Public Speaking

Speaking in public is a great way to raise awareness about veganism, to explain it, put forward justifications for it, and to present yourself as a shining example of a vegan.  Showing people that being vegan is easy and something they could do themselves makes it more accessible and likely to be considered.

Top tips for Public Speaking

Prepare in advance, sort out what you want to say and do and practise it until you need minimal or no notes.  You might find it helpful to write out exactly what you intend to say and then work it down in to briefer and briefer notes.  Don’t worry if you feel you need to use written cues while giving a talk, but doing without them will allow you to connect with the audience better.  Another idea is to have one sheet with all pertinent facts and figures available at an easy glance.  Good preparation is the key to good presentation, and talks can usually be recycled.

Give your talk to friends, family, any young people you know, or try recording it and playing it back to yourself.  Aim to educate and inform, not convert.  We are giving people the information to make a choice – but that choice is theirs to make.  Be non-confrontational and try to provide a moderate viewpoint.  Prepare to be flexible: equipment may break and rooms could change, so have a back-up plan handy.  Liaise with those that invite you about what they expect.  Let them know what you have planned and make sure they’re agreeable.

Arrive in plenty of time for your talk: remember you will probably have to sign in, find the person who has invited you, set up for the talk and go to the toilet.  Thank the audience for giving you the chance to talk about something very important to you.

Create a definite structure to the talk, brief the audience before you start and stick to it.  Begin by telling them what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then end by telling them what you have told them.  Stick to some key ideas and reiterate them using examples and evidence.  Restate your key ideas often.  Begin by explaining what vegan means, the number of vegans in the country, who you are and what The Vegan Society does.  Part of this could be done by using an activity or starting a discussion with a group.  Don’t go over time.  It’s better to plan short and leave time for questions. 

Be honest, but tactful.  Keep it very simple, but don’t talk down to the audience.  Don’t go into too much detail or state too many statistics or bare facts (unless that is what the audience is expecting).  Be aware that your audience may know little of things you might take for granted.

Try to personalise (i.e. I) and/or individualise (i.e. a cow, not cows) your descriptions.  Make the subject you talk about relate to the audience.  Tell them what they will get and how they will benefit.

Speak slowly, loudly and clearly towards the back of the room, make eye contact with plenty of different people and don’t hide behind anything.  You could ask the people at the back if they can hear you clearly.  Pitch your speech at the right level, taking age and ability into account.  Be animated and enthusiastic, use gestures and facial expressions.  Use props for interest and lasting impact.  Encourage interactivity and participation – and don’t rely on the same people for answers or suggestions.

Vary your voice (pace, tone, volume, direction), media (story, example, picture, video, demonstration, statistics, analogy) and activities (games, role-play, debate, cookery).  Don’t do any one thing for longer than about 10 minutes or you will lose the group’s attention.

Don’t say anything slanderous or that can’t be backed up with a reference and don’t make any personal attacks or criticisms.  If you’re ever not sure about the answer to a question or some details facts and figures, don't be afraid to say you don't know, but you will try to find out, and take contact details of questioner.

Once you find a format that works for you – stick to it!  Don’t try to design a whole new set every time you give a talk, you will be able to reuse a lot of things you have prepared before.

Relax, have a positive attitude and don’t forget to smile!

If you would like to become a registered school speaker for the Vegan Society, please contact the Education Officer on youth@vegansociety.com or 0121 523 1738.  You will need to fill out an application form and attend a training/induction day before you can start visiting schools to speak on behalf of the Vegan Society.