Any Public Speakers Here?

[WV Cowboy]

I am going to be in the Miss Wheelchair SD pageant in April and I have to have a 3 minute speech on the platform I am choosing.

The idea of public speaking makes me want to puke and pass out. I'd rather stick needles in my eyes. That's how badly I hate it.

Does anyone have any public speaking tips?

I have always found that speaking publicly goes a lot easier if you totally understand and honestly believe in what you are talking about, .. which you obviously do.

So you have that part going for you.

Plus, have bullet points so to be sure that you present entirely what you want, and in the order that you want, (making sure that you don't leave something out) so that it makes sense to everybody and you get your point across.

Then practice, practice, practice your presentation, .. and then practice some more, you can't go over it too many times.

Don't be afraid to pause in between each bullet for a second or two to gather yourself and your thoughts.

You could probably talk for ten minutes on something that is this important to you, so relax, three minutes will be a piece of cake for you.

You will do fine, trust me.

I am always amazed at how easy it is once I get up in front of people. Remember, 300 people is still just ONE crowd. They all blend in together.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

I am going to be in the Miss Wheelchair SD pageant in April and I have to have a 3 minute speech on the platform I am choosing. I am doing it on how horrible accessible seating is and what people can do to advocate to make it better. Whether it's with city hall or having to file an ADA complaint.

Screw that. You need to speak about US Americans, and the lack of maps!

 

[WV Cowboy]

Screw that. You need to speak about US Americans, and the lack of maps!

What do you mean, .. lack of maps?

Do you belong to AAA?

 

[suspenceman]

Kristi, it truly does. I've taken a few classes about disabilities in society so i've started taking notice.

I've been late to class a few times because i cant find a handicap parking spot, i'm getting there early too!
The bball arena is from the 80's, but it's a public university with a lot of students with disabilities.. THIRD largest in the state of Texas (Univ. of North Texas fyi haha). When our new school president had her ceremony, it was in the bball arena, and naturally one of her friends happened to be a wheelchair user...well guess what...she couldn't go down to the floor to be in on the ceremony. Instead, she listened to the ceremony from the entrance...wow...just wow.

honestly, I think the current regs on regular parking spaces to handicap spaces is skewed and should be looked at again. Because, if there are guys like me who just need a handicap parking temporarily, well...im taking up an already limited need and space.

I have never really thought about the shopping cart problem...i suggest you ram the hell out of it with your truck!!

I'm a conservative, free trade, capitalism kind of guy. Some people would say that the ADA infringes on those things, but think about all of the revenue and productive working members of society that there CAN be with fairly cheap modifications to the work place area.

I know you want to be serious about your topic, and i guess if it's for a pageant then it should be somewhat serious. I know nothing about pageants haha! Bob might know more about pageants..I hear he's into that stuff!

Just relax and believe what you're telling people. There's no point in doing it unless you love what you're talking about.

good luck Kristi!

 

[Dawgs0916]

x2. At Texas Tech, I walked into the Biology underground lecture hall to give a speech to the class of 20-25 classmates on a new management strategy for urban lakes in the Lubbock area.

Uh, there were 350 people including a half dozen folks from Texas Parks and Wildlife. My professor had been so enamored with our work on the project that he forwarded it to a few other professors and the local TP&W office.

I remember taking off my duster and hat and asking what the hell were all these people here for. Doc said, "they're here to hear what you have to say on the final findings of the project".

Somehow knowing they were all interested in what I and John had to say made it like I was just having a conversation with them, rather than speaking to a faceless nameless horde.

Hahahaha isn't it so crazy how huge that lecture hall is? I have had a class in it last semester and then this one again. I think its awesome how its underground.

Sorry I know its off subject but I love seeing these types of connections with people who've gone to school where I am at now.

 

[Kristi]

Wow, they didn't even make accommodations for her friend and then put her in the doorway. See that stuff just ticks me off. I wonder if the bball building has had any remodeling done to it since it was built. If you are a wheelchair user and LOVE basketball you can't go and support your college team there?

Even with the current regulations right now most places do not have the required amount of spaces nor do they have the correct width for van accessible access isles. 96 inches is correct, most are half that or less.

I agree with you on the temp passes too. Far too many people use them when they don't need them after they are healed. I have actually had people tell me this to my face. Real classy to brag about that. I try not to judge because SOME disabilities aren't visible, but when everyone pops out of jacked up Ford 350 with not even a limp I think you can find a spot that's a little farther away. I could talk forever on who should and shouldn't have a HC placard.

RE: the work situation. I believe there is tax incentive to employers who hire people with disabilities. There is in SD. I know the lady that is helping me find a job is hired be the State of SD and Voc Rehab to help, but she offers incentives to employers like training, making accommodations etc. I picked a fine how do you do time to graduate when the job market is in the crapper.

