EFFECTIVE
PUBLIC SPEAKING
Umar
Farouk
Jurusan Administrasi Bisnis, Politeknik
Negeri Semarang Jl.Prof.H.Sudarto,SH.,Tembalang,Kotak Pos 6199/SMS Semarang
50061
ABSTRACT
Experts of Communication state that communication is
the backbone of management. This indicates the strategic
roles of communication. Management which is not supported by effective
communication will fail to achieve its goals or targets. Effective
communication and effective managment is like the two sides of a coin.They
cannot be seperated. Effective public speaking as a part of effective
communication give its significant contributions to effective
communication process in a business
organizations. This article discusses several tips of effective public speaking
to develop communication skills which are exremely needed to develop business
organizations.
INTRODUCTION
It is told that most people in
the United States of America are worried towards three things, namely public speaking,
snake, and death. Public speaking sits on the first rank and death the
last. Many Indonesians, on the other way
round mostly, perhaps, say that death is the most frightening, and public
speaking is the least. Snake, the same
with those of Americans, sits on the second rank. It is not important actually
to compare between Indonesians and Americans in terms of the rank position of
public speaking that makes them worried or frightened. The intended message of this description is
that public speaking is a factor which makes most people feel
unconvinient. Many people feel that
waiting for a public speaking in front of people is like waiting for a death execution
in front of snipers. Therefore, many people
like to avoid public speaking, if possible.
Unfortunately if you want to develop your professional career in your
office, public speaking is something which you have to master to support your
work or job. Without public speaking
skill you will find many difficulties in running your managerial activities or
programs in your office because public speaking as a part of communication skills is a backbone of management. It gives
a big influence, for example, in the process of meeting, business presentation,
press conference, and negotiation.
In
your office public speaking is needed when you take a part in a meeting. In the
meeting you have to speak to put forward your ideas, suggestions, opinions,
agreement, disagreement, et cetera. It
is also needed when you need to give business presentation to create
cooperations with other organizations. During negotiation sessions with your
business counterparts, for instance, the skill of public speaking takes a very
important role. You may win the negotiation if you have a good mastery in public speaking. The art of inviting someone’s attention when
speaking, influencing them to believe in what you are saying, persuading them
to listen to what you are expecting, and in the end making them cooperate with
you on the basis of benefit and profit which meet your business targets are
surely the reflection of your public speaking skills. On the contrary, you will
lose your negotiation if you do not have the above-mentioned skills.
THE
IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
Public
speaking is important because it is a part of communication. There are several
reasons underlying why communication is important for professionals in whatever
fields they work (Hooper and Janis, 1982: 7-9). First, in social and business activities, whether for
personal purposes or organizational purposes, oral communication is a skill
which is extremely crucial to acquire.
This is because, as a matter of
fact , oral communication skill like public speaking can give significant
contribution to the effectiveness of implementing mangerial functions in
business communication in an office. Employers and employees in a company have
to be skillful in their oral communication to make them succsessful in their
jobs.
For employers (managers and
leaders) oral communication skill is needed when they realize the functions of
planning, organizing, actuating, and
controlling as a part of managerial process. As the employers are responsible
to achieve the vision, missions, and the goals of their companies, they must be
able to manage their human capitals effectively by utilizing effective
communication skills. An effective leadership
goes hand in hand with effective communication practices.
On
the basis of a research, the percentage of communication activity in human
daily life can be described as Table 1 (Zuhdi, 2011: 68).
Table 1
|
NO
|
ACTIVITY
|
PERCENTAGE
|
|
1
|
Listening
|
50
|
|
2
|
Speaking
|
35
|
|
3
|
Reading
|
10
|
|
4
|
Writing
|
5
|
Table 1, shows
the high frequency of listening and speaking activities in daily communication,
both formal and informal, personal and organizational. In business environment it may take in the
forms of meetings, interviews, business
presentations, negotiations, seminars, speeches, and many others. These facts,
give more evidences of the importance of effective communication skills.
Second, communication’s key role in decision making.
Because of the size and complexity of today’s management in a company and also
the availability of modern office technologies, there is a tendency of
centralizing decision making in the top management level. The trend coincides with
the nature of business management system comprising interdependent functions,
none of which can be manipulated without giving influences to others. It follows that successful communication
depends on the quality, quantity, and distribution of valid and reliable
messages to the points that decision making can be done effectively. Since an
organization is essencially a social environment¸it is a must that
communication in the organization
proceeds harmoniuosly and efficiently.
Third, communication’s ‘workhorse’ status. Organizations have mundane works to do such
producing, selling, marketing, cooperating, supervising and many others. These works need the use of many kinds of
messages and good strategies of exposition and persuasion. Good communication prevents misunderstanding,
saves time and money and also promotes the organization. Poor communication defeats those objectives.
Fourth, demands of the new media. The use of sophisticated and modern office
communication such as computers has increased a great deal of revolutionary
advancement in office works but it cannot relieve human communicators of
performing such data-related functions as selecting, evaluating, deciding,
informing, and persuading.
