Unit II Speech Performance 1

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 Speaking Confidently ■ Recognize That Speaker Nervousness Is Normal ■ Control Speaker Nervousness ■ Learn How to Build Speaker Confidence Know How You React to Stress Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses Know Speech Principles Know That It Always Looks Worse from the Inside Know Your Speech Believe in Your Topic View Speech Making Positively Visualize Success Project Confidence 33 chapter 3 A ccording to most studies, people’s num- ber one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that seem right?

This means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. —Jerry Seinfeld 1 Test Your Message Practice Your Delivery Theory Into Practice: Gaining Perspective ■ Prepare Your First Speech Understand the Assignment Develop Your Speech Content Organize Your Speech Word Your Speech Practice Your Speech Deliver Your Speech Evaluate Your Speech Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 34 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING ■ Recognize That Speaker Nervousness Is Normal Seinfeld may be playing a bit fast and loose with his facts and his logic, but the point of his humor is sound. Communication apprehension , the perceived “fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons,” is widespread. 2One form of communica- tion apprehension, public speaking anxiety, affects even people with a great deal of public speaking experience. Garrison Keillor, author and host of National Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, reflected on his teenage years in terms that may seem familiar: I had an awful rough time in high school. I was such a shy person. I was so terrified of everything, so afraid of being embarrassed in front of other people, afraid to speak up in class, afraid that I might have the wrong answer to a question that everybody else had the right answer to. . . . I was able to get up in speech class only because I could take off my glasses, and when I did I could no longer see faces. It was just a kind of an Impressionist tapestry. 3 It is worth noting that, in addition to his regular radio audience, Keillor was sharing these thoughts with hundreds of people from the stage of the 996-seat Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. Keillor has obviously managed his fear of speaking in public. As you can see, if you are nervous about public speaking and experience what we sometimes call “platform panic,” you are in good company. In fact, the first edition of The Book of Lists reported a survey that asked 3,000 Americans, “What are you the most afraid of?” “Speaking before a group” came in first, ahead of heights, insects, financial problems, deep water, sick- ness, and, yes, even death. 4Psychiatrists John Greist, James Jefferson, and Isaac Marks contend that public speaking anxiety is “probably the most com- mon social phobia.” 5 Our experience and research confirm the prevalence of this common fear among college students. When asked to list their communication weaknesses, a clear majority of our students rank speaking before a group as their primary fear.

James McCroskey has studied the anxieties of public speaking extensively. His Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (Figure 3.1) assesses the fear college students have about giving public speeches. His data, collected from several thousand students, confirm that public speaking generates greater apprehension than other forms of communication and that this fear spans several levels: High anxiety 40% Moderately high anxiety 30% Moderate anxiety 20% Moderately low anxiety 5% Low anxiety 5% Note that nearly three-fourths of college students fall into the moderately high to high anxiety range! This means that even people who always have the quick response, who can make others in the class laugh, and who always looks like they have it together may be just as worried as you are about giving a speech in front of this class. McCroskey and coauthor Virginia Richmond conclude, “What this suggests, then, is that it is ‘normal’ to experience a fairly high degree of anxiety about public speaking. Most people do. If you are highly anxious about public speaking, then you are ‘normal.’” 6 communication apprehension Perceived fear or anxiety associated with real or anticipated communication with another person or persons. Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 35 Figure 3.1 Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) Directions: This instrument is composed of thirty-four statements concerning feelings about communicating with other people. Indicate the degree to which the statements apply to you by marking whether you (1) strongly agree, (2) agree, (3) are undecided, (4) disagree, or (5) strongly disagree with each statement. Work quickly; record your first impression. 1. While preparing for giving a speech, I feel tense and nervous. 2. I feel tense when I see the words “speech” and “public speech” on a course outline when studying. 3. My thoughts become confused and jumbled when I am giving a speech. 4. Right after giving a speech I feel that I have had a pleasant experience. 5. I get anxious when I think about a speech coming up. 6. I have no fear of giving a speech. 7. Although I am nervous just before starting a speech, I soon settle down after starting and feel calm and comfortable. 8. I look forward to giving a speech. 9. When the instructor announces a speaking assignment in class, I can feel myself getting tense. 10. My hands tremble when I am giving a speech. 11. I feel relaxed while giving a speech. 12. I enjoy preparing for a speech. 13. I am in constant fear of forgetting what I prepared to say. 14. I get anxious if someone asks me something about my topic that I do not know. 15. I face the prospect of giving a speech with confidence. 16. I feel that I am in complete possession of myself while giving a speech. 17. My mind is clear when giving a speech. 18. I do not dread giving a speech. 19. I perspire just before starting a speech. 20. My heart beats very fast just as I start a speech. 21. I experience considerable anxiety while sitting in the room just before my speech starts. 22. Certain parts of my body feel very tense and rigid while giving a speech. 23. Realizing that only a little time remains in a speech makes me very tense and anxious. 24. While giving a speech, I know I can control my feelings of tension and stress. 25. I breathe faster just before starting a speech. 26. I feel comfortable and relaxed in the hour or so just before giving a speech. 27. I do poorer on speeches because I am anxious. 28. I feel anxious when the teacher announces the date of a speaking assignment. 29. When I make a mistake while giving a speech, I find it hard to concentrate on the parts that follow. (Continued ) Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 36 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING What is this platform panic and how does it affect us? Chemically and physio- logically, we all experience stage fright in the same way. Adrenaline is suddenly pumped into the bloodstream. Respiration increases dramatically. So do heart rate and “galvanic skin response”—the amount of perspiration on the surface of the skin. All these things occur so that oxygen-rich blood can be quickly channeled to the large muscle groups. You may have heard stories of a 135-pound person lifting the front of a car to help rescue someone pinned under it. Such incidents happen because the body is suddenly mobilized to do what must be done. Yet the body can be similarly mobilized in stressful situations that are not life-threatening. Athletes waiting for the game to begin, actors for the curtain to go up, and speakers for their call to the lectern often feel their bodies marshal- ing all their resources either to perform to capacity or to get away from the threatening situation. This phenomenon is called the fight-or-flight syndrome . Although our bodies’ chemical and physiological responses to stress are identical, the outward signs of this anxiety vary from person to person. As the 30. During an important speech I experience a feeling of helplessness building up inside me. 31. I have trouble falling asleep the night before a speech. 32. My heart beats very fast while I present a speech. 33. I feel anxious while waiting to give my speech. 34. While giving a speech, I get so nervous I forget facts I really know. Scoring: To determine your score on the PRPSA, complete the following steps: Step 1: Add the scores for items 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34. Step 2: Add the scores for items 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 24, and 26.

