Wade Paterson - Feb 3, 2025 / 11:00 am | Story: 531209
Photo: Contributed
Wade Paterson
Imagine , you’re asked to give a presentation on a subject you are passionate about. You’re honoured and excited but there’s one problem, the date of the requested speech is exactly one week from today.
In this column, I’ll provide you with a seven-day strategy to not only build a powerful speech in that time, but deliver it like a pro.
Day 1 – Define your “why”
Why have you been asked to give a speech? Why should the audience care what you have to say? What do you hope they take away from your presentation?
These might seem like simple questions, but they are an important starting points for any great speech. On the first day, I want you to focus simply on the purpose of your speech and what your desired outcome is. Perhaps the goal is to inspire business clients or, if it’s a wedding speech, the goal might be to entertain the audience while celebrating the bride and groom.
If your mind is filling up with ideas, you can jot those down on a piece of paper and start to think about the overall structure, but I want the majority of your first day to be identifying the goal of your speech.
Day 2 – Research and rough outline
Construction of your speech begins on day two. After identifying the speech’s purpose in day one, you want to begin the research process to identify what the substance of your speech will be. For business presentations, this will likely include citing data that supports your message.
If it’s a wedding speech, you may want to think about memories you have with the bride or groom and see if you can come up with interesting or entertaining stories that could be woven into the speech.
If you’re building a Powerpoint slide deck, day two is when you should begin the process of creating the visuals that will accompany your speech. Avoid writing out the entire speech word-for-word. Instead, focus on an outline you can expand on naturally.
Day 3 – Finalize structure
Day three is when you finish your research, lock in the order of your points or slides, and ensure your speech has a clear introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
The best speech openings have a powerful introduction that hook the audience’s attention. Hooks could include, jumping right into a story, asking a powerful question or making a powerful statement.
The best speech bodies (middle part of a speech) usually have three or five points that reinforce the main idea. For example, if your speech is about the benefits of exercising, your first point could be about the long-term health benefits, your second point could be about the mental benefits and the third point could be around physical aesthetic benefits.
The best speech conclusions often bring everything together by coming full circle. If you opened your speech by asking a powerful question, you could consider ending it by answering the question you asked at the beginning.
By the end of day three, you should have a nearly completed version of your talk ready to go.
Day 4 – Refine and begin practicing
The fourth day is your opportunity to put the final touches on the content of your speech, paying extra attention to the introduction and conclusion. Once you’re happy with the content of your speech, this is the day when you can begin the process of practicing.
Try not to get flustered if your delivery isn’t perfect at first, you will have more than enough time to improve the delivery over the next two days.
Day 5 – Rehearse and make final content tweaks
Days five and six are your days to get reps in with lots of practice. My suggestion is practice at least three times on day five. Resist making any content changes initially, but after the second time practicing, feel free to revise any clunky sections or timing issues.
Complete your fifth day with a final run-through to ensure all changes feel right.
Day 6 – Intensive practice and delivery skills
Day six is all about practice. At this point in time, you should have a decent familiarity with the structure, so now you can shift your attention to perfecting delivery with things like body language and vocal variety. Try recording yourself or practicing in front of a supportive friend who can offer constructive feedback.
I suggest avoiding any major changes to your speech on day six. Hopefully you have a solid structure in place and you can use this day to build confidence.
Day 7 – Presentation day
You made it to the day of your speech. Congratulations.
Find a calming routine, such as exercise or meditation, to do in the morning. Eat well and then do a final run-through of the speech. Prior to stepping in front of the crowd, ensure you’re hydrated and try some breathing exercises such as box breathing to steady your nerves.
Most importantly, enjoy the process.
If you’re thinking about joining Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, the Kelowna AM Toastmasters Club is always looking for new members.
If you’re interested in learning more about Impactful Communication, subscribe to my YouTube channel.
YouTube /Wade Paterson
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Wade Paterson - Jan 6, 2025 / 11:00 am | Story: 526022
YouTube /Wade Paterson
Have you ever sat through a presentation that went on and on with no end in sight?
In 2003, two Tokyo-based architects—Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham—were frustrated by the droning, unstructured presentations regularly being delivered at industry events.
To fix this problem, they developed a new presentation style called Pecha Kucha (a Japanese phrase meaning “chit chat.”).
Within the Pecha Kucha format, speakers are required to feature 20 slides that are pre-timed to automatically advance after 20 seconds. This results in a total presentation time of six minutes and 40 seconds.
