Clarifying the context: how to arrive prepared for a speech
What to find out before a speech?
One of the few advantages a novice speaker has over a seasoned politician or salesman is a better fit with the audience. A constant problem with politicians and salespeople who are used to giving a fixed speech to changing audiences is that they have trouble adjusting, and sometimes don't even know they're having trouble adjusting. On the other hand, a beginner speaker constructs his words every time anew, so his adjustment to the audience will be more natural.
So how to ensure that even as a new speaker you will fit in with the audience and that when you gain experience you will not lose your ability? We teach simply to do some tests to get to know the speech environment better. The simple inquiries I list here have saved me in the past countless failures and embarrassments, and as you'll see it's really not that complicated. So what to find out before a big (or small) speech?
First inquiry: Who?
The first thing we find out for our clients, and which we teach our students to find out for themselves, is the audience and what are its characteristics. We start with the size of the audience: if the audience has more than 20 participants, it is impossible to hold a workshop but only a class, if there are more than 50 participants, it is impossible to hold a class (it becomes a lecture), and when you pass the threshold of 80 participants, amplification and a stage are required. 
Another issue regarding the audience is their demographic characteristics. The age of the audience is important because high schoolers have spikes in their butts and retirees may have hearing problems. The vocabulary we will use in front of veterans will also be different from the one we will use in a conference of judges.
The last thing to check is their level of knowledge and involvement in the speech. For example, in professional courses there is a significant improvement in the classroom climate if the participants were required to pay for the course. It is also useful to know the professional level of the audience in order to prepare content that will suit the participants.
Second inquiry: when?
When we prepare speakers for a speech, the time dimension is the second issue to find out (when we write a speech Pay for customers This is the first issue that is clarified, because it determines the length of the speech) because it determines many of the characteristics of the content and style.
The main question is how much time we will have to speak, because clearly there is a difference between a one-minute speech and an hour-long lecture and a semester-long course. You should also find out the degree of flexibility of the speech time. We may and may be able to get more time if we need to or perhaps the opposite: we may be cut in the middle.
The next important question is what time of day we will talk. Anyone who was in high school remembers that there is a huge difference between a class at ten in the morning and a class at two in the afternoon, and that there is no way a teacher can teach the same amount of material in a class in October as compared to a class in late May.
In an extreme example, we would advise the client who is preparing a presentation for lunch to prepare two versions because at conferences it is impossible to know whether the lecture will take place before lunch - when he is alert, anxious and a little impatient - or after the meal, when he is calm, relaxed and a little sleepy.
The last question is what is our position in the order of speakers. This location determines the degree of attention we will receive, as well as our need to adapt ourselves to the content that the other speakers will present, and that we may only be exposed to in real time.
Third inquiry: Where?
The location of the speech also affects the things that are said and the way in which they are said.
For example, if we are on a 'home field' we will be much more comfortable and also require less preparation and organization compared to a performance on an 'away field'.
Another point that
It is important to find out in advance the seating arrangement - whether we will talk sitting or standing, and whether everyone will sit in rows, or in a circle, or in a table or around a table. Issues of air conditioning and lighting arrangements are small issues that, if not checked, can cause great damage - that's why you should always speak from a place where you can control them.
You should also find out which technical aids will be available to us (and then arrive in advance to check that they really work).
The last thing is that it is important to know how formal the place is so that we can adjust our dress code.
For example, as part of a project The volunteer lecturers Ours we send students and graduates to give lectures voluntarily to organizations in need. Our first guideline is to get to know the audience well, because in a nursing home you have to speak slowly and loudly, and in a pre-military training school you have to come with a lot of energy.
In conclusion
Part of the service we provide to those who prepare for a speech with us, or we teach in a course that prepares our students to give a speech themselves, is a thorough investigation of the context and circumstances in which the speech will take place. Clarifying these issues in advance will not prevent surprises, especially last-minute ones, but it will reduce their number and give us a good cover to demand their correction if they happened. Also, a good picture of the speech will lower the level of uncertainty and thus lower the The level of anxiety before the speech – another subject in which we specialize.
To register for a public speaking course, call now - 1-800-100192
