Impromptu speaking is a scary thought for anyone who lacks confidence in their speaking ability. A comprehensive Public Speaking Course will give you proven techniques for organizing your thoughts quickly, trusting your intuitive responses, and delivering a clear, coherent message.
Understand that the expectations of impromptu speaking are not that you will get up and give a dissertation. You won’t stand up there and speak for 20 minutes on a particular topic. Even though you are an expert, you’re only expected to give a short, clear perspective.
Introducing Yourself
We all dread hearing, “Let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves.” That’s a pretty wrecking way to start a meeting with strangers. Many thoughts can race through your mind, “Should I try to be impressive? Serious? Creative? Self-deprecating? The good news is that you can prepare a solid introduction and be ready for that moment.
Your Public Speaking Course will teach that a good introduction only has three moving parts. Number one is clearly stating your first and last name. Most people rush through this step, and listeners are unsure who they are listening to. Step two is to say what you are known as, i.e., your job title, the company you work for, and your major responsibility. The last step is stating what you’re known for. Most people leave this one out. What you are known for is what people count on you to be able to do consistently. Following these steps will help you discover an introduction that makes sense, doesn’t say too much, and is memorable.
Unpredictable Q&A
No matter how much you prepare for a Q&A, there is always an element of unpredictability. You have no idea what the next question is going to be. The key to a winning Q&A session is in the structure of your presentation. Your Public Speaking Course will show you how to compartmentalize the concepts of your talk into three buckets. Your first reaction to any question should be, “Which bucket will answer that question?” This immediately focuses your mind on something you have already touched on. It will be familiar ground for you and your listeners.
Buying Time
Resist the urge to prove you’re the expert and blurt out a snap answer. Your listeners want a considered response, so take the time to give it to them. Following these techniques from your Public Speaking Course, you can avoid looking like a frightened deer in the headlights.
Take a deliberate breath. You are sending the body language signal that you’re thinking, and it’s OK to let people see that you’re doing Next, you use the look away, diverting your eyes, as if you truly considering what comes next. You can also repeat the question, “If I’m hearing you correctly…” Yes, you’re buying time, but you need those precious few seconds to put your thoughts in order.
Prepared Spontaneity
You can learn to be a good impromptu speaker. A comprehensive Public Speaking Course will teach you the techniques and then give you repetitive role-play exercises so you can be prepared to be spontaneous.