Best Practices of

Public Speaking
PREPARED BY: CARINA CELAJE
 Before-discussion Questions:

1. From your experience as a student who listens to teachers

in classrooms, what is the difference between a good public
speaker and a bad public speaker?
2. Who among the many public figures do you consider to be a
good public speaker? Why do you think so? What do you think
makes this person effective?
3. What are the worst traits of a public speaker? How do they
affect their audience?
 INTRODUCTION
What makes a speech electric?

What makes a speech so effective it can

make the audience have goosebumps or
make them flush in rage or joy?
 INTRODUCTION

Some speeches can be so effective they

trigger adrenaline, while other speeches,
just as effective, trigger a sense of peace
and calm in the midst of chaos.
 INTRODUCTION
Great speakers have been
called hypnotic, magnetic, and
charismatic, and this is not just
because they have a compelling
message, but because of the
captivating manner they deliver
these speeches, as well.
 PERFORMANCE

Speeches are performances, and

they are delivered best when they
have the feel of authenticity and
earnestness,
 PERFORMANCE

People respond when they

think that the one speaking is
being honest and sincere, and
they respond even more
strongly when they feel that
they can relate to the speaker
in question.
 PERFORMANCE

Because of this, a sense of humor

helps break the ice, and strategic shows
of vulnerability and concern can
make an audience feel closer to the
speaker.
 PLAN THE SPEECH

It is important to express oneself in an expressive

and articulate manner. It is best to choose one's
words carefully, and to ensure that one's speech
builds on the foundations of logos, pathos, and
ethos.

To come across as articulate, one must also

nurture a speaking style that is effective, and this
style varies from one person to another.
 EYE CONTACT

One way of coming across as authentic is the

ability to make good eye contact with the
audience, and to speak in a manner that touches
them. It is important to engage the audience, and
eye contact helps in doing that.
 EYE CONTACT

Some people, however, have a hard time

making eye contact. Should this be the case, it would help to
pick out three people from the audience, placed in a mental
triangle from one's position, and try to make eye contact with
them instead of the rest of the people in the room.

If one is truly hesitant to look at people’s eyes, one may look at

their foreheads instead; this creates the illusion of making
 EYE CONTACT

Eye contact with people without actually

doing it. On the other hand, if one is
comfortable making eye contact, it would
help to pick out people who seem to be
friendly or accommodating to look at, so
that when one speaks, one feels confident
and at ease.
 SPEAKING
Different people have different Others, on the other hand,
speaking styles, and one can can get away with bursts
only find one's personal style
through constant practice.
01 02 of passion and bombast,
infecting the audience
with their fervor and
enthusiasm.
Speaking Style. Some
people seem to be more
effective when they come This is usually matched
with pointing and/or
across as calm, trustworthy,
and reasonable, and their
04 03 punches thrown in the air,
hand gestures seem more to punctuate their
open and thoughtful. speeches and make a
strong impression on the
crowd.
 HAND GESTURES

Whatever kind of speaker one may be, it is always

best to be more purposeful when it comes to
choosing hand gestures. Hand gestures can
create as much of an impact as the content of the
speech itself.

They must always look smooth and natural,

rather than robotic or artificial.
 HAND GESTURES
Hand gestures can be useful signposts in making a point, such as the usual
hand gestures of enumeration.

They can signal inclusiveness, such as when both hands are stretched
towards the audience palm up, or division, such as when there are
sweeping gestures to indicate difference.

Although they are intuitive in nature, they are extremely useful when used
effectively, and note that these gestures are also culturally informed.

Some hand gestures are considered rude, and it is important to be able to

match the appropriate hand gestures to one's audience.
 RECORDING THE SPEECH FOR
FEEDBACK
One of the best practices in public speaking is to videotape speakers, and
then have these speakers watch themselves.

This process is usually done inside speech laboratories, where students

can access videos of themselves, and allow them to study their speeches.

