ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 710/C&RL News Preparing g reat speeches: A 10-step approach By Laura A. Sullivan Some helpful tips f o r m aking effective presentations C ommunication skills are a standard re­quirement in library job announcements; speaking skills, however, can be more difficult to acquire and discern. Librarians are faced with a variety o f speaking situations daily; we assist users at service desks, discuss problems with colleagues at meetings, present facts to library boards, and express opinions on committees, to name a few. Effective speaking skills are essential in these instances, but when faced with the formal speech or paper presentation many librarians, lacking public speaking expe­ rience, are justifiably apprehensive at the pros­ pect. In working on my own public communica­ tion skills, I have relied on my past education, teaching experience, advice from various col­ leagues, and trial and error. For those testing the water for the first time, the following ten steps are suggested as an easy and organized way to prepare a speech or paper. 1. Know your audience 2. Know the occasion 3. Select a topic 4. Select a purpose 5. Gather potential content 6. Gather more content than actually used 7. Organize content 8. Phrase the speech 9. Prepare visual aids 10. Practice, practice, practice1 The ten steps are from Steven Brooks, a former Communications Department faculty member at Northern Kentucky University. I have further developed these steps and hope the information you find here will be helpful to you as you prepare a speech or paper. 1. Know y o u r audience. Whether you are presenting a paper or giving a speech, you need to analyze your audience first and foremost. It is easy to alienate an audience by not examin­ ing the characteristics o f the group, what they know and what they want to know. B e aware of the audience’s attitudes and beliefs in gen­ eral, toward you and the topic. Consider age, socioeconomic status, and educational level. For example, if you are addressing a veteran group o f administrators on a management topic, cov­ ering the basics o f management would un­ doubtedly be boring and possibly insulting. There are numerous other factors crucial to ana­ lyzing an audience, but the time spent on this background check is necessary for the success o f your presentation. 2. K now th e occasion . As you scrutinize the audience, think carefully about the occa­ sion. Are you a keynote speaker? Presenting a paper? Introducing a speaker or chairing a panel? Each situation is different and requires preparation tailored to the occasion. Occasion analysis includes looking at room size (i.e., whether there are enough chairs for everyone affects the comfort level o f the group which in turn affects its response to your message), the arrangement of space (can everyone see you?), and the acoustics (there’s nothing more exas­ perating than having to strain to hear a speaker). Be conscientious about time limits too— if you Laura A. Sullivan is head of public services at Northern Kentucky University, and a former part-time instructor of public speaking; e-mail: sullivanl@nkuvax.bitnet D ecem ber 1994 / 711 M a d a m e C u r i e O n T h e C o s t O f S c i e n c e . Sh e discovered radium . Sh e coined the word “radioactive” and was th e first to suspect it em anated from “ato m ic energy.” Tw ice w inner o f the N obel Prize, her discoveries led to th e developm ent o f radiation therapy for th e treatm ent o f cancer. Yet in spite o f h er wide acclaim , M ad am e C urie often had to beg from th e wealthy to fund her research. She understood th e painful co st o f science. So do we. S in ce 1 8 7 6 , when th e Am erican C h em ical Society first began to publish scientific journ als, we have con sisten d y offered them at affordable subscription rates. A C S jo urnals cost, on average, about 5 0 % * o f th e price charged for com p etitiv e p u blications in o u r discipline. A nd we are co m m itted to co n tin u in g this tradition , w ithout co m p ro m isin g th e quality o f science we publish. Today, th e ch em ical sciences are advancing at a staggering rate. A nd we’ve increased our page budgets and our pub licatio n frequencies to keep pace w ith the increased flow o f critical research. Yet th e price * According to a report in the April 15, 1994 issue of Library Journal, t o f o u r jo u rn als rem ains com paratively low, especially w hen you consid er th e quantity, tim eliness and exceptio n al value o f th e in form ation . W rite o r fax A C S Pu blicatio n s and we’ll send you th e m ost recen t cost analyses fo r o u r p ublications. Please include your suggestions abo u t how we can serve you better. W e’re w orking hard to provide to m orrow s lan dm ark scientists w ith th e m eans to afford today’s research. he chemical sciences had an average price per journal o f $1,106. 