The ART of Public Speaking

“My dear f-f-friends, when I arrived here this evening, only God and I knew what I was going to say. Now - Only God knows!” - a Nervous Speaker

Well, as it happens I couldn’t have given a better introduction for this topic than this anecdote (courtesy Harry Lorayne). But amazingly, most of us have, at some point, been in the same situation. The experience is really a humiliating one. Public speaking is considered as an aspect of personality by most people these days. That is why it is gaining so much of importance in present day scenario. Companies too, when they call for recruitment, check this particular aspect with care. So said, few people are born orators, others are not.

Effective public speaking is an art which can be learnt. Anyone can master the basic techniques for making an audience sit up and listen.

Before that let’s see the few things that affect even the best of speakers:

1. Nervousness: Standing in front of an audience and delivering a speech on a subject is an activity over which people would normally lose their lunch. If you are feeling nervous, just think this-if anyone in the audience knew the topic better; it would be him on the podium, not you!! So reasoning logically, you have been asked to speak because, hypothetically at least, you know the subject. Hence, it is important that you are not completely ignorant about any topic.

2. Length of speech: Most important thing in giving a talk is timing and knowing when to stop. If you talk too long it s sure to bore the audience. If you talk too less, you can’t make your point. A balance between the two can be made according to the situation and the number of speakers after you. Whatever you say, state it forcefully and exit the stage with grace.

3. Preparing and delivering: Collect data about the topic, eliminate everything you don’t require for the present context and then arrange whatever points you are left with. Even for an extempore, you would have certain points which you want to get across to the audience. But if you don’t make any preparation most of them will be forgotten. Remember your speech not word by word but thought by thought. That way, even if you forget the exact sentence, you can make one since you still have the points intact. Keep the points as notes. Prepare a strong conclusion because that’s the last they will hear you say.

4. On stage performance: Remember, you are more important than the speech. The way you speak makes an impression on the audience. Best thing to do is be natural. Neither be stiff at one place nor speak in a monotone. Both are boring. Make the speech entertaining but don’t be a comedian. Make the audience laugh occasionally and they are sure to pay attention to the serious parts of the speech. Maintain eye contact with the audience. Be flexible, dynamic and considerate.

Now lets see how we can be an effective public speaker.

Be friendly: switch the audience ‘on’ with your smile. Be warm amiable and happy looking. Then you are off to a flying start.

Relax: Even experienced orators like former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher admit feeling nervous before the speech. But never let your stage fright show. You are here to win their interest not their sympathy. Breathing deeply or counting silently will help you relax. Pretend you are a very good speaker and go forth.

Take command: Its you who is holding the floor and hence you deserve full attention. Come out in to the open and let the audience feel you and your speech.

Stand Confidently: Stand straight, use your hands as well as your brain when you deliver a speech. Make slight movements so that the audience get a chance to shift their eyes.

Plan what to say: A forceful speech must be thought out beforehand. Structure your speech thus-Start with your reason for speaking (introduction), back up your contention with evidence (middle) and have an optimistic end (conclusion). Or use the preacher’s method - “first tell them what you’re going to tell them. Next, tell them. Then, tell them what you told them”.

Keep it simple: Resist the temptation to cram in as many points as you can into a speech. The audience may well remember none. A productive speech consists of up to five main points at most, leading to one main conclusion. Use minimum technical vocabulary. Don’t show how good you are in language; show how good you are at using it.

Seem spontaneous: This adds an attractive sparkle to the speech. Say it as if you are speaking to your friend, without any heavy literary artillery.

Use your voice to the full: Control the audience like a skilled musician; your voice being the instrument and the speech being the music. Raising voice stirs brain cells, speaking slowly in a deep voice impresses with solemnity of your utterance. Rapid, excited speaking imparts a sense of urgency. Always enunciate clearly, with lips, tongue and teeth, so your audience hears every word.

