One sure-fire way of keeping your audience attentive and interested is by using humor throughout your speech. Your ultimate goal as a speaker is to get your message across in an effective manner – but does that mean you need to turn into a comedian just so the audience hears you?
The word “props” actually derives from an old theatrical term – “property.” In public speaking terms it means any object or item that the speaker uses to help get their message across to the audience. That could mean anything from a podium to a laser pointer, a flipchart to a PowerPoint projector, handouts to a DVD player. Virtually anything can be used as a prop.
Some simple preparation and advance planning will get you past that overwhelming fear you feel about public speaking. There are relaxation methods you can practice prior to giving your speech, not to mention going over the actual material in your presentation until you know it backwards and forwards. In fact, that’s the place you need to start - knowing your material.
Don’t feel that you have to cover your entire subject in excruciating detail in order to deliver a good speech – hit three or four high points (depending on the length of your speech) and end it on a conclusive note. There is no need to bore your audience with hours of minutiae – hit the main points and stop.
Your presentation should be interesting - regardless of topic. Don’t drone on and on and on for days about some boring little detail - tell them the facts and get out of the way. Don’t be one of those public speakers who can’t shut up - who loves the sound of their own voice so much they just can’t seem to stop talking. Believe me, your audience will be too polite to say it, but they’ll wish you put a sock in it.
A little pre-planning and practice can go a long way toward alleviating that paralyzing fear of getting up in front of a crowd – the more knowledgeable you are about your subject, the more confident you’ll be in your presentation, and the more effective a speaker you’ll be. Keep in mind that almost all audiences – from the guests at a wedding to a political fundraiser – want you to do well, so the chances of tomatoes being tossed in your direction are slight.
Not at all. But consider this - if your audience isn’t listening – if you’re boring them, you’re not delivering your message in an effective manner. And if you’re not getting through to them – you’re wasting your time and your message is being lost. You don’t have to become a comedian to be a good, but you do have to know when to use humor to get your message across.
Let your imagination run wild when trying to imagine props to use. Humor can be introduced into your presentation with some “wild and crazy” props – I’ve seen speakers bring mannequins on stage and throw them around to make a point, I’ve seen people use simple magic tricks and sound-effect machine that make noises like a crying baby or galloping horse to illustrate a point.
Public speaking ranks right up there with public torture for most people - they’d rather die than get up in front of a room full of strangers and give a speech of some sort. That’s a pretty silly reaction, considering public speaking really isn’t all that difficult - but there you have it.
Your personal style and the subject matter of your speech should dictate the types of props you can use. For example, don’t use a humorous prop with a serious subject. Props can be simple or complex – they don’t have to be elaborate – the key to using an effective prop is that it should help convey your message – no more, no less.
What public speaking is really all about is delivering something of value to your audience. That’s it. If people in your audience walk away with something of value they’ll consider you – and the speech – a success. That something of value can be feeling better about themselves, their job, understanding an idea or concept better, even feeling happy or entertained – if you can accomplish any of those things – you were effective as a public speaker. Give yourself a round of applause.