What does the job title “facility manager” encompass in the real property industry today? As with most jobs, the responsibilities of a facility manager are vast and varied. One day you are crawling into tiny spaces looking for mold indicators; the next day, you are giving a building tour to prospective tenants. Many facility managers are also called upon to speak publicly and give presentations. Whether you are explaining a project overview to a small executive team or speaking to a facilities staff of 200, public speaking and presenting can be either a positive or a negative experience, depending on your comfort level and measure of preparedness.
In the following paragraphs, we offer general guidelines and steps to help you become a confident public speaker. In future articles, we will provide tips on how to evaluate a presentation for appropriate content and delivery and discuss types and appropriate choices of visual aids, tips for using visuals effectively, and offer examples of good and bad visual aids.
For some, the idea of speaking publicly is not an issue. For others, however, the notion of speaking in front of a group, no matter the size, evokes nervousness or even terror. Know that a certain amount of nervousness is normal—it is an indicator that you want to do well. As for the terror, the following information can help you overcome that fear and become a better public speaker.
The first rule of public speaking is to be prepared. You can significantly cut down on your stress level if you are well informed about the subject you are discussing. Research is critical. It is better to have more information than not enough. Keep in mind, though, that simply because you have the information, you do not necessarily need to present it all. The next step is to write your speech. Whether you create an outline and then develop your speech from the outline, or whether you put all your ideas down at once and then organize them into a logical order to generate your speech, you must take the time to draft and rework your thoughts on paper (or on a computer).
Deliver your speech using one of the three primary styles of presentation. One style is to memorize your speech and present it from memory. Unless you are an experienced public speaker, however, it is probably better not to use this form of presentation. It is too easy to forget a crucial part of your speech. An audience member may raise the missing information in the form of a question to you. In your head, you might think, “. . . but I covered that in my speech. Wasn’t she listening? Did I forget to talk about it?” You will get sidetracked and lose focus.
A second method is to use notes. Because your well-written speech will be based on an outline or a series of notes, you can easily transpose those thoughts onto note cards and refer to them as you make your presentation. Incorporate triggers for when to refer to visual aids, where to pause, proper pronunciations of difficult words, or whatever other hints you may need to present an effective speech into your notes. Avoid reading directly from the note cards, referring to them too much, or playing with them out of nervousness. Rehearsing ahead of time will help avoid what would sound like a canned presentation.
The third method of presentation is to print out a complete copy of your speech and read it aloud to your audience. Although this approach is rarely the best option, some will inevitably employ it. If you must use this method, there are some cautions to heed. Take care to maintain eye contact, vary your volume and tone, and avoid looking down at your papers throughout the entire presentation. Avoid a monotone recitation of your written words. Again, practicing ahead of time will help you avoid these problems.
Once you’ve done your research and written your speech, it is time to practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your speech as much as possible before the “big event.” Find family members or colleagues who will listen to your speech and offer their advice. You could also record your presentation for review. Be sure to use your notes or printed speech when rehearsing. You may find that the cards stick together and you have to dog-ear the corners. If you are reading your speech from a printout, you may find that lightweight paper slides from a podium and falls to the ground.
When speaking in public, people generally tend to talk at a faster rate than normal. Slow yourself down. While it may sound to you like you are talking very slowly, your audience will hear a normal conversational pace. Remember to vary the rate, volume, and pitch of your voice.
Nonverbal communication is equally as important as verbal communication. Even though the content of your speech will ultimately influence your gestures and movements, you should attempt to be animated in your speech. Walk the room. Use your hands to emphasize an issue. You must be careful, however, not to wander or gesticulate so much that your audience focuses on your movements instead of your words.
Express your emotions naturally and allow them to arise spontaneously as you speak. The feelings come from your conviction and your experiences. Don’t try to force emotion into your speech; your listeners will pick up on it!
Avoid ums, uhs, ers, and all the other sounds we tend to make when we are nervous, unprepared, or speaking off-the-cuff. Thorough preparation and knowledge of your topic will help you eliminate these audible pauses. As your colleagues or family listen to you practice, ask them to keep a running tally of how many “bridge” words you use. The number might surprise you!
Verify and rehearse the pronunciation of any unfamiliar words. If you are unsure about a term, look it up. If you use words improperly, someone in your audience is bound to notice and it will detract from your credibility. “I’m pretty sure that’s what it means” is simply unacceptable.
Make eye contact with individual members of your audience. This will help you forge connections with individuals and relax. You may find that, as you are looking at an individual, she will subconsciously nod in agreement as you are speaking. This should help bolster your confidence-your audience is listening to and agreeing with you! If you are uncomfortable making eye contact, look at the tops of heads. It will have the same effect.
Use visualization as part of your preparatory activities. Once you have your speech written, imagine yourself presenting the speech. Picture yourself walking comfortably in front of the crowd. Are you dressed appropriately? Are you gesturing effectively? Are you referencing your visual aids? Are you reading from notes? Are you rushing through your words just to the presentation over with?
Statistics show that influence on an audience is determined as follows: 7 percent by what we SAY; 38 percent by how we SPEAK; and 55 percent by how we LOOK AND BEHAVE. In other words, dress for success. Your attire should be determined by your audience. If you are speaking to potential clients or investors, you will want to look more professional. A suit or outfit based on traditional tailored lines in a neutral color would be appropriate for this audience. If you are speaking to a large contingent of frontline workers, a business suit would be intimidating and would not help the listeners focus on your words. For this audience, you might want to wear khakis and a company shirt.
Depending on your message, you may choose to wear a particular color based on the subconscious effects color has on an audience. For example, blue denotes loyalty and commitment. If you are speaking to your line workers about potential staffing changes, wearing blue will help convey to them that you are “with them.” Red, on the other hand, is considered a “power” color and will excite your audience. If you are talking finances to a team of executives and want to subconsciously convey to them that you are in control of the situation, consider wearing red. Green is a passive color. Unless your speech is extraordinarily stimulating, you run the risk of boring your audience.
Regardless of your audience, keep these key points in mind. Avoid tight or revealing clothes, and minimize sparkle and strong patterns or prints—you don’t want to make your audience dizzy just by looking at you! Hats can be distracting. Long hair should be pulled back. Women should avoid dangling earrings and draping scarves. They will get in your way. Remove noisy objects such as keys or loose change from your pockets. Turn off your cell phone, pager, watch alarm, or any other device that might go off during your speech.
As much as possible, familiarize yourself with the place where you’ll be delivering your speech. Arrive early. Test the acoustics. As a facility manager, you know better than most that different types of wall and ceiling coverings will affect sounds in the room. Be sure to test any audiovisual equipment you may be using. Even if it worked in your living room last night, it may not work in the conference room today.
Although we will talk in greater detail about how to create and use visual aids in a future article, it is important to mention here that visual aids can be powerful tools to assist in effective communication. Use them whenever they might complement or enhance your speech. Relevant visual aids increase understanding, save time, enhance retention, promote attentiveness, and help control nervousness.
Finally, consider “planting” someone in the audience to critique your presentation and offer you feedback and suggestions for future speeches.
The tips provided in this article cover the basics of public speaking skills. There are many valuable books and Internet sites that discuss in greater detail the art of public speaking. As you develop and refine your presentation skills, you will find that you are applying what you have learned in every aspect of your professional and personal life.
