Public speaking - features, types and forms, rules

What is public speaking

Public speaking is a complex concept that combines speaking in front of an audience, in open areas, on television, as well as communication with management, an employer, and just friendly communication in the company of good friends. Knowledge of the psychology of public speaking will be useful in any situation where you need to show your best qualities, demonstrate your ability to communicate, and present your professional skills. A successful oral speech is not just a conversation, but a signed contract, a new job, business partners, and recognition from society. The purpose of a public escapade is to interest the audience, so that listeners catch your every word, gesture, react to the intonations of your voice, this is the ability to inspire people with your ideas.

If we talk about pragmatic broadcasting to an audience, as a form of business communication, it is influencing the audience not only with words, but also with posture, facial expressions, gestures, pauses, rhythm of speech, visual contact, and strength of voice. This requires the speaker to master his own voice, body, facial expressions, follow special rules and use specific techniques.

Not every person can master such an art. From our material you will learn what public speaking is, its types and forms, and how to speak successfully in front of an audience.

Preparation rules and basic techniques

Experienced speakers follow certain rules when preparing their speech:

They are responsible for defining the topic: it must be specific, not imply a large amount of information, be based on experience from the storyteller’s life or on the requirements of the customer, or correspond to the thematic plan and curriculum (for teachers and professors).
They think over and formulate a title that accurately expresses the essence of the speech. The title uses clear words and avoids complex terms and long sentences.
Determine the goals of the speech for the speaker and for the listeners, which are directly or indirectly communicated to the audience. Most often, speeches are made for the purpose of:

inform;
form an opinion;
change point of view;
influence people's consciousness and motivate them to action.

Selects, studies and analyzes information from:

official sources,
scientific and popular science literature,
reference literature,
statistical data,
journalism,
Internet resources.

Important! Information is taken from several sources and carefully processed.

Analyze the composition of the intended audience and the general situation in the room. The text of the speech is compiled taking into account the age, social status and interests of the audience (children perceive information differently than adults).
Working on the content of the speech:

make a plan
select material
choose a speaking style,
arrange parts of the speech compositionally and logically,
are working on writing the full text,
write down the abstracts and summary of the message (some speakers use loose or card notes).

Preparing for the performance

Types and forms of public speaking

Types:

informational speech - used in reports on political or scientific topics, lectures for students, speeches to students, stories about any phenomenon;
protocol and etiquette - in this form delegations are welcomed, congratulations on the birthday or anniversary are prepared, opening or closing remarks at an official event;
entertaining - any informal speech (toast, life story about a funny incident);

persuasive - the main goal is to convince listeners that the speaker is right, to demonstrate the correctness of the position and judgments, used in commercials, political and scientific discussions, and propaganda programs.

Important! One speech can have different goals, as a result, the types of speeches to the public are combined and the results are information-persuasive or information-entertaining.

Forms of speaking to an audience:

report - an address on an important topic (social, scientific, medical), duration from a quarter of an hour to 3 hours;
message - a short speech dedicated to one topic, maximum duration 10 minutes, must contain facts and statistical information;
speech - a short message lasting up to 5 minutes, the topic is chosen in advance or arises as a result of discussion of a specific topic;
lecture - presentation of a specific topic by a specialist using scientific facts, duration ranging from a quarter of an hour to 1.5 hours;
conversation - a dialogue between the lecturer and the audience, the topic and format are determined in advance, is not limited to a time frame, involves questions from the audience, and answers from the speaker.

How to choose a topic for yourself?

A topic can become the basis of a successful speech only if it meets five requirements:

relevance. No one is interested in hearing about outdated things that have no impact on the current (or at least future) situation;
perspective. If the proposed ideas do not solve problems, they are meaningless;
knowledge. Without proper awareness of the topic, it is impossible to make logical judgments, much less explain them to other people;
speaker's interest. The passion and inspiration of the narrator is transmitted to the listeners. The more passionate the author is about the topic, the easier it is for the audience to adopt this passion;
public interest. It is important to determine the target audience in advance. The report “Features of disassembling and cleaning a machine gun” is unlikely to appeal to humanities scholars.

Fulfilling these conditions will help you choose a good topic and ensure the success of your speech.

Features of public speech

There are some psychological features of public speaking. They consist in communication between the speaker and the audience and arise from the dialogue between them. The relationship between the two sides of communication is objectively subjective in nature and acts as a joint activity or cooperation.

The speaker’s speech has a number of features:

Audience backlash. While delivering a speech, the speaker can see people's reactions to his words and observe the changing moods of the public. Individual words, questions, and facial expressions of listeners help to understand their mood and desire. Thanks to the presence of feedback, it is possible to correct your speech. She transforms a monologue into a dialogue and establishes a connection with the audience.
Oral speech. The peculiarities of oral public speech lie in establishing a lively dialogue between participants. The oral form of communication has a goal in the form of a specific interlocutor and is completely dependent on him. An important point in a speech is the organization of speech for the easiest understanding and perception. Oral public speaking is very effective, since, unlike written, it absorbs up to 90% of the information.
The connection between literature and oral speech. Before speaking, the speaker prepares and thinks about his speech using scientific, fiction or journalistic literature. Already in front of the public, he transforms the prepared text into an interesting and vivid speech that anyone can understand. Only during a live performance does the speaker build sentences, taking into account the reactions of others, thereby moving from a book text to a conversational style.
Means of communication. In public speaking, various methods of influence and means of communication between participants are used. These are verbal and non-verbal means: facial expressions, gestures, intonation. The culture of public speech and adherence to ethics play an important role.

