Speech Craft

PARTICIPANTS MANUAL
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National President - 2005

Jc. TVN Murthy

Jc. Chitralekha Kasliwal

National Director - Training - 2005

Chairman - National Faculty Cell

Jc. Sandeep Morajkar

__________________________________

(Worldwide Federation of Young Leaders and Entrepreneurs)

Indian Jaycees
National Secretariat

A PUBLICATION OF

Ami Kalash, 2nd Floor, Ami Complex, IC Colony Road Borivali (W), Mumbai - 400 103. Tel.: (022) 28912354, 278913355 Fax : 022 - 28910807 Email : ijcns@vsnl.com www.ijc.org.in
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An Acknowledgement

ay back in the 70s as a dealer in textile machinery spares, little did I know that one day, my livelihood and my fortunes would depend on my speaking ability. The fortunes of India have dramatically changed in just five years because of the power of the spoken word. More than 50% of Indian GNP is derived from services today, which in basic terms depend on how well you are able to put a point across. It was PNP Tushar Mehta who taught me the body language of an orator, PNP Muthuswamy who showed me how to use the voice, PNP Subroto Ghosal who taught me the difference between an entertaining speaker and a buffoon (his own words!), PNP Vallabhdas whose, Look here could lash out like a whip, The hundreds of Jaycees all over who allowed me to experiment my speaking skills on them. To everyone of you this edition of the Speech Craft manual is humbly dedicated. Considerable inputs to this Speechcraft manual were given in a group discussion on the subject held at the Trainers Grid 2005. The participants present were: Jc Anil Jajodia, Jc Ahmed Nazar, Jc Bharathi Veeresh, Jc Chandramohan, Jc BSV Kalyan, Jc R. Kannan, Jc S. Kannan, Jc T. Krishnamurthy, Jc Pramod Kumar, Jc Madhusudhan Brahmavat, Jc K Radhakrishnan, Jc Shishir, Jc Sudeep Das, Jc Venugopal and Jc Chitralekha Kasliwal and Jc Nagalingam
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Foreword

ts been exactly thirty years but I still remember the evening I made my first public speech. It was the inauguration of my chapter. JCI VP Vallabhdas was the installation officer, the Governor of Karnataka was the chief guest and in the midst of 400 of the elite of Bangalore, I was asked to welcome the gathering. I began by thanking the Governor who in spite of his busy schedule made it to this meeting, I thanked Jc Vallabhdas for flying directly from Amsterdam to swear me in; I thanked the sponsoring chapter, the press, the authorities of the five star hotel we were in, all and sundry for making this function a grand success

The polite crowd applauded when I sat down but the humiliating moment came when the secretary was asked to propose the vote of thanks, and he said, Our founder president has already done my task at the beginning of this meeting. Let me do something, he forgot to do. Although it is quite late, let me formally welcome you to this meeting and the whole house erupted into spontaneous laughter. I have travelled a long way since that humble beginning. But the most vivid landmarks that shaped me as a speaker were the EPS manual that PNP Subroto Ghosal compiled in the early eighties and the words of advice Sen Harinder Singh gave me, If you dont have anything to say, shut up When the National president asked me to sit with a group of esteemed trainers to try and improve the manual that Nagalingam last published, I felt it was a redundant exercise since that manual had been compiled excellently. However, with Nagalingams help and with the contributions of the team that met at Bangalore, the new manual is in your hands. I hope it contributes to make you an outstanding speaker. National President Jc T V N Murthy, the NGB, my team members, thank you for the unique honour. Ramesh Batavia
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Contents
Why Public Speaking? What is SpeechCraft really? The Conquest of Stage Fright. Preparing for a speech Presenting a speech Clichs and avoiding them Some common mistakes Sir Winston formula Borden Formula Know your audience Some Regular Speeches Welcome Introduction Opening Remarks Felicitation Speeches Reply to Felicitation Vote of thanks Humour in Public Speaking The Ten Commandments of effective speaking 21 21 22 33 34 17 19 13 14 16 9 12 7

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Some popular quotes on Public Speaking

It takes one hour of preparation for each minute of presentation time. Wayne Burgraff A theme is a memory aid, it helps you through the presentation just as it also provides the thread of continuity for your audience. Dave Carey There are always three speeches, for every one you actually gave. The one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.
Dale Carnegie Philip Crosby