A ‘pregnant’ pause at appropriate moment is sure to attract the audience.

Include everyone: A speaker who avoids looking at the audience is sure to lose them. While speaking, let your gaze sweep back and forth across the audience like a beam of light so that none of them feel that their presence is being rejected. Look, in turn, briefly but directly in to all present, even those beside you.

Watch your timing: “PRAESTATE DICETE ET TACETE” (“Stand up, speak up and shut up”) is the best possible advice on timing. Speak only as much in demand, for the demand and to the demand. Be flexible according to the situation. Else people will be looking not at their watches but at the calendars when you speak.

Speaking skills can be honed by practice. Form groups with friends to do so. Your second speech will be better than your first, third better than your second and so on. You can only improve as you keep trying. For those who are like “I am too shy” or “I have never done it before” or “I don’t speak well”—well what to say, it will be a long time before all your excuses are overcome. If you don’t risk anything, you will never fail but you won’t grow or learn anything; you’ll just be another stagnant piece as time goes by. So YOU DECIDE!!!

I will leave you with the words of Dr. Leifchild:

Begin low, speak slow;
Take fire, rise higher;
When most impressed,
Be self possessed;
At the end wax warm;
And sit down in a storm.

A Guide to Listening

How often has it happened that we failed in achieving the level that we so wanted just because we didn’t listen? It may be a single second distraction but the price to pay is too high. Especially if it happens in a meeting where some strategy or plans are being made, then your whole future is in jeopardy. Think of the many times you got into a conflict just because you misunderstood what was said. Listening ability, if poor, will affect your productivity because you don’t have the tools needed to influence, negotiate & persuade. Moreover, lines of communication must be open & two ways.

Being a good listener can help you to
1. perform to expectations
2. avoid conflicts and misunderstandings
3. to succeed everywhere.

Now that the importance of being a good listener is understood, here are certain tips to improve your listening skills.

1. Start by understanding your own communication style: You require a high degree of self awareness, knowledge of how others perceive you. Make the other person feel comfortable with you by selecting and emphasizing certain behaviours that fit within your personality and resonate with him.

“When I’m getting ready to persuade a person, I spend one-third of the time thinking about myself, what I’m going to say, and two-thirds of the time thinking about him and what he is going to say” Abraham Lincoln!

2. Listen aggressively: If your mind drifts when somebody is saying something important to you, then try repeating the words in your mind. That’ll help you control mind drift. Most can listen intelligently up to 300 words per minute. Asking the right questions will help you to understand better.

3. Control emotions: According to specialists, your emotions are powerful obstacles to listening. They colour what you hear and prevent you from focussing on what is being said. So before any meeting its important that you take sometime for yourself, away from the clutter and hurry, do some relaxation exercises. Breathing deeply or counting silently will help you relax. Try to tune in to and accept the speaker’s style. It will help to establish a strong connection, leading to better understanding.

4. Use nonverbal communication: Smile, gestures, eye contact & even posture will improve interpersonal communication. Sharp differences can create tension. So notice details about the speaker: how fast he talks, how formal he is and how much eye contact he offers. Few nodes and shakes of your head can work wonders too.

5. Consider all sources: One major obstacle to effective listening is labelling the person you’re talking to - ‘boss’, ‘peer’, ‘subordinate’. This process can hurt you in business; especially if it alters your impression of employees ‘lower the ladder’. So encourage communication outside the traditional lines of reporting and welcome informal networks of communication with employees.

6. Don’t jump to conclusions: Many people think they have identified the problem before the speaker has finished talking about it. If you react too quickly, you may make the speaker feel inadequate and you fail to gather the information you need to find the best possible solution. Then there arises the anxiety of how to respond. You don’t have to respond quickly. Pausing a moment before making a response is a sign of respect. Once you stop worrying about what to say, you’ll become more receptive.

