For many people, speaking in public is one of their greatest fears. The thought of standing up in front of an audience and delivering a speech leaves them feeling terrified. If this is one of your fears, do not be alarmed. The following tips will help you overcome your dread of public speaking.
When speaking in public, make sure that what you have to say is engaging, otherwise you risk boring the crowd. Regardless of what you have to say, it will not go over well if it is boring. Practice your speech on people you know to see how the message you are giving is being received.
Use a timer to know how long your written speech is. This gives you the opportunity to make edits so you can fit within your allotted speaking time. If your speech isn’t long enough, you’ll have time to do some more research to lengthen it. Also remember, you never want to rush through your speech; remember to pace yourself.
In order to make the best presentation when speaking publicly, you must prepare thoroughly. Get everything you want to share in your speech down well. Educate yourself on the topic, if you have to. Write down the ideas you wish to convey. Practice the remarks as many times as needed, until you can say them by heart. This will boost your confidence and impress your audience too.
Know your surroundings. Take a few moments when you arrive to acquaint yourself with your surroundings. If you can arrive early, go to the podium and do a soundcheck before your audience arrives. If you have visual aids, practice using them while you are orientating yourself with your surroundings.
Never drink before you have to speak in public. People under the influence tend to slur their words or forget them altogether. You may go up to podium and think you have everything under control only to realize you were incorrect. That is why you should skip drinking any type of alcohol.
After you have memorized the broad strokes of your speech, practice often. Work on issues where you lose your flow. Practice your pace and master breathing. Give yourself some pause time after making key points. If you can, go over your speech where you will be delivering it.
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.
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.
Once you have absorbed the information in this article, you will realize that there is nothing to be afraid of. Public speaking is quite easy once you learn a few tips and tricks. The next time that you have to give a speech, just remember what you have read here to make things go smoothly.
