Hyderabad|India|October'2008: Generation Next is no doubt, thy are hope of the nation and its future. The new generation estimated to be quite a good number has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events. They are Generation Next, the young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change. But, what about their public speaking and presentation skills? When comes to Public Speaking many are not that as comfortable as they chat with friends on net.

Without exception, almost everyone has to stand up and speak in front of an audience at some time in their lives. If you think sales men, politicians, advocates, teachers only need to speak you are mistaken. Generation Next too needs Public Speaking skills as much as adults. Unfortunately our education system is not geared up to teach this most sought after skill. Be it an elocution competition, presentation during a science exhibition, group discussion, speaking in front of gathering in school/college assembly, school anniversary, annual day, sports day, job interviews, group discussions whatever may be the occasion, young generation do need speaking skills as much as adults or even more.

How do they learn these skills especially when there is no concentrated efforts made by colleges to address these issues. There are no formal training institutions except Dale Carnegie, Junior Chamber International, Toastmasters, YMCA, Hyderabad based Media Junction etc and others.  

It is a wrong notion that speakers are born. They are made, they are made through formal training.

What is Public Speaking?
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners .

Fear of Public Speaking is called Glossophobia. It is also called stage fright. It is believed to be the single most common phobia — affecting as much as 75% of the population. Fear of oration is ranked even above that of death.

In public speaking, as in any form of communication, there are five basic elements, often expressed as "who is saying what to whom using what medium with what effects?"

Why Public Speaking?
This is sthe age of the stage...wherever you go, you have an audience. so better learn to speak well to influence people and win friends.

Why should you speak?
To tell the world who you are. If you don’t speak up for yourself, who will speak for your.

We human beings have a unique gift of the gab, which distinguishes us from the rest of the living creatures.

Because you as an individual are the most valuable resource on the planet. When you say, express, project, talk, give your opinion on something meaningful, your marks, your community and even your own life is immeditely the better of it.

Because like any adult you have an opinion of your own. You have lot of feelings and opinions you would like to make known to the rest of the world.

Because there are people, organisaitons and nations who need and want to hear what you have to say, and they might even pay. 

What are your benefits for becoming a good speaker?
Poise: You will gain confidence and self esteem. A sense of self-worth surrounds you when you present yourself and your material well.

Power: When you speak well, you get sense of satisfaction and achievement. The skill and ability to convince and influence is one of the greatest powers on earth. This holds good in home, school and wherever you are on earth, in every possible situation.

Position: This is the most sought after skill. When added to your personality, you will gain edge over your competition. You will become more valuable---you will get recognition in school. You will win elecution competition easily, face interview boldly, express clearly in the science exhibition, school picnics and meetings.

Achievement: Changing and influencing others’ lives for the good is worthwile achievement and powerful, eloquent speech is one of the best ways to accomplish this. 

Enjoyment: As an empowered speaker, you will enjoy your life.

People Skills: Helps to improve people skills.

Respect and cooperation: Good speakers win respect, cooperation and confidence from others. This can be a vital key to leadership.  

Edge over others: Gives an edge ove peers/fellow beings/children 

Is public speaking a pain?
Sorry, think again. It is pleasure. You actually enjoy speaking. Once you learn how, where won’t matter much. Like learning to ride cycle, swimming you can do it and enjoy.

Words are dynamites
Words have power. Words can do and undo, make and unmake, harm and heal, inspire or dicourage, encourage. Words have caused war and peace, bloodshed and unity, without doubt words have power.

According to Rudyard Kipling, the wrods are ... the most powerful drugs used by mankind.

The tongue is not steel, yet it cuts.

The purpose of speech is to inform, to entertain, to educate, to persuade, to stimulate, to convince and to actuate.

Speakers are leaders
A little time spent infront of gathering ensures more recognition than months and years of hard work behind the stage.

Fear, how to conquer it?
Why people afraid of speaking infront of gathering is due to fear of failure says D.Ramchandram of Solus Media who has been doing training programmes on the subject for the past four years. Don’t be afraid to fail. You have failed many times although you may not remember. You fell down the first time you tried to walk. You almost drowned the first time your tried to swim, didn’t you? Did you hit the ball the first time you smung a bat?