Step 3: Complete the following formula: PRPSA = 132 – Total from Step 1 + Total from Step 2. Your score should range between 34 and 170. If your score is below 34 or above 170, you have made a mistake in computing the score.

Interpreting the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety For people with scores between 34 and 84 on the PRPSA, very few public speaking situations would produce anxiety.

Scores between 85 and 92 indicate a moderately low level of anxiety about public speaking. While some public speaking situations would be likely to arouse anxiety in people with such scores, most situations would not be anxiety arousing.

Scores between 93 and 110 indicate moderate anxiety in most public speaking situations, but the level of anxiety is not likely to be so severe that the individual won’t be able to cope with it and eventually become a successful speaker.

Scores that range between 111 and 119 suggest a moderately high level of anxiety about public speaking. People with such scores will tend to avoid public speaking because it usually arouses a fairly high level of anxiety. While some public speaking situations may not cause too much of a problem, most will be problematic.

Scores between 120 and 170 indicate a very high level of anxiety about public speaking. People with scores in this range have very high anxiety in most, if not all, public speaking situations and are likely to go to considerable lengths to avoid them. It is unlikely that they can become successful public speakers unless they overcome or significantly reduce their anxiety.

From Communication: Apprehension, Avoidance, and Effectiveness 5th ed. by Virginia P. Richmond and James C. McCroskey. Copyright © 1998 by Allyn & Bacon. Reprinted by permission. Figure 3.1 Continued Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 37 KEY POINTS Guidelines for Building Speaker Confidence 1. Know how you react to stress.

2. Know your strengths and weaknesses. 3. Know speech principles.

4. Know that it always looks worse from the inside. 5. Know your speech.

6. Believe in your topic.

7. View speech making positively.

8. Visualize success.

9. Project confidence.

10. Test your message.

11. Practice your delivery. time approaches for your first speech in this class, you may experience any of several symptoms to varying degrees.

Students tell us that their symptoms include blushing or redness, accelerated heart rate, perspiring, dry mouth, shaking, churning stomach, increased rate of speech, for- getfulness and broken speech, and nervous mannerisms such as playing with jewelry, tapping fingers, and clutching the lectern. Realize that these symptoms are typical, not atypical, of a public speaker. If you experience any of them, you have plenty of company.

■ Control Speaker Nervousness Before discussing what your goal should be regarding speaker nervousness, it is important to note what it should not be. Do not make it your goal to eliminate nervousness. Such a goal is counterproductive for at least two rea- sons. First, nervousness is natural; attempting to eliminate it is unrealistic. Most experienced, successful public speakers still get nervous before they speak. In addi- tion, focusing on eliminating your nervousness may make you more nervous. A second reason why you should not try to eliminate nervousness is that some anxiety can actually benefit a speaker. Nervousness is energy, and it shows that you care about performing well. Use that nervous energy to enliven your delivery and to give your ideas impact. Instead of nervously tapping your fingers on the lectern, for example, you can gesture. Rather than shifting your body weight from foot to foot, incorporate motivated movement into your speech. Your goal, then, is not to eliminate nervousness but to control and channel it. The coping strategies we suggest in the next section and in Chapter 13 will enable you to control the symptoms of nervousness and to channel that energy into dynamic, effective vocal and physical delivery.

■ Learn How to Build Speaker Confidence James Belasco, professor and consultant to major corporations, describes how he uses nervousness as a transforming agent: Fear is a wonderful stimulant. It quickens the mind, sharpens the senses, heightens performance. I’ve learned to focus the stimulant on doing better, rather than worry- ing about doing worse. When fear runs through my system, I ask myself, “What can I do to remove the potential cause of failure?” “What can I do to ensure success?” I’ve evolved rituals to answer these questions constructively. 7 The rituals Belasco then describes are quite practical and make a lot of sense: get up early, practice saying the first part of each main point in the speech while in the shower, get to the speech setting early, and get the feel of the place. 8 Whether or not you develop your own “readiness rituals,” the following 11 suggestions offer a systematic way to become a more confident communicator.

If you consider each suggestion seriously, you will control your nervousness and channel it into a dynamic and effective speaking style.

Know How You React to Stress Nervousness affects different people in different ways. Perhaps you feel that your hands or knees shake uncontrollably as you speak in public. The people sitting next to you may not experience those symptoms of nervousness but Nervous energy is a sign that you care about your speech performance.

Try to channel that energy into ges- tures and body movement that will enhance your message. Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 Exploring Online Relaxation Techniques http: //www .rugbycoach.com / mental/pmr .htm Visit this site to study Bernd Harmsen’s step-by-step directions for “Progressive Muscle Relaxation,” a technique invented by Edmund Jacobson. The site also links to directions for a shortened version of the exercises.

38 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING may have difficulty breathing comfortably and feel that their voices are shaky or quivery. Whatever your responses to stress, don’t wait until you are deliv- ering a public speech to discover them. Knowing your reactions to stressful situations helps you in two ways. First, it lets you predict and cope with these physical conditions. Your dry mouth or sweaty palms will not surprise you. Second, because you are anticipating these physical conditions, you will be better able to mask them from the audience.

