Learning to speak in public can be a very intimidating process. However, it can be very beneficial for work and professional settings. You can overcome your fears and learn to speak with confidence. Practice the following advice to become more comfortable. The more you work on this skill, the better you will be.
Love your topic. To help you be able to talk confidently when speaking in front of others, choose a topic that you know a lot about. Include tidbits of information that is not commonly known to keep your audience engaged. Finally, speak in a conversational tone to help you remain calm and composed.
If you are preparing for a public speaking engagement in advance, memorize your speech first, before anything else. Once you have the ability to make your speech without assistance at any time, you can then start working on delivery. With your speech firmly implanted in your mind, it will be much easier to naturally ad lib when you finally give it.
The way you look can determine how well you do at public speaking. If you are not well-groomed or dressed at your best, you are not going to feel very confident with yourself. This lack of confidence may cause you more fear and could mess up your whole speech. So, be sure to look your best!
Use your most powerful voice when you are delivering your message and it will be received much better. People listen harder to people that have confidence, and speaking loud will convey that message. Even if you are not 100% confident, no one will know that if you seem to be while you speak.
Familiarize yourself with the room you will be speaking in. Listen to how well your voice will be projected. Get a good feel for any equipment you may need to use. If there are visual aids, learn to use them. Get a good handle on the eye-contact range you will need to make.
Practice your speech as much as you possibly can. Do this near a mirror so you can see yourself. Practice for friends and family to get advice.
The more public speaking you do, the more comfortable you will become. To help you gain the experience you need, offer to go to your local high school to share your knowledge with others. Most teachers are happy to have executives visit their class to give their students a chance to hear about different careers.
Avoid fidgeting when speaking in front of an audience. Playing with your hair, chewing on your nails and other similar behaviors serve to distract the audience from listening to what you have to say. Instead of remembering your message, they may remember that you continually smoothed your hair. If you find it difficult to stop fidgeting, clasp your hands together in front of you or behind you, or place them on the lectern.
Now you know some of the tips used by masters of public speaking. Use them in your own life to help boost your confidence. The more comfortable you are speaking in public, the greater your opportunities to advance in your profession. Take notes from what you have just read and apply them to your situation.