Then there is the whole other side of the coin --- a lot of people with disabilities are afraid to go to work because they would lose their benefits like medicaid and SSI or SSDI. I for one can't wait to get off SSI! Hopefully sooner than later.

I don't have to be a world class public speaker for this thing. Everyone else will be nervous too. I really have no idea how many people are going to be at this thing. It doesn't matter I would be nervous in front of one or thousand. I emailed the coordinator about it and see how many generally compete and how the whole interview and judging thing goes. I did fill out my application last night. Maybe I will get a Cowboys fan on the judging panel. Be a dream come true if they ask me about football.

DCP -- what do you mean about the lack of maps?

Thanks everyone for your tips. Keep em coming if you got em.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Wow, they didn't even make accommodations for her friend and then put her in the doorway. See that stuff just ticks me off. I wonder if the bball building has had any remodeling done to it since it was built. If you are a wheelchair user and LOVE basketball you can't go and support your college team there?

Even with the current regulations right now most places do not have the required amount of spaces nor do they have the correct width for van accessible access isles. 96 inches is correct, most are half that or less.

I agree with you on the temp passes too. Far too many people use them when they don't need them after they are healed. I have actually had people tell me this to my face. Real classy to brag about that. I try not to judge because SOME disabilities aren't visible, but when everyone pops out of jacked up Ford 350 with not even a limp I think you can find a spot that's a little farther away. I could talk forever on who should and shouldn't have a HC placard.

RE: the work situation. I believe there is tax incentive to employers who hire people with disabilities. There is in SD. I know the lady that is helping me find a job is hired be the State of SD and Voc Rehab to help, but she offers incentives to employers like training, making accommodations etc. I picked a fine how do you do time to graduate when the job market is in the crapper.

Then there is the whole other side of the coin --- a lot of people with disabilities are afraid to go to work because they would lose their benefits like medicaid and SSI or SSDI. I for one can't wait to get off SSI! Hopefully sooner than later.

I don't have to be a world class public speaker for this thing. Everyone else will be nervous too. I really have no idea how many people are going to be at this thing. It doesn't matter I would be nervous in front of one or thousand. I emailed the coordinator about it and see how many generally compete and how the whole interview and judging thing goes. I did fill out my application last night. Maybe I will get a Cowboys fan on the judging panel. Be a dream come true if they ask me about football.

DCP -- what do you mean about the lack of maps?

Thanks everyone for your tips. Keep em coming if you got em.

I think he was referring to the Miss America/USA contestant from a couple of years ago.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

DCP -- what do you mean about the lack of maps?

[youtube]lj3iNxZ8Dww[/youtube]

This, could be you, only taller.



​

 

[Kristi]

I think I just got dumber for watching that clip. OH. MY. GAWD. Please tell me that girl did not win the pageant?

That made me . I don't think I could say anything that messed up or that stupid! I bet she can't find the US on the map. Wow!

 

[MapleLeaf]

...in the posts you have offered in this thread you obviously show a passion and belief in the material you are presenting.

This more than anything else will help you in your presentation. Believe that you have something useful and constructive to present. Deliver it in that manner that you have always delivered your feelings on this topic for others who were unaware.

You will do more than just fine.

 

[ArmyCowboy]

I do a lot of briefing and classes for small to large audiences in the military and there's one great peice of advise I can give you that's served me well:

Know your speech, but don't memorize it.

What I mean when I say this is that you won't be able to memorize a three minute speech perfectly.

If you try to do it like that, you'll get nervous in front of a large audience and miss your forget a word or phrase, start stumbling and it will go down hill from there.

If you know the speech, but do it slightly differently everytime you practice it, then if you mess up a bit, it won't throw you into a panic.

 

[CoCo]

I do a lot of briefing and classes for small to large audiences in the military and there's one great peice of advise I can give you that's served me well:

Know your speech, but don't memorize it.

What I mean when I say this is that you won't be able to memorize a three minute speech perfectly.

If you try to do it like that, you'll get nervous in front of a large audience and miss your forget a word or phrase, start stumbling and it will go down hill from there.

If you know the speech, but do it slightly differently everytime you practice it, then if you mess up a bit, it won't throw you into a panic.

Agreed. Pure memorization is not a route to go IMO.

What works tremendously for me however is to thoroughly know my subject matter. Confident in my knowledge I can now relax and speak from the heart. I can adjust no matter how I phrase things in that particular presentation. My style is to be relaxed and conversational. I only joke if that is natural for me at that time.

I try not to force anything but be as natural as can be.

If I do not know my stuff I become a nervous wreck. Been there. Shortness of breath. Not fun.

 

[Kristi]

I got my speech done and that has calmed my nerves tremendously. I have sent it to a few people to read and they are more than impressed with it.

