Public Speaking

As an attorney, part of my job involves public speaking.  I don't mind it much if I have to give a presentation or argue in court.  For whatever reason, I can do those things easily.  Acting or singing solos in public are other matters entirely.  I don't get apprehensive when preparing to speak, although I do concentrate on the best way to present the material.  I will readily admit that when I was in high school, the thought of speaking in public caused me plenty of worry.  But over time, and with plenty of practice, I've gotten used to it.

In the run up to a trial, I've even begun approaching it as if it were an athletic contest.  I feel the same pre-game jitters as I did when I played sports, but once the trial begins, the nerves leave and it's time to perform. A natural instinct takes over and there are no more butterflies.

For some people, this isn't so.  I belong to a networking group, and listening to the different presentation styles is interesting, if not instructive.  For sure, there are people whose industries don't involve much public speaking.  But there are others who speak with clients all day long who, when called upon to speak, are about as uneasy in that role as anyone.  The attorneys are all quite comfortable, as are the guys in the auto industry.  Others, depending on their personality, are either good or poor public speakers.  It really doesn't matter what the industry is so much as the comfort of the person speaking.

There are, however, some interesting tendencies that some speakers share.  One group, notably, stands up and gets behind its chairs when addressing the group, as if they're shielded from the audience by the chairback that only comes up to their waists.  Others rub their hands together in different fashions, a nervous habit that probably gives them some measure of comfort, as if they were fingering their rosary or worry beads.

Others speak as quickly as they can so they can sit down again as quickly as possible.  Others speak in a voice barely above a whisper, making it difficult to hear them.  Some are witty, others are dry, some are humorless.  When I speak, I try to be informative and concise.  Some are unable to condense their material in a short presentation and run over their time allotment.

When the longer presentations are made, some rely on audio-visual equipment to make their pitches.  This is effective, but it also relieves the speaker of the need to talk.  Others prepare 3" x 5" cards and rely heavily upon them.  I speak without referring to my notes too much, which can be both a good and a bad thing.

It's just interesting to watch how different speakers, who aren't professional speakers, handle public speaking.  Sometimes, they're even better than the pros.

(c) 2013 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles