Public Speaking in the Pandemic

Public Speaking in the Pandemic: Conquering your Anxiety in the New Year

2/2/2021

Picture of someone conquering their pubic speaking fear

The New Year has finally come, and we are all still figuring out the realm of public speaking in a global pandemic. As you start to ease into the new semester and the New Year, the Speaker’s Center has some helpful tips and tricks to making your presentations and oral projects a success!

Pandemic or not, public speaking can be very anxiety inducing for most people. The presentations and speeches given in today’s current circumstances are even more stressful because there are greater technological issues that can arise and the absence of an in-person audience to cheer you on. We, as public speakers, have to redesign what public speaking means in our heads to match our current situation- which is far easier than you think!

1. Space

Most likely you will be giving a presentation or speech this semester via zoom call or recording one ahead of time and uploading it to a portal for others to see. The first item to think about is what your space around you is going to look like while you present. Think about this:
What does the background of your speech look like?

Try to pick neutral and less distracting parts of your home or residence and spruce them up with little decorations like plants, paintings, or appropriate light fixtures.
Avoid lots of background distractions if you can and be careful doing your speech outside; the view might be nice, but you will need to think about the noise levels.

Speaking of light fixtures, how is your lighting?

Try to position your setup in front of an open window or light to ensure that your audience will have a clear image of your presentation!
Avoid dark rooms or only having the light on half of your face.

2, Preparing your Speech

Getting in the right mindset is half the battle for a successful speech. Here are a few things to remember while you prepare for your semester full of presentations:
Set realistic expectations for yourself.

Remember that there are new stressors besides your undergraduate classes and that means that you can only do your best. Luckily, your whole career does not ride off this one speech! Take your time and appropriately prepare yourself by understanding your research, proofreading your outline, and practicing your presentation.

You are not expected to be an “expert” on your speech.
Lets face it, nobody in your classes is going to be true experts on the topics you are presenting. This is okay! These speech assignments are to help you grow as an intellectual and challenge yourself with learning about something new. The best you can do is to know your information and ask yourself questions that you think your audience would want more clarity on.

Am I being too broad with my information?
If I was an outsider to this topic, am I providing enough information to my audience?
Could I give an elevator pitch about this topic without having to peek at my notes?

3. Delivering your Speech

Finally, after carefully looking over your notes and outlines you are ready to give your speech! We offer two solutions to ease your stress over the process:
Playing to the Camera.

Even though you cannot give your speech in-person, this does not mean you cannot have the professional posture and piercing eye contact! Try to hold yourself high when you are discussing your topic by sitting straight up in your seat and making eye contact with the camera lens so it will appear you are talking to your audience on the other end of the screen.
You can also try standing while you give your speech as you would in a regular classroom. This is really beneficial since we do most of our work sitting these days!

Engage with your audience.

Even though your audience might not be able to reply back in real time, it is still important to engage with your audience and those who will be watching your speech.
Try asking an engaging question they can ponder on or ask them to write their response in the comment section of the video for an enriching conversation long after the initial question.
Leave your audience with a call to action in the forms of a quote, question, story, or challenge.

There you have it! As we are almost a quarter into the semester, do not forget to utilize our resources at the Speaker’s Center for your speeches. This can include going over ideas, finding research, checking citations, practicing your speech, or revising your outline. Please visit our website https://www.siucmst.org/speakerscenter.html for more information and to connect virtually with one of our volunteers during our hours of operation. We look forward to seeing you this semester!

References:
Hovhannisyan, L. (October 1, 2020). How Public Speaking Has Been Transformed Post COVID-19. Making Business Matter. https://www.makingbusinessmatter.net/public-speaking-post-covid-19/#:~:text=Public%20has%20been%20one,a%20large%20group%20of%20people.
DeVries, H. (June 24, 2020) Overcoming Public Speaking Fear During Pandemic and New Normal. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/henrydevries/2020/06/24/overcoming-public-speaking-fear-during-pandemic-and-new-normal/?sh=708f72076dbd