9/4/2017 0 Comments Conquering the Art of CasualThis week, our class had to plan and deliver our first introductory speech. Public speaking has always been a difficult topic for me, but by practicing through interviews and small group conversations, I have become a bit more comfortable with speaking over the past few years. There is, however, one aspect of public speaking that I am still incredibly uncomfortable with: casual speaking in formal presentations.
We’ve all seen this in action. Think of all the great speakers you know (see: Steve Jobs, Malcolm Gladwell, and Martin Luther King Jr.). What do they all have in common? Some of the first things that come to mind are that they share a passion, are able to connect with the audience, and have an air of authority surrounding them that makes you want to listen to what they say. Personally, I feel like one of the most definitive characteristics of a public speaker is their ability to address the audience at an individual rather than a collective level. They learn to perfectly blend casual and formal language (both verbal and non-verbal) to a point where every individual feels like they are listening to a friend rather than a professor. Just like a model spends hours staring at a mirror to take that perfect candid picture, these great speakers have to constantly practice the different aspects of their public speaking personas to perfect their ability to maintain formality while also connecting with the audience using informal stories. After spending about two hours listening to Ted Talks while letting speech ideas simmer in the back of my mind, I began to write, keeping in mind that my ultimate goal was not to prove myself or argue a point, but instead to connect with the audience and allow them to see me for who and what I truly am. After this goal was set, I actually found two stories that perfectly tied into the points I wanted to make. I am not usually confident in my stories and worry that they won’t carry the same message from person to person. With these stories, however, I was actually confident in my ability to explain my stories and connect with the audience. This was a major milestone in my journey to become a successful public speaker. Overall, this week was successful because I made major progress towards feeling more comfortable with public speaking. The skills and experience I gained through the entire process of crafting and delivering an introductory speech will surely carry over into my professional sphere and beyond, allowing me to be more confident and eloquent person for years to come.
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