How do you do this? Try these techniques. If you know that your hands shake when you are nervous, don’t hold a sheet of paper during the speech; the shaking paper will only amplify the movement of your hands and will telegraph your anxiety to your audience. If your voice is likely to be thin and quivery as you begin speaking, take several deep, slow breaths before you begin talking. If you get tense before speaking, try some muscle relaxation tech- niques: tense your hands, arms, and shoulders, and then slowly relax them. If you get flustered before speaking, make sure you arrive on time or even a little early— never late. If looking at an audience intimidates you, talk to audience members beforehand, and when you speak, look for friendly faces in the audience.

Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses Surgeons spend many hours learning how to use the equipment they need to per- form operations. Each surgeon knows just what each instrument is capable of doing and strives to use it effectively. As a public speaker, your instruments are your voice, body, mind, and personality. You will use all these together to create and communicate messages. To know yourself, you must honestly assess both your strengths and your weaknesses. Use your strengths to communicate your message with force and impact. If you are a lively and enthusiastic person, channel that energy to reinforce your speech physically and enliven your listeners. If you have a talent for creating memorable phrases, use that creativity to help your listeners attend to and remem- ber your ideas. Just as you can tap your strengths in these ways, you can minimize or avoid your weaknesses if you know them. If you are not effective in delivering humor, don’t begin your speech with a joke. To do so would risk failure at this crit- ical point in the speech, and that would make you even more nervous. The more you understand your strengths and weaknesses, the better you will be able to craft your speech to your abilities. The more confident you are that you can accomplish what you set out to do, the less nervous you will be. One note of caution, however: Don’t be too critical of yourself and construct a “safe” speech because you have exaggerated your weaknesses. Instead, expand your abilities by incorporating new strategies into your speech making. Only through thoughtful, measured risk taking will you develop as a public speaker.

Know Speech Principles If you are confident that you have constructed an effective speech, you will be more confident as you step to the lectern. This textbook and your instructor will assist you in learning speech principles. What are the five functions of an effec- tive speech introduction? How should you construct the body of your speech, and how should you develop each key idea? What strategies help you conclude your speech? How can you use your voice and body to communicate your ideas dynamically? What strategies help you word ideas correctly, clearly, and vividly?

We address all these questions, and many others, in this book. As you begin to T he best speakers know enough to be scared. Stage fright is the sweat of perfection.The only differ- ence between the pros and the novices is that the pros have trained the butterflies to fly in formation. –Edward R. Murrow Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 39 answer these questions and apply what you learn, you will feel more confident about the content, organization, and delivery of your ideas.

Know That It Always Looks Worse from the Inside Keep in mind the adage that it always looks worse from the inside. Because you feel nervous, you focus on your anxiety, exaggerate it, and become more nerv- ous. Remember, though, your audience cannot see your internal state! Our stu- dents have often lamented their nervousness after concluding a speech, only to learn that classmates envied them for being so calm and free from stage fright.

The authors of a study of 95 speakers found that “untrained audiences are not very good at detecting the self-perceived anxiety of beginning speakers.” 9Even if you feel extremely nervous, your audience probably won’t realize it. Know- ing this should make you more secure and lessen your anxiety. One of our students, Susan, wrote the following in her self-evaluation of her first graded classroom speech: “Too fast, too rushed. I forgot half of it. Yuck!

Yuck! Yuck!” Yet here are a few of the comments her classmates wrote: “Wow! You seemed really relaxed! Your speech was organized, informative, and interesting.” “Definitely the best speech given so far.” “She seemed to know what she was talking about.” Susan obviously experienced her speech in a radically different way than her classmates and instructor. Asked about her listeners’ written comments, Susan responded, “Wow! What you said is definitely true. It does look worse from the inside.” If Susan had not received feedback from her audience, she would probably have retained her high level of public speaking fear, perhaps even avoiding future opportunities to share her ideas with others. By offering honest evaluation, her classmates let her see her speech from “the other side,” lessening some of her anxieties and motivating her to continue to improve her public speaking skills.

Know Your Speech Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, basic speech principles, and your audi- ence gains you little if you do not know your speech. If you don’t know what you want to say, you won’t say it. If you think you will forget, you probably will.

The more confident you are about your message, the less nervous you will be. I love to talk, so I never thought that speak- ing in front of a crowd, big or small, could place my nerves on a roller coaster. How- ever, I found myself breathing so hard even before I arrived at my public speaking class.

It was such a relief to learn that nervous- ness is quite common and that others are just as nervous as I am. Some methods I use to boost my public speaking confi- dence are to prepare (practicing in front of a mirror helps me), to take deep breaths before I get up to speak, and, finally, to just do it! When I stood in front of my class- mates and began to speak, I scanned the audience and became familiar with some friendly faces, and this put me more at ease. Also, moving my hands for appropri- ate gestures helped me relax. With prac- tice, you can keep nervousness from having a negative effect on your speech. All of these techniques have helped me build confidence in my public speaking ability. Mariely Sanchez-Moronta Marymount Manhattan College SPEAKING WITH Confidence Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 Exploring Online Cognitive Therapy http://www .csulb.edu/~tstevens/ Cognitive%20Therapy .htm Dr. Tom Stevens of California State University, Long Beach, presents seven steps to cognitive restructur- ing, as well as an overview of other therapies.

40 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING You certainly do not need to memorize the entire speech. Yet, to be well pre- pared, you should memorize the outline of your major points and the order in which you want to present them. If you forget your notes or drop them on the way to the lectern and cannot get them back into proper order, you should still be able to deliver the speech. Take a minute to number your notecards, and you have one less worry.

