The process of preparation leading to a speech is also great feedback after the fact of the matter. Looking back on my preparation for my TED talk on America's appreciation of abstract art, I realized that there are some aspects I found beneficial and some aspects I need to change before my next speech.
Because of my time availability prior to my speech date, I did not spend enough time gradually prepping for my talk. Instead of progressively memorizing and knowing my content over the course of a couple of weeks, I only started to memorize and practice the speech the night before, cramming in four hours of crunch time late in the evening. This technique is definitely not what I plan to do for my next speech; however, those were the cards I was dealt that week, and thankfully it all worked out... somehow.
One part of my preparation process that I hope to repeat in the future is where I chose to practice my speech. Fortunately, my residence hall has sound-proof cubicles that allow students to enter, close the door behind them, and completely drown out the world around them while the cubicle drowns out all sounds within the box. On the night before my speech, I spent four hours cooped up in that box, not letting anyone take my practice space no matter how many glares I got for staying in my cubicle for too long. Being able to say my talk out loud, instead of mumbling in my dorm with my roommate or trying to sneak into a commons room and lock the door, allowed me to practice my voice variations, tone, and volume without any judgement or curious eyes intruding on my preparations.
Ok, maybe I had a few curious eyes looking through the glass door as I practiced my hand gestures. Just a heads up: after midnight, your hand gestures can get very emphatic during speech prep, also making great entertainment for nearby studiers.
After looking over my TED talk video a few days after presenting, I examined my performance a little more closely. Upon examination, I considered my performance to be better than I expected! Whenever I give a speech, I have this uncanny habit of almost forgetting everything that happened in the short time that I gave my speech. Sometimes, if I am truly confident in myself, I will enjoy and remember the experience; however, if I am a nervous wreck, the memory of my speech fades the second I sit back down in my chair afterwards.
TED Talk - Abstract Art
In relation to my presentation, I personally believe my tone and fluidity throughout the talk enhanced my speech. I found presenting much easier and more natural using that conversational tone many TED Talk speakers use for their presentations. Having that level of comfort let my brain organize my words better; hence, my fluidity piggy-backed off of my tone.
As I examine the details I need to improve in this speech, many of them revolve around natural tendencies. For example, I am a naturally fast speaker. I was raised in a family and a town that speaks very quickly and uses plenty of hand gestures whenever talking. I found that my speech was given at a very fast rate, not leaving enough room for comprehension or meaningful and effective pauses.
My hand gestures, to me, seemed to be a little too much - I seemed to use my hands all the time instead of keeping a restful appearance every now and then. I also picked up this habit from my family; from an outsider's perspective, my family might look like a a champion charades team.
Additionally, my eye contact could desperately use refining. If you take a gander at this video, you will notice that my eyes tend to look down at the floor too often as if I am explaining abstract art to the ground. Instead of looking for my words on the floor, I need to practice finding my words in the audience, making eye contact while maintaining a fluid stream of speech.
While speaking about your speaking can be a bit unnerving and sometimes uncomfortable, self-analysis is one of the best ways to see what you actually did in correspondence with what you think you did during your speech. Make sure to always take the time to self-report on your presentations after every speech you do - sometimes the best feedback you can get is from yourself.
