Public speaking has never been something I have been particularly confident in so even applying for the John Forrest communications course was nerve wracking. However, by the end of the course I was able to turn it around and embrace the prospect of presenting.
We began with introductions and our first presentation to the group. From this we recognised everyone’s starting point and got into our initial discussions about what successful communication looks like. Susie taught us about utilising our words and using interesting descriptions and personal details to make a story or piece of information more memorable. This is something I plan to take forward when introducing myself, its far easier to remember someone’s name if you know a bit about them too.
Body language
One of the main things I needed to work on was my body language and it was exciting to see the difference small changes made to my confidence. Even in a practice radio interview simply standing up straight and opening my arms made a huge difference to my voice. We also learnt about how we can use our body language to catch our audience’s attention when presenting to a group. This will be helpful for field events and talking to smaller groups such as lab tours.
Every opportunity is a communication opportunity
Throughout the course we discussed and analysed every type of communication technique. Practicing grant writing for our evening homework, TV and radio interviews, chairing meetings, making a short film, taking informative pictures and even dealing with difficult questions when they arise. The range of what we covered was vast and I’m confident I improved on every aspect over the packed three days. I look forward to taking these techniques forward into my work as a crop trial technician at BBRO.
The course taught me not to shy away from presenting and to learn to enjoy the adrenaline rush – why skydive when you could present?
