Know thyself - identifying public speaking problems

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According to the personals columns, the majority of us have a GSOH (Good sense of humour) In contrast, I have yet to hear anyone saying that they are a Good Public Speaker! In this update, I would like to try to provide a quick check list for you to identify areas which may need work and will be providing some ideas to help in the near future.

The voice:

You will need: a voice recorder, a newspaper

Put the voice recorder in a place where it will pick up your voice but not so close to you that you do not need to project. Record yourself reading any article from the paper as though you are reading to an audience.

When you play back the piece, you are listening for:

1: Words which are indistinct (is there a pattern; are they at the end of sentences? Do they include the same letter combinations?

2: Changes in volume; are they logical?

3: Pace; do you rush?

4: Tone of voice; would you want to listen to yourself?

Based on your self-diagnosis, you will have a better idea of your strengths and weaknesses. The next few posts will give you exercises you can use to address any issues and we will then move on to structure. In next to no time, you will be able to add "Good public speaker" to your list of accomplishments.

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