Mechanics of Delivering a Seminar

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Mechanics of Delivering a Seminar
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Numerical Ranking of Fears From the Book of Lists

• 7. Death
• 6. Flying
• 5. Sickness
• 4. Deep water
• 3. Financial problems
• 2. Heights
• 1. Speaking before a group of people

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Public Speaking

• In public speaking, the flow of information is
  essentially in one direction - from the speaker
  to the listener
• The speaker bears nearly all the responsibility
  for the successful transfer of information

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Dealing with Fear/Nervousness

• Natural to be nervous - indicates that you take
  the responsibility seriously
• Controlled by confidence based on your
  preparation and practice
• Memorize and practice opening
• From then on, focus on the delivery and
  nervousness will enhance your presentation

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Responsibilities of a Speaker

• Speak so you can be heard and understood
  throughout the room
• Help audience process new information
• Help audience stay focused

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Project your voice so you can be heard

• When inhaling, relax stomach muscles (increases
  lung capacity)
• When exhaling, tighten stomach muscles (supplies
  extra air)
• Hold your head up so throat is unrestricted
• Hold mouth open somewhat wider than usual

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Use good diction so you can be understood

• Pronounce all consonants distinctly
• Pronounce all syllables of all words
• Naturally slows pace of speaking
• Increases voice projection since you can be
  clearly understood at greater distances

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Control pace to help listener with processing

• The average listener can process unfamiliar
  information at a maximum rate of only 120
  words/min.
• Your conversational speaking rate is 150-170
  words/min.
• Slow down to roughly 2/3 of your conversational
  rate

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Use real pauses to help listener with processing

• Pause silence
• Allows listeners chance to catch up
• Gives you time to think
• Filling pauses with ah, like, um, you
  know what I mean, etc., interferes with the
  opportunity of audience to catch up

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Use transitions to help listener with processing

• A listener cannot page back and reread material -
  speaker must provide reinforcement of short term
  understanding
• At the end of each topic, provide a brief summary
  of that topic
• At the beginning of each new topic, provide a
  transition to that topic

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Use voice modulation to help listener stay focused

• Avoid speaking in a monotone
• Change pitch, intensity, and/or tone of your
  voice to help keep the audience focused

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Use enthusiasm to help listener stay focused

• Naturally produces voice modulation
• Adds a visual component of body language
• Helps you control nerves

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Compensate for Necessary Distractions

• Using low lighting when projecting slides invites
  the audience to go to sleep
• To help audience keep focused
• Animate text
• Keep pace appropriate to text difficulty
• Modulate voice
• Be enthusiastic - animate yourself

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Compensate for Necessary Distractions

• Handouts or show-and-tell materials provide a
  competing focus
• Consider benefit/risk before using
• Facing away from the audience when using a
  pointer interferes with ability of audience to
  hear you
• Must increase voice projection
• Use alternative focusing method

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Use feedback to handle distractions you control

• Visual contact with audience provides feedback to
  make you aware of distractions
• Make adjustments to deal with distractions when
  possible - speak louder or slower, provide more
  transitions, focus a projector, etc.

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Distractions You Can Control Visual Distractions

• Leaving completed material visible too long,
  making future material visible too early, etc.
• Body language avoid mannerisms such as pacing,
  rocking back and forth, poor posture, rattling
  keys, fidgeting with necktie, etc.

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Distractions that you may not be able to control

• Uncomfortable room conditions, loud noises from
  vending area or construction, fire-drill, water
  leaks, burglar alarm, etc.
• Students arriving late, students leaving early,
  intruders, etc.

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Parade Magazine, 5/18/75
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Chemical and Engineering News, 4/21/75, p.68
Chronicle 4/1/75
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Ending a Talk

• Summarize main points and review conclusions -
  part of helping listener process new information
• Thank the audience
• Offer to answer any questions - part of helping
  listener process new information

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Question and Answer Session

• Listen carefully to the question
• Restate the intent of question
• Keep answers brief
• Offer to find answers, if uncertain
• Offer to discuss points later with a person who
  is monopolizing the session