Dr. Frank Kardasz MPA, Ed.D. Editor: Ava Gozo.
Preparing for on-line podcasts, presentations or other speaking engagements requires some practice. Here are some tips, checklists and speaking exercises to consider.
Environment
Insure a quiet presenter environment. Eliminate ambient room noises. Quiet those fans, air conditioning units, pets, livestock, children, and that squeaky desk chair.
Devices
✅ Set to mute: Cell phones, text message notifications and alarms.
✅ Use AC Wall-plug power – Not Battery. Laptops, headsets, and powered peripherals should be plugged into a power source that is not battery dependent.
✅ Wired not Wireless: Headsets and microphones are generally more reliable and not subject to radio frequency interference and dead battery issues like Bluetooth and Wireless. Use wired devices when possible.
✅
Check all plug connections to be sure that they
are securely plugged into the wall or the back of the device. Loose wires can interrupt a connection.
✅ Battery backup systems, if used, are operating and ready.
✅ Replace those AA or AAA batteries in little peripheral devices that use batteries like Bluetooth keyboards and headsets.
✅ Playback and recording devices, microphones and speakers (found in the system settings) are set to the appropriate devices and not conflicting with other devices.
✅ Temporarily disable automatic operating system updates (Windows System Updates) if they might interfere with the presentation.
✅ Temporarily disable cloud storage devices or other household bandwidth-eating things like Roku and on-line games.
Internet
✅ Router/Internet is connected via a hard-wire
instead of wireless if possible.
✅ Close unnecessary programs, browsers and windows
on your presentation device. They will consume system resources and may slow the responses from your device.
✅ Power off other devices that might use bandwidth during the presentation.
✅ The Chrome browser has the reputation of being a data-hog. Some experts suggest Edge or Firefox – your mileage may vary.
Alternate Communications
✅ Presenters and administrators should trade telephone numbers in case of breakdown and the need for emergency contact.
✅ Presenter and administrators should exchange email addresses and email programs are open so that email communication may be established in the event of breakdown.
Back-up Equipment
✅ The presenters slideshow is also on the computer of
a participating administrator in the event of loss of video from the presenter. If the main presenter's screen freezes, the backup can present on the backup system's screen.
✅ If you have back-up devices, computer, headset, microphone, have them ready, just in case they are needed.
Audio Conflict Prevention
✅ Administrators, co-presenters and attendees should mute themselves while the main presenter is speaking. Devices set to the “speaker” setting may cause audio feedback when other participants are speaking, and dueling microphones are open.
✅ Practice in advance of the presentation with the same devices and equipment that you will use during the live performance. Work out the issues and challenges during the practice session to avoid problems on the day of the presentation.
Personal
✅ Before the presentation, use the restroom.
✅ Blow your nose and clear your sinuses.
✅ Hydrate to avoid dry throat. Gargle.
✅ Have a water bottle available and nearby during your presentation in case your throat gets dry.
Face Warm-Up
Muscle warm-ups - Exercise the mouth and facial muscles by opening
your mouth wide and sticking your tongue out – yes, you look silly doing that.
Practice smiling and try to remember to smile while speaking during your presentation. Even when you are off-camera, smiling makes a difference.
Sit or Stand: For a lengthy presentation it may be preferable to sit comfortably. Some presenters prefer to stand. Either is acceptable.
Speakers Voice
When you are speaking, avoid filling moments of dead-air with the sounds “ahhhh” and “mmmm” and “ummmm”.
Vary your rate of speech, slow to medium speed; but not so fast that others cannot understand you.
Vary your tone and pitch to avoid a monotonous monotone.
Voice Warm-Up
- Say the following voice warm-up exercises out loud. When you err, repeat the exercise until you have it mastered. Slow down to clearly enunciate challenging words.
Alphabet
A b c d e f g h I j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z now Backwards - z y x w v u t s r q p o n m l k j I h g f e d c b a
Three for Overall Use
The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the tip of the tongue, the teeth, the lips.
Bobby brought a big brown box of beef biscuits. Then Betty bought a broken box of mixed barbecue biscuits and an exquisite black biscuit mixer.
Toy boat, toy boat, toy boat, toy boat.
Pronouncing S and SH
Should saucy sharks seek shelter soon from the sickening shining seas?
The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep's sick.
She sits and shines shoes. And when she sits, she shines snappy shoes all day.
Snapchat, Snapmap, Snitsnat, Snipsnap, Snapchat, Snipsnap, Snapchat, Shipshape, Snipsnap, Snitsnat
Pronouncing M and N
Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.
She stood upon the balcony, inimically mimicking him hiccuping while amicably welcoming him in.
Any noise annoys an oyster, but a noisy noise annoys an oyster most.
Pronouncing B and BL
How many brown beams could Jim Beam bring if Jim Beam could bring brown beams?
Barren beacon beckons bacon Baron’s blackened beacon.
Good blood, bad blood, good blond, bad blood, red blond, blue blood, red blood, blue blood.
A big black bug bit a big black bear and the big black bear bled blue blood.
Pronouncing R and TH
Round the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran in retaliation.
Rosco the rum runner rubbed out Rudy the rat for ruining his rum running receipts.
Thistle sticks; sixty-six thousand and six thrashing thistle sticks.
Consonants with Vowel Shadings
I carried the married character over the calamitous barrier.
The freaky foreign authorities put Dorothy in an orange forest foraging for finite food.
Yes, she is pure, but so is Mrs. Muir. You're just unsure. Please do not lure me with your unsure cure.
Subtle Difference Between W and WH
Which wicked witch whined when the wine was spilled on the wall of the wailing whale?
Irish Wristwatch, Irish Wristwatch, Irish Wristwatch.
I don't care a whit for your wit or whims," said Warren Wharton’s wacky widowers wife.
How much wild wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wild wood?
Pronouncing P
I'm not the pheasant plucker, I'm the pheasant plucker's son. I'm only plucking pheasants till the pheasant plucker comes.
Peter Pack Piper playfully picked a peck of pickled peppercorn papaya peppers.
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