How to Solve Your Problems in Public Speaking

Master public speaking by cultivating confidence in your content, your audience and yourself.

Public speaking is notorious for striking fear in the hearts of otherwise confident individuals. However, it is also a skill associated with success in business and life. Public speaking may happen on a small scale, in the form of presenting findings to colleagues, or on a large scale, in the form of sharing information with arenas full of people. Successful public speaking boils down to content and confidence.

Things You'll Need

• Speech notes

Instructions

1. Prepare your content. Research facts and outline the ones that will be most important to your audience. Next, think about the most logical way to share these facts and compose a draft of your speech. Read over your speech and make mental notes of its potential importance and impact. Then congratulate yourself on compiling such useful and intriguing material. It may sound goofy. However, having important, well-organized information to present can lead to confidence in your presentation.

2. Practice your speech. The old adage that "practice makes perfect" exists for a reason. Start slow by reading your speech or outline aloud alone. This will give you a feel for pronouncing the words and delivering the information. Next, try delivering the speech from memory. Avoid criticizing yourself for not sticking entirely to the script; some improvisation is a natural element of public speaking. Assemble a group of people around whom you feel comfortable and deliver your speech to them. Be open to receiving feedback.

3. Connect with the audience and the environment before delivering your speech. Introducing yourself on a one-on-one basis alleviates the fear of speaking to strangers. Additionally, gaining some initial positive feedback about your topic can increase your confidence in your content and direct the focus of your presentation away from you and toward the information. Connecting with the environment by arriving early allows you to overcome any nervousness about dealing with technology or the podium from which you'll deliver your speech. It also allows you to mentally envision yourself giving the speech and receiving applause. Release your fears and manifest success.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider joining Toast Masters or another local group to regularly practice public speaking skills.

References

• Toastmasters International: "10 Tips for Public Speaking;" 2011.