7. Understanding the other: Due to our personal filters, assumptions, judgements & beliefs what someone says and what we hear can be amazingly different. If you want to influence a person, you need to first listen to and understand him. Only after meeting that person’s need to be understood should you try to influence him. Effective business people listen for ‘hot buttons’ or unsatisfied needs that can be used to clinch a deal. So if you are not sure about what you heard, repeat back or summarize or ask him whether this is what he meant. Not only does it demonstrate that you listen actively, it also confirms communication.

It is difficult but difficulties are meant, not to discourage you; but to arise you from sleep. So keep trying to be a good listener. Practice hard and what do you know - One day, not a single word said will escape you!!!

Winning Resume

The goal of the resume is to get noticed with a minimum of words. Having a well written, effective resume at one's disposal is an excellent tool in today's ever changing job market. A strong resume may be the sole difference in getting a call for an interview or simply having your resume tossed into the proposed employer's sludge pile. Simply put, an effective resume may win you a job interview. In the world of academia, a strong resume, known as curriculum vitae (CV) may open the door towards a tenured position.

When applying for a job, it is most important to put your best foot forward. Whether your prospective employer uses the term "resume" or "CV" makes sure that you know what he or she is looking for in the document. Once you have this information, you can work on creating a knock-out resume or CV that will help you land your job.

A resume fulfils an important task in the ability to obtain jobs. Even if one must fill out a job application and thus duplicate some information on a resume, handing in a resume with the application gives one a greater appearance of professionalism. When no job application is provided, a resume is the best way to let a potential employer know how your skills, goals and experience will fit in with his or her company.

While no two resumes will look the same, there are certain commonalties in all good resumes. Almost every resume should include the following headings or sections: objective, education, work experience, teaching experience (if applicable), publications of note (if applicable), personal and a references section. At minimum a resume needs to include information on how to reach you. You should include at the top of your resume, your name, telephone number and a physical address. A P.O. Box may be the way you receive most of your mail, but a physical address gives the employer a greater sense that you belong to the community in which you wish to work. You should also include an email address and perhaps a website link if it puts the employer in touch with professional information about you.

Under the "Objective heading, the job seeker offers his or her goal of acquiring a certain position. Don't be afraid to state a bold objective. After looking at your name, the objective is oftentimes the next thing employers read. Here are two examples:

Weak Objective: It is my goal to obtain a sales management job.

Powerful Objective: As someone with an extensive background in pharmaceutical sales, my objective is to obtain a sales management position which would allow me to share my sales experiences and train the next generation of top pharmaceutical salesmen.

Please note that the objective is to be ideally stated in one sentence. In short, try to catch the employer's attention in one sentence in the objective section. If you need an additional sentence, then feel free to use one; but remember you are trying to grab an employer's attention with a short, crisply written message.

The resume should also include a quick summary of your education and any degrees or certificates you hold. If you have not yet finished college or high school, you can include your expected graduation date, and a GPA if it is impressive. Your resume should also include any classes taken that specifically relate to the field in which you are applying.

For college students just entering the job world, you should probably list your "Education" section directly after stating your objective, in reverse chronological order. Stress your high marks here, if you have them. Also, be sure to include your extra-curricular involvement in clubs, sports teams and such similar campus organizations. Make certain you include your part-time and summer employment you had during your college years. Employers want to know that you weren't just loafing around during your off time. It will impress them if you worked to pay your way through college. Stress this fact and let them know that you were able to study, hold down a job, and pay your bills during college.

After the academic profile go for ‘Achievements’, in the reverse order of importance, preferably an individual, a team, an academic and one from extra curricular field. Hence put in 3-5, in bulleted manner. Don’t generalize achievements.

In the "Personal" section, you want to humanize yourself a bit more. Tell the employer about yourself. Go ahead and open up. Do you enjoy photography, boxing, gardening or playing basketball? Share this information. You may find this information being brought front and centre at the interview. It offers areas the employer can talk about and lighten the interview. Put in about 3-5 hobbies and interests & be specific.

