The following video is from Chris Brons at Amarillo College. Chris gives an informative speech about Trinity Fellowship Church. I think Chris did a great job delivering his speech. In the beginning of his speech Chris used a quote that was interesting and helped gain the attention of his audience. He used this quote with a good transitional statement that led him into his presentation. He later used another quote from Albert Einstein to bring closure to his presentation. Quotes are not necessary in every speech, but the use of quotes is quite common to open or close a speech because most of the time the chosen quote has a profound statement that is thought provoking to your audience and will help them to remember your message.
Chris’ speech also had a good conversational style by using a varied tone and rate during his delivery. In other words, he did not sound monotone and his words did not run together. Check out my post on how to sound delicious if you want to learn more.
Chris maintained excellent eye contact with his audience and had few vocal fillers. He did a great job using purposeful hand gestures that helped emphasize his speaking points. I was impressed that he didn’t use cue cards while delivering his speech which is a sign that he spent time to practice his speech before recording himself. All good speakers spend time to practice their presentation so that they are comfortable with their speech and appear polished. Chris’ presentation is an example of good preparation. Choosing a topic that you are very familiar with or passionate about also makes it easier to speak about because it doesn’t require a whole lot of memorization.
The only obvious mistake that Chris made was during the transition to the last slide titled “Intercontinental”. In the beginning Chris told us that there were four levels of missions which were Local, Border, International, and Intercontinental. However, when Chris described the 4th level he used the term “International” although the slide indicated “Intercontinental”. Just remember to say the right word for the appropriate slide during your final delivery.
Good job Chris and thanks for sending me your video! What did you think of Chris’ speech? Leave a comment below or grade him yourself. Want to see your video here then send me an email with a link or video file to christopher@grademypresentation.com
The following video is an informative speech by Nannapat. Overall the presentation was good. However, I felt that the beginning of the speech was a little weak and could have used a stronger opening. Taking a vacation to a hospital is not a compelling idea to most people. Try using a bolder statement that would catch your audience’s attention.
The organization of Nannapat’s speech was good. She began by clearly establishing the four main points of her message and she made it easy for her audience to remember them by using alliteration. I like that she used purposeful gestures to emphasize her speaking points as well. By physically counting on your fingers in front of your audience you create another memory jogger for your audience to remember your main points. If you are going to use a list of words when speaking or writing be careful to use the same word type. For example, use all nouns or all adjectives. Don’t try to mix the two or else the list of words will sound awkward and will not flow together as you speak. I would suggest using the following list of nouns in your speech: certification, choice, cleanliness, and communication.
I thought that Nannapat maintained good eye contact with her audience and also did a good job avoiding vocal fillers. She also created appropriate inflection in her voice to avoid sounding monotone. The use of a PowerPoint slideshow didn’t seem to be necessary, but it may have been a requirement by her professor. Since the subject of delivering PowerPoint presentations can be quite lengthy I will keep my comments brief. I’m glad to see that Nannapat did not read from her slides and did not stare at the slides as she spoke. Too often people forget that they are speaking to an audience and not to a PowerPoint slide.
Lastly, I would like to thank Nannapat for sending me her video. What did you think of Nannapat’s speech? Leave a comment below or grade her yourself. Want to see your video here then send me an email with a link or video file to christopher@grademypresentation.com
The following video is an informative speech about the Coast Guard. The speaker in this video did not identify himself. Overall the speaker in this video did a great job delivering his speech. He opened his speech with a catch phrase that he borrowed from the Coast Guard and he used the same catch phrase to bring closure to his speech in the end. He also quickly established his credentials by explaining that he has been working for the Coast Guard for 16 years. As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, it’s important to establish credibility with your audience so they are inclined to believe you know what you are talking about. Otherwise, your audience may not believe you and will not be fully engaged in your speech. If you’re not an authority on your subject matter be sure to cite the resources you used to give credit where credit is due, but to also show your audience that you have done your homework. This will give validity to your main points.
It appears that the speaker also knew his subject matter well and he did a good job avoiding most vocal fillers. I think that his speech had a good conversational style to it as well by using a varied rate of speech throughout his presentation. The speaker also used some inflection in his voice, but he could improve in some areas that would emphasize the shock value of some points he made. Although it is not clear if the speaker is using cue cards behind the camera he was not holding any which was impressive to see. The speaker also maintained excellent eye contact with his audience. Clearly the speaker took time to practice his speech as a result he came across as poised and calm.
Thanks for taking the time to send me your video. I think you’ll do well on your final delivery.
Have any comments about this speech? Let me know below. Want to see your video here then send me an email with a link or video file to christopher@grademypresentation.com
The following video is a self-introduction speech by Charly. Overall, I think Charly did a good job on her presentation. Her speech was well organized with a clear introduction and a brief description of her main talking points. In the body of her speech, she developed the main topics of her presentation with additional talking points. She closed with a short summary and a final thought to conclude her speech. I like that she used the old rule that I’ve mentioned before: Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you told them. If you follow this rule, your presentation will be organized in such a way that you will have a brief introduction that describes the main points you want to talk about immediately followed by a detailed discussion of each main point with supporting dialog. Lastly, you should have a short summary that quickly reviews the main talking points and a final thought to wrap up your presentation.