Believe in Your Topic If you are giving an informative speech, you must believe that what you say will benefit your listeners—that hearing your speech will improve them in some way. If you are giving a persuasive speech, be committed to the belief you attempt to instill or the action you attempt to initiate in your audience. Con- vincing your audience that they should listen to your speech is easier if you believe that the topic is important. The more you believe in your topic, the more earnestly you will want to inform or convince your listeners. In short, if you doubt the importance of the topic, you will feel and seem tentative.

View Speech Making Positively Poet Howard Nemerov has said about perception, “What we know is never the object, but only our knowledge.” 10 In other words, we do not experience the world directly but only through the various labels we have attached to things and experiences. More and more we are discovering and investigating the mind’s ability to affect behavior. Doctors have learned, for example, that patients’ attitudes about their illnesses significantly affect their speeds of recu- peration or their chances for recovery. One method for reducing communication anxiety is called cognitive restruc- turing . This approach recognizes that nervousness is, in part, caused by illogi- cal beliefs. If speakers can restructure their thinking and focus on positive rather than negative self-statements, they reduce their anxiety. Cognitive restructuring involves two steps. First, you identify your negative self-statements (“Everyone will laugh at me when I give my speech”). Second, you replace the negative thoughts with positive ones (“My classmates understand what it’s like to be nervous and will support my speaking efforts”). If you choose a subject you love, whether it be a favorite hobby, job, class, or poet, you will become deeply involved in developing your speech. This involvement, in turn, may reduce your inhibitions about speaking in public.

cognitive restructuring A strategy for reducing communication anxiety by replacing negative thoughts and statements with positive ones. Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 41 Thinking positively can help turn anxiety into anticipation. Genuine enthusi- asm about the chance to speak in public will guide your choice of topic and will reveal itself to the audience through your lively delivery. Seek out opportunities to test and develop your communication skills. Volunteer for oral reports in classes, speak out at organizational meetings, or offer to introduce a guest speaker at your club’s banquet. This positive attitude, coupled with practice and experience, will help make you less apprehensive and more confident.

Visualize Success In football games, place kickers attempt field goals and extra points after touchdowns. Before taking the field, they stand on the sidelines, usually in deep concentration and away from other players. They visualize the football being snapped and placed. They imagine themselves approaching the ball and kicking it. As they watch the football go through the goalposts, the referee lifts his arms to signal a field goal, and the crowd cheers. Through this ritual, place kickers focus on their task, visualizing how they can accomplish it. Like athletes, public speakers can also use visualization to reduce their nerv- ousness and improve their performance. A study of 430 college speech students revealed lowered speech anxiety among those who visualized themselves delivering an effective presentation. 11 Rodney describes how he used positive visualization to help build his confidence: The week before I gave my speech, I would find quiet spots where I could relax. I would close my eyes and visualize myself giving an effective presentation. I saw myself arriving at my classroom on the day I was to speak. Calmly, I would walk to my seat.

I’d sit down, check my speaking notes to see that they were in order, and collect my thoughts. When Dr. Conner called my name, I got up from my seat and walked confi- dently to the front of the room. I put my notes on the lectern, looked at my classmates, and smiled. I paused, took a breath, and then began. I visualized myself being relaxed and delivering my speech as I had planned, with clarity and poise. I felt good talking about a topic that was so important to me. I visualized my classmates smiling at my humor and nodding in agreement as I explained my ideas. I concluded with a dramatic story that really drove home my point. I paused, then walked to my seat. My class- mates applauded, and one of them even whispered to me, “Great speech, Rod!” Project Confidence Daryl Bem’s theory of self-perception states that if you perceive yourself act- ing a particular way, you will assume that you feel that way. 12 Thus, if you visualization A strategy for reducing communication anxiety by picturing yourself delivering a successful speech. Replace the negative thought . . . with a positive thought.

“My audience will probably be bored with my speech.” “I found the topic of how music affects our moods interesting, and my audience will, too.” “When I get up to speak, my mind will probably go blank, and I’ll have nothing to say.” “I’ve rehearsed my speech, and I have a good set of speaking notes.

If I momentarily forget a point, I’ll just look at my notecards and then continue.” If you view public speaking as a tedious chore, your audience will sense it from your vocal and physical delivery and perhaps even from your choice of speech topic. On the other hand, if you look at public speaking as an opportunity, your positive attitude will help you control your nervousness. The following examples illustrate how you can replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 Exploring Online Reducing Anxiety www .ljlseminars.com/ anxiety .htm This article, “Overcoming Speaking Anxiety in Meetings and Presentations” by Lenny Laskowski, a Connecticut speech consultant, lists and briefly discusses ten steps for reducing speech anxiety.

42 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING want to feel confident, act confident. Begin by identifying characteristics of speakers who seem confident; then incorporate those behaviors into your own speaking. For example, instead of walking tentatively to the lectern, approach it confidently. Instead of avoiding eye contact with your listeners, look directly at them. Instead of leaning on the lectern or shifting your weight from foot to foot, stand erect and still. Instead of tapping your fingers on the lectern or jingling the change in your pocket, use your hands to gesture emphatically. Displaying confident behaviors such as these will make you appear and feel more confident. Test Your Message Confident speakers must believe that their speech content will interest listeners or satisfy an audience need. If your listeners are bored with your topic, you will sense it, and that will make you more nervous. If the audience is interested in the content of your speech, they will be attentive. As a speaker, you can test your message by practicing your speech in front of friends. Can they restate your main points after listening to you?

Do they find your supporting material believable? Does your delivery detract from or reinforce your message? Answers to these questions will guide your subsequent practice sessions. The more confident you are that your message will achieve the desired effect on your audience, the less nerv- ous you will be. In this chapter, we present 11 strategies (listed on page 37) for building your speaking confidence. You incorporate these suggestions as you prepare and deliver your speeches.

