Public Speaking 101: Use of Props

The use of props when given a speech or presentation is very common. Sometimes this is because it is simply necessary. For example, a presentation at work might require the display of some graphics, pictures or photos that are relevant to the presentation. However, there is another category of prop use, and that's where the novice speaker includes the use of props to back up a speech that they are not fully confident of being able to deliver well.

Many public speaking resources and so-called ‘experts' will tell you that the use of props where they aren't strictly necessary is gimmicky and unnecessary. They imply that using props is somehow cheating, as if there is a right and a wrong way to give a speech or presentation.

The fact is few people are called on to do public speaking on a regular basis. These kind of speaker can become Keynote motivational speaker by working hard on their speech skills. For most of us it's a one-off thing - a presentation at work, a speech at a friend's wedding, or a few words at an awards ceremony for a sporting club. With these sorts of occasions, there is absolutely no harm in bringing along some props to go with your words.

The big benefit for the novice of using props when giving a speech is that it helps with nerves to have the audience focus on something else besides you. This little bit of respite from the attention that you get as a presenter can be enough to allow you to settle, and ultimately give a much calmer and better speech. This is a lot more important than following any meaningless ‘rules' that say using props is a gimmick.

The best and easiest type of prop is normally a set of overhead slides with text, photos or both. With modern laptop computers these are really easy to set up, and they are simple to prepare a well using the appropriate software. For an example, at a wedding you could set up a slideshow with funny pictures of the couple, and use these as talking points.