No one can remember more than three points. The audience only pays attention as long as you know where you are going. Philip Crosby No one ever complains about a speech being too short! Ira Hayes They expect a professional presentation, so they expect to see a professional. Dress appropriately for the occasion, but dont be one of the crowd.
Wess Roberts

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What Public speaking means to you

When you successfully undergo a course in public speaking you will learn the following invaluable skills, which will help you in making an effective presentations to even an audience of one. 1. You will learn to marshal your thoughts and present them in a logical sequence 2. You will learn to focus only on your subject. 3. You will learn to use your vocabulary to maximum advantage 4. You will learn to present all your thoughts in as few words as possible. 5. You will learn to describe your points appropriately with the use of facts, examples, parallels 6. You will learn to control your voice and make it pleasant to the ears. 7. You will learn to control and convey your emotions dramatically through your words. 8. You will learn poise even under adverse situations 9. You will appear more presentable, more confident, more mature and more positive to your listeners.

t would be erroneous to presume that Effective Public Speaking means only delivering speeches to a huge audience from a podium.

The speechcraft workshop:

SpeechCraft is one of Indian Jaycees most effective programs and has resulted in developing hundreds of wonderful speakers. The workshop is designed to give you all the inputs that can transform you into impressive speaker. This manual will serve as a reminder of the sessions you went through and a reference in future when you are called upon to deliver a speech for some occasion
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Stage Fright
omebody once rightly said. The human brain is a wonderful organ. It begins functioning the moment you are born and does not stop until you are called upon to deliver a speech! The most carefully prepared speeches are never heard because of this mind block called Stage Fear Nerves Topophobia What really happens? When you are seated in the audience, waiting for your turn to speak, you start thinking, I am scared of what might happen My grammars so bad How can I do justice to such a vast subject in just three minutes? Ooh, look at the size of the audience They all seem to be so clever. Im making a fool out of myself Suppose someone picks an argument with me Oh God, what will happen if I cannot even utter a word So many ladies present, and I did not even shave properly So many men! I should have worn my silk saree What will my father / mother/ wife/ husband/ employer / teacher/ sitting in the audience think of this stupid speech? All these thoughts make you a trifle anxious, this increases your heartbeat, you start breathing faster, and lo, the next thing you know is that your mouth has dried up, your knees go wonky, your mind goes blank and you are in the grip of that universal phenomenon, Stage Fear

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So, what do you do? You start wringing your hands You drum your fingers on the table/podium You tap a pencil or keep pressing the on / off button of your pen. You scratch your hair You tap your foot or both your feet You lean on the podium / table You keep removing your spotless spectacles, clean with a kerchief, put them on, only to remove them a minute later, clean them You fold, unfold or twist your hanky. You fidget with objects placed on the table You grip the mike tightly You keep pulling your \ears, digging your nose, or rubbing your eyes, You keep chewing the locket of your chain You put your hands in your pocket, or worse, You start jingling coins while your hands are in the pocket And in short, you have lost your confidence to speak. Why does this happen? When your brain senses your anxiety, it signals the release of extra amounts of Adrenaline an energy giving fluid into your body to help you combat the anxiety. An inexperienced person does not know how to handle this extra flow of adrenaline resulting in any or all the above manifestations of Stage fear How do you get rid of your stage fear? Ever tried taking a bath in cold water on a cold morning? Isnt the first touch of the cold water pure torture? After the first jug, the second is not all that bad, the third one is ok and soon you start revelling in the tingling, refreshing feeling that only a cold water bath can give you. Stage fear is something like this. The first speech is the worst. The first thirty seconds are the worst even for accomplished speakers.
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You can never really conquer stage fear. After thousands of speeches, accomplished speakers still feel the flutter of butterflies in the stomach, as soon as they get up to speak. This is a good sign. It is your body telling you that extra energy is available to you in case you need it. So the difference between an accomplished speaker and a novice is that the accomplished speaker has learned to channelise this flow of energy. The following tips will help you tackle this phenomenon: 1. 2. 3. 4. Ensure that every speech is well prepared. I repeat, ensure that you prepare, prepare, prepare As you walk up to the dais to begin speaking, try to walk slowly. Consciously take deep breaths. Before you begin, look around the hall. LOOK at your audience. You are sure to find some friendly faces. Address your first words to them. Welcome every opportunity to speak. Get your spouse to critically observe your speech and give you suggestions on improving the next time. Begin your speech with formalities or a good personal anecdote. It need not be very funny. Its main purpose is to help you and not the audience. Never attempt to by heart your speech. You are guaranteed to fail!!

