You can’t have missed it – the staccato sprinkling of the word ‘like’ in conversations overheard in cafes, trains and offices everywhere.

As usual, it’s a speaking fashion that seems to have emerged and is certainly most used among teenage girls.

“And I was like” has developed its own contraction already, to something more akin to “an’yse’lye’,” all run in together as one word with a glottal stop at the end of it.

One briefly-seen advert trying to seem spontaneous, colloquial and natural featured the excruciating spectacle of an actress carefully over-enunciating the phrase “and I was like” as if it were a line of Shakespeare. It didn’t last long.

So what does ‘like’ mean? It seems to have several main functions at the moment:

To replace “and I said” “and she said – “And I was like ‘no way’ and she was like ‘way’ and I was like ‘whatever’ …”

To replace “and my attitude was” “and her attitude was” – “And I was like totally in her face and she was like giving it that … ”

Just before a verb or a concept, as though the speaker needs a bit of a leg up before they can articulate the next phrase – “he never like had any intention” and “my friend’s like best friends with her sister … ”

As a meaningless interjection, a linguistic tic that the speaker does not even realise they are doing, to fill a gap until the next word comes along – a 21st Century ‘um.’

So, here’s the recipe:

Talk very quickly about nothing in particular as though it’s the end of the world or the most exciting thing that will ever happen [either will do] …

Sprinkle in a liberal helping of ‘like’ …

For real authenticity, add the upwardly mobile moo of Australian Question intonation …

Now grate in some Dalek vocal fry …

and this is what you get …

“And like I went out last night? with like Kelly and Shanaaaaaae and like totally got like waaaaasted and omigod her mother was like you are like grounded for evaaaaah?

Like any other language fashion, ‘like’ is an acquired and displayed badge of belonging, and just like vocal fry and AQI … there’ll be another one along in a minute.

The question is … do you do it? Have they started counting your ‘likes’ – or worse, doing a surreptitious five-bar gate on a napkin?

If you do it at work, it will damage your professional image. If you do it in a job interview, it may mean the difference between getting the job and putting the recruiter off. And if you do it as a public speaker, you must expect the five-bar gate to be the main source of hilarity at the coffee break.

Are you doing it? Record yourself speaking. If the answer is yes … it’s time to strike the like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three tips for dealing with public speaking nerves:

Prepare …

The presentation: rehearse, record yourself and get some feedback from someone you can trust. The more familiar you are with it all, the more confident you’ll feel on the day.

Your body: relax your shoulders, stand straight and easy, control your breathing – focus on breathing from your diaphragm, not from your chest.

Your mind: remember they want you to succeed – so smile and make eye contact. They’ll like you for it.

Most public speakers need to do one or more of three things:

• to inspire – formal announcements, sermons, keynote speeches, political speeches, rallying calls to action …
• to inform – training sessions, team briefings, press announcements, presenting academic papers …
• to entertain – after dinner, best man, thank you and prize-giving speeches, performances, reading poetry or fiction aloud …

Of course, the Ancient Greeks had a word for everything and they knew a lot about public speaking. Their term ‘glossophobia,’ or ‘tongue terror,’ is the perfect description for the fear of speaking in public.

They also made it clear that to be a successful speaker you need to establish three points from the start for the audience to accept you and your message, and these still hold true today – Ethos, Logos and Pathos:

Ethos – where we derive our term Ethics. An audience needs to trust and believe you, to feel that your values and beliefs chime in with their own.

Logos – where we derive our term Logic. They need to fully understand your language and your message before they can buy into it.

Pathos – where we derive our term Empathy. They need to feel that they like you.

Your words, voice and body language all need to be working in harmony to fulfil all these needs from the moment they first see you stand up to speak.

If they believe you, you’ll find it easier to encourage them, help them take heart and change their attitude.

If they understand you, they’ll be able to follow, learn and take the message away with them.

And if they like you, they’ll feel relaxed, engaged and attentive.

So whatever form your public speaking takes, you’ll want your contribution to be inspiring, informative and entertaining – the public speaking hat trick!

Any manager has some element of public speaking among their duties.

You might be holding a one-to-one meeting with a staff member for disciplinary, development or assessment purposes, requiring the delivery of some important information.

You might be presenting the morning shift briefing, chairing a meeting or cascading some information or training to a small group of staff.

You might be speaking to a large group of employees at conference or an emergency meeting.

Whether the audience consists of one person, several or many, the same principles apply:

• Know your stuff as well as possible in advance
• Gain and keep control over your breathing
• Achieve a poised, graceful posture – you’ll feel more comfortable and convey physical confidence and status
• Slow down and use a variety of pace and delivery, to help keep their interest
• Pay attention to your consonants – these carry clarity, authority and status
• Cultivate an air of confidence, which suggests attention to detail and thoughtfulness
• Stop speaking if you are looking at a flipchart or powerpoint slide – if you speak with your face turned away from the audience, your vocal presence and personal impact will drop and you’ll lose them
• Make eye contact and speak directly to them, not to your notes – bullet points and keywords rather than a full script will help

The ability to speak well in public is a vital business and social skill that will enhance your professional and personal image, yet it’s a task that many people fear above all others.

Speaking Well In Public offers a portfolio of practical, enjoyable and effective public speaking skills training for leadership, management and business, for performance and social occasions, for education, employability and life.

Outcomes:

• Learn professional techniques
• Control stage fright
• Learn the techniques used by actors to control nerves and build confidence
• Develop and project your voice
• Learn breathing and vocal skills for clear and authoritative speech
• Engage and keep your audience’s interest
• Discover how pacing, pausing and vocal variety keep your audience’s attention
• Deliver that memorable message with lasting impact
• Use body language, movement, eye contact and gesture to support your message

Who benefits from training in Public Speaking Skills?

For business

Whether you are part of a company or self-employed, Public Speaking is an essential business skill

Represent yourself and your company effectively, gain confidence and present your message with authority

Ensure your staff represent your organisation well

We can deliver staff training at all levels, offering group and one-to-one sessions.

Making speeches and reading briefings

Make an impressive and authoritative impact at meetings, conferences and trade shows with powerful new public speaking skills

Management appraisals and coaching sessions

Speak with confidence when having difficult conversations, guide, inspire and develop your staff

Pitching for funding, business and sales

Use new public speaking skills to make a confident and credible impression to investors, clients and customers

After-dinner speaking

Captivate and entertain your audience

Making training presentations and facilitating learning events

Engage and keep their attention, encourage participation and involvement and ensure they leave with a clear message

Speaking to the press

Give a clear and confident account of the situation and handle questions with ease

The public sector

Public money must be spent with great care – the sector is in the spotlight and must be seen to be doing more with less.

Effectively leading and inspiring public servants, who must understand and put into practice legislation, procedures, rules, regulations and standards, is vital.

Powerful public speaking skills help to deliver these training and management results.

Self-employed, sole traders, SMEs

Present yourself and your own business more effectively, gain confidence, and give yourself a better chance of success

The legal profession

In court cases, adjudications and tribunals, duties include appealing, interviewing and cross-examining, presenting and summing up.

Juries, magistrates and board members need to hear arguments, observe interviews and follow cross examinations before reaching their own verdict. The barrister or representative must explain, clarify, illustrate, engage and persuade.

Speaking Well in Public can deliver a tailored practical course combining public speaking skills with an introduction to the principles and skills required for effective interview techniques.

Teachers, lecturers, trainers

Speaking skills allow the teacher to convey knowledge from one mind to another in as interesting and effective a manner possible, capturing and keeping attention, firing the imagination, guiding, coaching and inspiring the student’s confidence in new knowledge and skills.

Religious life

Whatever the religion or denomination, the principles and the duties are the same; to read aloud from the text and to lead a congregation for celebration, consolation, guidance, teaching and inspiration.

Students and jobseekers

Making presentations for college

Presenting yourself and your employable qualities with clarity and confidence

In today’s challenging climate, employers are looking for people with transferable communication skills and the potential to develop. We can help you present yourself and your abilities so you stand out from the crowd.

Contact

Whatever your field, Speaking Well In Public’s training will develop your personal, professional and business skills

To discuss or book in-house corporate training events, courses for your group or individual one to one coaching

Contact

How do you really feel about speaking in public?

Are you a stylish, confident and charismatic public speaker?

Do you give the best impression when you represent your company at conferences and trade shows, striking up a rapport with the audience, convincing, persuading, exciting their interest, earning your colleagues’ respect?

Or are these familiar feelings: … thumping heart … trembling hands … stage fright …?

Does speaking in public make you so nervous that you rush through the presentation to get it over with, feeling your voice is weak, or your audience is bored?

Is fear of public speaking damaging your business?

Would your business image benefit from more confident, polished and powerful public speaking skills?

Speaking well in public is an important business skill.

I can raise your confidence and improve your Public Speaking Skills in just one day. I offer you and your business something unique. I’ve trained companies, trainers and government agencies in speaking and training skills, and combined with my career as an actor and voice artist, I’ve developed methods to train you in Public Speaking skills more effectively than any other company.

It’s not about courage. I’ve worked with firefighters at management training events; people who’d rush into a burning building to save your life; but who are so scared having to make a presentation they visibly shake with fear.

Beginner, intermediate or advanced, in business, the public sector or self employed, I can help you learn fresh, confident new skills for making speeches at conferences, trade shows and networking events, making training presentations and pitching for business.

Speaking Well In Public can help you deliver results. You’ll discover:

Some of the secrets and confidence-building techniques actors use to control stage fright

How to master your breathing to develop and project your voice

And the confident use of posture, body language and expression to capture and keep your audience interest, ensuring you deliver that memorable message with lasting impact

So what’s the problem? We have the solution.

We offer many corporate courses and one to one coaching.

Learn confident and effective new public speaking skills with Speaking Well In Public.

Start slowly and carefully until you’re familiar with each one … then build up until you can repeat them quickly and accurately.

“Sister Susie’s sewing shirts for soldiers
Such skill at sewing shirts my shy young sister Susie shows
Some soldiers sent epistles
Said they’d sooner sleep on thistles
Than the saucy soft short shirts for soldiers sister Susie sews”

“Floppy fluffy puppy” [repeat]

‘An awful lot of offal off an offal lorry’

“Betty bought a bit of butter
Betty put it in her batter
Betty said this butter’s bitter
Better buy some better butter”

“Red lorry yellow lorry” [repeat]

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper
Where’s the peck of pickled pepper Peter Piper picked?”

“The sixth sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick” [repeat]

“I am the very model of a modern Major General;
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral;
I know the Kings of England, and I quote the fights historical,
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;

I’m very well acquainted too with matters mathematical,
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,
About binomial theorem I’m teeming with a lot o’ news,
With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.

I’m very good at integral and differential calculus,
I know the scientific names of beings animalculous.
In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,
I am the very model of the modern Major General”