How to control Audience Adaptation During the Speech
No matter how hard you work ahead of time, things may not go exactly as planned on the cay of your speech. For speeches in the classroom you may find that the overhead projector for your visual aids is not available or that another student has the same topic as you. For speeches outside the classroom you might learn that the room for your speech has been changed, that the audience will be much larger (or smaller) than you had anticipated, or even that the amount of time available for your speech has been cut in half because a previous speaker has droned on for too long.
if something like this happens to you, don’t panic. Find another way to present your visual aids. Modify your introduction to mention the other student’s speech on your topic. Adjust your delivery to the changed audience size. And if you find you have less time for your speech than you had planned, don’t simply talk twice as fast to get everything in-that would be worse than not talking at all. Instead, condense your speech to its most essential points and present them in the time available. Your listeners will sympathize with your predicament and will appreciate your regard for their time. This will more than compensate for your lost speaking time.
Finally, be sure to keep an eye out during your speech for audience feedback. If your listeners are sitting forward in their chairs, looking at you with interest, and nodding their heads in approval, you can assume things are going well. But suppose you find them frowning or responding with quizzical looks. Then you may need to back up and go over your point again.
