Public Speaking - do not be afraid


Samantha Arlow TV-Bay Magazine
Read ezine online

May 24th saw the first FBI Members ' event held in London, with guest speaker Jo Hind channeling her Media and Marketing experience gained from a career spanning TV and Digital for big hitters including AOL and Google into an entertaining and inspiring presentation titled 'Why women should speak in public, and how to do it '.

Whilst women currently make up only 10% of all speakers at industry conferences and seminars, the presentation could just as easily have been titled 'Why YOU should speak in public ' since a recent survey of our biggest fears revealed public speaking ranked higher than death!

So, for those mortally afraid of it, thinking of volunteering for it, or already breaking into a sweat as their presentation looms, here are our reasons why you should give it a go - and some top tips on how to pull it off with aplomb.

In any industry it pays to stand out for the right reasons. Speaking at events, taking part in panels or working groups and presenting seminars gets you noticed, there are no two ways about it. Not only will you build your profile, you 'll also build the profile of your business or employer, which will open up new opportunities. Public speaking events are also great places to meet new professional contacts and expand your network, and it could even open up opportunities for career advancement.

Public speaking also gives you the opportunity to share your ideas, knowledge and experience with your audience. The audience is there to learn from you, they are on your side so don 't be scared of them. This will give you confidence not just in giving the talk, but in future scenarios where you are required to give an impromptu speech or lead a group.

But how do you do this when your palms are sweaty, your stomach is churning and you can 't for the life of you remember the next thing you wanted to say?

Firstly, understand why that is happening to you. You are scared. You are out of your comfort zone with dozens of pairs of eyes trained on you. Back in our evolutionary days this was not a dissimilar scenario to being faced with a predator, so your body goes into 'fight or flight ' mode. All the blood rushes from your brain and stomach - hence the blankness and butterflies - and diverts to your arms and legs. Just knowing this will help you to feel calmer and face it down.

Next learn the 5 Ps of presenting:

  • Pace - Don 't talk too fast - people want to understand and digest what you have to say
  • Pause - Give your audience time to follow and read any slides
  • Power - speak up and with emotion. A monotonous drone is boring
  • Pronunciation - speak clearly and concisely
  • Pitch - Alter the pitch to make a point

Bear in mind that only a small proportion of what we say is conveyed by the words we use. Posture, eye contact and facial expression all have an influence on the way in which our words are interpreted.

Then, follow these seven stellar tips on how to get it right:

  1. Build a story - have a beginning, middle and end that flow
  2. Know your audience - so you pitch the content to the level of those attending
  3. Prepare for questions and don 't bluff, you can always ask the questioner to discuss with you further at the end of the seminar
  4. Dress appropriately - this will give you confidence
  5. Rehearse OUT LOUD, I know it never feels right but it pays dividends
  6. Take a friend/colleague to sit in the audience giving you a friendly face as a focal point
  7. Relax and enjoy - after all, you know your stuff, right?

Tags: iss114 | fbi | females in broadcast | jo hind | public speaking | Samantha Arlow
Contributing Author Samantha Arlow

Read this article in the tv-bay digital magazine
Article Copyright tv-bay limited. All trademarks recognised.
Reproduction of the content strictly prohibited without written consent.
Articles
Why Renting is the New Buying
Ed Tischler To rent or to buy? This has long been a topic of debate in the world of property, with people having to choose between spending virtually all of their money up front or giving their money away each month with little chance of seeing a return.
Tags: iss142 | gravity media | ott | renting | Ed Tischler
Contributing Author Ed Tischler Click to read or download PDF
Five Rules for Creating a YouTube Business
KitPlus Ever dream of creating entertaining, impactful videos for a living? YouTube sensation Cherry Wallis and her technical consultant Chris Pearless tell us what they’ve learned throughout her channel’s rise to fame.
Tags: iss142 | cherry wallis | youtube | channel | blackmagic | adsense | google revenue | KitPlus
Contributing Author KitPlus Click to read or download PDF
Virtualising your Playout
Alison Pavitt

The buzz around virtualised playout is exponentially growing with increased deployments. But questions remain about the economic, logistical and technical benefits to the end user.

Conversation has shifted and amplified, with the debate around the private/public cloud escalating and new cloud-native solutions entering the market. So, what do you need to consider today if you are thinking about virtualising?
Tags: iss142 | playout | pebble beach | cloud | Alison Pavitt
Contributing Author Alison Pavitt Click to read or download PDF
Synced Across Multiple Screens
Christof Haslauer Live TV viewing habits around the world are changing. This is especially true with audiences under 30 who prefer to consume Live TV on their mobile devices rather than on a large screen TV. One of the major reasons for this change is the lack of options for personalisation of content on Linear TV.
Tags: iss142 | ott streaming | rtmp | nativewave | native waves | Christof Haslauer
Contributing Author Christof Haslauer Click to read or download PDF
The Importance of Audio Production Systems
Tom Knowles Large-scale entertainment programming presents a unique set of challenges for broadcasters. Often extremely high-profile keystones of a broadcaster’s schedule and increasingly billed as live ‘event television’, as well as delivering the very best audio quality they demand a huge degree of flexibility and agility in terms of their production. With music being such a core component of their appeal to growing audiences, in both linear broadcast and online, nowhere is that more important than their audio production systems.
Tags: iss142 | ssl | solid state logic | system T | tempest engine | binaural encoder | Tom Knowles
Contributing Author Tom Knowles Click to read or download PDF
Total Articles: 1944 [1-50] 51-100 101-150 151-200 201-250 251-300 301-350 > >>
Adderlink Infinity 4000 Adder Technology
Sennheiser 75th
Gravity Media
Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro
Signiant - Need Remote Access?
LU800 Multicamera live production
CVP Stock Clearance
Mediaproxy Webinar
Sentinel Broadcast
Shure Axient Digital AD3 Plug In Transmitter
Magewell Pro Convert