FAQ: Writing Tutoring Services

Whether you are in an actual speech class or giving a presentation for a different class, public speaking can be intimidating. Here are some tips to help you prepare and feel more confident. 

Use an Outline to Write Your Speech

Speech classes will usually make this mandatory, but it is helpful for all presentations. Having an outline to follow is essential to make sure you know all of your main ideas, the order they will be in, and any support or outside sources you are using. Without an outline, it can be easy to skip a topic or present things out of order. 

Unless you are allowed to have your entire written speech in front of you while presenting, it is usually more useful to outline rather than write the whole thing word for word. If you are too caught up on exact wording, stuttering or missing one point can really throw you off. You should feel comfortable and informed about whatever topic you are presenting on so that you can follow the outline of main ideas without needing to quote every line. 

Using Your Visual Aid

Most speeches or presentations will allow or require some kind of visual aid, such as a PowerPoint presentation. The general rule for PowerPoints is that they should follow the outline of your speech, but not have too much writing on them. Unless your professor says otherwise, avoid writing whole paragraphs on slides. Instead, use brief bullet points to outline your main points or highlight important quotes. You follow this outline while speaking, adding more detail and elaboration to what you are saying. The bullet points can remind you what comes next and help your audience follow along without giving all the information. 

If every word you will say is written on your slide, two issues can easily arise. First, it is tempting to just read off the slide, which means you won't be making eye contact and engaging with your audience. Second, your audience will just read it instead of listening to you speak. 

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practicing your speech is the best way to improve your performance and your confidence. You should practice presenting it more than once. If you want, you can work in stages.

First, practice reading your most detailed outline. Go as slowly as you like, and focus on getting through all the information. 

Once you feel comfortable enough, put your full outline away. You may have a shorter outline, notecards, your PowerPoint, or some other aid to get through your speech. Try practicing with just those, looking back at the detailed outline as required if you find you can't remember some of the details you want to say. 

Finally, practice with an audience. This can be family, friends, a camera, even a pet or stuffed animal. The important part is having someone or something to present to. Having an audience is a major source of nerves for people who do not like public speaking, so practicing with a smaller, "safer" audience can be a good way to build up confidence. It is also a good opportunity to practice skills like eye contact and navigating PowerPoint slides while speaking. 

Remember

It is okay to stutter, pause, or make a small mistake during your presentation. This is normal even in regular conversations. The more you practice, the less these things will happen, but messing up one or two words is not the end of the world. Just take a deep breath and pick up where you left off. Lingering on a mistake will make it stand out; moving past it will show it's no big deal.