Public Speaking

[februarystarskc]

So I'm taking public speaking this sememster and for our intro speech we had to pick from a list of about ten topics and one of them was a hobby. I immediatley thought of collecting bottles.

As usual i've procrastinated and my speech is this Wednesday. Today I'm trying to figure out my outline of what to talk about. I'm quite certain nobody in class knows anything about bottles. So I don't want to confuse them to much. I thought about bringing some hobbleskirt and straightside coke bottles. Maybe show the progression to plastic.

Any ideas for the outline?

The speech is only 3-5 minutes but I still get nervous talking in front of people.

Thank you for any help!

-Kevin

 

[botlguy]

I do understand the nervousness of public presentations but in class it's not so bad. Remember that all but one there are as nervous as you and even the teacher may get stage fright when speaking. No one in that audience expects perfection and the more relaxed and yourself you are the better. Also, good preperation is the key to relaxation.

Good Luck.

 

[msleonas]

I am a teacher and I get nervous. My suggestion is to definitely bring in examples for people to check out. The more hands on it is for your audience the less focused they will be on you, meaning that they won't have to be looking at you the whole time which makes you feel less nervous.

Maybe an angle to take in your speech is how with technology and the ability to appeal to the consumer a company like coca cola has progressed from a plain straight sided bottle to the fancy hobble skirt to now the in-you-face colors and phrases that tempt people to buy their product.

Either way you will be fine, just like botlguy said, everyone there has to get up and talk, so you are all feeling the same way.

Good Luck!

 

[Dugout]

And the more speeches you give the easier it becomes. Get it to the point that it is nearly memorized.

 

[februarystarskc]

thank you all for the kind words. I'll make sure and practice a lot tommorow with my wife and dog watching.

 

[botlguy]

ORIGINAL: februarystarskc

thank you all for the kind words. I'll make sure and practice a lot tommorow with my wife and dog watching.

Well, I don't know about your Wife but watch the dog. Mine bites if I try to sing. It started when I tried to immitate Tiny Tim.

 

[NYCFlasks]

I have given dozens of programs over my time in the hobby, here are some tips that I find helpful.

Bring examples, people love to see and touch the real deal.

Try making note(s) on 3x5 or 4x6 cards, just a couple words, written large to see easily. Say "1923 Christmas Coke" for that particular bottle. Will help to jog your memory, and the large letters are easy and quick to read. If you stand there, reading several sentences, you can lose your connection with the crowd.

Ask for questions from the room. This allows the crowd to participate, and will allow you to tell them what they want to hear, rather than what you want to say.

For example, they may want to know about how it became known as the Christmas Coke. You can then explain how patents are issued only on, I think it is a Tuesday, and that year, a Tuesday just happened to fall on Christmas Day.

Over my years of programs, I have found the Q & A part to be the most fun

I also invite the folks up to look at the bottles at the end. I do avoid bringing my real killer stuff, as they will touch them no matter what you ask, and I do not want to get caught up in a bad situation with a high end item being damaged. While I have never had anything broken, damaged or stolen, there is always a first time for everything.

 

[sandchip]

Good for you taking the class, and I wish you the best. I'm 52, and I still can't get up in front of people and speak, even friends that I've known forever.

 

[RICKJJ59W]

Be your self,bring some bottles and pictures of bottles and related items
and tell them what you know about bottle digging and collecting.
Keep it Simple.

Hey wait a minute thats how you get permissions to dig privys []

 

[logueb]

The original patent on the hobbleskirt bottle is 48160 (Nov. 16, 1915)
Christmas Coke is Des 63657 ( Dec. 25,1923)
1937 Coke Des 105529

You can locate these on Google Patents and they are on pdf files .

Hope this helps and good luck. I have given several talks to libraries and civic groups over the years. There was always a lot of questions after. Buster