How to Gain Confidence for Public Speaking

Fear of public speaking is a common phobia. The idea of standing in front of a large group with all eyes on you can be quite overwhelming. But it doesn't have to be. The best way to overcome this fear is to gain confidence in your ability. Just follow a few simple steps and you will feel your confidence increase in no time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Practice. There is wisdom in the old saying, "practice makes perfect." The more you speak in public, the easier it will be and the more your confidence will grow. So just make yourself do it whenever the opportunity arises.
2. Be prepared. If you feel prepared and you know your topic well, you will feel more confident about your ability to speak about it. If you are speaking on an unfamiliar topic, research and learn what you can so you will feel confident when the time comes to speak publicly.
3. Keep it simple. Both you and the audience are more likely to feel lost and confused during your speech if you overload it with data. Trying to fit in every single detail that you know about a given topic will only increase the chance that you forget parts of your speech. Your audience may feel overwhelmed and just zone out. Instead, narrow your topic down to the most important details and choose a main focus. It will help you—and the audience—focus.
4. Rehearse but do not memorize. If you try to memorize your speech, you may be causing yourself undue stress. There's no rule that speeches must be memorized—in fact, you can come off sounding robotic and monotone. Instead just rehearse your speech, making yourself comfortable enough with the content that you can improvise. You will come off sounding more natural and confident if you can speak conversationally, rather than as if you were performing a soliloquy.
5. Have a sense of humor and know that the audience does not expect perfection. Audiences realize that you are human and can make mistakes, and your recognizing this can really take the pressure off. And, if you do make a mistake, laugh at it and they will laugh with you rather than at you.
6. Think positively. If you tell yourself that you are going to fail, you probably will. Conversely, if you tell yourself that you will succeed, you will. Telling yourself that you will succeed will definitely boost your confidence.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember just to be yourself. Part of what makes a good public speaker is that the person can bring their own personality and unique perspective to the presentation. Trying to take on some kind of speaker persona will only make you seem disingenuous.
• As a speaker, your main objective is to pass along something worthwhile to the audience. This means your focus should be on what you can teach and offer them, rather than how the speech will benefit you. If you keep this in mind, you will focus more on the speech content and delivery than on how it will make you look. Focusing on substance, rather than show, can really take the pressure off.

Who Can Help:

• Learn more today about America's leading online University
• Flexible Scheduling, Online Programs, Get Info Now