6. 7. 8.

9.

So, you have something in common with EVERY speaker in the world. Remember as long as you are nervous at the beginning, you can use it to deliver your best.

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Preparing for a Speech

here is no such thing as an impromptu speech. Every speech has to be prepared. The amount of preparation depends on the newness of your subject. For example, if someone were to ask you to speak about your college days, you would need less than minute to prepare. I am sure the current political scenario will need more thinking and hence more time to prepare. Most often, when you are invited to speak, your hosts will say, Speak on anything. Whatever your favourite is (In the beginning, try to get your host to give you a subject. If not, find out what is the occasion, what is the background, who are the organisers, what is the objective of their organisation. These should give you enough for a generalized speech. When you have a subject: 1. Try and do as much research as you can on the subject. The libraries, the Internet, experts on the subject, newspapers, magazines, even your family are good sources. Try and make notes, even if they are disjointed, after every such interaction. 2. Remember, the audience is not expecting a treatise on the subject. And try as you might, theres going to be at least one person in the audience who knows more than you know! 3. Using the material you have gathered; write out on an essay, as if you have been asked to write an article for a magazine. Remember every speech or every essay has a Beginning, Body, and Conclusion. So, when you write your essay try to sequence it using all the various tidbits of information you have gathered. 4. Read the entire essay once. Use the marker and highlight the main points.
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5. Put down the main points on 5x 3 cards. Number the cards sequence. 6. Now, relax. You do not have to do anything else. 7. On the day of the speech, just carry the cards with you. 8. As you stand up to speak and glance at the card, all the matter you have written in your essay about a particular point will come back automatically to you. 9. Do not attempt to learn a speech by heart. Your memory will play tricks on you and you will end up embarrassing yourself. 10. Even if you know a subject very well, the points written on the card will help you to sequence yourself and deliver the best.

FORMULAE FOR EFFECTIVE SPEECHES

A well prepared speech is already Nine tenths Delivered. Though there are many formulae for this, let us discuss 2 popular formulae The Sir Winston Method Borden formula A. THE SIR WINSTON METHOD: The five secrets of speaking the language of leadership. Begin strongly: Impress your audience with an opening zinger. Focus on one theme: A speech is like a song using a full orchestra. There are many different instruments but it has one dominant melody. Use simple language: Toss out the beat around the bush jargon and pick up your pace with personal, colourful language. Draw a picture in the listeners mind: Transform dry abstractions into powerful pictures End with an emotion: Express feeling from the heart when you cap your speech.
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Remember: Every time you speak you are auditioning for leadership. James C. Humes B. BORDEN FORMULA: The use of this simple formula is the difference between good speeches and very ordinary ones. It can be applied to most types of speeches particularly those of an informative nature. As the informative speech is the most common type of speech delivered today, you will readily agree that the Borden formula is important to know and follow. n Ho Hum! In this phase of the formula, you must arouse the audience interest in what you have to say you must awaken them! In your opening remarks ask a question, tell a story, startle your audience, Use an exhibit. Dont think for one minute that the audience is sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting eagerly for you to speak. They are asleep! Ho Hum, they say I wonder what this fellow is going to talk about. So in your first sentence you must arouse them from their Ho Hum! Attitude. n Why bring that up: In this you must build a bridge - your listener lives on an island, an island of his own interests you must build a bridge from yourself to that island. The listener says to himself: You caught my attention with your intriguing opening, but why bring this subject up? What has it got to do with me? Here is how a tax expert caught the attention of his audience. You are probably wondering why you should be worried about VAT. There are a vast number of traders who do not show their true accounts to the government. Under VAT this practice will become virtually non existent. So how are you, an honest tax payer affected? Let us say, at some stage, between the manufacturer, the C&F agent, distributor, super stockist and you, someone did not pay tax or did not
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reveal this transaction. Under VAT it would be possible to trace the exact source and the penalties when found could be crippling. There could be repercussions in the entire chain.. Thus you must build a bridge to your listeners. Until this bridge is built, you are not ready to begin the body of your speech. n For instance: In this third phase of the formula, get down to cases. Ever since childhood, grandmothers have found that the best way of driving home a point is by way of stories. Let us assume that you have introduced your speech subject interestingly, arresting all Ho Hums with your first sentence that you convinced your listeners that the subject hits their interest. Now, get down to cases. Make your points with the help of real life, INDIAN or even local examples. n So What? In this concluding section of your speech, demand action from the audience. The end of the speech like the lead of a pencil should have a point. The conclusion must be more than a forceful leave taking. It must answer the audiences question, SO WHAT? Therefore, in your conclusion, ask the audience for some specific action for e.g. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Contribute Vote Write Buy Boycott Enlist Investigate Acquit Convict

