Whose your audience?
The three rules to writing a speech are...
1) Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em.
2) Tell them.
3) Tell them what you just told them.
Paul,
Since your a CWI... You obviously are a fellow at the top of your profession. Rest in that knowledge.
1. Don't be afraid to work from notes. I've been lecturing for 15 years and I still use notes to keep me on track. If your using PowerPoint; Simple one or two lines per slide, big text.. and a picture.
2. Acronyms... Note each you will use and explain them. Even an audience of welders may not know them.
3. It's ok to pause and collect your ideas... WITHOUT um's...
4. Don't try to cram too much into your presentation.
5. If a question comes up that you don't have a quick answer for... Stop and make a note in your pad or on the drawing board... Promise to get the answer.. It reflects integrity, humility and shows you respect your audience.
6. If working via Chalk board or PowerPoint.. Face your audience when you speak.. When your writing or pointing a thing out on the board, Just wait till your finished to speak. If your going to err... Be louder rather than quieter.
Good Luck.
Good post Lawrence.
I usually approach a speaking engagement as if I am teaching a class, which effectively you are. For that I begin with a framework built upon modules in the form of a lesson plan.
From that I flesh out the speech. Attached is an example.
Gentlemen, Thank you for your insight. I will be speaking to high schoolers at a welding competition. And there will be teachers and other vendors there as well. And thank you Lawrence.
Here are some slightly out of date statistics that I use when speaking to High Schools... You can massage them to get the point across..
1. Projected labor shortage of 200,000 welding professionals by the year 2010
2. By 2014 there will be 450,000 welding jobs available
3. Computer skills are increasing in importance
4. According to the Hobart institute of Technology “25,000 students will begin their welding careers in 2006 while 50,000 experienced welders are expected to retire.
5. According to the National Tooling and Machining Association, 40% of member companies are turning away business due to lack of skilled welders.
6. National Association of Manufacturers, 60% of manufacturers reject half of all applicants as unqualified because of the lack of basic skills.
7. Average age of a welder in the U.S. is 54
Lawrence-
Exceptional public speaking advice. If 54 is the average age for welders that's great news- I feel like an almost young guy again.
My best advice.
Be prepared. The nerves will be their worst just before you begin. Once you begin if you are prepared you will relax.
Lots of good advise. I know for me the key is knowing your material, what your talking about. Since your a cwi you must be full of knowledge. The other thing that comes to mind, knowing what you are gonna talk about as in have a planned outline, what your going to cover, in what order to save people from mindless ramblings or back tracking.....something I tend to do if I don't have it laid out. As far as nervous jitters ain't no way around that one.
For nervous jitters breathe deep and do your best to relax, especially your diaphragm and throat muscles. If your diaphragm and throat are tight you will run out of air and get even more nervous, kind of a snowball effect. If you're like me my mouth also gets dry so I pop in a small breath mint to keep the saliva flowing. I just keep it buried in my cheek so I can pause and get my mouth moist again before going on. I feel your pain.
Gentlemen, Thank you all for you input. It is over and I feel I did a good job. I only hesitated a couple of times to get a drink and to glance at my notes. I'm ready for the next one. :)
The next one will go easier for you, now that you have that one under your belt.
Yes good advice also look at the tops of there heads and realize you may not deliver exactly your intended scrip, it becomes a guideline and speak from the heart.
I hate speaking in public and once, had to carry a half hour presentation on our fab shop in front of about 100 from all over the country as we hosted a fab shop seminar, it turned out OK due to it becoming a question and answer type thing, I however, don't want to quit my day job.
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