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Interview with Vincent Stevenson, Education Director at the College of Public Speaking by Elena Krovvidi, a journalist studying at Westminster University
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Wonders of the voice. Finding keys to successful public speaking by Elena Krovvidi
The first thing about Vince Stevenson that catches your attention is his voice. Speaking on the phone he sounds calm, confident and self-composed, and makes you feel at ease with him at once. And meeting him in person confirms the first vocal impression.
Vince Stevenson is Education Director at the College of Public Speaking, London. Vince thinks that "good speaking skills are the cornerstone of success" whether you are applying for a job, delivering a speech at a conference or giving advice to your friends on a good shop for children's clothes. In any situation people's reaction to what you say can be influenced significantly by how you say it.
So what are the keys to good speaking?
You have to say it like you mean it. First of all, you should believe in what you are saying. And only in this case can you make others believe in it.
What is the most common speaking problem that you've come across?
There are a number of factors that affect people's speech but the most important is a lack of self-confidence. You can't be too softly-spoken if you want to make your point. Sometimes it is necessary to bang on the table to attract attention to what you're saying.
Is it true that in most cases, people who feel insecure about their speaking skills are afraid that they don't have enough knowledge or skills to be considered for the job?
It's surprising that quite often even very successful people suffer from lack of self-confidence. Last year I worked with a top lady executive from Birmingham, Jane. A power-house of a lady, working in a large health organisation and she has 150 people under her supervision. However, she doesn't have one jot of self-confidence. She turned to me because she was preparing for a big project. I helped her build her confidence and learn to how express her ideas about the project more freely.
Since we are talking about job interviews what would be your advice on how to do well in a job interview?During a job interview you should remember that interviewers are usually interested in three things: your ability to work in a team, act as a leader if the situation demands it and generally work without supervision. You should concentrate on these three things and be assertive about how you can contribute to the company's bottom line and add value straight away; it's good to give some impressive examples of you have displayed these qualities during your previous job. Also research shows that they spend more time examining your personality and likeablity than your qualifications and experience.
What recommendations can you give to a person who wants to make a good speech?
For any kind of speech there are three basic recommendations: define the purpose of your speech, speak with conviction and be sincere. You should make it clear from the beginning what kind of speech this is: a motivational speech or an entertainment speech etc. And once you've determined the objective, the audience starts to pay attention to what you're saying you should convince them of your points and make them buy into you. The opening of your speech is very important because your first words create expectations, set standards and sets the scene. You should begin your speech distinctly to make your point and grab the audience's attention. If you mumble something unintelligible to the audience announcing the subject of your speech, they could feel confused.
Are there any specific recommendations on how to speak such as the pace of speaking?
There is no universal pace for speaking. If you speak too slowly the audience quickly loses interest to what you are saying and if you speak too fast people just don't understand. As a rule a good pace of speaking is about 90-110 words a minute. The pitch of your voice is also important: people find high-pitched voices less credible. That's why TV presenters tend to lower their voices towards the end of a sentence because it sounds more authoritative. Try not to speak too quietly so that everybody can hear you clearly and follow your speech. And also try to avoid verbal mannerisms such as 'you know', 'well', 'like', 'init', because it also makes you sound less credible.
- The College of Public Speaking is committed to the development of effective communication throughout all strands of society, both within the UK and internationally. CoPS's trainers and lecturers devote a proportion of their time and expertise to a myriad of pro bono projects.