I was struggling with getting ALL that I wanted to get across in a 3 minute speech that I decided to just focus on ONE area which is line of sight issues at the venues here in Sioux Falls. If I win and go onto Nationals I'll revamp it to fit that pageant.

I'm working on memorizing it and will be making note cards. I don't have to an A-game public speaker by any means by the pageant day, but I would like to have most of it memorized so I'm not looking at the cards and or paper.

If anyone wants to read it --- PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

Thanks EVERYONE for ALL your help. I'll be coming to this thread a lot as I prepare for April 10th.

 

[trickblue]

Just try to imagine Bob naked.

You might as well, Kristi, cause he's certainly doing the same to you...

 

[5Stars]

I got my speech done and that has calmed my nerves tremendously. I have sent it to a few people to read and they are more than impressed with it.

I was struggling with getting ALL that I wanted to get across in a 3 minute speech that I decided to just focus on ONE area which is line of sight issues at the venues here in Sioux Falls. If I win and go onto Nationals I'll revamp it to fit that pageant.

I'm working on memorizing it and will be making note cards. I don't have to an A-game public speaker by any means by the pageant day, but I would like to have most of it memorized so I'm not looking at the cards and or paper.

If anyone wants to read it --- PM me your email address and I'll send it to you.

Thanks EVERYONE for ALL your help. I'll be coming to this thread a lot as I prepare for April 10th.

This may sound funny, but I learned that eating a banana before playing guitar in front of an audience will really help with the nerves. The potassium in the banana has a calming influence on the nerves.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

This may sound funny, but I learned that eating a banana before playing guitar in front of an audience will really help with the nerves.

Not only that, but if you do it just right, you might get offered a "position" in a movie.

 

[CowboyMcCoy]

From my experience the most important thing about public speaking is that when you're nervous, people in the audience don't really know it unless you start crying or trembling.

Know that you will be nervous, but also know that they can't see it and you really should just worry about being yourself and make your speech.

As trying as it may seem, just smile and relax and know you have the charisma to do it. Smiles are infectious and so is confidence.

You'll feel a lot of things, but if you let the positive thoughts be the stronger things you feel then you beat your anxiety of public speaking.

I've written papers on the 3 Ps: Perfectionism, Procrastination and Public speaking.

Relax and good luck.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

I've written a speech or two in my day


From a writing aspect-

Passion - the people must believe that you believe. You seem to care about the issue of your speech so let the passion flow.

A positive message - instead of talking about the problem with something, only mention the positives of the solution - they will infer there is a problem but it allows you speak without using the dreaded negative words like not.

Repetition - repeat yourself. Even in a short speech, start with your main point then repeat it at the 1/2 way point and again at the end.


From a speaking perspective -

Remember to breath - oftentimes people forget and that changes their cadence, speeding up early in the speech while slowing down later.

Body language - maintain the open position (do not cross anything, arms, legs, hands.... or touch your face).

Scan with your eyes - do not focus on one person, scan the audience. I prefer an "8" pattern. Start with the front center person then scan the room in a slow figure 8 pattern. If it's not a full room but a panel, focus one every other person for 10 seconds or so then the people you've missed on the way back.


If you need any other help at all, let me know.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Body language - maintain the open position (do not cross anything, arms, legs, hands.... or touch your face).

And stand up straight.


Oh, wait!


:

 

[Kristi]

My speech is less than 2 weeks away. I was told it was supposed to be 3 minutes long so had an awesome speech prepared, had everything I wanted to say and then get a letter last week stating the speech is now 2 minutes long. Pros and cons to it -- had to shorten my speech up, but one less minute I have to be up there freaking out.

I have the speech memorized and I should be able to say it stumble free by the 10th -- I hope. You get docked by judges if you go over and some dock if you have your speech with you. Depending on how fast I say it -- I'm either right at 2 minutes or have 7-10 seconds to spare. I'll probably say it super fast when I am up in front of everyone so I shouldn't have any problems going over.

I wrote it so I could change it up a bit as I catch myself saying old parts of my speech before I revised it and it still sounds well.

On top of the speech there is a judging question where we pull a question out of a hat. I don't want to pull a Carrie Prejean moment or anything like that Miss Teen USA clip that was posted. I doubt I will, but that's hard when you don't know what any of the questions are.

I'm going up against one other woman. I have a 50/50 shot of winning.

Nervous doesn't even begin to tell you how I feel. I have like 20 people coming to support me and I don't know if we will all fit. Our pageant is in a little conference room. The high school took the day away from the coordinator last minute after she booked it a long time ago. Having it in a room as opposed to a gym or auditorium kind of messes up my first line, but I'll make do.

Other than having a few shots before going up there -- how do you get rid of the nerves or at least calm them down a little bit? Because on the 10th I'll be freaking out!