BRT services (where they are available) are preferred over conventional road transport means in Lagos is DELIVERY.
Speaking in public is serious business because whether you have been paid to make an appearance or not, every member of the audience surrenders the time they should have devoted to other things at your feet; you must in turn, surrender good delivery to them.
Delivery is everything in public speaking. In many cases it is not what is being said but who is saying it and how it's being said, that matters.
In the first of three discussions on DELIVERY, I will delve into pre-presentation housekeeping. That is, what you should do before mounting the podium to make a presentation.
Most times, speakers are informed of their speaking assignments weeks or months before the time (on few occasions, they are informed days or hours to their delivery), hence it is your responsibility to do the following:
1. Be sure that the message you are about saying is what you would have loved to listen to someone else say to you.
2. Enquire about the type of hall that will be used for the presentation and the public speaking facilities it has.
3. Now this one is very important: find out everything you can about the make up of your audience, otherwise, you may end up speaking to nobody! Things like how many they are, their level of education, sitting arrangements, and other unique features are important to know.
4. Take time to rehearse, rehearse and rehearse; even if you have to do it in your head and not physically (I do this most of the time)
5. Be sure to select an attire you will be comfortable in, if possible, put on a dress you're used to wearing.
6. Do not eat anything that will make you feel uncomfortable and require that you visit the restroom shortly before you present or while you are presenting (this one can be very embarrassing!)
These nuggets sound simple but they can be the difference between an awesome or loathsome presentation!
Next week, I will talk about how to prepare the message itself.
© 2017, Emeka Akpa. All rights reserved
Thank you Sir for this post.
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