Call me donkey, but, don’t ask me to speak infront of gathering, say many. Such is the fear of public speaking.

In a survey done in western coutries, it is found that people fear the public speaking more than even fear of death and nuclear war.

Best way to over come fear is to realise that you are not alone to have fear, stage fright, anxiety. Everybody and anybody has it even best of the best known speakers experience it.

Be aware that experience reduces the fear. So take plunge and start speaking, even if you struggle, stammer, shiver, sweat .

Be told yourself that winners don’t quit and quitters don’t win. Never fear, never quit.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.

Success comes out of mistakes
Realise that success doesn’t belong to anyone. It could be yours too. But, for which, you must start speaking, even if you are to make mistakes.

Please be aware that we all learn from mistakes. Mistakes are stepping stones for success.

If you have failed more than others, there is a very good chance you are living more completely than others. Those who take more chances and dare to be more and do more than others will naturally experience more failures. But, try something and then fail than never to have tried it at all.

Tough times never last, but, tough people do.
Good speaking skills means a strong foundation for your career success. It is a sin not to speak when are ought to speak. It is equally bad to speak when are ought not to speak.

Speaking in Public is not Inherently Stressful. It is a pleasureful act.

obody will kill if you don’t give good speech. All learn from their experience.

Assess the audience needs
Best way to overcome the fear is to prepare. Before you speak, assess the needs of the audience like who the audience are and what do they expect, what time of the day the speech needs to be deliver etc. Audience needs assessment is very important because the subject matter to speak varies from audience to audience.

On a subject LOVE, what you speak to children may differ when addressed teenagers. If your audience are senior citizens the subject matter will change totally.

Some people speak from experience, others don’t. Your experience is unique to you. It is always best to speak from your experience which is straight from your heart.

Good speakers make people see with their ears
Speech is a mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. Say what you feel, and feel what you say. Let your speech harmonize with life.

Remember the best orator is one who can make men see with their ears.

Think before you speak. Speak what you think.

A person’s character is revealed by his speech.

Minds are like prachutes, they function only when they are open. So also your public speaking. Come on, open up and Speak to glory.

Opening, Body, Closing are important in a speech
Remember a speech is made up of three basic parts: the introduction, the body and the conclusion. Your thoughts must fall into one of these categories. Create your speech based on percentages. 1. Introduction is approximately 10 to 15 per cent. 2. Body is almost 75 per cent. 3. Conclusion is 10 per cent.

There should be a good opening. Based on opening of your speech audience will decide whether to listen to you or not.

If your turn is to speak immediately after a speaker who must have bored, audience probably must have gone to sleep. Your duty is to wake them up with good attraction or opening remarks.

Many ways to open your speech
This opening or attraction can be done by many ways. You can attract by start telling them a story, ask a question, start with a vital information of the subject, start with a joke, open you speech with a quotation, exhibit some thing, give some interesting facts, anecdotes, start with shocking news, start with some illustration. These are some of the ways normally used to attract the attention of the audience.

Link opening to body or subject matter
Once you begin your speech by attracting any of the above methods, you must link this opening with subject on which you are going to speak. This is a bridge between your opening talk and main subject.

Aim three things in public speaking
There are three things to aim at in public speaking: first, to get into your subject, then to get your subject into yourself, and lastly, to get your subject into the heart of your audience.

How do you develop the content required for your speech?
First things first. The thoughts come into your mind spontaneously the moment you are asked to speak must be noted. From there on start collecting more inputs, by talking to people, searching on the net, reading books, referring to your old news clippings, personal collections, your personal tiny data bank and visiting a library.

Never divert the subject. Don’t drag. Never exceed the time given to you. Think more than you talk, and talk less than you listen.

Don’t load your speech with unnecessary numbers, statistics. Don’t be sentimental.

A speaker said, "My job now is to speak to you. Your job to listen to me. If you finish before me, clap".

Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.

Conclusion should leave a long lasting impact
Don’t abruptly end your speech. Close your speech by appealing to your audience or build a climax, or condense the subject, or drive home a message or evaluate and close it.