Some resumes also include information about your personality type. With more and more companies employing strengths assessment or emotional quotient tests, you might want to list a few bulleted strengths. For example if you are an analytical, assertive, independent and goal-oriented person, these could be listed. You can test these strengths yourself with books like Now, Discover Your Strengths.

The resume should also include all relevant job experience. If you are new to the job market, list classes and volunteer efforts. If you have been working for a long time, list relevant job experience only. Normally, you need not go back more than 10 years in a long job history, unless a job you worked before that time gave you skills that can be beneficial to your new employer.

With each job on the resume, you may want to include some bullets of the types of work you did at the job. Only include those things most relevant to a new employer, and don’t spend lots of words on describing your job. If you want to emphasize particular aspects of your job, save this for a cover letter to the employer.

Make use of your "Reference" section. In the "Reference" section, many job seekers put, "references available upon request. "It's preferable to list the names of two or three people here. When names are listed, you are in effect saying, "Go ahead and call these people. I dare you. "Listing references shows that you have nothing to hide. However, make certain that you inform your references that job employers may be contacting them. If not, your prospective employer will not be impressed when he contacts your reference and it takes two minutes before your reference is able to understand what the telephone call is about.

Putting these elements to work for you, you will be able to complete a good resume. You should also make certain that you include a personalized cover letter. In this world of identity theft, do not include your social security number or driver’s license number on a resume. You should leave out any information that could potentially be stolen. Once you’ve gained employment, you can furnish these details to your employer.

The ideal resume does not exceed a page in length!

Dos and Don'ts in a GD

• Must Speak: The first principle of participating in a group discussion is that you must speak. If you do not understand the topic you may ask the group the meaning or you may wait and listen to someone, which will clarify the topic to you.
• Speaking first: Speaking first is a high risk - high return strategy. You get the undivided attention. So, if you talk sense you get the credit, else, your shortcomings would become prominent and you might be marked as someone who speaks without thinking. First speaker is expected to provide direction to the GD. Properly done, he/she automatically becomes the leader of the group and his/her opening idea remains alive throughout the GD.
• Enteringintodiscussion: [a] During the troughs when the discussion is on its low. However do not wait for the time. It may not come. [b] You may speak just after someone has finished, but risk is there that you may lose the opportunity. [c] You could enter by making a supportive statement [d] Or by increasing your voice.
• Avoid repetition: Do not repeat any point,atleast present it in a different way. Agree with the point made by your colleague and add on it by displaying the applicability of the argument to different situations,thereby broadening the scope of the argument.
• Active listening: Be an active listener. You might just strike a new point, taking cue from the listeners. It will also help you understand the topic clearly in case you are ignorant of the same. It would help you could take the discussion forward, taking on from where another participant has left off.
• Do not be aggressive in the discussion. Instead be objective, persuasive and assertive on your points.
• Make friends: Arrive early for the GD interview. Use that time effectively. Learn about your group, talk to them - this will make you have a good friendly foundation with them. This will make it easy for you to talk in the discussion.
• Listen to others: You could support others too, but when you say that you agree, also try to add value by adding points of your own that extend the argument.
• Body language: Appear friendly and not intimidating. Try smiling. Use of proper body language is an advantage. Some of the ways in which you could use your body effectively are: [1] Keep your body upright and lean forward while speaking or listening. This will show your sustained interest in the GD. [2] If you agree with somebody, nod your head, so that the speaker realises that you understand him. [3] Do not rest your hand on your knee. It communicates a lack of interest in the GD. [4] Do not sit cross legged during a discussion. It is for relaxation and not good for comptetive situations. [5] Do not point out your finger or pen at a person aggressively. These are intimidatory tactics and will be recognized as such. [6] Use your hands effectively to emphasize your statements and to persuade others to listen to you. Don’t gesture wildly, use hands as a means of communication.
• Speak clearly, speak sense and also let others speak: Your voice should be audible and clear. Your contribution should be relevant and made at the appropriate time. Listen to others but you should also speak out your points. Quality of your content is important, even more important than the time you have spent talking. Make the discussion meaningful by carrying the discussion forward and ensure that contribution made adds substance and content.
• Influencing the discussion: You can influence a group by providing it direction, highlighting the crucial issues and putting forth persuasive arguments.
• Examples and Statistics: Try introducing new points, statistics or other information on the topic. You can give examples to illustrate clearly certain aspects. But make sure what you are quoting is correct.
• Ensure that all of you are not going off at a tangent in your discussion.
• Do not take turns: Speaking in turns hinders free flowing discussions. So let it take its natural way.
• Summarize if time permits or if you are asked to. Include main points discussed, your view points and if a consensus was not achieved say so. Do not force a consensus, if it has not been achieved.