End your Speech with request for action.

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Know your audience

ry and get to know as much as possible about your audience, in advance. Answers to the following questions will be of valuable help in preparing and presenting your speech. 1. How many people will be present ? This will help you know whether you need a mike. Larger audience demand a little more formality while, with small audiences you can even be conversational in your speech delivery. 2. What age groups ? The young want a little more entertainment than the older ones. 3. Educational levels ? A broad idea is more than enough. You do not need not go into too many particulars. They might be embarrassing. 4. Occupation ? Are you speaking to businessmen? Professionals? Students? The approach to your speech will vary, even if the subject is the same. 5. Subject Knowledge ? Is the audience aware of the subject? Has somebody else handled it in recent times? Is it possible to find out what he said ? 6. Time ? How much time do you have? Will the meeting start on time? What else is on the agenda? Will you be required to stay till the end of the meeting ? 7. Dress: How are members generally dressed?. Are they formal or casual ? This will help you to be suitably dressed.
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The Welcome Speech:

n a Jaycee meeting it is normally the president who delivers the welcome speech or the welcome address as it is formally known. Some guidelines: 1. Salutation: This is the first formal speech in a meeting. It is the duty of the speechmaker to start building a bridge between the audience and the people on the dais (Incidentally, the stage is called Dais pronounced dayis and not dayas) and so, his salutation will include the names and designations of all the people on the dais.

2. General Welcome: It is my pleasant duty to welcome you all to this meeting 3. History: A few words about the past of the event that is happening, XXX Jaycees was started in the year 1999.. 4. Purpose of the meeting: In the Jaycee set up, the president of a chapter is elected and holds office for one year We are present here today to witness the installation ceremony of the 19th president of our chapter 5. Individual Welcome: All the people on the dais who are not members of your chapter need to be individually welcomed. The order is first, the most important person for that meeting, generally the chief guest. Followed by the guest of honour, if any, the installation officer, the zone president, zone vice president and so on. Do not begin the individual welcome by saying, when we went to meet Mr our chief guest, This is irrelevant. Similarly phrases like Who readily accepted our invitation Who has come here in spite of his busy schedule These are clichs and spoil the impact of your speech.
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It would be much nicer to say We are honoured with the presence of .We welcome you Sir. A long pending desire has been fulfilled today with the presence of Mr..in our midst, I welcome you, sir. 6. Specific Welcome: Welcome the VIPs in the audience, not necessarily by name, such as, The past presidents of our chapter, presidents of the Rotary and Lions Clubs, Pressperson present in our midst. 7. General Welcome: Once again, welcome everyone present. 8. Conclusion: I hope you will have a pleasant evening Thank you. It is not necessary to say, On behalf of Jaycees and on my personal behalf This is another clich. The fact that you are standing on the dais denotes that you are doing so on behalf of your organisation and it does not matter whether you personally want to welcome someone or not!!! The welcome speech in the biggest of meetings, should not last for more than 5 minutes. A normal meeting requires only a 2 minute speech

