Persuasive Speech

Persuasive Speech

This was it! The last speech for COM1010. I probably did a little less work for my topic on Bottled Water, since it is simpler than String Theory. At first I was concerned about my particular topic. I thought
"Would this be too boring?", "Everyone already knows about this!"
But in the end, I decided to just go for it since the issue needs to readdressed anyway.


Starting off, I think I had a great introduction. "Green is not just a color anymore.."
I think most people realized, that that was an impromptu beginning. I decided at the last minute to change the intro, and I stuttered just a little bit. Afterward, the speech came to me a bit better, and I delivered quite well. My voice was loud and clear, even though I was still sick from the day before.
The powerpoint definitely helped my presentation from being too dry and lackluster. The powerpoint probably stimulated the audience's minds so that they would pay more attention to the speech, and thereby getting the point across.
As for the body of the speech, I felt it was too short. I probably could have incorporated more facts and figures and immediate impacts that purchasing bottled water and not recycling afterward would have had. Finally, my ending was short and simple.
Perhaps the class was glad i wrapped up so quickly on such a tedious topic!

Since my speech was under the 5 minute mark, it probably equals points off.
Overall, I think my grade would probably be a B+

Informative Speech

I did not expect to fall apart while presenting my informative speech about String Theory. When I realized I didn't have the final draft of my powerpoint, I freaked out and stuttered throughout my speech. The power point definitely held me back a lot. I probably shouldn't have panicked, but I was disappointed since I put in a lot of effort for this speech. The introduction started off well; I was still a tad nervous. As I made my way to the body of the speech, the slides I had planned to implement in the speech were not there and I stumbled. For the future, I know now that I should not panic, and that visual aids are just exactly that, aids. I shouldn't have relied on my powerpoint so heavily as I did for my speech on String Theory. Although I did make an assumption that my audience wouldn't be able to comprehend what I was saying, since String Theory is a tricky thing to discuss; I believed that the pictures from my slides would help the audience better understand the main point of my speech.
After stuttering and stumbling, I realized I wasn't helping my case at all by trying to look through my e-mail addresses for my powerpoint. So i decided to ditch the powerpoint and try to proceed with the speech. It was difficult to do, but I managed and the conclusion was far better than the body of the speech. Well, now I know that the show must go on.

I know that I could improve my delivery since I was so nervous after the mishap, but I couldn't help the feeling of anxiety after that had happened. Just as well, I realized my voice started to tremble a bit since I couldn't find my words, so I have to work on that as well. And I have to make sure my PowerPoitn program on my computer is compatible withthe school's computers before actually presenting the speech.

Overall I believe I did a horrible job trying to pick myself up, and delivering the speech. I would give myself a C-

The SPEECH!

I never thought I had a problem with public speaking, but it seems that every time I have to present in front of a room full of people, I get tense and nervous.

I was pretty unhappy with my presentation on Thursday. I didn't have a hard copy with me so I had to retrieve the speech on my phone; that set me back a bit. I know I definitely rushed the speech, since it seemed short to me. I think I could have improved on my pace. Perhaps I was just nervous, so I rushed through my speech and I probably omitted a few things from my presentation since I was nervous. Next time, I know I will have to keep my pace steady so that I won't skip key points in my speech. To improve, I should have a timer and rehearse my speech, so I know that I'm not too fast or too slow. Rehearsing a day beforehand would help a lot and I should definitely know what I am talking about, or else I would risk rambling about something unrelated to my speech. Plus, I should do those tension-relieving exercises! Of course I don't think I can ever do those exercises in front of everyone..I'll go to the bathroom and shake away all the tension.
However, I did do at least some good things in my presentation. I engaged the audience, and I incorporated their input in my speech. I asked before hand if anyone knew where the name "SoHo" came from, sort of as a clincher to the speech. However, I did cut off a student just as they were about to finish their sentence. Again, I might have been more nervous than anything, so I didn't even realize I cut someone off! Then again, I was somewhat relieved that no one else engaged the audience. Engaging the audience made my speech stand out a bit more.
As for my vocal delivery, I believe I was loud and clear. Perhaps, when I hear myself talking, I seem loud. But I will try to speak louder just in case my voice is too soft.
Physically, I may have moved my hands a bit too much, and I definitely looked at the ceiling or the wall most of the times. Plus, I darted my eyes across the room rapidly, not taking a moment to look everyone in the eye. I just have a problem with making eye contact with everybody. I don't have problem making eye contact when I'm with a smaller group of people. I guess since I was technically the "center of attention" I felt like there was an invisible spotlight shining on me and I felt awkward looking at everybody. I should probably take my own advice about eye contact: look at the person's hair, or forehead. I know that I don't necessarily have to look at a person directly in the eyes. I can fake eye contact by looking somewhere near it.

Overall I believe my presentation was above average. There were some areas I definitely needed to improve upon, and some areas that I believe I did very well.