How to banish butterflies!

Butterflies are a type of insects with large, often brightly coloured, wings. Most children and adults love them. Then there are social butterflies who are not responsible or serious about anything in life. They are likely to change their activities easily or are only interested in pleasure. Whether you like them or not depends on your own personality. Sometimes we have butterflies in our stomachs when we are about to deliver a speech. In popular parlance, this is known as “glossophobia” or stage fright.

Stage fright is not a serious psychological problem. Anybody can get over it by following certain basic rules of public speaking. Before we go into details, let’s try to understand what public speaking is. It is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence or entertain the listeners. It is somewhat similar to a presentation, although the latter has more of a commercial connotation.

The five basic elements of public speaking have been summarised as, “Who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effect?” Effective public speakers knowingly or unknowingly follow these principles to change the emotions of their listeners and not just to inform them. Well-known politicians and social reformers have resorted to public speaking to turn the tide in mass popularity towards them. Especially during an election, all political parties engage the services of skilled orators to attract voters. In the 1950s S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike rode a tidal wave of popularity through his oratorical skills. In fact, he tried to follow the great Roman orator Cicero.

History

Public speaking is not something new to human society. The history of public speaking can be traced to ancient Egypt. However, the first known Greek work on oratory was written over 2,000 years ago. In classical Greece and Rome the main component of public speaking was known as “Rhetoric”. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle and Quintilian had formulated definitive rules and models for rhetoric. Even during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, public speaking was treated as an integral part of liberal education.

Prof. David Fetterman: “Videoconferencing technology has allowed geographically disparate parties to hear and see each other usually through satellite or telephone communication system”.

In ancient Greece the rules of public speaking were first taught by Sophists charging fees for their services. They were just like modern day Spoken English masters mushrooming in every nook and corner. However, good wine needs no bush and those who really cared to master the techniques of public speaking flocked around Socrates, Plato and Aristotle who developed a set of theories to be taught as a subject.

After the decline of the Greek civilisation, Roman orators modified Greek techniques of public speaking. Roman orator Cicero emphasised the importance of education to become an effective public speaker. The Roman style of oratory was generally known as the ‘Latin Style’ which became unpopular after the World War II. Although we condemn Adolf Hitler as a mass murderer, he was an effective public speaker who could change the mass opinion with his oratorical skills. In later years, American Presidents Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama advanced their careers using their public speaking skills.

Uniformity

Although the basic principles of public speaking have undergone certain changes over the past few centuries, there remains a uniformity which is somewhat surprising. For instance, ancient Greek orators did not have the public address system and they used their voice to address mass audiences. Today we have access to video-conferencing which has revolutionised the public speaking arena. According to Prof. David Fetterman of Stanford University, “Video-conferencing technology has allowed geographically disparate parties to hear and see each other usually through satellite or telephone communication system.”

The only place where effective public speaking skills can be learnt locally is the network of Toastmasters International Clubs established in all major cities. In the clubs members learn by observation and practice and hone their skills by listening to constructive suggestions on oratory, use of gestures, inflection, vocabulary, diction, pitch, humour and the art of developing a relationship with the audience. What is more, members’ speeches are evaluated by experienced toastmasters.

Public speaking really can be fun for those engaged in routine activities. It gives a real buzz when you deliver a speech and the listeners applaud. In other words, public speaking is like going on a holiday. When the holiday is over, you feel energised. The only way to banish those butterflies is to make a firm decision not to panic when you see a sea of heads, but to prepare, plan and practise, generally known as the “three Ps” in public speaking.

Preparation

The preparation involves determining the objective. The speaker has to know before hand whether he is going to motivate, encourage, entertain or provide information to his listeners. Sometimes, it may be a combination of two or three of them. A well-prepared speaker will be able to start his speech with an effective introduction. This can be followed by three or four points to develop your text and follow up with a conclusion. While doing so, the speaker has to allow time for laughter, pauses, gestures and questions.

Some beginners follow the wrong route to public speaking by memorising the speech. When you try to deliver a memorised speech, you are most likely to forget your lines. Memorised speeches mostly delivered by children on the English Day are rushed. On the other hand, some speakers bring notes and start reading their speech! People come to listen to a speech. When you read a speech, the listeners get bored. When you read notes, you cannot maintain eye contact as well.

Public speaking is similar to driving and swimming. With constant practice you can become an effective public speaker. You have only to trust your own ability and skills. If you believe that you can deliver a speech without notes, you will be able to do so. You may watch great speakers mesmerising their listeners but remain true to your own style!