2). Have you ever been influenced by a speaker? Think of the best speaker you've
ever heard. What was in about that speaker that made his or her communication
memorable? Think of the worst speaker you've ever heard. What do you remember
about his or her message
I haven't heard very many speakers, but there are a few who stick out to me the most. First, the good speaker. This past April, I participated in the Bay Area Undergraduate Communication Studies Research Conference, and the keynote speaker was amazing. Not the people welcoming you and congratulating you in participating, but the speaker who shared their research about what they are interested in.
His name is Dr. Brian Spitzberg or San Diego State University, sharing his paper on “Stalking and the Cultural Corruptions of Courtship.” My first thought, and his first remark, was "stalking is not an easy subject; one often not associated with communications," but stalking communicates more than we think. I learned that, in order to be considered "stalking," the person doing the stalking has to inflict fear within their victim. Though the conversation was heavy in statistics and analysis, I was completely enthralled with him - not the subject necessarily, but how he present it.
His voice was clear and welcoming, something I believe was hard to do considering the subject at hand. His gestures were purposeful and his tone kept with the topic at hand, and maintained eye contact with the audience. Due to the nature of the subject, he included cartoons and comics to make light of the situation, as well as news clippings of what we consider (or not) stalking. He related the event of stalking to the media and movies that portray stalking in a good light (like Something about Mary). I was wishing that I had him for a professor and (maybe) help him on his research.
Unlike Dr. Spitzberg, there was a student present I remember who did not do so well. She went over her time limit, read directly (no joke) off her paper, and wasn't loud enough to be heard from the back of the room. Also, she did not seem to have a plan for her speech and was jumping around from topic to topic, even confusing herself a couple of time. She had no poise and I could tell she did not want to be there at all.
I just hope my presentation was more like Dr. Spitzberg, rather than the young lady. I honestly can't remember what she was speaking about either....
hello! i notice that I enjoy reading what you have to say. Everything you seem to write, I can relate to. "Due to the nature of the subject, he included cartoons and comics to make light of the situation." if i were at that speech i also would have enjoyed the use of comics and cartoons. I feel as if sometimes serious matters in a speech lead to a tense crowd. To add a small tiny bit of humor can provide a sense of relief for the audience. There would be nothing worse than a speech which is so serious everyone is afraid to let out a breath or even a cough. The speech could also be more enjoyed which would allow the point to get across even more.
ReplyDeletei look forward to your future posts and thoughts.
Thank you! If you like reading my posts (shameless plug) I do have my actual blog, which I started writing in again. Just click on my name and it'll show you my other bolg.
DeleteI hope my future writing are just as enjoyable!
Hi Miss B, I enjoyed reading your post and found myself agreeing with you on multiple points! One that stuck out to me was when you mentioned Dr. Spitzberg having a clear and welcoming voice. For me this is huge, due to the fact that if I find someone's voice to be annoying, loud, too soft or nasally I tend to tune them out and lose interest, even if I like the subject. I know people can't control the voice they have and we all like different sounds, but for me to listen and take away from a presentation voice is definitely a factor. I too would have taken pleasure in the cartoons and comics within the presentation, tricks like that help me remember and stand out in my mind, I believe it's an effective tool many great speakers use.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Hope you're enjoying the weekend!
Hey Miss B,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I can totally relate to your experience. Even if the subject matter is off-putting or even dull by nature, if it is delivered properly it can be incredibly gripping! You noted, 'His gestures were purposeful and his tone kept with the topic at hand, and maintained eye contact with the audience." It seems delivery is one of the most critical keys in engaging an audience and communicating a message. I've heard it said that communication is 10% the message delivered, and 90% what is received. Considering this little nugget of knowledge, it seems the delivery certainly is critical.