When it comes to public speaking, gaining your audiences attention is key in delivering a good speech. As discussed in Chapter 9, the text stresses the importance of grasping your audience's attention and pulling them in. On page 9-2 Hellmut Walters states, "To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful." Walters hits the nail on the head with this quote from the book. If I'm delivering a persuasive speech, with hopes of you buying into what I'm trying to say, if I'm not believable I'll lose my audience, which, in turn, will then lead to the loss of my credibility. Gaining the audience's attention is one of the biggest factors I focus on when delivering a speech. When I begin to notice eye contact and the look of being alert, it puts my mind at ease letting me know that I've drawn my audience in and they're interested in what I have to say.
To feel confident when giving a speech in public, I enjoy telling a story or recalling on a certain occasion to give myself that feeling of credibility. Relating back to a past experience allows me the certainty of speaking clearly and with truth behind my tone of voice. I look forward to expanding on my public speaking skills over the course of the class and hearing each and everyone's own story from week to week.
I think having credibility is a big deal too. If people can't believe what you're saying, the audience is lost. I think that's why it's important to really be passionate about your topic too. No one wants to listen to someone who is just spitting out information. If the message doesn't come from the heart, it will fall on deaf ears.
ReplyDeleteI also like to tell a story or recall a certain moment in time when I give a speech. It gives me more confidence since I am the one who remembers in that way. I believe it grabs the audience's attention easier when someone talks from personal experience instead of spitting out statistics or facts the whole speech.
ReplyDeleteI think gaining the audience's interest is one of the hardest things to do! But I agree that telling a story really shows that you know about your topic. Telling stories also tends to draw audiences in the most as the book said.
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