Presentation 1
The first presentation chosen for analysis was delivered within a TEDx Talks conference by Darryll Stinson on the topic of “Overcoming rejection, when people hurt you & life isn’t fair.” The presenter logically constructs the flow of the information starting from comprehensible examples of the issues at hand, their definition, and further elaboration on how to recognize and address them. Darryll Stinson’s strength in the analyzed presentation is in the introduction of the argument in the middle of the speech. Once the harms of rejection are characterized and explained in detail, so the audience is capable of comprehending the scope of its impact, the speaker emphasizes the importance of using rejection as a developmental tool (TEDx Talks, 2019). Furthermore, the speaker effectively refers to authoritative sources to justify his claim about the connection between depression, rejection, and high suicide rates (TEDx Talks, 2019).
Similarly, the use of personal experience and the sharing of the emotional struggles the speaker overcame in his journey toward understanding the value of rejection help to build rapport.
Another important and strong feature identified in this speech is the engagement of the audience and their experiences related to the topic to demonstrate its relatable nature. Indeed, Darryll Stinson directly addresses the audience by referring to the most common occurrences of people being rejected (TEDx Talks, 2019). In such a manner, the presenter succeeds at keeping the audience’s attention and facilitates their engagement, ultimately contributing to the successful perception of the argument and the change in their behavior. In the practice of public speaking, one should use the identified logical structural approach, mid-speech argument placement, reference to personal experience and authoritative sources, as well as engagement with the audience to ensure that the message is successfully delivered to the target audience.
One of the main weaknesses is that no visual aids in the form of slides or pictures were used, which made it difficult for the audience to comprehend abstract notions and complex psychological processes. The definitions introduced at the beginning of the speech were delivered fast and without proper visualization for memorizing and understanding, which might have been challenging for the listeners to engage in the speech and remain attentive. In addition, despite the serious nature of the topic discussed, which implies limited opportunities for using humor for audience engagement and relaxation, the speaker scarcely used this technique. In fact, only two jokes were made throughout the speech, which might have left an overall overwhelming impression. Therefore, one should avoid using solely verbal means of communication and ensure diversifying the presentation of information using visual means.
The speaker effectively uses body language by emphasizing the important points and phrases with hand gestures, as well as genuinely shadowing the emotional characteristics of the narrative with facial expressions and the tone of the voice. Darryll Stinson continuously makes eye contact with the audience, naturally moves around the stage, and does not show nervousness. There are no unnecessary or awkward pauses in his speech, which flow steadily and unveil without disruptions.
Presentation 2
The second presentation selected for the analysis was delivered by Andy Billings and is entitled “We need to integrate public speaking into education.” Andy Billings opens his speech with a humoristic and appealing introduction with a smile on his face, which sets a positive starting point for the whole communication during the presentation (TEDx Talks, 2016). The positivity of the onset is enhanced through the presentation of the speaker’s personal experience. Notably, the reference to the individual experiences is intentionally put at the beginning and at the end of the speech, which provides it with a feeling of finished and resolved issue. Another strong feature of the presentation is that the argument of the presentation is clarified with the help of illustration of the importance of public speaking in education. To support his claims, Andy Billings uses statistics and references to authoritative sources, which enhance the argument’s credibility.
The speaker effectively uses rhetorical questions to make his point clear and engage the audience in a critical perception of the speech. Furthermore, by moving from using the personal pronouns “I” and “you” to the repetitive use of the pronoun “we,” Andy Billings manages to emphasize the social relevance of the issue for which he argues and reassures the audience that they are the part of the community that might lead the change (TEDx Talks, 2016, 00:00:30-00:05:50). A similar effect is achieved through referring to the listeners as folks, which allows for a friendlier, more engaging transmission of the ideas.
As for the weaknesses, the speaker’s body language is monotonous and does not specifically reflect the tone and importance of the utterances. In addition, due to the particularities of the audience’s placement in a u-shaped manner, the speaker often turns his back to the part of the audience instead of merely turning his head to avoid a rude body position. Furthermore, there were several stutters and word mispronunciation that were caused by the speed of speech, which were not crucially impactful within the scope of the whole speech but should be avoided to ensure the smooth flow of the information. Moreover, similar to the first analyzed speech, there were no visual aids used, which made the speech monotonous. Overall, it is relevant to avoid such weaknesses in public speaking to ensure that both the content and the delivery are interesting, appealing, engaging, and impactful. However, since the speaker is standing among the seated audience but not on the stage, the visual contact is better incorporated into the presentation, which enhances the emotional connection with the listeners.
Comparison of the Two Presentations
Based on the analysis of the two speeches and the identified strengths and weaknesses, one might state that the speech delivered by Darryll Stinson is more effective than the one by Andy Billings. The first speech touches on a wider variety of issues and provides more practical tips for the audience. Moreover, Darryll Stinson’s speech is more effective because it is intertwined with sincere and emotionally colored personal experience. Indeed, the presenter uses such words as “cry, get angry and bitter” to illustrate the emotions and trigger the audience’s reflection (TEDx Talks, 2019, 00:11:55-00:12:00). Although both speakers use straightforward language to explain their claims and support their arguments, the first speaker manages to trigger more response in the audience, who react to his narration.
Therefore, Darryll Stinson’s speech is more empowering and motivational; it has more impact on the audience by triggering a response and actions upon providing the guidelines on how to overcome rejection. In addition, the series of closing rhetorical questions are characterized by anaphora “I wonder,” which reinforces the importance of change that initially was the goal of the speech (TEDx Talks, 2019, 00:12:06-00:12:39). Thus, the use of public speaking practices in the first presentation is considered more effective.
References
TEDx Talks. (2016). We need to integrate public speaking into education | Andy Billings | TEDxBirminghamSalon [Video]. YouTube. Web.
TEDx Talks. (2019). Overcoming rejection, when people hurt you & life isn’t fair | Darryll Stinson | TEDxWileyCollege [Video]. YouTube. Web.