Talks!

[virtue025]

Ok everyone, this is a little less than ordinary... but I have a talk to give this Sunday but I'm way too nervous. I'm also in a new ward so that makes it even more nerve-racking. I do intend on praying. A Lot! Any other advice or tips on what you have done or do that make you a little less jittery on Talk day??

[Guest mirancs8]

The better prepared you are the less nervous you will feel. Some write it completely out word for word whereas others will write it in an outline form. My preference is outline form as I want the speech to not sound like I'm reading it off a sheet of paper. However I will use color coding on my outline. Red bold for quotes and blue text with yellow high light for important points/story I want to remember to tell at that point in the speech.

I find the color codes help me to keep in flowing without looking back at my sheet and thinking "dang it where was I!" Know the quotes, scriptures and such you want to use and have them spaced in your outline. Read a lot on the topic in places such as LDS.org or in your own books. Do some practice rounds to be sure you have everything timed for the amount given to you (10min, 15min?).

The best advice I can say is prepare, prepare, and prepare.

[Mute]

Ok everyone, this is a little less than ordinary... but I have a talk to give this Sunday but I'm way too nervous. I'm also in a new ward so that makes it even more nerve-racking. I do intend on praying. A Lot! Any other advice or tips on what you have done or do that make you a little less jittery on Talk day??

Ok first things first. You need something to grab everyone's attention because chances are they'll most likely be half asleep by the time you give your talk. I recommend doing something like Steve Ballmer, the motivational speaker for Microsoft, does. Here is a link so you can get a better idea of what you need to do.

I guarantee if you do that before you give a talk, the crowd will be cheering your name...or the bishop will be pulling you off the stage. I'm willing to bet it will be the first.

Now what is the talk on? Talking about something you care about makes it a lot easier to give a good talk. If it's not something you care about, then try to find something about the topic you do care about or that you feel is important enough to focus on.

Collect your thoughts and organize it in a way that makes it very easy for the audience to follow. Give the talk so that it flows from one point to the next instead of being scattered. An optional thing to do is list what you want to accomplish in your talk and then generally but briefly explain it to the audience.

Know your audience. You need to know or at least have an educated guess about how much your audience knows to be able to explain things to them. Make sure not to belittle them or talk above their level. When you teach a principle, you may use short stories to help illustrate a point or insert a joke but don't over do it. You may not know all these people but try to remember that they're no different from you or me. Be down to Earth. Try to find something people can relate to. Try to find something that could possibly be inspiring or motivating for them.

The tone you use can have one of the largest impacts on the way the audience perceives what you say. If you speak in a monotone voice, are always looking at the clock and read your talk word for word off a sheet of paper, then you may not hold the audience's attention as well. Don't be afraid to express emotion in what you say. Take your time though. You're not in a rush. Even if you're the last one to give a talk and it's 5 mins till, they'll wait for you. Just try to relax and take deep breaths. Don't focus on what others are thinking about you. Chances are they're not thinking anything other than how uncomfortable the seats are. Once you start talking on the message, that's what people are going to be paying attention to. Focus on that.

Try to show an interest in those you're talking to. If you care about the people you're talking to, they will recognize it. They can tell it in the tone of your voice. They can tell it in the expressions you make. People will know if you are sincere or not in what you say. It makes an unbelievable difference in how much they pay attention to what you say if they think you care about them. People will even know if you're nervous and if it helps you, you could even tell the crowd you are nervous. It might make the other speakers feel better to know they're not the only one who is nervous. If you're talking from your heart, that's all that matters. Talks from the heart, by an unexperienced person, can be more powerful and hold more meaning than a talk by the most gifted speaker in the world.

Read the audience. See if they're paying attention. Are they listening? If they're not, then you have to change something. You have to say something that will interest them. If your audience is talking with one another, then there is usually a problem. You could even ask the question of why is this topic important for others to listen to. I guarantee that would get their attention pretty quick because it's probably something they're wanting to know if they find themselves too bored to listen to you. Of course, you better have a good answer to follow it up with or you can expect them to go right back to ignoring you lol.

Try to look at the audience's eyes. It lets them know that you're talking to them and not just a general crowd. It means more if they know you want them to hear what you have to say and that you're not saying it just to take up time. Look to your family if you find yourself becoming too nervous but don't keep your eyes there for long. The talk is meant for everyone, not just your family so eye contact is very important with the audience.

Try to use good posture. Don't slouch or look like you're bored to be there. Look alive. Most talks are boring enough as is. Be the one that stands out. Keep to the point. Don't stray off on boring stories about yourself. No one wants to hear you praise yourself. Talk as little as you can about yourself. This isn't your time to talk about your weekend or the time to talk about all your problems. Don't build yourself up but don't tear yourself down either. If you're going to use a good example, don't use yourself. Use someone in the audience or someone you know, preferably someone outside your family. It's ok to use yourself as a bad example in a story or perhaps to share past mistakes you've made but don't tell about something serious which you did wrong. This isn't a confession.

When you have the talk thought out as well as written out, listen to the talk yourself. Would it hold your own attention? If you find yourself getting bored listening to what you have written, it's usually not a good sign. Rehearse what you want to say. You can practice while on a walk, in the shower or while driving a car. When you finish writing it, ask for feed back from a friend. See what they think about it.

Look at some great speakers the world has had. Who gave the talks that have inspired you? Was it their talk that was inspiring or was it the speaker saying it? Perhaps it was a combination of both. Would it have been as inspiring or uplifting if someone else gave the same exact talk? Why did you hold an interest to what they said?

Some people are absolutely brilliant speakers. It doesn't matter what they are talking about. It would hold our attention and it doesn't matter what they were saying. Many would be persuaded by their words. Sometimes an attractive lady can be the most persuasive though lol.

When you near the finish of the talk, summarize the points you have made. At the end of your talk, summarize what you have said. Briefly list the different points you have gone over and conclude your message.

Remember, practice makes perfect.