They can watch for the flaws of their performances, instead of being too
dependent on the teacher or their peers when it comes to constructive
criticism.
 PEER EVALUATION
Feedback from people is important, and this will be a
great tool in improving one's speech and one's speaking
style in general.

Observations can range from the speaker's posture,

one's facial expressions, and one's general appearance.

This can also be done alone with the speaker rehearsing

their speech in front of a mirror.
 APPEARANCE
When it comes to appearance, it is important to look credible
and worthy of respect.

In the real world, this depends a lot on one's audience, as the

way one's dresses should match the kind of audience one
wants to impress.

Whether one's audience are corporate clients or creative

directors, this should have an influence on the appearance
one presents.
 CLOTHING
Traditional audiences often call for more formal clothing

For men, this would mean donning a suit and tie at the most
formal level, or at the very least, the use of long-sleeved
MEN’S
button-down shirts, slacks. and leather shoes. In the
Philippines, the use of a barong and slacks is acceptable.

For the women, a pantsuit or a formal coat and skirt

ensemble should suffice. In less formal instances, a dress
WOMEN’S
or blouse and skirt (or slacks) outfit should do as well.
 GOOD GROOMING

In addition, good grooming is a must, and Some audiences, however, may require
that extends to one's hair to one's nails. women to wear more or less) make-
As long as one looks neat and clean, up. don a hijab, or wear high heels - in
that should be enough to satisfy most these instances, it is always best to
audience's requirements. know the cultural expectations of the
audience and the venue.
 VISUAL AIDS
Since we live in a world that is more
dependent on information technology, it has
become de rigueur for audiences to expect
speeches to be accompanied with visual aids,
such as PowerPoint presentations, video or
audio clips, and infographics.

Any of these are acceptable, and in most cases,

commendable, as long as they are relevant to
the topic at hand.
POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
● When it comes to the use of PowerPoint one should
ensure that the font size of the text is not too small. An
acceptable size font would be type 24 or larger, and the
text should be in dark colors for easier reading.

● The best PowerPoint presentations are not text-heavy:

instead, they are visually oriented, which is why the use of
photographs, illustrations, charts, and the like would
better serve one's use of the medium.

● Video clips may or may not be embedded in the

presentation, as well as audio clips and animation
 POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
The University of Leicester gives a few guidelines about the use of
PowerPoint, as well.

● When it comes to color it is best to be consistent and to have the

same color and background schemes for each slide.
● It also mentions the "six by six rule," whereby,"slides should have
no more than six bullet points and each bullet point should be no
more than six words long".
● Although it is good to use animation, it would be best not to
overuse this feature.
 POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
● Once the PowerPoint presentation is finished, one can view it
several ways; one can view it in the "Notes" tab to see the comments
and notes for the speaker, aside from the actual slide presentation:
and another is the "Slide Sorter" view to see the visual Impact of the
presentation.

● A good rule of thumb is one side for every two minutes. One should
also rehearse the speech while using the presentation, and check
the infrastructure (such as the room, laptop, and projector) before
the speech (2017).
 HANDOUTS

It would be best to have handouts ready for one's

audience, so that members of the audience will not
have to scramble when taking notes during the
presentation.

These should be written succinctly, and should

have appropriate citations.
 FEEDBACK
Although the speech is a performance, it is also one
where its audience can participate, often by the speaker asking
rhetorical or directing actual questions to the audience.

It is always good to read the verbal and non-verbal cues from the
audience, such as whether they agree with what one is saying or
whether they are resisting to certain ideas, mirrored by their use of
body language.

The speaker is seen as more responsive and sympathetic to the

audience when they modify their speeches to match the audience's
visual cues.
 CONCLUSION
In the end, public speaking is a dynamic performance that is meant to
disseminate information, create greater awareness, and evoke emotions in
the audience.

It is utilized by teachers, lawyers, politicians, and the like. It has been used
effectively to promote human rights on the street and to create policies in
government.

Although it is a performance, the most important speeches in the world have

nad material effects, such as the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, Susan B.
Anthony, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and these still affect the world today,
long after their speakers have already been long gone.
THANKS
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