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The Introductory Speech:

he objective of this speech is, apart from letting the audience know the relevance of the person being introduced, to build a bridge between the guest and the audience. You will be given a resume of the person being introduced well in advance. If not, ask the president for the resume. If he does not have it, there is no harm in asking the guest himself to give you a copy. Underline all the points you think are relevant for your audience. Just as you would in a prepared speech, prepare a 5x3 card of the main points and deliver as you would, a prepared speech. Some things to remember: 1. However important the speaker, you will not take more than 2 minutes to introduce. 2. It is an unpardonable sin to READ the bio data of the guest. Dont ever do it. 3. The salutation in the beginning of your speech is to be abbreviated, probably, Mr President /Mr Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen. 4. Keep the name of the introducee in suspense till the end of your speech 5. Your speech should highlight the achievements of the speaker relevant to his assignments with you. For Eg., when a trainer is doing a program, give his credentials as a trainer. He might also be a successful businessman. Unless his training is business related, you need not give too many details about his business

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6. It is a good idea to give some details about his personal background. Avoid the word happily when you talk about his marriage! 7. Announce his current assignment in a slightly louder tone at the end of the speech and then his name, even more loudly. May I present to you, ladies and Gentlemen, the Managing Director of Reliance, Mr Mukesh Ambani 8. When a person is well known to the audience, spend some time with him before the meeting; highlight a few things that the audience may not know, likes hobbies, his childrens achievements. 9. Even when someone is well known, it is incorrect to say our guest is so well known, he needs no introduction, but I have the task and so for formalitys sake Your job is to introduce, not pass comments. In this case as said before, concentrate on little known aspects of the guests personality. 10. Avoid the clichs, None other than No one else but If a speaker is being invited to speak on a particular subject, your introductory speech should loosely answer the following: Why this subject, Why this subject for this audience Why this subject for this audience at this time Why this speaker for this audience for this subject at this time.
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Felicitation Speeches:
felicitation speech is delivered when someones achievements are publicly recognised. While following the formula given for the prepared speech, particular mention must be made of the hardships the honouree went through to achieve what he did. This speech serves to praise the speaker, appreciate his efforts. Something that he cannot do to himself! It also serves as a motivator to the audience to emulate his feats. The honourees bio data is your ground document. You need to spend some time with him and get him to talk about his achievements, before the event. A full salutation, a few remarks related to the subject and the honouree are the right beginnings of this speech.

Reply to the Felicitation Speech: This speech is given by the person who is being felicitated. It is generally a thank you speech. A thank you to the organizers who honoured him, the people who helped him achieve what he did. A full salutation precedes this speech.

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Vote of Thanks:

his is the speech which triggers off an exodus to the exits! So the speech must be short enough for people to catch it before they leave the hall! 30-45 seconds Max. No salutation. Go straight to the subject, I have the pleasant task of thanking.

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OH God, please Save us from.. Over a number of years, many speakers have used phrases which have no meaning, are inappropriate; do not reflect the right emotion, or downright plain silly. They are called clichs. The following is a small list. I am sure you can add to it: Do avoid them. They do not add value to your speech. They subtract from its effectiveness. In spite of his busy schedule Sparing a few precious moments of his time When the organizers came to invite me I was. Unless and Until None other than Last but not the least Friend philosopher and guide I am sorry to take up so much of your time With these words I conclude my speech For making this function a grand success Thought provoking speech I assure the speaker.. A token of our love Some common mistakes we make: Dais: it is Dayis and not Dayas A person or an organiser who sponsors is called a SPONSOR. There is no word in the English language called sponsorer. It is MEMENTO and not MOMENTO It is always Ladies and Gentlemen and not Gentlemen and Ladies. Ladies are mentioned only if there are women in the audience! Chairman (when it is a man) Chairperson (When it is a woman) but not chairwoman. If you are shortening the name of a person - Mr Rakesh Tandon is either Rakesh (if you know him very well) or Mr Tandon. Never is it Mr Rakesh.
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It is either Jc Murthy or it is Mr Murthy, never Jc Mr Murthy. It is always, RISE for the Jaycee Creed. Not RAISE. The two words have totally different meanings here. When you stand before the audience The audience sees a speaker before it hears him. It also forms an opinion of him before he says a word. Timid, or aggressive, it may say to itself, or How poised. Whether these judgments are valid or not, they are made. Hence a speaker must consider how he looks to the audience. The following elements help the audience form an opinion: Posture Movement Gesture Eye contact Visual factors Dress

