Speakers' Training for Leaders

Last Sunday I attended SFC's "Speakers' Training." Ate Shevey, former SFC Bacoor Chapter Head, gave a comprehensive discussion about public speaking for speakers, old and new alike. And since we at SFC are all called to lead and to evangelize, we gotta have this talent in public speaking. So I'm sharing a few of the info that I've learned during the 3-hour workshop-seminar.

Good speakers are made, not born.

Elements for Effective Public Speech
1. Use your own style.
2. Do not read your talk.
3. Do not memorize the whole talk.
4. Be conversational.

Planning Your Talk
1. Study
a. Read the expanded outline a few times.
b. Understand the goals & objectives.
c. Accept & internalize.
2. Seek input from other speakers' wisdom & experience.
3. Analyze your audience
a. Be flexible.
b. Level with your audience.
c. Inquire about their status, academic level, cultural background, etc.

Preparing the Talk
1. Pray & offer your efforts to God.
2. Read & internalize the expanded outline.
3. Jot down & prioritize all the examples, stories & sharing for talk.

Writing Your Introduction
The opening of the talk should be positive, concise & relevant.

Methods of Opening the Talk
1. Ask a question, but don't force the audience to answer. The question should be answerable with yes or no, & should be addressed to all. Ask the question first before calling someone to answer. Give the audience ample time to think.
2. State a positive fact.
3. Tell a story.
4. Present the goal & objective.
5. Preview the topic.
6. Give a sharing.
7. Quote a bible passage. This is applied especially on CLP orientation session &, session on faith & repentance.

Writing Your Conclusion
You can ruin a nice talk by having a weak conclusion.
1. Do not ramble.
2. Do not just stop abruptly.
3. Use a challenging conclusion. Ask a question, tell a story , etc.

Practicing delivering your talk
Practice makes perfect
1. Make each practice a step closer to the actual talk.
2. Finish each practice.
3. Time your practice.
4. Strive for a conversational tone.
5. Envision the audience's response.

Drafts for Your Practice
1. Make a mental draft.
2. Make a speaking draft.
3. Make a standing draft.

The Talk Itself
1. Be conversational in tone.
2. Use normal language, avoiding pious phrases.
3. Make simple, not complex points.
4. Don't moralize or preach. Don't talk down to your listeners.
5. Avoid arguments, controversies, and criticism of others.
6. Base the talk on the Bible.
7. Use examples and stories from your own experience.
8. Keep the talk disciplined, that is, within the goals set for the session.

On the Day of the Talk
1. Stay confident in the Lord.
2. Do something special.
3. Minimize unrelated pre-talk activities.
4. Wear your favorite clothes.
5. Arrive early.
6. Familiarize yourself with the venue.
7. Test the mic.
8. Pray.
9. Relax while you wait.
10. Don't make any significant last minute changes.
11. Listen closely to how you are introduced.
12. Spring from your seat when called.
13. Greet the audience with eye contact, smile.
14. Don't focus on someone from the audience who express negative reaction.

Stage Fright
1. Speechlessness, stuttering - Solution: speaking draft, hum in low town, focus on famliar face.
2. Racing speech - mental draft
3. Headache - pray, relax
4. Shaky, stiff muscles - breath, maglakad-lakad
5. Shortness of breath - ipabasa ang ilang bahagi ng materials (e.g. power point presentation) sa audience
6. Excessive sweating - proper clothing
7. Dry mouth - water (pa-simple lang ang pag-inom ng tubig while onstage)
8. Pounding heart - advice the person in charge of the event about it if you have risk of having heart attack
9. Cracking voice - speaking draft
10. Blanking out -- idiot cards.