However, what should you do after your speech? You’ve heard the expression, “Experience is the best teacher.” Well, there’s some truth in that folk wisdom; you can use your public speaking experiences to build your confidence. After each speech, assess your performance by asking and answering important questions. Your instructor will give you feedback for some of these questions; others you will need to answer for yourself, because you alone know the true answers.

• How did you react when you walked to the front of the room, turned, and looked at the audience looking at you? • Did you remember what you planned to say?

• Did you have trouble finding your place in your notes?

• What techniques did you try in your speech that worked? What didn’t work? • Did you get less or more nervous as the speech progressed? • How did your audience respond to your speech? What did their nonverbal communication convey as you delivered your speech? What feedback did you receive from your classmates and instructor following the speech? Remember, don’t be too critical as you evaluate your performance. You will do some things well, and this should build your confidence. Focus on other aspects of your speech that you can improve. Suppose, for example, that you encounter a serious problem: You lose your place, your mind goes blank, and you bury your head in your notes and race to the end of your speech. Use this as a learning experience. Ask your- self why you forgot: Did you try to memorize your speech instead of speaking from a set of notes? Were your notes disorganized, or did they contain too little or too much information? Did you focus too much on your instructor and not enough on the entire audience? Once you face a problem and determine its cause, you will be better able to plan so that it does not occur again.

You don’t discover confidence; you build it. Each public speech provides an opportunity to improve and enhance your confidence for your next speech. TiPs T HEORY Into P RACTICE Gaining Perspective Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 43 Practice Your Delivery The previous coping strategies have implied the importance of practice. Practicing your speech is so important, however, that it deserves a separate category. Jack Valenti, former presidential speechwriter, correctly observes, “The most effective antidote to stage fright and other calamities of speech making is total, slavish, monkish preparation.” 13 Your approach to practice sessions will vary, depending on how your presentation develops. Sometimes you may practice specific sections of your speech that give you difficulty. But you should also practice your speech several times from start to finish without stopping. Too often when students mess up in practice, they stop and begin again. This is not a luxury you have when you address an audience. As you rehearse your speech, practice recovering from mistakes. Knowing that you can make it through your speech despite blunders in practice should make you more confident. You should also occasionally practice your speech in an environment laden with distractions. Students who practice only in the silence of an empty class- room may not be prepared for distractions that arise when they actually deliver their speeches—for example, a student coming into the classroom during the speech, a lawn mower passing by the window, or two students talking in the back of the room. These distractions, especially those stemming from rudeness, should not occur; in reality, though, they sometimes do. Practicing with the tel- evision on in the background or in your room with noise in the hallway forces you to concentrate on what you are saying and not on what you are hearing.

You develop poise as a speaker only through practice. The 11 coping strategies we’ve discussed will help you channel your nerv- ous energy into dynamic, confident delivery. After each speech, reflect on the experience and gauge your success using the suggestions in this chapter’s The- ory into Practice feature. In addition, the “Speaking with Confidence” boxes throughout this book reveal how other public speaking students developed their self-assurance using some of these principles. For now, however, you can begin training those butterflies to fly in formation as you prepare your first speech in this class.

■ Prepare Your First Speech This class may require you to give your first speech before you have read much of this textbook. What is absolutely necessary to know, then, in order to deliver that first speech successfully? Preparing your first speech will be easier if you keep in mind two principles of public speaking. First, the more effectively that you prepare, the better the speech you will deliver and the more confident you will feel. Only then can you recognize what you already do competently and begin to identify skills you want to improve. In addition, your confidence will grow with each speaking experience throughout this course and later in your life. The second principle is that every public speech is a blend of content, organ- ization, and delivery. Each of these aspects affects the others. For example, choosing a topic you already know well or have researched thoroughly should easily translate into animated, confident delivery. Elements of speech delivery such as pause and movement can emphasize your speech’s organization. More- over, as you will soon learn, we believe that any speech on any topic should be well organized. The more you know about the principles of speech content, Preparing thoroughly, practicing often, and wanting to communicate with your audience are keys to any successful speech. Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 44 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING organization, and delivery, the better your first speech will be. The following seven guidelines will help you toward that goal.

Understand the Assignment For your first speech assignment, your instructor may prescribe a specific pur- pose or leave that choice to you. Often your first speech assignment is to intro- duce yourself or a classmate and is therefore informative rather than persuasive.

The speech may be graded or ungraded. Whether your instructor is trying an innovative assignment or using one that has been tested and proven, he or she is your first and final authority for the specific details of the assignment. A primary, vital requirement for preparing any speech is to know exactly what you are to do. The following questions can help you identify your goals for the speech: ■What am I supposed to do in this speech: inform, persuade, or entertain?

■What are my minimum and maximum time limits for the speech?

■Are there special requirements for the delivery of the speech? If so, what are they? Develop Your Speech Content As you select a speech topic, you need to decide the number of main ideas you will cover. To determine what those ideas will be, think about what you would want to hear if you were in the audience. If your instructor assigns you a topic, the spe- cific details you include and the order in which you say them will be uniquely your own. If you are asked to choose a topic, you have even greater creative lati- tude. In either case, keep your audience in mind. The topic you select or the way you approach an assigned topic should be guided by what you think your listen- ers will find most interesting or useful. If your assignment is to introduce yourself, begin by jotting down as many aspects of your life as you can. Audit your history, assess your current circum- stances, and project your future goals. Among others, topics that apply to your life and the lives of all your listeners include the following: Accomplishments People who have been significant influences Career plans Unusual life events Educational backgrounds Personal values Skills or aptitudes Prized possessions Hobbies Pet peeves Special interests Aspirations In addition, you may have a particularly interesting work history or may have traveled to unusual places. You could decide to limit your speech to one of the preceding areas or to combine several that you think your listeners will find most interesting. If the ideas you disclose are truly unusual, your speech will be memorable. But don’t be intimidated or worried if your experiences seem fairly tame and ordinary. Some of your listeners will be relieved to find that their backgrounds are similar to yours. Whether ordinary or extraordinary, your background and your classmates’ will provide the basis for conversation before class, for class- room discussion, and for audience analysis as you prepare for future speeches. If your first speech is not one introducing yourself to the class, you may be allowed to choose a topic. If so, brainstorm for topics that interest you and those that you think would benefit or interest your audience. Your speaking occasion, the time of year that you speak, and upcoming or recent holidays can Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 also suggest topic ideas. In addition, consider subjects that you discover while conducting research. Don’t settle for the first topic that comes to mind, how- ever. If you generate many possible topics and spend some time reflecting on them, the subject you finally choose will probably be more satisfying for you and more interesting to your listeners. To make sure that you have a clear grasp of your speech topic, answer questions such as these: ■What is my speech topic, and why have I chosen it?

