If you ask people for their number one fear, it’s not flying, spiders, the dark or even death – surprisingly, it is public speaking.
And over the years, it’s likely we’ve all heard a fair share of speakers at meetings; the good, the average and the downright send you to sleep!
But now Rotary member David Sutherland has just had published on Amazon Books his thoughts on the subject: Developing Presentation Skills: How to tell your tale to an audience.
“You can imagine how many speakers I’ve heard at Rotary over many years,” reflected David, who is celebrating 30 years in the organisation, mostly as a member of Rotary Troon in Scotland.
“Sadly, a large percentage of them aren’t very good at their task and don’t do their cause or their story much credit.
“I’ve been involved in public speaking and presentation all my life and have now done the obvious thing – I’ve written a little book.
“It was stimulated by all these years of frustration at my club and elsewhere, and by my own experience as a teaching academic, in public health promotion and, after my retirement, representing interest groups.”
Just 50 pages long, the book is filled with tips and anecdotes, and is targeted at anyone who has been pressed into public speaking.
I’ve heard hundreds of people speak at Rotary clubs and elsewhere and, sadly, they don’t do it very well.”
David’s own public speaking skills were honed from the age of 12 by his clergyman father teaching him how to read the bible in a large, reverberant church.
“I can still see him sitting at the back, and hear him shouting ‘slower’,” recalled David.
“I’ve heard hundreds of people speak at Rotary clubs and elsewhere and, sadly, they don’t do it very well.
“The most common problems are folk speaking at conversational speed to a large room of listeners, ignoring all the rules of articulation, projection and pace.
“The other issue is people who read their talk from the viewing screen, turning their back to the audience all the time!
“The little book is stimulated by many an evening writhing in my chair wishing that I had written a book. Well, I’ve done it now!”
Developing Presentation Skills: How to tell your tale is available to purchase from Amazon for £6.99