Fifth, Rising costs. Business communication can be done by
electronic and printed media. Making an advertisement for television channels and newspapers, for
instance, can be very expensive.
Nowdays, commercial product promotions need a huge budget. Therefore,
business communication has to be made cheaper by make it more effective.
Sixth, competitive and social
pressures. As we know, to win a
business, we need to compete smartly with our business competitors. Smart
business needs smart communication. The
success in marketing, selling, negotiating, persuading, influencing,
cooperating and so forth is inevitably determined by an effective
communication.
Seventh, competitive and social pressures. At the time that business meets its public
such as its customers, potential buyers, and the community at large, it is a
great urgency to have a good mastery of communication skills including public
speaking. In selling and marketing public communication skills take a
significant role in succeeding to get more profits or less.
Tips For
Effective Public Speaking
Public
Speaking as a part of oral communication skills takes a very important role to
support managers or leaders in an organization to do relevant works in their
leadership. Leaders or managers should have ability to give an interesting and
effective speech in front of their employees and other people when necessary;
to give a business presentation in front of their business partners,
prospective cutomers, government beureaucrats, and so forth. Also make a press
conference in front of journalists, whether for electronic or printed media. Because
of the importance of public speaking, some tips of a good and effective public
speaking is worth discussing. For those who have not learnt specifically about
public speaking and have no experience of practising it, some following tips
may give benefits to read.
Gerald
Green, DTM(2000: 11-44) puts forward some tips of an effective public speaking
as follows:
1. Be yourself.
It is extremely not recommended that when giving a public speaking you
imitate someone’s public speaking style.
You should do your public speaking differently from others. You maintain
your own public speakingstyle. Soekarno and John F Kennedy have different
stytle when speaking. Also with Mario
Teguh and Bob Sadino. You have to develop your own personal brand if you want
to be a professional public speaker. Be different, be the best, and be the
first. By this way, you will be recognized and outstanding!
2. Understand your audience. Speak for them not
for you, yourself! So, discuss topics of
their interests not yours. Before you
write your materials for your public speaking, you should investigate or make a
small research about their age, socio-economic, educational, religion, and cultural background. This will give you benefits to make them
listen to you.
3. Make yourself as the message. It means that what you are talking to public
is the reflection of your true personality.
In this case, you will be
appreciated as a credible speaker. What you are talking is not a lie. You are
talking the truth. You become the representation of the delivered message. For
example, a preacher or ustadzwho is
giving a speech about honesty and
justice in Jum’at prayer but the audiences
in the mosque know that in his daily life his character and behaviour are
opposed to the message he is delivering, of course they will not believe in the
message. They hear you speaking but they are not listening to you because they
know you are telling lies.
4. Do not feel uncomfortable of being
nervous. It is natural and happens to everyone
who will speak in front of people. Thus,
do not concentrate on being nervous. It is suggested that you concentrate on
the materials of your public speaking. Be focus on how you can make your
audience involved in your public speaking. Make it more interactive and use you
non verbal language effectively. You can inhale and exhale gently to lessen
your nerveousness, sit comfortably, and pray to stimulate your self confidence.
5. Overcome your shyness. Many feel shy because
of their body size, hair style, beauty, and so on. It is surely ridiculous! You
are on stage to speak not to take part in a fashion show or singing
competition. Therefore, it is irrational
to be shy because of those things. Once
again, you are on the stage to speak.
Your audience wait for your speech!
6. Do not feel uncomfortable because of your
voice. People are not waiting for a singer.
At the moment, they are waiting for an effective speaker. There is no
rule that a public speaker must have golden voice. What is important you have
to speak fluentlly, clearly, and attractively. You should speak with good
intonation, articulation, and acceptable speed.
7. Do not feel uncomfortable because of your
accent and dialect. Even your accent and dialect can become your personal brand. Speak naturally. Do not manipulate your
accent and dialect excessively.
8. Use simple language in your public
speaking. It is not suggested to use too
many technical terms to make your public speaking look scientific and
complicated. Make difficult topics easy to understand for your audience by
utilizing simple language.
9. Do not feel uncomfortable because of your
education. Although you never go to a university and get a diploma, it does not
mean that your audience who have higher education than you, know better about the topics you are talking
about. Basically, there is no one who
really smart or brilliant. You should
believe that you are the right person to speak about the topic of which you
have made a perfect preparation.
10.
Do not be too sensitive towards the audience’s responses or feedbacks. Positive and negative ressponses or feedbacks
are the inputs which should be wisely managed to improve the effectiveness of
your public speaking. Do not be too happy when you get positive feedbacks verbally
or non verbally. On the contrary, do not be too sad and worried when you get
negative feedbacks. The value of the feedbacks for your public speaking
improvement will depend on how you behave propperly after receiving those
feedbacks. In this way, you will always get benefits of the feedbacks.
11. Be enthusiastic when giving public speaking.
Your enthusiasm will make your audience motivated to listen to you. Your
enthusiasm is contagious.