POSTURE: You should stand, with your feet 12-15 apart. One foot should be slightly in front of the other. This position will enable you to distribute the weight of your body equally and help you stand for a long time without feeling the strain. Your body should lean forward slightly. Your hands should be loosely resting on one another near your belt buckle. Your fists should be open. They should look like you are about to clap, with one hand over the other. Never rock back and forth on your feet. This easy position of the hands makes for good gestures or use of notes. Under no circumstances should the hands be in the pocket or on the hips, folded in front of your chest, or clasped behind your back. These positions give an unfavourable impression of the speaker. The question, What shall I do with my hands? is a psychological rather than a physical one. The answer is, Concentrate on what
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you are saying and the audience will not notice your hands. If there is a speakers stand, you may grasp it or rest one arm on it. But do not lean over it, or drape yourself on it as though it were a prop to hold you up. If there is a desk, place your notes on it if you wish. But then stand clear of it. Avoid slumping over stand or desk. In general avoid stiffness and exaggeration. Strive to be natural. Movement; During a speech, only your face, hands and upper body do the moving. Your waist and legs are generally steady. If it is a long speech, you may shift your weight from one leg to the other. GESTURES: Gestures, that is movements of the hands, body or face should be meaningful. The good gesture illustrates or emphasizes what is said, strengthening and clarifying it. A speaker may count off points on his fingers; he may point with full arm extended to some object or in some direction. He may outline with his hands and arms contrasting sizes or shapes. He may let his face mimic an emotion, a grimace; or he may use his entire body to simulate some action, such as throwing a ball. Dont think of a gesture as being just a hand gesture. Get the whole arm, the whole body into it. Let the gesture precede the word by a fraction of a second. Don/t be halfhearted in your gesturing. Carry the gesture through to the end. But avoid making showy gestures for their own sake. Let the test of the gesture be that it is decisive, significant and natural. The amount of gestures you use will depend on your personal preference. Gestures can be powerful aids to good speaking. When you rehearse your speeches, practice appropriate accompanying gestures. After you have tested them, decide whether you will use them or not.

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Exercise: Work out and practice appropriate gestures for: 1. 2. 3. 4. Contrasting a tiny tot with a sumo fighter I demand to be heard When I see the tricolour flying there You know what a temple gopuram looks like

EYE CONTACT: In conversation, we all tend to look at the person we are talking to. Yet in public speaking, many beginners make the mistake of looking at everything but the persons they are addressing. Looking at the eyes of the audience makes people feel that you are interested in them. It also gives you more assurance. Let your eyes sweep around from person to person, section to section, forward and back, side to side. You need not keep eye- contact constantly; but do not neglect this excellent method of establishing and maintaining rapport with your audience. If you intend to read a quotation during the speech, do not keep your eyes glued to the page. Take in a half dozen or more words of the text, and then look up at the audience as you say them. Notes: There is little use bringing disorganized scribbling to the platform with you. Your notes should consist of key-words, phrases or brief sentences. These should be written clearly on small, numbered cards, which can be kept in order and held unobtrusively in the hand. Quotations should be copied out in their entirety, preferably type-written, and double spaced. If you plan to read from a book, use a large and obvious marker for your place. Neither you nor your audience will enjoy your search for an elusive page. DRESS: The most important thing about your clothes is that they should be appropriate to the occasion. What you have to wear depends on
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the time, place and character of the function apart from your own preference. The next most important thing is that your grooming be neat. Untidy or rumpled clothes are as grave a fault as show in dress. Generally speaking, for men, you cannot go wrong with a light coloured shirt and dark coloured pants. Do colour coordinate them. Wear the same coloured belt and shoes with colour of the pant. For Eg. A white or pale blue shirt goes well with a black, dark grey or dark blue pant. Your belt should be black and so should your shoes. Your socks should match your shoes (They match your pants only in informal or casual wear) your socks must be changed at least once every day. Please do not remove your shoes when you are on the dais. Your socked feet could probably be seen by the audience. Worse, the feet smell could put off other people on the dais. An underarm deodorant is an absolute must especially in summer. Do not wear garishly coloured shirts. Check with your host in advance whether a tie and /or Coat will help or hinder. Follow his advice. If you are wearing a Coat, the front coat buttons must be undone when you are seated and you must fasten your coat buttons when you get up. In a three button coat, it is enough to fasten the middle button in this kind of an exercise. Do check in a mirror. If your belly protrudes below the button, do fasten all buttons! Remember to shave and shower before you go the meeting. Avoid garlic and /or raw onions in the meal before the meeting. Use a toilet just before your go on to the dais. Use the opportunity to check on your hair, whether your shirt is tucked in properly. Use a damp cloth to wipe your face of the shininess of grime or sweat. For women, a cotton saree or a salwar kameez suit are ideal. Underarm pads in a choli will prevent the sweat stains from showing. A light perfume / deodorant will lend grace. Light makeup and a neutral shade of lipstick enhance the appeal.
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VI. USING MICROPHONE: Many people are afraid of this little gizmo. It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It can lend stature to your voice or highlight all its limitations A. TIPS TO USE A MIKE: Consider the mike as your friend after all if it werent for the mike, the audience could not have heard you. Always keep the mike at a level slightly below your lips; and its mid point in level with your chin. Make adjustments before you start talking Maintain a distance of approximately 12. This distance varies, depending upon the mikes pick up ability. Your best would be to establish every time a suitable distance and then keep it steady. Never let your face be covered completely be the mike. This will hide the animation, smile and enthusiasm which your face is radiating. Only the mike will be seen in the photograph! Dont shout. Talk naturally and distinctly. Once a mike is adjusted, do not hold it or the rod that supports it. Remember you are mostly voice only to the largest portion of your audience. Use your voice effectively and dont worry if you think it sounds queer. 99.9% - it does not