■Who are the people in my audience?

■What do I want my listeners to know or remember when I’m finished speaking? The best way to answer that last question is to ask, “What aspects of my topic interest me and are likely to interest my audience?” Select only a few points to discuss. A time limit of 2 to 4 minutes, for example, may seem end- less to you right now. It’s not; it goes by very quickly. As you develop your speech content, check to be sure that everything you say is relevant to your pur- pose and to those few main points you want your listeners to remember. Limit- ing the number of main ideas should give you enough time to develop them with adequate supporting materials—definitions, stories, statistics, compar- isons, and contrasts—that are interesting and relevant to your listeners. Once you have done this preliminary work, you are ready to assess your speech con- tent by asking questions such as the following: ■Have I selected a few key points that I can develop in the time allowed?

■Is everything that I say relevant to my topic?

■Do I use a variety of specific supporting materials, such as examples and stories, to develop my key points? ■Will my supporting materials be clear and interesting to my classroom audience? ■Do I acknowledge sources for anything I quote or paraphrase from other speakers or writers? Once you begin generating the main ideas of your topic and then choosing the ones you think the audience will find most interesting, you have begun to organ- ize your content.

Organize Your Speech Organizing a speech is similar to writing an essay. Every essay must have an introductory paragraph, a body, and a concluding paragraph. A speech has the same three divisions: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. To determine whether your ideas are clearly organized and easy to follow, you must consider the organization of each of these three parts of your speech.

Organize Your Speech Introduction. Though usually brief, your speech intro- duction serves five vital functions. First, it focuses the audience’s attention on your message. You want to command their attention with your first words.

How can you do this? Question them, amuse them, arouse their curiosity about your subject, or stimulate their imaginations. Second, your introduction should clarify your topic or your purpose in speaking. If your listeners are confused about your exact topic, you limit their ability to listen actively. To minimize any chances of this, state your purpose clearly in a well- worded sentence. A third function of your introduction is to establish the significance of your topic or to explain your interest in it. Fourth, your introduction should help estab- lish your credibility as a speaker on that topic. Reveal any special qualifications SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 45 Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 46 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING you have for speaking on the topic. Also, your words, voice, and body should con- vey to your listeners that you have prepared thoroughly. Finally, your introduction should highlight or preview the aspects of your subject that you will discuss in the body. Well-planned and well-delivered opening remarks will make the audience want to listen and will prepare them for what comes next. To check the integrity of your speech introduction, answer the following questions:

What are the parts of my introduction? ■What is my attention getter?

■What is my statement of purpose?

■What rationale do I provide for speaking about this topic?

■How do I establish my credibility to speak on this topic?

■What are the points I will cover in my speech? Organize the Body of Your Speech. The body of your speech is its longest, most substantial section. Though it follows your introduction, you should prepare the body of your speech first. Here you introduce your key ideas and support or explain each of them. You should develop only two or three main ideas in a first speech, because you can more easily develop them within your time limit. Your audience will also more easily grasp and remember a few well-developed ideas. Restricting your main points to a few is particularly important in a first speech, because it may be the shortest presentation you make during the semester or quarter. Your organizational goal in the body is to structure your main points so clearly that they are not just distinct but unmistakable to your listeners. To help you do so, we recommend a four-step sequence—the “4 S’s”—for organizing each of your main ideas. First, signpost each main idea. Typical signposts are numbers (“first” or “one”) and words such as initially or finally . Second, state the idea clearly. Third, support , or explain, the idea; this step will take you the most time. Finally, summarize the idea before moving to your next one. These four steps will help you highlight and develop each of your main ideas in a log- ical, orderly way. The following questions and outline form should help you determine whether your speech’s body is well organized:

Do I have the body of my speech organized clearly? I. What is my first main idea? A. What will I say about it?

B. How will I summarize it? II. What is my second main idea? A. What will I say about it?

B. How will I summarize it? III. What is my third main idea? A. What will I say about it?

B. How will I summarize it? and so forth. Organize Your Speech Conclusion. Your speech conclusion is a brief final step with three main functions. The first is the summary, a final review of the main points you have covered. Summarizing may be as simple as listing the key ideas you discussed in the body of the speech. You should not introduce and develop any new ideas in the conclusion. When you summarize, you bring your speech to a logical close. The conclusion’s second function is to activate an audience response by let- ting your listeners know whether you want them to accept, use, believe, or act on the content of your speech. Whether your speech is informative or persuasive, Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 47 you want the audience to have been involved with your information and ideas.

This is your last opportunity to highlight what you want your listeners to take away from your speech. Finally, your conclusion should provide your speech with a strong sense of closure. To do this, end on a positive, forceful note. You can use many of the same techniques here that you used to get the audience’s attention at the speech’s beginning: question the audience, amuse them, stimulate their imaginations, and so forth. Your final remarks should be carefully thought out and extremely well worded. Ask and answer these questions to test your speech conclusion:

What are the parts of my conclusion? ■What is my summary statement?

■What am I asking my audience to remember or do?

