Speaking to a team or small group

Dr. Yahya K. Mohammed Ali
Medical Adviser and Trainer
Qualified Pharma.
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Yahya K. Mohammed Ali

*
*You may be asked to say a few words in a small
group setting, to your team, or to a group of
friends at a small social gathering.
*Sometimes, you are not asked in advance and
are put on the spot.
*Are you prepared to accept the offer to speak
and to leave people with a favorable view of
you and your message?
*Will you be able to convey your message
clearly and enhance your credibility?

*
*Before you speak, be sure to:
*1) define your role
*2) establish your purpose,
*3) analyze your audience,
*4) choose your approach, and
*5) choose how you will organize your remarks.

*
*You need to ask yourself why you were chosen.
*Are you the expert on a certain topic?
*Were you asked because your team or group sees
you as a leader?
*Is this a sentimental invitation because you are
popular or beloved?
*Or are you going to be asked to defend an action or
viewpoint you have supported?
*Are you speaking just for yourself, or will people
perceive you as speaking for the group or for your
company?

*
*Once you’ve identified your role, define your
purpose.
*Is your goal to give information?
*To persuade others to take an action or support a
viewpoint?
*To motivate the group to work together for a
common goal?
*To comfort your audience or inspire confidence?
*To bring a diverse group of people together to
collaborate?

*
*Take a few minutes to think about the unique
makeup of the people you will address.
*The demographics of the group may affect
what you plan to say.
*Demographics include age, gender,
educational level, ethnicity, urban or suburban
orientation, and other factors.

*
*What do you think is the best storytelling
approach for these listeners?
*For their demographics, what kind of story
would they respond to best? A heart-tugger? A
shocker? An impressive but objective
journalistic report?
*Are they going to be delighted at what you
have to say or will there be some resistance?

*
*Is your information best told in chronological order?
Or should you start with the most important fact to
grab their attention and then slowly work toward
the least important fact? Or will you arrange it
according to three main points you will preview in
your opening?
*it’s a good idea to write out what you plan to say
for your own benefit.
*However, try not to speak from notes to a small
group. People want to feel you are speaking from
the heart.

*
*Some nervousness or apprehension is normal
and actually good.
*Some people who have no nervousness at all
speak in a monotone and are very dull to listen
to.
*Do some deep breathing for at least five
minutes before you are to speak.
*Tighten and release muscles like your thighs or
your hands.

First Impressions
*

*
*The first words and the last words you say are
the most important when you speak to any
group
*The opening is the one time that you can be
sure that everyone is listening.
*If you are about to address a tense situation,
start with a buffer

*
*buffer is a sentence or two that postpones the
direct statement about a controversial or
unpleasant subject.
*Start with something that the group is comfortable
with before you get to the more stressful part.
*If there is no need for a buffer, start with
pleasantries and perhaps a welcome.
*State the primary purpose of the meeting and share
the agenda.
*Summarize the past meeting or recent information
everyone needs to know before the discussion
starts.

*
*Some of the strategies for interactivity:
*Partners interview each other.
*Each person presents one topic or definition on
your agenda.
*Team members engage in role-play.
*Teams perform short exercises.
*Each person tells what kind of car or animal
best represents who she is.

*
*Be sure you’ve written in an outline form or
have a list of exactly what the main points are.
*You may use transitional words, such as first,
second, on the other hand, finally.
*Use descriptive words to tell great stories.
*Keep sentences short.
*Ask for feedback.

*
*Always remember to thank everyone for
participation.
*Always remember to thank everyone for
participation.
*Be sure to be very clear if there is a call to action. A
call to action contains two clear components:
*An action verb that tells the listener the precise
action she is to take—email, call, vote, buy, lease,
support, tell a friend, avoid, and so on
*A step to take that is clearly one the listener and
not the speaker should do

*
*you are put into a situation when someone
unexpectedly turns to you and asks you to say a few
words
*Few things to remember:
*First, expectations are low, so take the pressure off
yourself.
*Second, people really don’t mind simple facts and
sentiments.
*The key is to start with a warm and friendly
comment that is extremely positive.

*
*The next step is to get descriptive.
*Finally, end on a forward-looking note.
*One point might help you through this
experience: the person who asked you to speak
felt you could do it and are the best person to
*handle it.

*
*Before you speak, define your role and assess
the expectations of the audience.
*Clearly state your purpose in the opening.
*Adults like interactivity, so build in discussion
and exercises.
*For impromptu speaking, start with a cordial,
positive statement and then describe the traits
or characteristics of the person or project.

Speaking to a team or small group

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