Ten Best Tips for Successful Public Speaking
Many people face public speaking with apprehension and anxiety. Public speaking, however, is also a necessary part of many jobs and an important element in progressing your career and company. By reviewing all facets of a speech and preparing fully, you can deliver a speech that is both painless and powerful.
Other People Are Reading
-
Topic
-
Choose a topic you have experience in, passion for or an interest in. If you have a natural and real zeal for the subject you are speaking about, you can more easily transfer that enthusiasm to your audience.
Rehearsal
-
Familiarize yourself with the information you want to present, the order in which you want to present and every additional facet of your presentation. Coordinate the places you want audience interaction, the visual elements and any physical activities into the flow of the presentation. Rehearse until you can flow through the presentation smoothly and with little help from note cards.
-
Audience Comfort
-
Change the audience from a room full of strangers to a room full of friends by acquainting yourself with members of the audience before the speech. Shake hands, make small talk, exchange smiles and make eye contact. Creating some friendly faces in the audience can ease your discomfort with delivering the speech.
Venue
-
Sit in the audience and visualize yourself on the stage beforehand. Sit and stand in different areas of the room to familiarize yourself with the space and all viewpoints. This will increase your comfort level as well as acclimate yourself with the space, any blind spots and the points of view of the audience.
Combat Nerves
-
Relax yourself before the show in a manner that works for you. Perform yoga, meditate, watch a favorite television program or listen to music. Keeping your mind and body relaxed and at ease will transfer through your presentation. Being antsy, nervous or jittery can make the presentation uncomfortable to watch. Maintain a state of ease and openness.
Project the Speech
-
Prior to delivering the speech, go over it from start to finish in your mind. Visualize the setting and the audience, and look out from the podium in your mind's eye. By projecting the speech in your mind, you help prepare your mind and body for the actual delivery.
Audience Connection
-
Foster a connection with members of the audience by maintaining eye contact for approximately three seconds with different individuals. Pause at appropriate spots in the speech to allow your words to sink in. Work humor into the speech to help create a human connection on a personal level with the audience.
Confidence
-
Project an image of confidence from the stage to the audience. The audience wants to believe that you are firm in your convictions and that you understand the material you are presenting. Don't reference your nervousness, apologize for a stutter or stumble or make joke about a hole in your knowledge. Maintain a firm control of the speech and likewise the room.
Handouts
-
Distribute handouts to the audience to complement the speech you are giving. This helps the audience to absorb the material more fully in a visual fashion. It can also serve as a source of comfort to you knowing that they have something else to stare at besides yourself.
Conclusion
-
Establish a firm conclusion for your speech as well as a route to get you there. The end of the speech will leave the most impact, so don't ruin a powerful speech by stumbling over the ending. Keep an eye on the time so you do not need to ramble to fill space or rush to finish.
-
References
- Photo Credit 3D Podium made of Mahogany Wood image by Arjun from Fotolia.com