■What is my closing statement? If you answer each of the questions we’ve posed so far, you should have an interesting, well-developed speech that is easy to follow. Both your content and your organization are in good shape. Up to this point, you have spent most of your time thinking about the speech and jotting down ideas. Now you have to word those ideas and practice getting them across to your audience through your vocal and physical delivery.

Word Your Speech Unless your instructor requests that you do so, avoid writing out your first speech word for word. Even though having the text of your speech in front of you may make you feel more secure, our experience has been that students who deliver speeches from manuscripts early in the semester or quarter often suffer two consequences. One is that what they say tends to sound like writing rather than speech. In Chapter 12 we’ll examine some of the important differences between oral and written styles. The second problem is a lack of eye contact. Effective speakers make eye con- tact with their listeners. If you are reading, you can’t do this. Therefore, if you have a choice, speak from just a few notes, rather than from a prepared manuscript. The language of your speech should be correct, clear, and vivid. To illustrate this, assume that you have been assigned a practice speech of self-introduction early in the course. Assume, too, that you have decided to make your travels one of your main points. “I’ve traveled quite a bit” is a vague, general state- ment. Without supporting materials, the statement is also superficial. Instead, suppose you said, I’ve traveled quite a bit. I had lived in five states before I was in middle school, for exam- ple. When I was seven, my father worked in the booming oil business, and my family even got a chance to live in South America for more than a year. My brother and I went to an American school in the tiny village of Anaco,Venezuela; we were students 99 and 100 in a school that taught grades one through eight. Instruction in Spanish started in the first grade, and by the time we returned to the States, I was bilingual. I have vivid memories of picking mangoes and papayas off the trees, swimming outdoors on Christ- mas day, and having my youngest brother born in Venezuela.

The second statement is a great deal clearer and more vivid than the first. It begins with the general comment, but then amplifies it with details. The lan- guage is personal, conversational, and crisp. The following questions should help you test the language of your speech: Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 48 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING ■Does my speech sound conversational?

■Is the language of my speech correct?

■Will the language of my speech be clear to my listeners?

■Will the language of my speech be vivid for my listeners? Practice Your Speech Mental rehearsal is no substitute for oral and physical practice. Merely thinking about what you plan to say will never adequately ready you to deliver a prepared speech in class. As we said toward the beginning of this chapter, speech making is an active process. You gain a heightened knowledge of what you plan to say and increased confidence in your abilities just by practicing your speech out loud.

Before you can do that, however, you must create the notes you will use to prac- tice and deliver the speech.

Prepare Your Notes. Make certain that your speaking notes are in the form of key words or phrases, rather than complete sentences. Remember, you want your listeners to remember your main ideas, not necessarily your exact wording. The goal in preparing your notes should be the same: You should need only a word or phrase to remind you of the order of your ideas. As you elaborate those points, your specific wording can change slightly each time you practice your speech. Make sure that your notes are easy to read. If your speaking notes are on notecards, be certain to number the cards and have them in the correct order before each practice session.

Practice Productively. Most of your practice will probably be done in seclu- sion. Practice any way that will help you, being sure to stand as you rehearse.

Visualize your audience, and gesture to them as you hope to when giving the speech. You may even want to record and listen to your speech or watch the video, if you have access to that equipment. Give yourself the opportunity to stop for intensive practice of rough spots. Just make sure that you also prac- tice the speech from beginning to end without stopping. As valuable as solitary practice is, you should also try your speech out on at least a few listeners, if possible. Enlist roommates and friends to listen to your speech and help you time it. The presence of listeners should make it easier to prac- tice the way that you approach your speaking position and the way you will leave it after finishing. Your rehearsal audience can tell you if there are parts of your speech that are too complex and hard to grasp. They may also be able to suggest clearer, more colorful, or more powerful ways of wording certain statements. A practice audience can point out strengths of your delivery and can help you elimi- nate distractions that draw their attention away from your message. Most impor- tantly, serious practice in front of others should focus your attention on the important interaction involved in delivering a speech to an audience. The follow- ing questions make up a checklist for your speech practice: ■Have I practiced my speech as I intend to deliver it in class?

■Have I made my speaking notes concise and easy to use and read?

■Have I recorded my speech and made changes after listening to or viewing it?

■How many times have others listened to my speech, and what suggestions have they offered for improving it? ■Have I timed my speech? Is the average time within my overall time limit?

■What adjustments can I make in my speech if it is too long or too short? Deliver Your Speech Your speech delivery is made up of your language, your voice, and your body.

Speaking in public should feel natural to you and seem natural to your audience. Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 49 You want to be conversational and to talk with your listeners, not at them. Use a presentational style with which you are comfortable but that also meets the requirements of your audience, your topic, and your speaking occasion. Effective vocal delivery is energetic, easily heard, and understandable. Your voice should also show that you are thinking about what you are saying as you deliver your speech. With practice, your voice can communicate humor, serious- ness, sarcasm, anger, and a range of other possible emotions. Check your vocal delivery by answering the following questions: ■Do I speak with enough volume to be heard easily?

■Do I change the pitch of my voice enough to create a lively vocal delivery? ■Do I vary my rate of speaking to match my audience’s comprehension of what I am saying? The message your listeners see should match the one they hear. Effective physical delivery is direct and immediate; effective speakers demonstrate their involvement in their topics and in their speaking situations by interacting with their audiences. You must make eye contact with all of your audience.