Charly appeared to have good poise although she wasn’t standing in front of a live audience–that can make a huge difference. Nevertheless, she maintained pretty good eye contact throughout most of her presentation. She also had a good conversational style to her speech which she accomplished by using inflection in her voice and varying the rate of her words. She had zero vocal fillers which was very impressive. I also thought that her facial expressions were good which clearly emphasized her passion for the topics she discussed. In addition, she had good purposeful gestures that gave her words more emphasis.
I did notice that Charly rolled her eyes up a number of times when she was thinking of words to say. I would suggest that you be aware of that habit because it could be a little distracting to the audience if it becomes excessive. If you find that you are doing that too much then you should rehearse your presentation a few more times to help eliminate this habit. Once you become more familiar with your speaking points you won’t have to pause so much to think about what you want to say.
What else did you notice about Charly’s speech?
Do you want feedback on your presentation before you deliver it?
Send me an email with a link or video file to christopher@grademypresentation.com
The following video was created to introduce myself and explain what the website is all about. I think you will find it to be both informative and entertaining. Enjoy!
P.S. Here is your chance to grade me! Leave a comment below or grade my presentation using the 5 star grading system.
John decided to take my advice. Next time he has a presentation to give, he will use grademypresentation.com to get feedback before he delivers it. Luckily I saved him from dying a painful death in the poisonous bushes.
The following video by Kathleen is an informative speech. If you are puzzled by the title of this post then watch the video below and you will see what I’m talking about. I think you will find it pretty amusing or maybe not…
Right off the bat, I think you will notice that Kathleen did a great job of selecting her speech topic. Why? Because she chose a topic that she is very much interested in and her enthusiasm about that topic was obvious. I really liked her energy, but a couple of times I felt like her body movements were a little off-putting and sometimes erratic. Be aware of your body movements when you are doing a presentation. If they become excessive you tend to draw attention to your body rather than your message. Also be careful not to sway when you speak. A lot of times you may not realize that you are swaying until you see yourself on video. Once you are aware of it, you can easily correct it going forward.
When you are rehearsing your presentation try to eliminate awkward sentences and the excessive use acronyms. I think Kathleen should have mentioned only once that the A.K.C. recognized the following breeds except for the “tea cup” poodle rather than using the acronym numerous times.
I enjoyed the visual aid during the presentation, but I was thinking more visual aids would have been nice and I’m not talking about more flying poodles! Perhaps a picture of each breed would have been nice to help the audience connect with the descriptions of each breed. I realize that a picture might not have come across clearly on video, but it’s something I would consider if I had access to a projector for my final delivery.
If you are going to give an informative speech, you want your audience to know that you have done your research and you are well qualified to speak on your topic of choice. I like that Kathleen validated her research on poodles by including her own personal experience with poodles as an owner of two.
Lastly, try to use note cards that are no bigger than 4X6. If you are comfortable with a 3X5 card, that is even better. I know I’ve said this before but holding a sheet of paper in your hand while talking can be a distraction to your audience. Try to minimize your notes to index cards.
I’ve left some things out. What else did you notice about Kathleen’s presentation? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Thanks!
The following video is an informative speech that was delivered by Aaron. Take a moment to listen to his presentation. What did you notice from the very beginning of Aaron’s presentation? He is passionate about his topic and it shows. If you are given the opportunity to choose your own topic, always pick a topic you are passionate about. Why? Because you will always deliver a better presentation on something that you are familiar with or have a genuine interest in. One key reason is because your thoughts will come to you quickly and you won’t find yourself stumbling around for words or using vocal fillers. Notice how Aaron did a pretty good job of avoiding vocal fillers.
I like the fact that Aaron used small cue cards instead of an 8 ½ X 11 piece of paper. It’s really distracting to your audience if your hands are flailing about with a large piece of paper. Remember to keep good eye contact with your audience so that they are engaged in your speech. I think Aaron did a pretty good job in this area.
I’m glad that Aaron also cited his sources especially since he was giving an informative speech. The quote that he used from a personal interview with a friend gave his message some added validity as well. Be careful with transitional statements. I think the use of the word “transpose” was awkward. The word “segue” would have been better.
Did you notice Aaron’s body language? He involved his hands with purposeful gestures and gave us good facial expressions to bring emphasis to his message. Speaking of his message, he organized it well. When you are organizing your message one good rule of them to use is this… Tell them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you told them. Got it? Aaron did just that. He started with a good intro and highlighted his main talking points then in the body of his message he gave more details about those points then gave us a brief summary towards the end. Lastly he used Disney’s slogan as a closing thought and a graceful way to end his presentation. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of Aaron’s presentation.
Do you want feedback on your presentation before you deliver it? Send me an email with a link or video file to christopher@grademypresentation.com
In this video Sean gives an introductory speech about himself using three props: a book, a hat, and a million dollar bill. First off I’d like to point out that Sean did a great job setting up his camera to give us a full view of his body language and not just his face.
