You aren’t alone if you have a fear of public speaking. Actually, public speaking ranks right up there as a fear that many people share. Fortunately, what follows is a compilation of tips that can help just about anyone rid themselves of this paralyzing fear.
Time yourself to find out how long your speech is. This way, you can remain within the time you are allotted. If it is short, get more information through research to fill your time slot. Never rush when you are delivering a speech publically.
Preparation is key when it comes to making a good impression when speaking in public. Be prepared when it comes to your topic. Do your homework to back up your statements, if you must. Write down everything you are going to say. Practice your speech until you have it memorized. Being prepared will give you the confidence you need to be an effective public speaker.
Know your speech through and through. When you can recite it at any point in point in time, work on delivering it. Having your speech memorized in advance also gives you a chance to ad lib comfortably on the stage.
Make eye contact with your audience as much as you can. Never allow yourself to be distracted by anything else that is going on in the room. If you want to engage your audience, you need to give them all of your attention.
After you know your speech inside and out, practice it! This will allow you time to tweak the speech if needed. You should also practice breathing and the pace of your speaking. You will need to leave pauses for interruptions by the audience. When you can, try out your speech using the exact equipment used in the public event.
Know your audience. If you can, learn who the individuals are who are expected to attend. Stand by the door as they come into the room, and try to get to quickly know them. The crowd will feel more friendly if you have a level of familiarity with at least some of the people.
Being prepared is key to making good public speaking impressions. What do you plan to say? If you’re unsure of a fact, do your research before adding it to your speech. Jot down notes of anything you’ll be conveying so you can scan over them while giving your speech. Try practicing this speech until you know it by heart. The more time you take to be prepared, the more confident you will be while speaking.
If you accidentally skip part of your speech, roll with it. If you stop and backtrack and try to correct your error, you will end up with a big mess. Plus, if you don’t draw attention to something that was omitted, then your audience probably won’t even realize anything was missing.
Deep Breathing
Use deep breathing techniques to assuage your anxiety with regard to public speaking. Doing some deep breathing and full exhalation prior to speaking helps calm you down. Inhale and count to four, then exhale and count to five. Do this approximately five times to feel a positive difference in how calm you feel.
Once you have your speech memorized, repeat it often. Practice it frequently, and make adjustments as you see fit. Yoiu can also practice good breathing techniques as you speak. Insert spaces into your speech that allow for interruptions, such as applause. Whenever possible, practice your speech on the very equipment you will use.
Try dressing nice, even if it is a casual event. Your attire plays a major role in your speech. Men should consider wearing a necktie when possible, as it does direct audience eyes to the face and head so they focus on your speaking.
Do not drink alcohol prior to giving your speech. Though it may work to loosen you up, that might just be a bad idea. Nothing is more awful than reaching the podium and drawing a blank on what to say, simply because you are drunk.
Practice your speech as much as possible so that it becomes second-nature. Use a mirror to view how your body language comes across. Ask your friends and relations to listen to your speech and provide feedback. This will assist you as you make important improvements and get ready to deliver your speech.
As you prepare your speech, ascertain you know your topic well. Research the topic thoroughly. Hone in your points carefully and get your remarks ready in notes that are clear and easy to follow. When questioned about your topic, you will find your good preparation invaluable.
Give a great ending to your speech. You want the entire thing to be memorable, but chances are, your audience will best remember the last few things that you say. If you end in a boring manner, people will not remember your speech for very long.
Visual Aids
Make sure your visual aids are not so dazzling as to be distracting. These aids should only be used to help illustrate key points as an enhancement. They shouldn’t overwhelm your message. Use visual aids of a high quality when you want to illustrate a key point. They should be easy on the eye and look great but not take the focus away from your speech.
Know the crowd makeup before you give the speech. If possible, find out some of the individuals that will be in the crowd. If possible, greet them when they arrive. When you do these things, you’ll feel a lot more familiar with the people and the room.
Warm up your audience before you begin speaking. You do not have to open with jokes to do this. You can mention anything the audience can relate to, including something that you saw or did that day. This helps you initially connect with the audience.
Get yourself into the proper frame of mind. It’s quite normal to feel nervous. Everyone feels this way before a speech. Don’t think negatively, though. Believing that you will do badly makes it more likely that you will. Think positively and you will do great.
Prior to giving a speech in public, get to know your audience well. This will help you understand what they want. An educated group will want to take something away from your talk. Your friends and loved ones are probably just hoping to be entertained. Make sure that you appeal to the audience at all times.
The most effective way to refine the message of a speech is to practice it. You can practice before your mirror or make a recording you can play back. If you are able to practice in front of others, that is even better.
Did you remain silent in school because of your fears of public speaking? Have you let fear guide your interactions with others? From reading the above suggestions in the article, you now don’t have a valid reason to keep your voice silent any more.