What I love about this structure is it forces speakers to streamline their message and get straight to the point. It also makes it less likely for presenters to showcase text-heavy slides, since the audience only has 20 seconds to look at each visual.
In the video accompanying this month’s column, I explain how to give a great Pecha Kucha speech (and I do so while delivering the video in the actual Pecha Kucha format). I strongly suggest you watch the video before reading further
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If you’re thinking of building your own Pecha Kucha presentation, here are a few important tips you may want to consider:
Build your speech first and add the visuals after
The key to a great Pecha Kucha speech is the same as the key to any great speech—you need strong fundamentals. Your speech should still be interesting, you should still engage your audience with body language and vocal variety, and your presentation should have a beginning, a middle and an end.
Once you have the general theme and structure in place, you can then choose what visuals help enhance your subject matter and eventually work on the placement and timing of those.
Limit the number of words on your slides
A common mistake many presenters make is including too many words on their slides. With Pecha Kucha, the audience only has 20 seconds to look at each visual, therefore, there’s not enough time for them to read a screen full of text. Ideally, your slides should contain no text at all. If some text is necessary, try to limit it to five words or less.
Don’t look back at your slides
In order to deliver an impactful Pecha Kucha presentation, you need to have some idea of what’s happening with your slides. If the slides are being projected behind you, it might be tempting to consistently turn your back to the audience to see what image is on the screen, but this isn’t an effective use of body language.
If possible, try to have a screen in front of you that is showing the same slides that are being projected behind you. One way to do this is to have your laptop open in front of you, with an HDMI cord that is connected to both your laptop and the projector. This will allow you to subtly glance down at your laptop to see what slide you’re on, rather than turning your entire body.
When your slides are in front if you, it looks much more professional and allows you to follow along with the timing of the slides.
Set up the timing with Powerpoint
Pecha Kucha is a unique format, but it is fairly easy to build with Microsoft Powerpoint. Once you have your 20 slides in place, you can adjust slide timings under “Transitions” and the “Advance Slide” timing option.
Leave gaps for audience laughter
Twenty seconds can go by very quickly and while you may think you have your timing down, things like audience laughter can slow down the speed of your speech. If you find you’re rushing through one particular slide, or if you’re planning to make the audience laugh, you may want to make one slide a buffer that buys you a bit of time and allows you to slow down or take a break for audience laughter.
While Pecha Kucha is an engaging format, it can be tricky to deliver if you feel as though your speech isn’t keeping pace with the visuals on the screen. So, practice! Pecha Kucha is an art form, and like any art form, mastering it requires practice.
After you’ve built your Pecha Kucha presentation, give yourself plenty of opportunities to practice and get used to the timing. You want to get to a point where you become so familiar with the timing that you know exactly when your slides will be changing without even looking at the screen.
If you’re thinking about joining Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, the Kelowna AM Toastmasters Club is always looking for new members.
If you’re interested in learning more about Impactful Communication, subscribe to my YouTube channel.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Wade Paterson - Dec 9, 2024 / 11:00 am | Story: 521723
YouTube /Wade Paterson
I’ve been a member of Kelowna AM Toastmasters Club for the past decade.
I’ve learned a lot during that 10-year period, but if I could go back to day one, with the knowledge I have now, here are six things I wish I knew.
1. Nerves never completely go away
It’s OK to be nervous. Even after 10 years of working hard on my presenting skills, I still get slightly nervous before almost every speech I give. In my conversations with professional keynote speakers, it turns out many of them get anxiety before delivering presentations as well.
The good news is, one of the biggest benefits I’ve gained from Toastmasters is reducing the level of stress I experience before speaking. Since Toastmasters members get used to speaking in front of a group of people every week, over time, the experience seems less daunting.
2. Prepare content before meetings
Each week, the Toastmaster who is leading that week’s meeting will send an agenda and a meeting theme.
Most Toastmasters only think about preparing for the roles they have signed up for, but something I’ve learned to do is to be prepared whether I’m signed up for a role or not. This process typically involves me thinking of a personal story related to the theme.
If you come to a meeting prepared, it won’t feel too daunting if you’re asked to participate in a spontaneous speaking opportunity (such as Table Topics).
3.Take on roles quickly
When I first joined Toastmasters, I was hesitant to sign up for roles because I assumed I wasn’t experienced enough and that I might do something incorrectly.
Looking back, that was a silly mindset to have because the other members aren’t there to criticize, they’re there to help attendees grow and improve their speaking, listening and leadership skills. Each Toastmasters role focuses on unique skills, jumping in quickly accelerates your growth.