712/C&RL News are allotted 15 minutes, then prepare your speech or presentation accordingly. Also, make sure your message matches the occasion. It would b e inappropriate, for example, to speak about a serious topic at a happy event. 3. Select a to p ic. Selecting a topic can some­ times occur first, stemming from the audience and occasion, as in the case o f a paper being accepted for a conference. If you need to pick a topic, however, b e sure it is one that is inter­ esting to you. It is also a good idea to b e a little more know ledgeable about the subject than your audience, but interest is crucial. If you do not have enthusiasm for the subject matter, neither will your audience. 4 . S elect a p u rp o se . For this step, deter­ mine the general purpose o f your speech or presentation. Are you informing, presenting, or entertaining? B e y o n d the general purpose, decide on Also, mov a specific purpose, what you want your audience to spe­ fine, but o cifically think or do (e.g., I controlled want my audience to under­ stand the three benefits o f audience holding a faculty workshop w ant fo fe on preparing library assign­ ments). It is helpful at this a tennis stage to write down the cen­ tral idea or thesis statement o f your talk as well (e.g., library censorship is increasing). 5. G ath er p o te n tia l c o n te n t. If you are presenting a paper, you have already done this step. If not, this is the research phase where you gather information through printed sources, interviews, discussion with others, and your own expertise. 6. G ath er m o r e c o n te n t th a n actu a lly used. Sort through your material choosing only the strongest and best material for your talk. This step allows you the luxury o f editing and, if need be, recognizing any information gaps that need to be filled. 7. O rganize c o n te n t. The importance of this step cannot be stressed enough, for both speeches and paper presentations. Many pre­ senters do not realize that presenting a paper does not mean the paper is read, word for word, at breakneck speed. Rather, the “information has to be recast for the new medium. D on’t be bound by the flow o f your paper.”2 This means organize your ideas based on the audience, occasion, and purpose o f your presentation. Follow the standard organizational format of introduction, body, and conclusion, which translates into the standard public speaking formula: • Tell them what you’re going to tell them; • Tell them; • Tell them what you’ve told them.3 Outline the body o f your talk first, limiting it to three or four main points with sufficient supporting material to back up those points. T oo much information can lose an audience; well-organized key points help an audience re­ member them and allow for easy note-taking. Also, if presenting a paper, your goal is to whet the appetite o f the audience with key ideas so they will want to get a copy o f the full paper to read at a later time.4 After you have outlined the body o f your speech or paper, prepare the ment is introduction and conclusion. Y o u r in tro d u ctio n sh ou ld ly if it is start out with an attention­ your getter which can be an anec­ dote, a quotation, a question, es not a joke, or whatever is appro­ l it is at priate for the topic and audi­ ence. tch. The introduction is also your op portu nity to build rapport betw een you and the audience; tell them why your speech or paper is relevant to hem and that you are glad to b e speaking to hem. A colleague related to me an opening remark by a speaker which did not serve to uild rapport betw een her and the audience, even though she probably intended it to. The speaker said, in essence, “I’ve b een to a hun­ dred o f these and, to tell you the truth, I really don’t want to be here; my feet hurt; and I don’t now what I ’m going to say, but w e ’ll get hrough this together.” Please, treat your audi­ ence as if they are guests in your home. O nce you’ve told your audience why they hould want to listen to you, lead into your alk by briefly previewing the major points to e covered in your sp eech (tell them what ou’re going to tell them). The conclusion should include the summary f the main points (tell them what you’ve told hem) and a final statement that leaves the au­ ience with something to think about or re­ ember (this will depend on the purpose o f our speech). For your talk, I suggest you write the main deas o f your introduction, body, and conclusion t t b k t s t b y o t d m y i e n — do e ma D ecem ber 1994 / 713 on 3 x 5 note cards that are numbered (in case you drop them). Many speakers write delivery cues on the cards, i.e., “slow down,” “emphasize this word,” “look at audience.” You can also indicate transitions on the cards so you will move