Speaking With Confidence: Tips On Giving Your 8-Minute Speech

Giving a speech in front of a group of people for the first time can be scary not to mention intimating but the more speeches you give, the easier it will become.

As your fellow networking members, we are here help you feel more comfortable and confident in speaking so first off, when you're giving your 8-minute speech, you should avoid using filler words such as "ah", "um", "so", and "you know". When you use these words it tells the audience that you aren't prepared and that you're grasping for your next thought.

If you need an extra moment to think of your next word, don't say anything. Silence is not a bad thing. In fact, it can be used to your advantage. It can give the audience a moment to grasp what you just said and it can be used for emphasis. It is far less distracting to hear a second or two of silence than it is to hear you say "um" and "so" repeatedly throughout your speech.

You should also avoid dropping the "g" from your words as in: workin', thinkin', and sellin'. Also, avoid words like "gonna" and "ya'll". By using language like this, you can get into the hard-to-break habit of "casual" language.

Remember that your speech is 8 minutes of "Show & Tell" so bring catalogs to either hand out or pass around and if possible, bring items from your catalog to talk about, show off or demonstrate.

What to include in your speech
If this is your first speech or you haven't given a speech in a while, make sure to tell us about the following 3 items:

• Tell us why you got started in your business.
• What attracted you to it?
• How long have you been doing it?

Now, mix and match the items listed above with the items listed below to arrive at 6 to 8 minutes.

1. Tell us about the business - who started it, why, when?
2. Tell us about the quality and warranty of the product line.
3. Tell us about a favorite item or two and why you like them.
4. Don't forget to tell us when and where your next show or demonstration will be.
5. If you have a service, tell us about the kinds of things you provide.

If you're going to take questions afterwards, make sure your speech is only 8 minutes long.

Writing your speech
At this point you might be thinking, "How can I give a speech and do it right?"
The key is to write out your speech and then practice it several times and time yourself. Do this several times until you can give your speech without reading it.

Your speech should have a beginning, middle and an end.

The beginning should grab our attention. Use a quote from your company president, a joke related to your business or a situation that your product or service can fix such as "How would you like to open your kitchen cabinet and find a million bugs crawling all around?"

The middle is the main information you want us to know about. In our example, you would then tell us about the founder of the XYZ container business you're with, why you believe in the containers, and about the different containers available to solve this bug problem.

The ending should tie-up the speech. One of the best ways to do this is to come full circle and return to the beginning of the speech as in "As you can see, this home owner's bug problem would have been avoided if they had used XYZ's cereal keeper. Are there any questions?"
You could also use something like "Spring and Summer are fast approaching and now is a good time to check your pantry items for signs of spoilage and bug problems and upgrade your containers. Are there any questions?"

Do not make the mistake of trying to "wing it". It's very easy to go over time if you don't organize your speech and thoughts.

You should provide enough information for us to understand what you do but don't go all out. Now is not the time to overload us with every product you carry. Think in terms of "high-level overview".

Practice giving your speech several times to see if it sounds right and conveys enough, but not too much, information and that it's within the time limit.

Don't forget to:

1. Speak clearly
2. Speak loud enough for everyone to hear you
3. Make good eye contact by slowly sweeping your gaze around the room
4. Show confidence by standing with your chin up and shoulders back

Speaking well in public is something that you have to practice. It is a learned skill that anyone can become good at. The best way to overcome the fear of speaking is to do a lot of it and be as prepared and organized as possible.

If you feel you need more help in this area, speak with one of the club officers or consider joining a local Toastmasters club.