One month left teaching Public Speaking for the semester at South Florida State College and FAU School of Communication & Multimedia Studies.

Encouraging students to #Rehearse for their final #speeches coming up. To do well in public speaking and presentations, you must rehearse 10 times to perfect your #performance, #confidence, #engagement and to get your #message across to the #audience.

Practicing Your Presentation

• Practice is essential to the speechmaking process
• Practice is especially important when your speech involves the use of presentation aids, which require you to be aware of not only what you’re saying but also what you’re showing
• As you practice an extemporaneous presentation, your words will change, but your note cards or speaking outline will guide you through the presentation with the same key points
• Your most productive practice sessions will be those when you deliver your presentation just as you would when speaking to an audience

Practice in Private

• Initial practice is a solo activity
• You should try to practice your vocal and physical delivery
• Don’t like the mirror? Too distracting? Don’t use it.
• Ultimately, you should focus on the audience, purpose, and content.

Practice by Recording Yourself

• Recording your practice session with your phone, camera, or computer can tell you a lot about what you are saying, how you sound, and what you look like as you are presenting
• Be aware that you might not like what you see and hear
• Apply audience-centered thinking to your physical and vocal delivery
• It can be difficult to watch yourself objectively, so an honest friend’s opinions may help erase some of your concerns and calm your nerves

Revise as You Practice

• The first draft of your speaking notes are unlikely to be your final draft
• You may need to write several drafts of your notes before you settle on the one that is most helpful to you
• Consider the circumstances in which your message or delivery may need to change as you speak
• Plan and practice how you would adjust your content and delivery in response

Practice in Front of Others

• Once you have reviewed your earlier drafts, try to practice your presentation in front of several different people
• Since we often are our own harshest critics, practicing in front of friendly listeners can reassure you and give you an extra dose of confidence

Practice Session Guidelines

The following questions may help you develop a practice plan:

• Where do you envision yourself practicing the most? Will you make sure those spaces are available when you need them?
• What days and times work best for you to practice your presentations? How often will you rehearse your presentation? Will you make sure to practice short sections as well as the entire speech?
• What challenges do you anticipate with speaking extemporaneously or using a manuscript? How might you handle them? To what extent will practice help you decrease or augment details in the note cards or speaking outline you will use?

Contact R. Michael Brown for public speaking speechwriting and to help you as your coach:
Mike@RMichaelBrown.com

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#CommunicationSkills
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