Possible mistakes

Oratory skills do not come immediately; many novice speakers make typical mistakes:

They demonstrate a lack of confidence (the speaker has little knowledge of the issue being covered or is afraid of people).
They begin to make excuses and lose the trust of the listener.
Do not illustrate the speech with examples from experience or literature.
They use excessive gestures and chaotic facial expressions (to control body language, they analyze the video recording of the performance and get rid of unnecessary movements).
They do not select words and compose sentences accurately (for example, frequent use of negative particles will lead to misunderstanding of the text).
They pay little attention to preparation.
They read the message monotonously without humorous asides and do not maintain eye contact.
Do not use pauses to maintain attention - stopping for 10 seconds will awaken the curiosity of all distracted people.
They show excessive seriousness, self-confidence and over-erudition.
They use a large number of filler words.
They fuss or, on the contrary, become tight.

Important! High-quality preparation and repeated rehearsals allow you to avoid many mistakes.

Speaker mistakes

Drawing up and using a plan

People who speak often understand the importance of a well-written plan, which usually includes:

a thoughtful way to hook the audience;
an introductory part outlining a certain problem that is understandable and close to the listeners;
a short list of the main ideas of the speech;
the main part, containing no more than 3-4 key points, so as not to overload the audience with information;
a final part that draws clear and meaningful conclusions from the entire speech.

A plan is necessary at the stage of preparing a speech so that the materials are arranged in the correct logical chain. During a speech, it is also needed so that the speaker can convey everything planned to the audience.

Successful speakers understand the nature of eye contact with the audience and do not allow themselves to sight-read the entire speech. It is at this moment that a plan (preferably a thesis) comes in handy, which will not allow the speaker to wander away from the intended topic.

Psychological techniques for influencing a partner during business communication

The effectiveness of business communication depends on a deep knowledge of the subject of conversation, creating an atmosphere of mutual trust, the ability to substantiate one’s position, views, ideas and to convincingly prove the fallacy of opponents’ opinions and arguments. When preparing for a conversation, determine what is necessary and appropriate to say, what will definitely arouse your partner’s interest. Your behavior at a meeting should reflect your personality.

When conducting business conversations, adhere to the following rules:

Observe the deadline of the agreement to the minute. Let your partner know that you are a reliable person. Try to establish good relationships with your partner's employees. Find out the names of all participants in the conversation. Memorize or write them down and address them by name. Prepare carefully to start the conversation. Think about what questions your partner might ask you in the initial part. Try to eliminate factors that interfere with the flow of the conversation.

Be an interesting conversationalist. If you create a relaxed atmosphere, your partner will enjoy doing business with you. A conversation with you should be an event for him. Don't be annoying, don't be overzealous or fussy. Bring some humor into the conversation, but not flat jokes or banal statements. Keep a friendly tone. Smile more often if the circumstances of the conversation allow it.

Speak calmly, clearly and convincingly. Be independent. Do not show nervous, restless or distracted mood if you have it before the conversation. Don't let your partner make you angry or confused. Restrain your emotions and excitement, react more calmly to his statements.

Do not avoid discussing complex and sensitive issues - an essential part of business conversations. Be adamant, but keep a cool head. Show respect for your partner's opinion. Don't tell him directly that he is wrong. If he makes a statement that you don't agree with, it's best to start by saying, “I thought differently, but maybe I'm wrong. Let's check the facts." These words can disarm the interlocutor who was expecting objections.

Business conversation is an open dialogue. Encourage your partner to speak up more. Listen to him carefully. If there are several people in a conversation, encourage everyone to express their opinion, reserving the right to speak last. Don't interrupt the speaker. Thus, you can clarify, develop and interpret his thoughts in a direction beneficial to you.

Be specific, not abstract. Provide details, facts, figures. Don't just talk, but back up what you say with notes or diagrams. Connect visual aids. Hand some materials to your partner. During the conversation, you should have all the necessary materials at your disposal. They should be kept in perfect order.

Keep the conversation assertive, energetic and specific. Don’t try to break your partner with a “stormy stream” of speeches and a large number of arguments, not allowing him to get a word in. Give direct, business-like answers to your partner’s questions. Use the special terms your partner uses. Do not use words whose meaning is clear only to you. When presenting any information, pause to allow your words to influence the interlocutor.

Use more questions, especially those that force your partner to agree with you. By asking questions, you have the opportunity to:

get information;
analyze the conditions put forward by the partner;
establish new circumstances affecting your position;
check the impact of your statement;
listen to opinions opposite to yours.

Remember that your partner not only thinks logically, but also has emotions and prejudices, and may be vain and ambitious. Use these circumstances to your advantage. Try to purposefully touch on the motives that drive your partner. Provide a list of benefits that he will receive by agreeing to your proposals. Give him evidence in favor of these advantages:

he strives for security - show him the program,
ensuring safety;
strives for recognition - show that you are his supporter;
strives for economic benefit - show him calculations that prove that he can win, reduce costs or avoid them altogether, and increase efficiency;
strives for convenience - show in detail what it can
provide him with comfort.

Observe how he perceives what is happening. Give him the opportunity to preserve his reputation and satisfy his vanity. Accompany some of his statements with positive comments. Tell him that his ideas make a big impression on you. Make concessions that are important for maintaining the prestige of your partner and do not fundamentally change the result you want. Try, by making a planned concession, to encourage your partner to respond positively. Sometimes it can be helpful to let him give you advice or help.

Summarizing the preliminary results, identify how many issues have been agreed upon and how many questions remain open. Taking into account the conversation, make a plan for further work with your partner.

Reminder on the technique of establishing contact:

establish visual contact (look at the interlocutor’s face, eyes)
establish contact at the same horizontal level (standing or sitting)
establish verbal contact
achieve a feeling of understanding (receive three affirmative answers)
formulate and express “three truths” (true statements about yourself and your communication partner).