12. Speak sincerely and honestly. This will
create conducive atmosphere. Your
sincerity and honesty will be reflected in your tone, eye contact, facial
expression, and your gesture. Generally, it happens beyond your awareness but
your audience really feel and appreciate it.
13. You have to feel worried if you have no
adequate knowledge of the subject matter or topic of your public speaking. Therefore, it is obligatory for you to read
and listen as much information as possible for your public speaking
preparation. Make sure that you are the best person to stand up in front of
your audience to speak about the topic.
14.
Practice, practice, and practice. It is
the only way that you have to follow to be successful in your public
speaking. No other alternatives. You never become a good swimmer if you only
learn the theories of swimming. To become a good swimmer you have to plunge
yourself into the water. In the same
way, you will never become a professional or an effective public speaker if you
only learn public speaking theories and never practising those theories on the
stage.
15. Enjoy your public speaking. If you do it,
then you can speak in a relaxed way and you feel comfortable. This is important because many feel forced to speak
and cannot deliver the message attractively. No humour. No smile. No laugh. Consequently,
there will be less interaction with audience and less mental involvement. It makes your public speaking boring.
Six Principles
Of Public Speaking
There are some
principles of public speaking which can help everyone to be successful in his/her
public speaking (Riyanto, 1998: 3-7)
Here are those principles:
1. Giving motivation. It is quite important when starting a public
speaking speakers give motivation to their audience to follow the public
speaking by:
a.
informing the importance of the discussed topic.
b.
making use of the audience as the example when giving illustration or
description about the topic.
c. delivering provocative questions to stimulate
curiosty.
2. Giving attention. This can be done theoretically as follows:
a. Telling funny stories, tragic stories, daily strories
or experience.
b. Speaking with
different tones. Sometimes with
higher tones, and sometimes with lower
tones depending on the message.
c.
Making spontaneous actions like knocking a table when the situastion is going
to be notconducive because of the noise made by the audience and you stop
speakingwhen they disturb your public speaking with unexpected attitude.
d.
Speaking interesting and expected topics.
3. Utilizing instructional aids. Public speaking such as in business
presentation, negotiation,
meeting
and so on can be facilitated with the use of instructional aids. The use of:
a. overhead
projectors
b. screens
c. slides
d. videos
e. flip
charts
f. films
g. et
cetera
may give
signicant contribution to the effectiveness of public speaking.
4. Giving understanding. This is possible if in a public speaking a
speaker uses the following techniques:
a. Using simple words, phrases, sentences, and
terms.
b. Using simple illustration or
description.
c.
Using nemo-technique like CRM for Customer Relationship Management, TQM for
Total Quality Management, R & D for Research and Development.
5. Giving repetition. This is done by repeating delivered information
to help your audience understand it better. To avoid boring repetition you can
do it in some varied ways. Do not always repeat the same words. Instead of
doing in that way, you can repeat the substance or gist of your message several
times.
6. Telling the audence about the benefits of
listening to your public speaking at the
beginning. Make sure that the chosen
topic of your public speaking is of their need. Before writing your public
speaking preparation you should investigate their educational background, age,
cultural background, socio-economic
background, religion, gender and so forth. It will help you to prepare the most
appropriate strategy for you public speaking.
To understand better about your audience some steps
and procedures at Table 2, are
recommended by Curtis, Floyd, and Winsor (2000: 263):
Table 2
|
NO
|
STEPS
|
PROCEDURES
|
|
1
|
Considering
individuals
|
Analyzing
audience individually and roles in organization.
|
|
2
|
Considering
groups
|
Understanding
group characteristics and understanding individuals’ behaviour in groups.
|
|
3
|
Considering
communication atmosphere
|
Analyzing
the environment of the place where the audience work.
|
|
4
|
Analyzing
audience
|
a.
Observing
b.
Delivering questions
c.
Conducting surveys about the audience
d.
Taking into account basic needs of the audience
|
|
5
|
Making
decisions
|
Determining
decision making styles:
a.
Optimum
b.
Collective
c.
Authoritative
|
CONCLUSION
Effective public
speaking is quite important for business purposes. Business actiivities like meeting,
negotiation, business presentation, and several others can be successfully done
if public speaking skills are well acquired.
Some above-mentioned recommended tips, techniques or strategies of
public speaking surely can facilitate business people to be more effective in
their public speaking.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis,
Dan B, Floyd, James J, and Winsor, Jerry L, Komunikasi Bisnis dan Profesional (terj), Penerbit PT Remaja Rosdakarya, Bandung, 2000
Green,
DTM Gerald, The Magic of Public Speaking
(Keajaiban Public Speaking), Elex Media Komputindo, Jakarta, 2000
Hooper,
Jean and Janis, J Harold, Writing and Communicating in Business,
Cassell Australia Limited, Victoria, 1982
Riyanto,
Makmun, Komunikasi Bisnis II,
Politeknik NegeriSemarang, Semarang, 1998
Zuhdi,
Umar Farouk, Komunikasi Bisnis:
Pemahaman Secara Mudah, Penerbit Wahana Totalita, Yogyakarta, 2011
