OK, I know it's not strictly an S&B topic but you lot are the shit. PR stuff - public speaking, etc. Tips?

[FaddyPeony]

I'm currently in a position where I have to do a little bit of this, talking to the media etc. I find it scary and I'm not in my comfort zone but I'm up for the challenge. I want to come across as confident and stylish but friendly. I do not want to be a jabbering bag of nerves.

How do you prepare yourselves? I think preparation is the key, yes?

For me, yes, preparation is the best thing you can do.

Last time I had to speak I was feeling really nervous. It helped to hear afterwards that sometimes others couldn't tell that I was nervous at all (I believed them, have got this feedback before).

Also, I truly believe that this gets easier with experience.

I googled tips frantically the last time and didn't find anything that really resonated with me or helped. Except for preparation.
Good luck!

Preparation, memorise your speech if needed, record it listen and watch back. Don't read your power point slides. Do not use acronyms that are unique to your job, you'll lose everyone. Breath, take your time, think about the point you are trying to communicate and make sure it doesn't get buried.
Are you speaking in front of camera? Because that's a whole different ball game...dh has done this and his firm always sends people for media training before letting them loose.

I used to be a tour guide for a credit card company many moons ago, showing important clients and even celebrities (Princess Anne was one )

Talking too fast is an obvious one. Repeating yourself. Avoiding looking at anyone makes you look as if you have something to hide.

Engage with the crowd or group by talking to them, not at them.

Tugging at hair, fiddling with jewellery etc is very distracting. So is shifting from one leg to another. Body language and deportment is very important. Widely gesticulating is not good, but clear and concise hand movements may be necessary if you are indicating something.

You need to practice talking louder than normal so that you can project your voice without sounding like you are shouting.

Remember the yes no game where you answer questions but mustn't say yes or no? If you do, your opponent presses a bell! I had one of these and would loosely rehearse some of the key points I would have to say and my then partner would hit the bell if I said 'er' or 'um' between sentences! It does work as you would not believe how many ers and ums we say when feeling nervous or simply speaking aloud! The bell will help train you!

If you flounder. Stop. Take a deep breath and composure yourself and carry on or if you made a mistake, simply smile and say, " please excuse me I meant to say....." And smile. No one will be hard boiled enough to give you a hard time if you are pleasant and sincere.

Smile. Take deep breaths. Speak slowly. If you are talking to a group of people remember to keep looking round the room. Don't be afraid to pause before answering a question. Remember that you are the expert, otherwise they wouldn't be talking to you, so treat it as an opportunity to share your knowledge rather than seeing it as an ordeal.
Don't try to bluff your way through something - if you really don't know or haven't thought about it, then just say so. I find starting with 'well, that's a really interesting question...' can buy you a bit of thinking space.
If it's appropriate then have a pen and paper there to make notes. It's useful to have a glass of water close by too.
I always feel less nervous if I get in a comfortable position before I start so I am not shifting about, which can be distracting.
Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in and make you feel good.
And remember your key messages - think about what you want to say rather than getting sidetracked too much by the details of a question.
Knowing your subject is the most important thing, and it does get easier with experience.

I work in the press so been on the receiving end of many a press conference and briefing. The ones which work best are always from speakers who really know their stuff. The knowledge and enthusiasm usually shines through and either eradicates or disguises the nerves... So, yes, preparation is most definitely the key. DH does a lot of public speaking for a living and he agrees it's all down to prep. He sometimes practises his speeches on me the night before so he can hear himself, get feedback and make any changes before the main event.

I always find wearing something that makes me feel good about myself also helps boost confidence... So smart outfit and bit of lippy (just to tie in with S&B).

Good luck!

Totally agree with Rainbow. I'm a university lecturer so speak to groups of 20-200 people most very week. The key thing is to know what you want to say, and to be interested and excited b? it yourself.

The other thing I'd say, as a lecturer, is that structure is key if you are talking for more than about five minutes. With the best will in the world, it is hard to listen to someone else talk solidly for 15+ min. This is actually why repetition is so annoying, as you think bloody hell, you've made that point, get on with it.

