BY GENE QUIOCHO

Practical Public Speaking101

Calling

Passion and Purpose

Are you passionate about public speaking?

Do you possess skill and talent that support your desire for public speaking?

Can you imagine a life not involving public speaking?

First things first, are you passionate about public speaking?

Character

Moral or ethical strength.

Should you be speaking in a public forum?

Are you trustworthy? Do people want to

listen to what you have to say?

If people don’t trust you they won’t listen to you.

Content

Know your material

Are you a student of your topic?

Have you become a subject matter expert?

Are you a credible speaker of the subject?

If you don’t know what you’re talking about don’t say anything.

Confidence

Be bold and don’t let the crowd intimidate you.

Do you stay strong in front of crowds?

Can you adlib away from your notes if you have to?

Are you easily distracted?

You will rarely be in a speaking engagement where everything goes the way you planned.

Charisma

Personal magnetism or charm.

Are you excited about what you’re talking about?

Is the crowd excited about what you’re talking about?

Do you get the crowd excited about what you’re talking about?

Charisma is not about activity, it’s about motivation and inspiration!

Communication

You must use verbal and visual forms of communication to keep your audience attentive.

Do you connect with your audience?

Does your audience understand what you’re saying?

Do you have command presence?

If you’re not connecting with your audience than you’re not communicating.

Practice Makes Perfect

“Prior practice prevents poor performance”

-James Baker III-