YOUR VOICE: It is no secret that sound is produced when the air you breathe vibrates the vocal chords. It is modified and improved through the movement of your tongue and lips. Ergo, the more control you have over your breath, the better will be the quality of your voice. The following exercises will help you take charge of your breath:
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1. Take a deep breath. Block your nostrils. Start counting aloud until there is no breath left and you are forced to take in air from your mouth. Stop. Do this over three weeks. From an initial count of 5055 you could go up to 120-150 2. Place a candle on a table about five feet away from you. Blow slowly on the flame from this distance so that it wavers but does not get extinguished. Do this for three minutes daily for three weeks. 3. Count from one to ten, with your 1 being an almost inaudible whisper and your 10 being a Shout at the top of your voice. Count backwards again with 10 being a shout down to 1 being whisper. Do this three times a day as often as you can. 4. Repeat the words EEEEE AAAA OOOO ten times each every day. They help you exercise your lips in three directions 5. Open your mouth wide. Move your tongue in and out to its limit. 6. Move your tongue around your lips in a circle. The Pause: Public Speaking is like writing an essay. In an essay there are commas, full stops, paragraphs, exclamations and questions, In Public Speaking these are achieved by pauses. While a pause conveys a measured tone of voice, it also gives you an opportunity to breathe and even more important, to marshal your thoughts for the next point. Some tips: 1. As soon as you reach the podium, dont start talking immediately. Pause. Look around the audience, like a batsman looking around at the field before he faces the bowler. This will take care of some of your nervousness, help you measure up the mood of your audience. 2. When you pause, do so clearly. There must be complete silence. Do not use Um er as pauses.
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3. Pause at every place where punctuation is necessary in a written sentence. 4. Vary the length of your pauses to indicate the transition of your thoughts, the movement from point to point, and so on 5. Use silence as effectively as you would use your speech. The Pitch: A speech made in one tone throughout can make it dull and monotonous. The volume control of your voice needs to vary to convey different emotions. Anger, outrageousness are best conveyed at a higher pitch while jokes and persuasive speeches do no need a high pitch. Varying the pitch also ensure that you do not damage your vocal chords unduly. When you talk, assume a normal tone. Raise it or lower it when the occasion demands. If you begin too high, you cannot keep it up for too long. Start too low nobody can hear you. Emphasis: When you lay a little more emphasis on some words in a sentence, it is as if you are highlighting or underling them. The emphasis is an immensely useful tool in the public speakers armoury. Look at the following sentence: Ram married Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Now see what emphasis can do to this sentence. Read it again while emphasizing the words in capitals: RAM married Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram MARRIED Sita at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram married SITA at Ayodhya yesterday. Ram married Sita at AYODHYA yesterday. Ram married Sita at Ayodhya YESTERDAY. Each sentence now carries a different meaning! When you want to emphasize a word or phrase, pause for 2 seconds, before the phrase, and then say out the word or phrase in a slightly louder voice. Simple. You have achieved your purpose.
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Humour in Public Speaking:

umour in Public speaking is used to lighten a moment, to serve as an opening, as a bridge between two points. There is a fine line that divides an entertaining speaker and a comedian. The following guidelines will help: There should not be any non-vegetarian jokes from the podium, no, not even eggetarian Even if there are no women, do not risk hurting the sensibilities of your audience. Look for CLEAN jokes. The joke should NEVER be at the expense of any member of the audience or any person on the dais. Rather it should be complimentary, if is possible Do not go for subtle jokes. They do not work in a crowd. On the banana peel theory, the audience will simply love it if you make yourself the victim of the joke. Your joke should not be complex, long. You should not be using more than six-eight sentences to crack your joke. Your joke should be relevant to the subject or the point you have just made or are about to make. While it is a good idea to start with a joke, it is not strictly necessary. Likewise the ending. When you start cracking your joke, you will observe at least one member whispering your punch line to his neighbour. This is a particularly obnoxious Indian behaviour trait. Ignore it. There will be quite a few who have not heard your joke. Even if they have, there is no harm in repeating it. Remember, It is not the joke itself, it is HOW you relate it that makes it a hit

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Speakers Ten Commandments

Thou shall not commence thy speech with apologies. Thou shall not fill thy speech with statistics. Thou shall not be overly sentimental. Thou shall not exaggerate. Thou shall not be sarcastic or unfair. Thou shall not be dull. There is no excuse for a dull speech Thou shall not murder the queens english Thou shall not wander from the subject Thou shall not steal the time of the audience and shall not be long winded.

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Ramesh Batavia
Ramesh is a graduate in Commerce and Law and has a post graduate diploma in Management. Has served as a visiting faculty for all the major universities in Karnataka. Was the founder dean of NALANDA- Indian Jaycees National Academy of Leadership and Administration. Is currently the chief faculty of ABLE- Academy of Business Leadership & Excellence, Indian Jaycees first business area program which he helped create in 2000. The Trainer: Has been in the forefront of the HRD movement in the country since 1977. In 28 years of training, has conducted over 3000 courses covering 50,000 people from all walks of life. Has authored a number of training manuals for Indian Jaycees and has regularly contributed articles on Leadership and Humour for various publications. Indian Jaycees honoured him with the trainer of the year award in 1982 and 1985. He has completed his EXCEL graduation. His professional training assignments have taken him all over India, UK and Japan. Pfizer, Titan, ONGC, National Insurance, Gujarat Gas, Madura Coats, all the leading international voluntary organisations have benefitted from his training. Currently he spends his training time providing one on one MENTORING to CEOs of companies on life goals, brand management, marketing and customer relations. The Jaycee: Was the National President of Indian Jaycees in 1988. The year saw IJC reach a mammoth 43,000 membership. A record which has remained unbroken for sixteen years. His national program Self Employment Endeavour provided over Rs.10 crore loans to more than 16,000 beneficiaries all over India. But he will be remembered forever for the relentless work which enabled IJCs reaffiliation with JCI. The grateful organisation bestowed on him the JCI Senatorship in 1989. The Businessman: Has always been associated with offbeat business ventures. In his three decade career he has imported textile machinery, exported leather accessories, has been a management consultant to a number of industries. His greatest business triumph has been BARTERBIZ Indias first Corporate Barter company.. After ensuring that his company grew from a modest Rs.16 lakhs turnover to Rs.42 crores in just six years, he sold his company in 2001 to take up a career in professional mentoring. The Man: Is known as a perfectionist in whatever he does and is highly disciplined. Is married to Myna who is an HR consultant. The couple have recently been blessed with a daughter, Diva. He loves meeting people and listening to music. Has been one of the founders of Brotherhood, a forum for businessmen to vent out their problems and get them solved.
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