All about Group Discussions

Many companies conduct group discussion after the written test so as to check on your interactive skills and how good you are at communicating with other people. The GD is to check how you behave, participate and contribute in a group, how much importance do you give to the group objective as well as your own, how well do you listen to viewpoints of others and how open-minded are you in accepting views contrary to your own.The aspects which make up a GD are verbal communication, non-verbal behaviour, conformation to norms, decision-making ability and cooperation.You should try to be as true as possible to these aspects.Also show leadership & coordinating ability.

About GD

In general, allowed time for GD is between 15 to 30 minutes. A group of 5 - 15 people is usually formed to discuss on a particular topic. Topic may be related to computer or may be related to any current affairs.

A GD has 3 main parts-Introduction ,discussion or core,conclusion.Let us see what they contain.

Introduction: Whenever you are giving an introduction to a GD,state how you interpret the title,what you are about to argue or describe & the factors to consider, an indication of your attitude towards the title and a back up reason for any first statement made.Preferably you can put another open question like- “So this is how I feel.Kindly share your views on the same”. This would be an ideal start to a GD.

Discussion or Core: This part should involve description, explanation & arguments to clarify what has been said so far. Use of known facts to support your arguments is recommended. This is the part where your communication, attentiveness, presentation and a lot other skills are evaluated. So express your key facts precisely, specifically & in as much detail as it demands - not more.

Conclusion: Ideally you will reach a coherent logical conclusion at the end of discussion. If it does not side with any particular issue that the topic focuses on, go for a diplomatic approach. You can then argue that evidence is conflicting, the ‘fors’ & ‘againsts’ are evenly balanced or that evidence is insufficient. In either case don’t drag, just summarise main points, comment on the title or if its difficult, simply do your best in the most simple, direct & short manner possible and when you have done so - STOP! It is not desirable to sacrifice facts and arguments for style.

Some Tips for Group Discussions

1. A good level of general awareness will come in handy so that you aren't at a loss of words on certain issues.
2. Understand the topic and analyse it mentally before speaking.
3. Be clear about the purpose and content of your viewpoint.
4. One should be able to communicate his views in an effective manner to everyone. Be clear in speech, audible but not too loud and above all remain confident.
5. Remember the six C's of effective communication -- Clarity, Completeness, Conciseness, Confidence, Correctness and Courtesy.
6. You should mantain eye contact with all others in the group and not focus on a particular person for he may benefit from that.
7. Be responsive to ideas from other people and seem to be very receptive and open-minded but don't allow others to change your own viewpoint.
8. Starting the discussion is considered to be good however it isn't that important; what is important is that you speak for a period long enough for you to be able to communicate your viewpoint.
9. Always mantain your calm and never get aggresive. If you haven't been able to talk then one can cut in saying "Excuse me, but what I think is .........." or something of that sort.
10. Never lose your temper and never attack anyone on a personal front. Your attitude should be one of cooperation and not one of conflict.
11. Don't lose sight of the goal of the discussion.
12. Listen to any criticisms and give them a thought before trying to defend your views.