smoothly from idea to idea. Over­ all, be sure your note cards are just that— easy- to-read notes on easy-to-handle cards— and not the speech written in full. 8. P h rase th e sp eech . The previous steps involved preparing the message; now you are ready to work on delivering the message. Usu­ ally, a type o f delivery most appropriate is the extemporaneous delivery. With extemporane­ ous speaking, you are thoroughly prepared and practiced, but the exact wording o f the speech is determined at the time you actually speak the words. You want to avoid memorizing your talk; instead, know your key ideas and trans­ late them into words as you speak. This means you have to think about what you are saying as you are speaking. Each time you practice, you may say your speech a little bit differently, but this allows flexibility and the chance to adapt to your audience if needed. Speaking extemporaneously can be difficult to achieve at first, but this style o f delivery creates sponta­ neity, which can affect the receptivity of your audience to you and your ideas. 9 . P re p a re visual aids. Visual aids, if ap­ propriate for your speech or presentation, can help your audience remember your points and clarify information. Speech textbooks usually emphasize the following when covering visual aids: make sure the audience can see the vi­ sual aid; show the visual aid only when you are referring to it; and talk to the audience, not to the visual aid. Also, practice with the visual aid; using visual aids can add to the length of a talk and can cause you to becom e flustered if you run into difficulties. Additionally, if you have audience handouts, distribute them at the end o f your talk if possible. An audience’s at­ tention can shift easily to a handout instead of staying focused on you. 10. P ractice, p ra ctice , p ra ctice . Practic­ ing your presentation or speech contributes di­ rectly to your success as a speaker. As you prac­ tice, consider both your verbal and nonverbal delivery. Vocal delivery includes volume, rate, pitch. Strive for vocal variety which is the varia­ tion o f these elements— loudness/softness (vol­ ume), fastness/slowness (rate), highness/low­ ness (pitch). An expressive voice will engage an audience; a monotonous, flat voice will lose one. Also, remember that nonverbal delivery carries as much weight as verbal. Eye contact with your audience is crucial, and this means actually looking at audience members. Hamilton Gregory says to look at the audience 95 per­ cent o f the time in a friendly, sincere way, us­ ing the other five percent of the time to look at your notes.5 As for posture, don’t slouch, and avoid shifting your weight from foot to foot. Also, movement is fine, but only if it is con­ trolled— your audience does not want to feel it is at a tennis match. Gesturing can be an effec­ tive element to your talk, but only if it’s con­ trolled as well. Many speakers indicate on note cards when to gesture or move in order to re­ inforce a point. There are certainly other elements o f verbal and nonverbal delivery to investigate when practicing your speech or paper. Your goal is to sound spontaneous and feel comfortable, so time spent practicing is necessary. It is a good idea to practice in a situation as close to the real one as possible, and in front o f friends or with a tape recorder. Even if you follow these ten steps, you prob­ ably will experience some nervousness before or during your talk. This “energy” is an asset and evidence that you care about the quality o f your presentation. However, if you have prepared well and practiced enough, you will lessen your apprehension considerably. Also, think positively as you prepare, rehearse, and actually deliver your message. Positive thoughts c a n make a difference in the quality o f your speech or presentation. If you keep these ideas in mind and follow the ten steps, you can have a successful (and relatively painless!) speaking experience. Notes 1. “Ten Steps” in preparing a speech was part o f a lecture by Dr. Steven Brooks in his class, “Teaching o f Oral Communication,” 1986. 2. Donata Renfrow and Jam es C. Impara, “Making Academic Presentations— Effectively!” E d u c a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h e r 18 (M arch 1989): 20- 2 1 . 3. Clare Martin, “A Woman’s Place Is on the Platform,” A ssistant L ib ra ria n 80 (July 1987): 100- 101. 4. Renfrow and Impara, “Making Academic Presentations,” 21. 5. Hamilton Gregory, P u blic S p eakin g f o r College a n d C a reer (New York: Random House, 1987), p. 285. ■ 714/C&RL News Since 1879... Books Periodicals Technology T he BLACKWELL Companies Service B. H. Blackwell Tradition Blackwell N orth America Blackwell Periodicals Reliability Readmore Readmore Academic Services Oxford • Lake Oswego, O R • Blackwood, NJ • New York • Toronto