down their spines. Is a no no area.

 

I have known people with qualifications coming out from their ears hold a very high position in their workplace an yet no way can stand up in front of a group of people and deliver a speech.

 

So, how to overcome this fear. And that is all it is, fear. It’s not impossible. If you can hear and talk clearly, then you can talk to ten people or two hundred. Talking is talking. Your voice shouldn’t be affected by a number of people. You still have your tool in your speech, so you can still use it!

 

Start off with a minimalistic approach. Know that the people, audience are there to listen to you.

 That is why they have attended your event. Also know that more than half of your audience are full of admiration for your gift and that gift is given to you as soon as you learn to talk.

 

When you are giving a talk. It may help to remember these points.

1. Know your subject
2.  . Ask yourself if you were the listener, would you be interested?
3. . Learn beforehand of the environment and age of your place of speech and audience. Its pointless using words that only adults will know of the meaning whilst talking to children. And equally using simplistic language in front of for example colleagues will possibly bore them as there will be nothing gripping in what they are listening to. You need to captivate your listeners. Listening is important. So if you are in a small room, then your voice will be heard more easily. This doesn’t mean that you can talk as quiet as a mouse. But, more gently perhaps more of a softer manner. If you are to give a talk in a hall, then you need to practice projecting your voice. A good way of doing this is to keep your head forward and ever so slightly higher than the people’s heads. If you can’t see your audience, then you could ask for someone prior to your speech, to sit in the front row and say something to you. If you are talking to children, if you sit, then you will make them feel more comfortable as if you stand up, then you are more like an authoritative   character. If you are talking with children, use a lot of praise when they are brave enough to ask a question. Never patronise your audience; Make them feel important.
4. . Always leave your crowd wanting more. And that more can be divided into two sections. (1) Each sentence is like a short story. So people really look forward to the answer in the end. (2) Leave your speech on a cliff-hanger. Why? So that they will be guaranteed to ask you lots of questions in the end and questions are a vital importance of your speech. Firstly you will come away with the knowledge that you have created a thought process in another person’s mind. That thought has been inspired by your words. And out of questions, may come more information that you possibly have forgotten earlier.  
5. Try not to keep your voice in the same tone. After all, you are an actor for your time in front of people. Act your way through your speech.

 

So what tools do you need to take with you? Most importantly, a note taker whether it be pen and paper, or Dictaphone. Possibly a pencil in case the ink runs dry and spare batteries. You never know when you need to take down a name or phone number.

 Go on, give it a go?  Just tell yourself that you know your subject, so if you were telling it to one person over a coffee, how would you feel doing that?

 

If you would be alright with that, then imagine that one person as twenty plus are in front of you.

 

Deep breaths.