Public speaking can be considered one of the five scariest things people can do. Some find it more frightening than the prospect of death. Given how scary public speaking can be, it is wise to prepare for it in advance with a few ideas. Use these suggestions to help yourself become a better public speaker.
Public speaking needs to be taken seriously. You can’t just get up and speak and expect that everyone will hang on to your every word automatically. It’s your job to make your speech appealing so that you can earn and keep their attention. Public speaking is a performance, and it takes work to get real results.
Time your speech to know the length of your speech. If it is longer than you were expecting, take the opportunity to trim it down. If your speech is too short, research and find more information to fill in the time. Finally, never rush during a speech.
Don’t assume that people will automatically know what you mean. Therefore, you must be very clear and to the point if you want to engage them. This performance requires working hard for your desired results.
Make sure your speech is memorized. Once you are able to give your speech without looking at your notes, you can start to perfect your delivery. If you know your speech, you can add to it and play with it a little while you are on stage, while still getting your message across.
Understand the material thoroughly. Think about the material that you are trying to get across. Use them when needed to bolster your persuasiveness. They are also useful while answering questions from the audience on in follow up conversations.
Once your speech is memorized, practice it over and over again. Try practicing tweaking your speech when you can. You should also practice breathing and the pace of your speaking. Make sure there are pauses between key points so that people can react with applause. If you can, use the same equipment for practice that you will use when giving your actual speech.
Time your speech. You’ll be able to add or subtract content to keep it in your time limit. Add more to your speech if you have the time. Also, never rush through your speech.
Concentrating on story telling is an effective path towards better public speaking. Prior to the day of your speech, make an outline of your story. Your story should sound very credible. If your speech is based on your real-life events, then you will seem more authentic and natural.
Practicing is the best way to ensure that you know what you are going to say. Try recording yourself giving the speech. Listen back to the tape to identify any areas of weakness. The best way to improve your speech is to practice with family members and friends. They are capable of providing you with constructive criticism.
Dress appropriately for any speech you’re giving. If you feel and look sharply dressed, it will reflect in your speaking. If you are a man, you may wish to wear a necktie. This directs people’s eyes to your face and head, which helps them focus on what you are saying.
Face you audience at all times when you are giving a speech. Do not become distracted by other things that may be happening nearby. If you are distracted, your audience will be also.
To have a truly memorable speech, work on a great ending. There are going to other parts in your speech that are important to your audience, but your final point is what so many people will remember most. A boring ending isn’t going to help your speech get remembered that long.
Note Cards
It is perfectly fine to use note cards. You should memorize your speech, but you should also have a copy of it with you. It is not necessary to write down the whole speech, but having important points jotted down on note cards makes it less likely that you will omit important facts that you wish to convey.
Speaking the truth in sort of a story form helps make public speaking less complicated and more effective. Give a brief description of your story beforehand. It is important that you lead into the story with an introduction and that you end with a conclusion. Ensure that your story is believable by using something that actually occurred in your life.
If you feel nervous or feel you are failing, never let it show. Even though you might feel as if the audience thinks you are saying something stupid, chances are they don’t even realize it. If you made an error, quickly fix it and keep going forward without apologizing.
When speaking to a large audience, you need to project confidence with a voice that is strong and easily understood. Bring some water to the podium if it’s allowed. On speech day, don’t drink any dairy or soda. These beverages will make your saliva thicker. Hot tea will help relax the vocal cords.
Visual Aids
Become familiar with the venue in which you will make your speech. See the distance that your voice will carry without a microphone. Get a good feel for any equipment you may need to use. Figure out what you want to do with your visual aids. Figure out how far you will need to look to make eye contact.
Don’t use visual aids that are too distracting or dazzling. You want them to enhance what you are saying. Make sure they do not become the main attraction. Use high quality visual aids to make key points. They need to be attractive and colorful without distracting from the rest of the speech.
Sometimes it’s better to let people ask questions during your speech instead of at the end. The audience may forget their questions. If you let people ask questions throughout your speech, they will appreciate you more.
Make your audience feel comfortable when you are about to speak. This will help to break the ice. You can mention anything the audience can relate to, including something that you saw or did that day. You need to connect with the audience.
Always dress to impress. If you feel and look sharply dressed, it will reflect in your speaking. Male speakers should think about wearing a tie, because it generally draws attention to the mouth area.
Get your head in the right zone. Being nervous before a speech is natural and normal. Speaking in public is the number one fear identified by most polls. It is not okay if you are thinking negatively. If you’re certain you can’t get that important speech delivered with gusto, you probably cannot. If you think positively, you will do well.
Public Speaking
Some people rate public speaking as more terrifying to them than anything, including dying. However, you don’t have to allow your public speaking fear to have control over you. Take these tips to heart and your public speaking skills will increase.
Know the ins and outs of what your speech will be about. Pick something that is interesting to you. If your tone is conversational, that will give you an upper hand. Nobody wants to be confused by complicated jargon that is difficult to understand.