4. Use your mentor effectively
I was given a mentor when I started with Toastmasters, but a few weeks later, my mentor stopped attending meetings. Thankfully, Kelowna AM Toastmasters is a strong club and others were able to help answer my questions. If I could go back to day one, I think I would request a new mentor so I could more deeply engage with the Toastmasters program.
I also think new members should take accountability and clearly communicate what they’re looking for from their mentor to set the tone of the relationship from the very beginning.
5. All feedback is valuable
Similar to why I was hesitant to take on roles in the Toastmasters program, I was also hesitant to give constructive criticism or evaluations.
“Who am I to tell an experienced speaker what he/she should do to improve?” I thought.
What I’ve learned is everyone’s perspective is valid, and new members should not only sign up for speaking roles but also for evaluation roles to provide the club with a fresh perspective and to reinforce their own listening skills.
6. It’s a long-term commitment
I compare Toastmasters with working out. If I take two months off from exercising, I will begin to notice the negative physical and mental impacts. If I take two months off of Toastmasters, my speaking skills will also begin to deteriorate.
Improving (and maintaining) communication skills is a long-term process. I’ve attended Toastmasters since 2014, and I think I’ll probably still be a member in 2034.
If you’re thinking about joining Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, the Kelowna AM Toastmasters Club is always looking for new members.
If you’re interested in learning more about Impactful Communication, subscribe to my YouTube channel.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Wade Paterson - Nov 11, 2024 / 11:00 am | Story: 516770
YouTube /Wade Paterson
Do you want to become a better public speaker without leaving the comfort of your own home?
Here are three ways you can practice public speaking on a regular basis without leaving your house.
Record yourself practicing
Like most things in life, the best way to become a better presenter is to practice. If you want to take this practice to the next level, try recording yourself.
When you hit the record button, you create a bit of pressure on yourself to perform. While this pressure isn’t the exact same as the nerves you will likely experience on the day of the speech, it’s good to create an environment where something is at stake so you can become comfortable with overcoming anxiety.
Another major benefit of recording yourself is you can watch back the recording and evaluate potential areas of improvement. Does your speech flow well? Are you using filler words (such as “uhh,” “ah,” “umm,” “like,” and “so”) instead of silence between sentences? Are you incorporating vocal variety to capture the audience’s attention?
Next, you can watch the recording with the volume turned off. That will allow you to focus on your body language. Do you have any distracting tendencies (such as hands in your pockets, unnecessary swaying back and forth, or awkward hand movements)? Are you making purposeful movements, which add to your speech? Are you smiling and incorporating appropriate facial gestures?
By recording yourself speaking and then evaluating that recording, you can quickly notice opportunities to take your skills to the next level.
Move around the house
The next way to enhance the practice of your public speaking skills is to change the room you practice your speech in.
If you have an upcoming presentation, you may not know exactly what the room layout is going to look like on the day of your speech. By switching up your at-home practice environment, you will get used to delivering your speech in different settings, which will give you confidence when you present the real thing.
If you do have an idea of the room you will be presenting a future speech in, do your best to re-create that setup at home. As an example, If you’re delivering a slideshow presentation and your laptop will be connected to a projector via HDMI, try connecting your laptop to a television in your house and get used to presenting with large slides on a screen behind you.
You can also practice your speaking skills while looking in the mirror. Similar to watching back a recording, you may become familiar with distracting tendencies you didn’t previously realize you were doing when you’re able to see yourself in real time.
Join Toastmasters…virtually
In many of my columns, I write about the power and benefit of Toastmasters International. The biggest benefit, in my opinion, is the ability to consistently practice speaking to a group of people in-person, week after week. If you are unable to attend meetings in-person, there is still a massive benefit in becoming a virtual member of a club. Those who attend online still have opportunities to speak (and receive evaluations) each meeting.
The best part is you’ll be joining a community of individuals who want to help you take your speaking skills to the next level.
If you’ don’t want to commit to Toastmasters, you can try downloading a public speaking app (such as Speeko). Speeko has various options to practice speeches, interviews and meetings. It also has a random prompt function, which helps you think quickly on your feet for question and answer sessions.
The most important element in becoming a confident speaker is incorporating consistent practice. Hopefully this column has given you some ideas for how you can improve this important leadership skillset from the convenience and comfort of your home.
If you’re thinking about joining Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, our Kelowna AM Toastmasters Club is always looking for new members.
If you’re interested in learning more about Impactful Communication, subscribe to my YouTube channel
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.