Tuesday 2 April 2013

Professional Public Speaking Tips for Amateurs

By Zoe Smith


How comfortable are you with speaking in front of people? Do you speak clearly and at ease, or find yourself in a bit of a mess at the thought of having to face an audience of some sort. I know many people who have some serious public speaking anxiety going on and the good news is-there are things you can do to help you overcome it. Here are super helpful public speaking tips that you can keep in your arsenal the next time you need to address a group of people.

1. You probably know this by now but it cannot be stressed enough-prepare, prepare, prepare! You have probably been given enough time to get ready for your speech so use this time wisely and research the material related to the topic. Organize them and study as much as you can. If you know what you are talking about, it will show and people will know.

Even if you have prepared well, don't aim to deliver it verbatim-speak from your heart. An excellent public speaker knows his material so well and is passionate about it that he can veer away from the speech and still effectively put his point across.

2. If you are going to use power point, don't give a bullet point presentation unless you want to put people to sleep before the end of your talk. Make it as interesting as possible. Use colorful pictures, compelling images, engaging videos and sound bites. A short and straightforward presentation coupled with appropriate visuals is recommended.

3. Now, even if you are well prepared and have a fantastic presentation going for you-public speaking anxiety can still grip you. The scariest moment is 1 minute before your actual speech and when the fear hits you- take deep breaths. Imagine the positive outcome of your speech. Replay the points of your speech in your mind and envision your audience responding to it well.

4. It's always good to find at least one friendly face in the audience. If you don't have anybody with you-then look for someone who seems genuinely interested in what you are saying and direct your talk to him or her when the rest of the crowd is less than engaged. Even if one person was helped by what you have said, it has all been worth it.

5. If you want to make your speech a success, engage your audience. Involve them in stories or in whatever you are talking about. Ask questions and think about it as if you were simply conversing with a group of friends. When you encourage the audience to actively participate in the discussion, they will be more interested and remember your speech more positively.

Every single person has something that somebody else needs to hear-don't let a few shaking knees and sweaty palms get in the way of this wonderful opportunity to help somebody's life be better. Employ these super useful public speaking tips and be the person we all know you can be today.




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