Many people are intimidated by the thought of speaking in front of a crowd. Some folks even think that it is scarier than dying. Since speaking in public can be a scary proposition for many, it is key that you prepare well in order to be confident. Break down your biggest public speaking fears and learn how to overcome them by reading the following tips and advice.
Before you do anything else, memorize your speech when you are getting ready to deliver a presentation. When you can recite it easily, you can work more on how you will deliver it. Knowing your speech by heart will also enable you to ad lib if necessary, once you’re at the podium.
In order to make the best presentation when speaking publicly, you must prepare thoroughly. Know what you’re going to say. If you’re not sure of a particular fact, it’s best to do your research before stating it. Write down the things you plan on saying. Practice your speech until you know it by heart. Being well prepared allows you to feel confident when the time comes for you to make your actual speech.
Once you’ve memorized your speech, make sure to practice it repeatedly. Speaking it out loud often will allow you to make tweaks as you see the need. Practice your pace and breathing. Make sure there are pauses between key points so that people can react with applause. When you can, try out your speech using the exact equipment used in the public event.
Know the audience that you are speaking to. If there is a way, find things out about some individuals in the audience. Prior to the speech, even say hello to some of them at the door. When you do these things, you’ll feel a lot more familiar with the people and the room.
Familiarize yourself with the room you will be speaking in. Test the acoustics and the mic to see how much you have to project. Get a good feel for the room’s acoustics however you can. Visual aids can be very important in your speech. Know what the eye contact range is and what you need to do to perfect it.
Keep your speech moving right along even though you realize you skipped over a section. If you get flustered and try and go back, you could confuse your audience. Plus, people are less likely to realized you skipped a sentence if you do not bring any attention to the matter.
Practice deep breathing if you’re nervous. You can gain control of your nerves by taking several deep breaths before you go onstage. Breathe in for a count of four, and then breathe out for a count of five. Do this approximately five times to feel a positive difference in how calm you feel.
Even if you are speaking at an informal event, dress nicely. Your attire can help you to feel more confident, which will carry over into your delivery. Men should try wearing neckties to direct the audience to their faces so that they better focus on your speech.
Stay away from alcoholic beverages before making your speech. Even though this might feel like a confidence boost, usually it only makes things much worse. You do not want your speech to fall flat because you are too intoxicated to remember what you wanted to convey in your speech.
Make the audience like you before you give your speech. If possible, meet some of them prior to your speech. This helps you to appear positive and friendly, and it makes people interested in the contents of your speech.
Make certain that you end your speech with something that the audience will carry with them. 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. If you end on a bad note, most people will quickly forget everything you just said.
Utilize note cards. You should memorize your speech, but you should also have a copy of it with you. You don’t need all of it, but having the main points will help make sure you don’t leave anything out.
Never apologize during a speech even if you worry that you are not doing very well. You might be afraid of making yourself look silly, but your listeners are unlikely to notice. Just correct any mistakes you make without apologizing.
Imagine the upcoming speech you have to do. Picture the speech as well as the reaction of the audience. Watching yourself speak and hearing the listeners react well can help you feel more prepared for the actual event.
Give no consideration to winging your speech. This can prove disastrous, even if you are knowledgeable on the topic. You might have to provide a passing speech. However, after finishing, you’ll still remember some aspects that you forgot to mention.
As previously stated, many individuals have an intense fear of being put in a public speaking situation. However, don’t let fear rob you of the opportunity of becoming a dynamic public speaker. The suggestions you just read should help you greatly.
Onaolapo Adeyemi is a travel and technology writer. If he’s not on tour, you’ll find him in New York with his wife, and pet parrot hanging out at Starbucks.
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