Take a look at the video below. What did you notice immediately about Sean’s body language? Throughout most of his presentation he kept his hands behind his back. What kind of message did this convey to you? Typically when you keep your hands tightly behind your back you are communicating apprehension and fear which makes you appear to look stiff or nervous. That was the case with Sean. Try placing your hands casually at your side. This will also allow you to make purposeful gestures when you speak.
Notice also how he almost started to sound robotic towards the middle of his speech. It appeared that he was reading his presentation from the wall and was rushing through his speech at one continues rate. My suggestion would be to loosen up and try to commit to memory the things you want to talk about and use some cues cards if necessary but don’t hold them in your hand the whole time (holding cue cards can be distracting to your audience). I would also suggest that Sean try to show more emotion in his presentation especially since he is talking about his passions in life. Slow down a bit and talk like you would when you are having a typical conversation with friends. I know that is easier said than done when you are in front of an audience, but with practice you can improve in this area.
The structure of Sean’s message was solid. He had a short opening which gave his audience a quick glimpse of what he wanted to talk about. The body of his message supported the three topics in his opening. He wrapped his message up at the end with a short conclusion but ended the speech with a weak closing statement. I would suggest revising the closing statement to be more profound and less silly.
If you’ve got any thoughts on Sean’s presentation then leave a comment below. We can all learn from each other and become dynamic speakers together.
I couldn’t resist since today is April Fools Day! The following video by Katelyn is a humorous video of herself going through the discovery process that many of us go through as we see ourselves on video for the first time. Katelyn proves a point that I think we should all consider… That is, we don’t really see how we look, talk, and act during a presentation until we actually see ourselves on video. Standing in front of a mirror while presenting does help but you are not really being yourself because you are actively making adjustments to the way you act while looking at your reflection. The best way to capture your natural self in action is to video record your presentation and watch it. You may be surprised what by what you see.
Before you get started, here is a suggestion… Spend some time to think about what you want to say and write a rough draft or outline for your presentation. There is no need to start recording yourself as you are trying to think of something to say like Katelyn. Obviously if you do as Katelyn did, you will be fumbling around for words and look a bit silly. Be sure to turn off the cell phone, find a quiet place, and setup your camera so that you can see your entire body (or at least from the knees up). Remember your face is not the only part of your body that communicates to your audience.
Before every presentation that you give, I highly recommend that you record yourself. Go back and watch how you improve over time. Even if your teacher is recording your presentation in class when you deliver it, you should record your own video and get feedback from the community of users before you deliver it. It’s easy to do and you will have an opportunity to improve before you deliver the final presentation when it really counts.
When you finish recording yourself, send me a link to your video or send me the video file and I will post it here for others to grade and comment. christopher@grademypresentation.com
Thanks Katelyn for finding humor in yourself and sharing it with the rest of the world.
The speaker in this video gave a persuasive speech. In the beginning of his speech, the speaker poses a couple of thought provoking questions to his audience. This is a great way to get your audience engaged in your presentation, but I think he could have thrown in some shocking statistics about college debt or unemployment that could have made a bigger impact on his audience. More importantly, I think the speaker could have shown a little more enthusiasm when he spoke. Your audience will be much more interested in what you say when you show interest in what you say.
The speaker also sounded relaxed during his presentation, perhaps a little too relaxed. Let me explain. If you get too comfortable during a speech you might start to sound a little monotone and could be perceived as boring to your audience. By being aware of this fact, I think the speaker can overcome sounding monotone by varying his pitch and acting more lively when speaking. Remember, you want to seduce the ears of your audience by sounding “attractive” to them by varying your pitch and rate. (Watch the video on “Sounding Delicious”)
When possible I suggest recording yourself while standing so that you can see how the rest of your body is communicating to your audience. In this case we could hardly see if there were any purposeful hand gestures that may have communicated addition meaning to his presentation. Although it is not clear if the speaker is reading his presentation from a computer screen, he maintained good eye contact. I also applaud him for avoiding the most common vocal fillers such as uh, um, so, basically, etc. He did over use the word “now” before a couple of sentences, but overall he did a good job.
The content of his message was well thought out and organized. His message was clear and built interest. He also provided a thoughtful summary of his presentation at the end which helped bring his message to a closing point. He did give a “mild” call of action to his audience, but it was only directed at a particular niche of people rather than the entire audience.
What else do you did you notice about this speech? Leave a comment below.
Do you want others to grade your presentation? Send me an email with your video christopher@grademypresentation.com
Aaron did just that. He started with a good intro and highlighted his main talking points then in the body of his message he gave more details about those points then gave us a brief summary towards the end. Lastly he used Disney’s slogan as a closing thought and a graceful way to end his presentation. Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of Aaron’s presentation.
Hi Christopher,
Love your intro to the site. It was funny and clearly explained its purpose. One thing — who is John and did he jump?
John decided to take my advice. Next time he has a presentation to give, he will use grademypresentation.com to get feedback before he delivers it. Luckily I saved him from dying a painful death in the poisonous bushes.