Public Speaking
105 flashcards by MentisLibrary
Build a talk that lands, deliver it without shaking, and survive the Q and A. Structure, voice, nerves, rhetoric, storytelling, and slides, with the common mistake named for each.
- Through line
- The single controlling idea a talk is built to deliver, which every section should serve.
- Why should you write the ending first?
- Because the close is what the audience carries away, and knowing it tells you what the rest of the talk must set up.
- The rule of three
- Grouping points in threes, which is easy to hold in memory and gives a sense of completeness.
- Problem solution structure
- Establish a problem the audience feels, then present the solution and what it makes possible.
- Chronological structure
- Organizing material as a sequence through time.
- Monroe's motivated sequence
- A persuasive structure of attention, need, satisfaction, visualization, and action.
- The what, so what, now what structure
- Present the information, then its significance, then what the audience should do about it.
- SCQA
- Situation, Complication, Question, Answer: a framing sequence for opening a persuasive talk or document.
- Signposting
- Explicit language that tells the audience where you are and where you are going.
- Transitions
- The sentences that carry the audience between sections.
- Callback
- Returning to an image, phrase, or story from earlier in the talk.
- Preview and summary
- Telling the audience what you will cover, covering it, and reminding them what you covered.
- Opening hook
- The first thirty seconds, which decide whether the audience commits attention.
- Why should you not open with an apology?
- Telling an audience you are underprepared or nervous transfers your discomfort to them and lowers their expectation before you have said anything.
- The call to action
- The specific thing you want the audience to do, believe, or decide, stated plainly.
- Why should you not end on question and answer?
- Q and A drifts, and the last thing said is often a tangent from an audience member rather than your point.
- Vocal variety
- Changing pitch, pace, volume, and tone so the voice carries meaning rather than droning.
- The strategic pause
- A deliberate silence before or after an important line.
- Filler words
- Sounds and phrases such as um, uh, like, and you know that occupy space while you think.
- Pace
- The speed of delivery, typically comfortable for listeners in a moderate range with variation.
- Projection
- Producing enough sound to reach the back of the room without straining.
- Breath support
- Breathing low into the diaphragm so the voice is steady and phrases can run their full length.
- Articulation
- Forming consonants and vowels clearly enough to be understood.
- Upspeak
- Ending statements with a rising intonation so they sound like questions.
- Eye contact
- Looking at individuals in the audience rather than scanning or staring past them.
- Posture and stance
- Standing balanced with weight on both feet, shoulders open, hands free.
- Purposeful movement
- Moving to mark a transition or to reach a different part of the audience.
- Gesture
- Hand movement that illustrates or emphasizes what you are saying.
- What to do with your hands
- Rest them at your sides between gestures, which feels strange to the speaker and looks normal to the audience.
- Using a microphone
- Keeping a consistent distance and speaking across rather than directly into a handheld mic.