A Novice’s Guide to Speaking in Public: 10 Steps to Help You Succeed in Your Next Presentation... Without Years of Training!

Table of contents

1. About This eBook
2. Title Page
3. Copyright Page
4. Praise for A Novice’s Guide to Speaking in Public
5. Dedication
6. Contents
7. Foreword
8. About the Author
9. Preface
   1. Why You Should Read This Book
   2. What This Book Is Not
   3. Endnote
10. Introduction
11. 1. Step 1: Think about Your Language and Keep It Simple
    1. Think Simple
    2. The Simple Plan Components
    3. Start with Things You Can Control—Dress Simply
    4. The Power of Words
    5. Using Words in Special Ways
    6. Limit the Number of Key Points
    7. How to Speak Extemporaneously and Make a Toast
       1. Speaking Extemporaneously
       2. Making a Toast Extemporaneously
    8. Making a Toast with Advance Notice
       1. Setting Up the Toast
       2. The Body Language of the Toaster
    9. Key Takeaways
    10. Chapter 1 Notes
12. 2. Step 2: The Fear of Public Speaking Is Real—Embrace It and Use It
    1. Strategy: Try to Quantify the Fear
    2. Strategy: Take Preventative Steps
    3. Strategy: Get Angry and Punish the Fear
    4. Strategy: Think of the Audience as Your Home Field Advantage
    5. Strategy: Prepare and Write Your Own Introduction
    6. Strategy: Practice, Practice, Practice
    7. Most of the Signs of Stage Fright Can Be Managed Quickly and Silently
       1. Trembling or Shaking
       2. Mind Going Blank
       3. Doing or Saying Something Disconcerting
       4. Being Unable to Talk Due to Dry Mouth or Coughing
       5. Pacing Too Much
       6. Rocking Back and Forth on One’s Heels and Toes
       7. Swaying from Side to Side or Bending Low at the Waist Repeatedly
       8. Not Smiling or Flashing or Holding a Half Smile (the Thin Smile)
       9. Extreme Arm and Hand Gestures
       10. Using Word or Phrase Fillers
       11. Not Filling the Audience Chamber with the Proper Speaking Volume
       12. Sweating of the Face and Hands
       13. Excessive Sweating of Underarms
       14. Shaky or Weak Legs
       15. Grumbling Stomach
       16. Urge to Tell Jokes or Funny Stories
    8. Key Takeaways
    9. Chapter 2 Notes
13. 3. Step 3: Prepare Immediately and Prepare for a Conversation, Not a Speech
    1. Finding Multiple Topics from a Single Word
    2. The Audience and How to Converse with Them
    3. Laying Out What You Are Going to Say and How You Are Going to Say It
    4. The Introduction
       1. Be Cautious of Humor
    5. Main Body
    6. How Can I Be These Things?
       1. Anaphora
       2. Alliteration
       3. Simile
       4. Metaphor
       5. Repetition
       6. Analogy
       7. Audiences Like to Hear about the Speaker
    7. The Conclusion
    8. Speaking Time
    9. The Use of Speaking Notes
       1. Example of Note Card Speaking Notes
    10. The Use of Audio Visual Aids
    11. If You Decide to Use Visual Aids
        1. Creating and Building Your Slides
        2. A Word about the Color Scheme You Choose for Your Slides and Visual Aids
        3. Understanding the Relationship Between Colors
        4. Color Selection Tips
        5. Color Combinations
        6. Background Color
        7. Using Your Slides
        8. Drawing on Whiteboards and Flipcharts
        9. Audio and Video and Web Content
        10. Overhead Projectors (OHP)
    12. Key Takeaways
14. 4. Step 4: Walk with Purpose to the Podium; Smile, Pause, Then Smile, Smile, Smile
    1. Your Speaking Space
    2. Prior to Your Speech or Presentation
    3. Your Speaking Preparation
    4. Speaker’s Insurance
    5. Key Takeaways
15. 5. Step 5: Make and Keep Eye Contact with the Audience
    1. The Use of PowerPoint and Other Graphics
    2. Key Takeaways
16. 6. Step 6: Take Control of Your Speaking Space and Your Speaking
    1. Be a Leader
    2. Rules of the Speaking Space
       1. Don’t Dance with the Podium, Lean on It, Use It for a Drum, or Strangle It
       2. To Use or Not to Use a Microphone
       3. Wearing and Holding Eyeglasses
       4. You Don’t Need to Hold on to Distractions While Speaking
       5. Never Hold Up Anything from the Podium
       6. Control the Pace of the Presentation
       7. Don’t Stand in the Light of the Projector
       8. Use Positive Style Whenever Possible
       9. Avoid the Negative
       10. Know When to Be Silent
       11. If You Don’t Smile You Leave It Up to the Audience to Figure Out What’s on Your Mind
       12. Don’t Wear Your Watch
    3. Understand the Impact of Your Nonverbal Communications
    4. Stay Inside the Box
       1. Other Nonverbal Signals Around the Body
       2. Positive Nonverbal Signs to Watch For
    5. Use a Simple Three-Part Approach
    6. Most People Will Only Remember Two to Three Things You Said
    7. Key Takeaways
17. 7. Step 7: You’ll Make Mistakes—Don’t Apologize, Just Keep Going
    1. You Have to Breathe
    2. Key Takeaways
18. 8. Step 8: Don’t Worry—The Worst You Can Imagine Will Never Happen
    1. Key Takeaways
19. 9. Step 9: The Last Thing You Do Is What Most People Will Remember—Do It Well
    1. If You Don’t Know the Answer to a Question
    2. Your Final Words
    3. To Thank or Not to Thank
    4. Key Takeaways
20. 10. Step 10: If Any of the First Nine Steps Seem Awkward, You Owe It to Yourself to Ignore Them
21. Index