Speaking in public

Speaking in public is a valuable skill to develop. The skills are transferable to any type of situation where you need to speak to a group of people.

You may want (or need) to speak in public about the death of your relative or friend or your situation. This could range from speaking to a small number of people in a private meeting, to a large gathering at a public meeting or conference. It could mean speaking to different types of people from friends and supporters in your local area or community through to members of the press and MPs. Speaking in public can also include giving evidence at the inquest. These situations are each slightly different and you will need to think carefully in advance about who you are speaking to, where you will be speaking and what you might want to say.

Developing the skills

To become a good speaker you have to concentrate on the content, and make what you want to say clear and to the point. You have to practice your presentation style to make it interesting for your audience and easy to follow.

Structuring your speech is important and outlined below are some guidelines you might want to use:

• Issue – start by telling people what you are going to talk about, what the issues are
• Information and Events – tell people the basic facts about what happened, what the problem is and the impact it has for you and others
• Solutions – explain how you think things could be done differently
• Conclusions – try and finish on a positive note with a plan for future action or an idea for taking things forward.

Giving evidence at an inquest

An example of speaking in public is giving evidence at the inquest. It is important to prepare for this as it is a pressurised situation. If you have a lawyer they will usually work with you to produce a written statement so you can use this as a good starting point (however if it was written some time ago you may need to update or rewrite it).

The tips and examples should help show the different tactics that barristers might use to cross-examine witnesses, and may include tips on how to present yourself in a coroner’s court and the best approach to giving evidence. Talk it through with your caseworker as well.

Below are some tips that are worth considering:

• get to the coroner’s court in plenty of time
• read through any relevant documents or information you have beforehand
• speak clearly using short sentences where possible
• listen carefully to the questions
• if you don’t understand the question, or don’t know the answer, say so
• try and stay focused, the calmer you can remain the clearer you will be
• if you think a question is unfair, improper or you want to expand your answer you can ask the coroner to do so

Tips on public speaking

• Always get to know your audience beforehand – find out who you are speaking to so you can make your speech relevant to them.
• Start strongly so people start listening right from the beginning.
• Keep your language simple, accessible and direct, you want the audience to understand you.
• Be honest, caring and friendly, people will want to listen to you because of what you have to say.
• Speak at your own natural speed, imagine you are having a normal conversation.
• Never try and copy the way other people speak – you will develop your own style.
• Keep your speeches short – try not to speak for more than 10 minutes unless you have been invited to do so. Between 5 and 10 minutes is usually enough to cover a lot of information. If you are relying on facts, figures or other relevant information, remember to check them before you speak.
• Practice in advance with someone you trust and ask them to give you comments on what you say, how you say it and timing.
• If you are going to speak publicly more than once, you could get a friend or family member to take notes whilst you make your speech and they can give you feedback.
• The more you practise the easier it will be.
• Try and enjoy the moment – remember people want to hear what you have to say and will respect you for it.