One of people’s top five fears is the act of public speaking. Some people feel they would rather die. Because of this, it is important to know what you can do to make public speaking easier on yourself. Get to the root of your speaking issues with this advice.
Speech Memorized
When preparing to speak in public, make sure to memorize your words well in advance. Once you have your speech memorized, then the delivery method you choose can be worked on. Having your speech memorized in advance also gives you a chance to ad lib comfortably on the stage.
When you give a speech to a crowd it is important that they can see your face. This will limit the amount of distractions that you have. You must command the attention of your audience.
When you speak in public, preparation is critical. Know what you want to say. Take time to research, if needed. Put your thoughts down on paper. Practice your remarks over and over until you know them by heart. Solid preparation gives you confidence for the speech itself.
Once you’ve memorized your speech, make sure to practice it repeatedly. Practice often to tweak your speech as needed. You should also practice breathing and the pace of your speaking. Insert spaces into your speech that allow for interruptions, such as applause. When you can, rehearse in the actual space where you will speak.
Understand the audience you are speaking to. Look to see if you know anyone in the audience. If possible, greet the audience members individually as they come in. This will give the event a more personal atmosphere.
Practice makes perfect. Repeated practice sessions can help you make key adjustments. Practice your pace and breathing. Leave time for interruptions like laughter and applause. It is also advisable that your speech is practiced in the place you plan on giving it.
Tell the story true to be a better speaker. Outline your overall story prior to speaking in public. Make sure the story is complete from beginning to end. Your story should be genuine and your words should be natural and authentic.
Learn how to do some deep breathing in order to calm your nerves before speaking publicly. Breathing in deeply and exhaling fully prior to starting your speech helps control your nerves. Inhale through your nose for a four-count, and exhale through your mouth for a five-count. Do this six times to calm yourself down.
Dress to impress, even for events that require casual attire. If you feel and look sharply dressed, it will reflect in your speaking. Wear a necktie if you want to draw the audience’s attention towards your face.
Know your audience. If you can, learn more about audience members. Greet people as they enter and chit chat with the crowd before your speech. This will help you relax and make it more like you are speaking to friends than strangers.
Avoid drinking alcohol before your speech. While you may think it will help loosen you up, you are asking for trouble. Nothing is more awful than reaching the podium and drawing a blank on what to say, simply because you are drunk.
Know your material to boost your public speaking confidence. Choose a subject that is close to your heart. Impress your audience by using a conversational tone.
Practice your speech as much as possible so that it becomes second-nature. It may be a good idea to recite it in front of the mirror so you can see how others will view you. Test out your speech on your loved ones. They will be able suggest ways to make the speech even better.
Familiarize yourself with the venue where you will speak. Test your voice in it to see how far it projects if you aren’t using a microphone. Get a better feel by using equipment. Figure out what you want to do with your visual aids. Figure out to make eye contact with those in the audience.
To have a truly memorable speech, work on a great ending. Although the whole speech is important, what people remember the most is the ending. Ending with something boring is not going to keep your speech on their mind for too long.
Note Cards
If you have to, make use of note cards. While it is best to have your speech committed to memory, having a hard copy handy is not a bad idea. Though you don’t have to write out the whole speech on note cards, you should have important parts of it written out to avoid forgetting anything.
If you have skipped some of the information in your speech, continue talking rather than getting yourself and the audience confused by an awkward flow of words. If you stop abruptly to backtrack to the missing section, the whole speech might be compromised. In general, the audience is not going to know that you missed a small portion of your prepared speech.
Never let your audience know you are nervous. While you might think your blunders are very obvious, your audience is probably oblivious to them. When mistakes arise, simply correct them and continue moving on.
Keep your voice clear and bold when delivering your speech. It is also recommended that you have water available to drink if you need it. Avoid drinking sodas or dairy beverages the day of your speech. These drinks can stimulate the production of mucous and thicken your saliva. Help your vocal cords relax by drinking hot tea prior to your speech.
Try not to force questions to the very end of your talk. If they have to wait, they may forget. People will appreciate you much more as a speaker if you allow them to ask questions whenever they like, so give them exactly what they want.
Dress to impress, even for casual speeches. If you look and feel sharply dressed, your speech will reflect it. Men should want the focus to be on their face as they speak, so think about wearing a necktie.
Don’t go into a speech thinking you are just going to wing it. This is a terrible idea, no matter how passionate you are and how much you know about your subject. Your final speech may be very passionate. However, your speech as a whole probably won’t be very coherent.
Do not let your audience know you are nervous. It is unnecessary and takes away from your speech. It is often the case that a speaker believes their fear is showing through, but it usually is not. Just let them believe you’re really confident, and fake it until you make it!
As you can now see, public speaking is a huge fear that most people share. It’s important not to allow this fear to take control of your life. Use the tips you’ve just been given, and you will become an effective and confident public speaker.
Do not drink alcohol before you give a speech. You may be tempted to consume a little liquid courage, but it is not a good idea. There is nothing more frightening than being on stage in front of people and forgetting your words because of alchol intake.