Tips for speaking in front of a committee

[idun]

Has anyone any tips. I have to talk in front of a committee tomorrow and I feel like chucking up now, and we are hours away.

I am good on the phone. I am good with a small group of people, any more and then I start to lose it. I choke up and cannot get my words out and get every thing back to front. I feel sicker still now, just thinking about it.

I have written everything down that I want to say, and have read it back to myself about ten times and keep tripping up over my words, here at home.

I've tried breathing and relaxing, but it doesn't seem to help.

 

Am I just going to mess up, or has anyone got an astuce that will help me.

 

[Patf]

I hated having to speak in front of several people too.

Recently I read a tip: think of a person you love, or are really friendly with, and are comfortable speaking to. Then brainwash yourself into imagining you are talking to them.

 Best to practise doing this the day before, then carry over to the ordeal.

[Bugsy]

Timing is everything, practice with friends/family.

Know your subject.

Pause and breathe.

On your notes write your subject headings down in large letters.

If all else fails use the old trick of scanning your audience slowly and imagine them all sitting on the toilet.

Good luck.

Gary

[Chancer]

Pause and breath, yes very important, primordial in fact if you are nervous.

Remember that you look 1/10th or even 1/20th as nervous on the outside as you may feel on the inside, its true so convince yourself of it beforehand.

Move around a bit whilst you are talking even if it is just shifting from one foot to the other, scan the audience all the time, keep your head moving but linger and fix on random people every now and then, stops em falling asleep [;-)]

Good luck

[NormanH]

Just think of them as one person with lots of heads...they aren't lots of individuals they are just one beast with many heads..

Aim your talk at that anonymous creature.

As Chancer says you can aim different points at different heads, but each one is still just the same being

[Russethouse]

No doubt you are speaking 'from the heart' so dont worry - the best thing anyone said to me in a similar situaion is 'you are among friends'

 Just do your best and no one could ask for more

[Richard51]

Don't read your notes - use bullet-points.

[Rabbie]

Yes - you will have butterflies in your stomach but try to get them to fly in formation. Remember the audience want you to succeed. Just let your enthusiasm for your subject come through and I am sure you will be a star

[Alan Zoff]

Apart from practising the speech and getting used to hearing your own voice, some things I was told are:

1. Remember to breathe properly. A steady breathing pattern helps to keep you calm and to maintain oxygen level

2. Speak loud enough so that the person furthest away from you can hear you

3. Don't hurry. Vary your pace a little to avoid gabbling or droning on.

4. Believe that the listeners are glad it is you that is standing there rather than them.

5. Avoid getting too hot. Have loose fitting clothing and nothing too heavy. I go so far as to have ice cubes handy, and munch a few before "going on" and even rub some on my chest if I am in danger of over-heating. I don't know why but this trick works particularly well for me.

Knock 'em dead!

 

[Hoddy]

Definitely use bullet points. I'm sure you know what you are talking about: you only need a key word to set you off.

I once heard Glenys Kinnock on the radio saying that she told herself, "At least you won't die." I found that very comforting, perhaps you will too.

Good luck.

Hoddy

[idun]

Bullet points. I can't. Just cannot. I'm going to have to read what I have written otherwise I'll never do it.

 

The breathing and speaking loudly enough'll be the problems, I'll have to remember........ breathe. I have much to say and I'll have to speed up a bit that is unavoidable.

 

 

And imagining one body many heads, it's those heads that worry me most. Let's hope I get through it and not garbled hysteria. Trouble is that most people I know think I am really confident and I am in situations I'm comfortable in, and I am very uncomfortable.

So we'll see. Need to print my 'speech' out now and make sure that it makes sense.

 

You all sound very brave to me, knowing this stuff.

[Cendrillon]

Root (the feet) and Relate (to the audience)

Try to have a Beginning (opening) Middle and an End

Don't talk too quickly, give them time to digest your words.

Bon courage. I'm sure you'll be fine. [:)]

[Catalpa]

A few moments before you start speaking, take a couple of deep breaths and swallow a couple of times. This prevents that weird thing early on where your voice suddenly cracks and gives out half way through a sentence.

Another thing to do is tape yourself reading the text. Then listen to it 3 or 4 times - really listen, not read. You'll find that hearing better embeds the text than just reading and then while you are reading (if that is what you feel you must do) familiarity with the text gives you chance to look up and engage (meet the eyes of) members of your audience as you speak.

