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Delivering Presentations/Lessons

savi83

savi83

Well-Known Member
Hi everybody,

Public speaking of any kind has never been my strong point and part of my role has changed at work so that I now need to deliver training.

It's a weird feeling, part of me doesn't like having all the attention and the other half is concerned that I will not be able to hold their attention with the subject at hand. I get myself a bit worked up and end up talking quite quickly in a monotone which I can occasionally control for a short period.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I've tried to imagine people without their clothes on and didn't find it helpful.
 
savi83 said:
Hi everybody,

Public speaking of any kind has never been my strong point and part of my role has changed at work so that I now need to deliver training.

It's a weird feeling, part of me doesn't like having all the attention and the other half is concerned that I will not be able to hold their attention with the subject at hand. I get myself a bit worked up and end up talking quite quickly in a monotone which I can occasionally control for a short period.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I've tried to imagine people without their clothes on and didn't find it helpful.
Click to expand...
Autismsees.com has good advise on that
 
Best way to learn is to practice with a friendly audience. I recommend finding a local Toastmasters group. They do vary, so feel free to look at a few before signing up. Find one where you feel comfortable and supported.
 
zurb said:
Best way to learn is to practice with a friendly audience. I recommend finding a local Toastmasters group. They do vary, so feel free to look at a few before signing up. Find one where you feel comfortable and supported.
Click to expand...

Have you used Toastmasters?

I have had a look at their website and found my local group. It looks really good, I'm hoping to go to their next meeting, I just need to wait for my shifts at work.

Thank you
 
I do not have to much trouble talking to a person or a group of people as long as I know what I am talking about. I have been known to talk to much when I am explaining something technical. That is the key for me, I have to be talking about something that I am very familiar and interested in. Who I am talking to or how many does not really make any difference.
 
savi83 said:
Have you used Toastmasters?

I have had a look at their website and found my local group. It looks really good, I'm hoping to go to their next meeting, I just need to wait for my shifts at work.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Yes. My wife and I joined at the recommendation of others. We had a time limit as we were going overseas, so were doing speeches every two weeks. This was a bit faster than most, but livened the club up as people had to book speeches in rather than being chased.
We did the first 10 speeches and gained our CTMs, then went abroad and haven't done much since. But I have been involved in starting/reviving a few clubs.
As a visitor you are generally offered the opportunity to partake in the 'table topics' or impromptu speeches, though it is entirely optional at that stage. Don't be too scared of this - you can't do much worse than my first one :)
The assigned speeches all have specific goals, so evaluations should focus specifically on those areas. Also, evaluations follow a CRC (commend recommend commend) format so its never too discouraging. CRC is also good practice for us Aspies who are good at seeing negatives and not voicing the positives.
 
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I taught and tutored English as a foreign language for a decade. Most classes were only a few people but I also taught large classes to businesses that wanted their staff to speak the language (to enhance the businesses' foreign trade prospects). Businesses like Timberland (shoe brand), Hewlett Packard, etc.

Although when I first started I was nervous, once I knew my stuff I was fairly comfortable. That is because the students were there to learn, and were mostly interested in the lessons. There was the occasional intimidating student who was bored because they thought they were hot shots at the language (or they actually were hot shots at the language:D).

What I learnt from those years was that if I know my subject and the audience is interested, it's not so bad.

I also tested an hypothesis yesterday and proved it true, for me at least: playing around on my ukulele for five minutes before a scary phone call calmed me right down. At first I thought it would make me feel more nervous in case the phone rang and somehow I didn't get it in time or something silly. But the opposite happened. I told myself that playing my uke makes me feel better so I should try it. I'm glad I did. :) Highly recommended to do something that makes you happy for a few minutes before a scheduled scary event.
 
I have been delivering lessons for a while now and I have finally gotten over my issue with public speaking.

However, I am not sure whether I am able to make the subjects interesting enough or holding their attention.

I think that my best bet is to sign up for Toastmasters to get feedback on how I can improve my delivery.
 
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