presentation skills

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Presentation Skills
I suffer from stage fright when addressing an audience, and this affects me in several ways. It causes me to panic at the beginning of a presentation, and I then struggle to remember what I have planned to say. When I finally get started, I always speak too quickly, thinking only about which word follows which, rather than how effectively I am communicating. Having watched Youtube videos of speeches by Georgia Tech student Nicholas Selby, as well as a Ted Talk by Amy Purdy, I have made some observations which I hope will improve my public speaking.

Concerning Nicholas Selby's speech, I noted that he began with a pause which wasn't due to nerves. He appeared composed, and once he started speaking, he continued to employ regular short breaks. Whether he was doing so to compose himself, or for the audience to settle following a joke or a round of applause, it was productive in managing the pace of his speech and ensuring the audience could digest what he was saying. He also imposed a simple structure, announcing near the start that he would discuss ten key points, counting off each one as he introduced it, thus signaling to his listeners when he was about to deliver an important message. He coupled this with open body language, moving from behind the pedestal and not trying to hide behind a sheet of paper or a prop, which made him more visible to the audience, helping the listeners to feel involved.

Also, he used humor, opening with a joke to release tension, both for himself and the audience, facilitating a more relaxed and controlled speech.

From a critical perspective, I thought the message of the speech was overpowered by the theatre, particularly at the end when he introduced backing music. Though entertaining, this distracted from the points he was trying to make.

Amy Purdy's presentation was comparable in some ways, specifically regarding the comfortable and controlled pace of her speech, and the use of humor. Her approach differed in the way in which she displayed genuine feeling, laughing whilst telling jokes and speaking passionately about tough experiences. The result was more of a story than a presentation, and seeing her emotion made it easier to become invested in what she was discussing. This 'story' was enhanced with projected images, adding detail which would have been difficult to frame with words. Furthermore, by casually moving around the stage Amy imposed a relaxed atmosphere on the situation which I liked.

Conversely, I felt there was little structure to the speech, and it was difficult to tell when she was about to cover an important point. She began by asking a question which can be useful in engaging an audience, but her story quickly became so fascinating I forgot about it until she reminded the audience at the end.

I have identified three useful lessons to take with me from the two speeches:
– It's okay to employ pauses to gather your thoughts or let your ideas sink in with the audience.
– Speaking with emotion can be more engaging than a formal style.
– Introducing a simple structure at the beginning of a presentation makes it easier for the audience to follow the discussion, and signposts the key points.

Works Cited
Purdy, Amy. “Living beyond limits.” Youtube, uploaded by TEDx Talks, 8 June 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2QZM7azGoA.
Selby, Nicholas. “Georgia Tech Freshman Convocation – Epic Sophomore Welcome Speech – Full Version” Youtube, uploaded by Andy Blanton, 19 August 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0tN58EC6LE.