So I normally start an hour-long talk by saying I will give a little background or context and then make 3 (ish) key points. I then refer back to these throughout: "so the first major point is X, and I'm now going to move onto my second major claim, Y". It keeps people oriented.

And don't, whatever you do, patronise people with silly games or questions or graphics, like having a picture of someone frowning with a question mark above their head to indicate that something is confusing. Grown ups can handle an idea like "confusion" without having it illustrated for them. That kind of twee jokiness always indicates to me that someone is unsure of their material and desperate to get the audience onside - whereas if you are straightforward and confident and concise, people will respect you.

Quite the essay, sorry :)

Thank you all so much O seasoned speakers! It's really great to get your views.

I think that I tend to do OK on the speech-y part. Like a pp said, I've gotten feedback that I was clear and animated and didn't seem nervous at all. Which is great to know.

Where I tend to falter, I think, is with any kind of freestyle interviewing and Q&As. I am not good at riffing on things off-the-cuff and talking about myself in general (the work requires that I talk about myself somewhat - sorry to be vague). My natural style of thinking is to go away into myself and ponder a question for a long time and then come back with an answer that manages to do everything that I want it to do, iykwim. But there's no time for that obviously in a Q&A.

Troubled And remember your key messages - think about what you want to say rather than getting sidetracked too much by the details of a question -- I think I have been guilty of this in the past. My thoughts tend to spiral and I maybe go into too much detail. I need to be mindful about the original question asked I think.

Phew! I do hope it gets easier with experience! Also, I think that women beat themselves up over this kind of thing way more than men.

You've had great advice. I have to do public speaking for a living. I'm lucky in that I speak slowly and clearly anyway.

I had to work on how I stand. I have a habit of putting my weight on one foot which means I sometimes shift around. I have also been known to lean back on my heels and by far the worse thing I do is occasionally sway, I must make people feel sea sick.

I now plant my feet, balance my weight and hold on to a desk or lectern if possible.

I always put down my pen, the judge was not so amused the day I fiddled with an elastic band and my biro, those lids really can travel!

Faddy, its harder to "prepare" for speaking with the media but preparation is still key for me. so...know the key messages you want to get across; speak succinctly!, and if you get a question that throws you, short pause before you answer, and then give a brief-ish answer. More often they are really not interested in the detail!

As someone else said, looking fab while you're being interviewed always helps!

Good tips here, not much to add but want to say good luck Faddy!

Faddy

I saw angela arendts being interviewed and it looked to me as if she had the same preference as you to go inwards, think about the question, and come back with something quite well thought through. It was odd to watch for the first 10 mins but then got really compelling as what she said was so well it together, much more thoughtful and structured than my extroverted thinking out loud. She would pause for a good 30-45 secs after a question (in an interview this feels really long) and then answer. So don't kill off your natural preference completely, it may work well to differentiate you. If you are on a panel and need to fight for airtime it may be harder but you could always prompt the facilitator to come to you second or third....

Hi Faddy, just wanted to add that for media stuff (and assuming you're not a spokesperson for big global oil co/politician!) then journalists will often be happy to chat to you briefly beforehand and let you know what question they will lead off with - after all it's in their interest too not to have an interviewee freeze.
If I get a chance I'll often say beforehand what I am comfortable saying/won't discuss - especially in a pre-record situation this makes me feel more confident that I can simply say 'I don't know' or 'I am not able to answer that' where appropriate.
Loads of good advice here and sounds like you just needed reassurance/are already fine, but happy to dig out and share some of the most useful media training stuff I've collected over the years if you DM me.
HTH

Thank you all again so very much. Yes I think I just needed a bit of reassurance -- I do find this stuff quite stressful and am amazed at people to whom it seems to come easily. But from the sounds of it preparation and experience are the two things that prompt the ease.

I'll report back after my next event!

Just wanted to add some advice given to me by a senior barrister (who spent most days on his feet arguing, and to all the world, he was a calm, unruffled swan) - nerves are to be expected, they are part of public speaking, and they are your friend, because they provide the adrenylin you need to be sharp and responsive. Good luck!