If you’re terrified of public speaking, you’re in good company. In fact, public speaking is feared by the majority of the population. Fortunately, what follows is a compilation of tips that can help just about anyone rid themselves of this paralyzing fear.
After writing a speech, time yourself. This will help you edit the speech to stay within the allotted time. Find more information if you need to make your speech longer. The final tip is to avoid rushing through your speech.
When practicing to give a public speech, it is a great idea to commit it to memory. After your speech is memorized, then you can start worrying about your actual delivery. If you have the speech down pat, it gives you an opportunity to add lib as you go through it in front of a crowd.
You should know the speech you are giving. It’s good to have figures, facts, and stories about your topic that you can bring up with ease. You can work these things into your speech to add time, engage the audience, and make yourself sound like a real professional. Be prepared for more questions on the subject.
Always look at your audience when you are speaking in public. Do not permit other things that may be occurring in the room to distract you. If you are distracted, your audience will be also.
Know your topic. Do a lot of research so you have not only your point of view, but others as well. Think through what you want to say, and put those thoughts down on paper so you can follow your own train of thought. Doing so will help you when it comes time to answer questions.
Know the audience. If possible, find out some of the individuals that will be in the crowd. Stand by the door as they come into the room, and try to get to quickly know them. Feeling comfortable and familiar with some individuals in the audience makes the process much friendlier.
Get to know your surroundings before your speech. Listen to how well your voice will be projected. Check out the microphone and other equipment so that you feel at ease with it. Learn the proper use of visual aids that you are incorporating. Get a good feel for the best ways to make and hold eye contact with your audience too.
Avoid alcohol at all costs. While it can seem like a great confidence booster, it’s not. Nothing is worse than getting up on the platform and forgetting what you are going to say because you have imbibed in alcoholic beverages before your speech.
You must know your material in order to feel comfortable while delivering your speech. Talk about something that you like and that you already know a little about. You won’t impress your audience by using big words they don’t understand. Instead, speak conversationally so they with them, and they will be impressed.
After your speech is written, do many practice runs so that you nearly memorize it. Speak in front of your mirror so you can see how you look while speaking. Do a few practice presentations in front of friends to get some feedback. They can give you some pointers that you may not have noticed and help you improve.
To have a truly memorable speech, work on a great ending. You want the entire thing to be memorable, but chances are, your audience will best remember the last few things that you say. Wrapping things up with a boring element will not cause folks to remember you.
Use notes if you must. While it it good to memorize your speech, a hard copy can come in handy. Having the main points on note cards will help you get through the speech.
Visual Aids
If you are using visual aids, don’t make them distracting. They should simply add to the presentation, not take over it. They shouldn’t overwhelm your message. Use high quality visual aids to make key points. They shouldn’t take away from your message.
Did you remain silent in school because of your fears of public speaking? Do you rarely contribute because speaking up makes you nervous? Your new knowledge of the above material should give you the confidence to start public speaking today.