Your facial expression should signal that you are thinking moment to moment about what you are saying. Physical delivery is not limited to your face, however. Gestures with your arms and hands and selective movement from place to place can emphasize what you say and mark important transi- tions in your speech. If you are concentrating on your message and your audience’s nonverbal feed- back, your physical delivery will likely seem most natural. To gauge your direct- ness, immediacy, and involvement, answer the following questions about your physical delivery: ■Are my clothing and other elements of my appearance appropriate to my topic, my audience, and the speaking occasion? ■Do I look at members of my audience most of the time I am speaking? Do I look at listeners in all parts of the room? ■Do my gestures add emphasis to appropriate parts of the speech? Do my gestures look and feel natural and spontaneous? ■Do my facial expressions show that I am thinking about what I am saying, rather than about how I look or sound? ■If I include place-to-place movement, does it serve a purpose? Your goal should be delivery that looks and sounds effortless. Yet, ironically, that will require significant practice and attention to the vocal and physical ele- ments of your delivery.

Evaluate Your Speech Don’t forget your speech as soon as you deliver your final words and return to your seat. While the experience is fresh in your memory, evaluate what you said, your organization, and your delivery. What sorts of feedback did you get from your listeners? In short, how did you respond to the challenge of preparing and delivering a speech? To evaluate the kind of speaker you are now and the kind of speaker you can become, answer the following questions: ■What did I do well?

■What areas can I target for improvement in this class?

■What specific efforts do I need to make in order to improve my next speech? Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 No matter what your level of public speaking experience, you will benefit from recognizing two concerns that you probably share with everyone in class. First, most of your classmates are probably as apprehensive as you are about their first speech. Almost everyone worries about questions such as, “Will I be able to get through my speech? Will I remember what I wanted to say? Will I be able to make my listeners understand what I want to say? Will I sound okay and look as though I know what I’m doing?” Your nervousness is natural, typical, and healthy. In fact, your anxiety is a sign that you have reasonably high expectations of yourself and that you care about doing well. Second, you should know that public speaking is a teachable skill, much like math, reading, and writing. So, yes, you can learn to speak well. We share responsibility for part of that learning with your instructor. You are also responsible for much of your learning through your own effort and initiative. If you skipped the student preface to this book, we urge you to turn back and read it. Written primarily for you, this pref- ace condenses our philosophy about this course and about education in general. We began this chapter by focusing on speaker nervousness, because we know that it is a real worry for most people. We have suggested some tech- niques to help manage and channel your platform panic into a lively, enthusias- tic speech. We have also sketched in broad strokes the process of developing and delivering an effective speech. If you think about public speaking for a moment, though, you will realize that the worst thing that could happen to you is that you might embarrass yourself. Stop and ask yourself, “Have I ever embarrassed myself before?” Unless you never leave your house, the answer to that question is yes. You may have even embarrassed yourself so badly that you thought, “I’ll never be able to face them again” or “I’ll never live this down.” But you do. The sun rises the next day. None of us is perfect, and it is unreason- able to expect perfection of ourselves or the people around us. So the best advice of all may be, “Keep public speaking in perspective.” Your audience is made up of peers. They are pulling for you. Use this friendly atmosphere as a training ground to become a more effective speaker. 50 MASTERING PUBLIC SPEAKING ETHICAL D ECISIONS Being Yourself Sondra is preparing a speech on defensive driving. A drama major, she is comfortable playing all sorts of characters on stage, but the thought of stand- ing in front of an audience and delivering a speech terrifies her. She has visions of herself clutching the lectern, staring blankly at her notes, and mum- bling inaudibly. “I’ll feel so exposed—I don’t think I can get through it just being my ordinary self,” Sondra confides to her friends. She asks their help in brainstorming ways to steel herself before she comes to class on speech day. “I bet a couple glasses of wine would relax you,” suggests her friend Amy.

“Amphetamines would perk you up; you’d zip right through your speech before you even had time to get scared,” offers Edward. “Maybe you could borrow some blood pressure medicine. My dad says it makes him feel less nervous,” adds Michal. “Or you could dress like a car crash dummy and deliver your speech in char- acter,” jokes her boyfriend, Steve. What do you think of these suggestions? In Chapter 2 we noted that ethical speakers enter into and honor an unwritten contract with their listeners. How should the terms of that contract guide Sondra as she wrestles with how to control her nervousness? Could she follow any of her friends’ advice and still “be herself” as she speaks? What advice would you offer if you were her friend? Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5 1. Complete McCroskey’s Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (Figure 3.1) and determine your score. Into which group does your score place you, and how do you compare with other college students whose survey results we discussed early in this chapter? Which coping strategies discussed in this chapter seem most promising in building your confidence? 2. Divide a sheet of paper into two columns. In Column A, list nervous symptoms you experience when speaking to a group of people. In Column B, list ways you can control each symptom. For example: Exercises Column A Column B Play with ring on my finger, turning it while speaking. Remove ring before speaking. Keep hands apart by gesturing more often. 3. Interview someone who occasionally gives public speeches and ask how he or she handles speaker anxiety. Based on your interview, compile a list of suggestions for controlling nervousness. How does that list compare with the one in this chapter? 4. After you present your first speech in this class, answer the following questions:

a. What were three strengths of my speech? b. What are two areas I should target for improvement? c. What are some specific strategies I can use to improve each targeted area? ■ Stage fright is a condition the speaker should try not to eliminate but rather to control. ■ To control nervousness, know how you react to stress, know your strengths and weaknesses, know basic speech principles, know that it always looks worse from the inside, know what you plan to say without memorizing your speech, believe in your topic, have a positive attitude about speech making, visualize your- self speaking successfully, project confidence, test your message prior to delivering it in class, and practice as much as possible in a variety of situations. ■ Prepare thoroughly for your first speech by understanding the speaking assignment, developing adequate content of a narrow topic, organizing the various sections of the speech, wording your ideas effectively, practicing productively, delivering the speech, and evaluating your performance. ■ Realize that your nervousness is normal and that you can learn to be an effective speaker. Summary SPEAKING CONFIDENTLY 51 Mastering Public Speaking , Custom Edition, by George L. Grice and John F. Skinner. Published by Pearson Learning Solutions. Copyright © 2009 by Pearson Education, Inc.

ISBN 0-558-68755-5