And if you're going to type it and read it, remember less is more and keep it as brief as you can. Oh and make the print big enough to read it easily!

[Clarkkent]

I know that it is only a few hours now before your ordeal. But if you so choose it need not be an ordeal.

You say you are talking to a committee. Does this mean that it is a group of people who are going to arrive at a decision, and you want to them to make a decision in your favour?

If you feel that you must have a script, then make sure your script is legible: use double spacing, try to avoid complex expressions, and keep your arguments as simple as you can.

If it is feasible - summarise your main points. State your objective - the decision you want them to make - and then provide a set of bullet points which lead to and support your objective. Print this out and give copies to your audience. This way you will ensure that they have all the information you consider important for their decision. Tell them you are nervous - you may gain their support.

Remember - they are only people, not dragons. If they are hostile just look at them and imagine them sitting on the toilet severely constipated!

Idun, you are articulate, you are passionate, you are honest ... you can do it.

[PaulT]

Do not just read it to yourself but present it to a non-existant audience in a room so raise your voice.

The people present are there to listen to you so look upon them as peasants and you being superior to them.

Breathing is important as is the pace - do not speed up to get through it as it will come across garbled.

Do not be afraid to pause - compose yourself.

Make sure you have a drink - if things start to feel as though they are getting out of control, stop, take a drink and allow yourself to calm and then carry on.

Feeling scared, some of the best do prior to being in front of an audience - once read that Rick Parfitt of Status Quo is still nervous before going on stage.

Also try and relax

Paul

[idun]

I was rubbish. I heaved big breaths (no jokes please) and swallowed constantly and that was whilst I was speaking. I panicked and couldn't read my notes properly either. And the decision went against me, which I was expecting any way.

So I was garbled and frantic and quite quite useless.

 

The funny thing is that I could have done it 20 minutes later when someone was lying. I was so angry then, that I could have got up and done an oratory, however, it was not permitted and I sat seething and plotting. I now have proof of the lies and will try and do something with that although I'll not hold my breath.

The tips were great, thankyou, I was not.

 

 

 

 

 

[Catalpa]

Don't beat yourself up. Speaking to an audience requires confidence but is just a skill that can be learned. "Presentation Skills" was a permanently available 2-day course in all the companies I used to work at and some people did it several times; there's no point in kicking yourself because you didn't feel you could do it as well as you wanted straight off.

There are probably classes in public speaking at your local college or similar. Why not do one and then you're prepared if a similar situation arises again. The skill is good for far more than public speaking - it's useful for marshalling and presenting your thoughts if you're doing something as ordinary as complaining about a service, both face-to-face or on the telephone.

Personally, I don't believe in the popular advice to picture the audience naked or imagining them sitting on a lavatory - you want to engage with them as equals, inform and influence them and trying to make them less than you in order to make you feel better isn't a good strategy. Or so I was told, many years ago. [;-)]

[idun]

I am a giggler and I have a weird and wonderful imagination, so I am glad that I was told to imagine them nekkid or on the lav. It would have just been too much for me as I looked at everyone.

 

I don't usually need to talk in public. I am by nature, backroom, I can convince others to speak, and do all sorts of things, even great things........... that I cannot do myself.

[Alan Zoff]

I have just read back through the thread and it occurred to me that all the well-meaning suggestions - including my own - may well have made it worse for you.

In addition to the things you were already worried about, we gave you a whole lot more you hadn't even thought of. The task became even bigger!

[idun]

It's alright, I'm over it now. And I'm in my comfort zone, writing to these people and talking to people on the phone.

 

If you all had seen the people I was sat in front of, no one would have suggested seeing them nekkid, believe me you would not, maybe in burkhas, but not nekkid.

 

 

[NormanH]

So my hydra image was better than 'the beast with two backs'? [:)]

[PaulT]

Idun whenever I watch Robert Preston on BBC talking which is essentially public speaking I always think he is totally and absolutely useless even more so as he is paid to do it. So amateurs need have no worries if they are not perfect.

As a PS it seems that the BBC have stopped the on air feud between him and Eddie Mair (PM on R4) which is a great pity as I enjoyed Eddies put downs.

Paul

[idun]

What joy it would have been to have been even a tadge as good as Peston. [:D]

[JohnM]

In reality, you were probably better than you thought you were.