Speech 2 down for the count!

So i've finished my informative speech for this week. I chose to do it about the paperless office. It was helpful for me again to have members of the audience that I knew. It made it easier for me to relax and focus on the information I was trying to inform them about. I still have quite a bit of communication apprehension because I kept looking at my note cards a little too much. I always get frustrated when I start to fumble my words too. Although I had small mistakes like that I think it was more successful than the last one. Little by little i'm learning new things through this class that help me with giving speeches and becoming more comfortable in a group setting. I'm thankful for the things i've learned because it will help me when I acquire my degree and get a good business job.

Speech Week

This week we are supposed to give a speech to our audience to inform them of something. It took me the longest time to actually find a topic I was knowledgeable about that was in the news recently. I scowered several newspaper type websites and finally found an article that I liked. My speech topic is the paperless office. Since I work in an office I see how it is VERY important to have copies of everything for our files but I also see the side that millions of billions of trees are being cut down to serve our needs. There are a lot of things that we could do to make ourselves paperless but I don't see that we're even trying. In turn this would save the company a lot of money as well as save our planet. It's crazy how detrimental cutting down trees is to our way of life and our lives themselves. Without the trees we can't breath... I'm excited to give my speech because I think that with the information i've found it will be informative AND interesting. I hope that I present the information the best I can so it makes a difference to at least one person in my audience.

To move or not to move?

While giving a speech you have to take many things in to consideration. Who is your audience? How do you present your information? How long is the speech going to be? Do you move around or stand in one place? In most speeches what you're saying is more important than what you to do present it. Even though that may be true, people can be distracted by your actions. If you stand in one place you may come off as boring. Moving around too much you could be perceived as jittery. The important thing is to have the perfect balance of both. Move around so your audience stays interested and listens to what you have to say but don't move too much so they get sidetracked and lack focus.

Speech Settings

Knowing where you are giving your speech is just as important as the speech itself. For instance, if you are in a big meeting hall you would have to project your voice louder if there wasn't a PA system to amplify your voice. If you are in a small business meeting your tone could be more firm, your voice softer in volume, and possibly longer in length to explain all the necessary details. If you don't adjust your presentation of the speech in these different settings your speech becomes superfluous. Remaining vigilant in your speech setting will eliminate any shortfalls with your audience.

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel”

"Speech is power: Speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel."

I found this speech online and thought it was a great example to tell what the purpose of a speech is. If a speech doesn't persuade, convert, or compel the audience, it is pretty much useless and a waste of time. The speaker first of all has to be passionate and knowledgable about their subject. If the audience doesn't see that they themselves are interested then they think why should they? Once the audience realizes that you are, they will listen to what you have to say so they can begin to decide if they will be persuaded or compelled by your speech. Ensuring that your speech topic relates to your audience's age group, interests, or things alike you will be successful in giving a speech that does all of the above.

Credible Sources

It is very important to make sure you are getting your information from a credible source for your speech. If you are given the wrong information and then portray that to other people, you are then both misinformed and in turn it can effect more people. A good example of a non-credible source is Wikipedia. Wikipedia isn't a safe place to get factual information because it's a database that allows anyone to make random posts that may or may not be verified. There is also no way to ensure that they have. A good way to be sure that you're finding credible information is that all of your work is cited back to a credible source and everything cross references well.

Anxieties of Giving a Speech

You have a speech written, rehearsed, and ready to present but you're nerves are building and taking over. Your palms are sweaty, the words of your speech are jumbled in your head and you can't stop fidgeting. Where do you go from here?

This is a classic scenario of communication apprehension. In order to overcome these symptoms there are many things that you can do but practice and experience are the main solutions. Some other techniques that help me are:
- Knowing my subject
- Utilizing breathing exercises before the speech
- Vocal warm-ups
- Realizing that your audience wants you to succeed and hear what you have to say

So now, you're standing in front of your audience poised and confident. You are holding your notecards effortlessly and begin with your attention grabbing technique. Your feet are planted in one place and you're making eye contact with members of the audience. At the end... APPLAUSE!!