Effective Tips for Public Speaking

Being nervous before giving a speech or presentation is perfectly normal and almost every human has experienced this.

I know for me, there was a point in my life where I used to be so terrified of public speaking that my legs used to shake even before I went up to present. And then when I began presenting I used to stutter and get all my thoughts tangled up and my words came out like gibberish.

Thankfully, I overcame that problem, and in the current day I feel comfortable enough to present and do public speaking in front of thousands of people. 

So how did I go through such a metamorphosis?  I had help from some really great speakers and the tips they gave me is what I plan to share with you today.

1.      Know your Material (Plan, Plan, Plan)

The more knowledgeable you are in what you are to present, the better your presentation will become. So always try to know more about your topic than simply what your speech is about and be well versed enough in your topic to tackle random questions.

Another thing you should keep in mind is that public speaking is very intuitive and that unexpected things are bound to happen. So the more you practice the more ready you will be for unplanned problems.

Say the mic stops working or somebody accuses you of making things up…

What will you do? These are some things to keep in mind during your planning process.

2.      Acquaint yourself with the Room/Audience

You must behave differently for different situations; i.e. speaking at a wedding is a lot different than say speaking at a corporate meeting.

For this very reason before you present, you must recognize where you are presenting and to which audience. Arrive earlier to the venue where you are presenting and make yourself comfortable with your surroundings.

How big is the room? How loud will you have to be? How much people will there be?

Test the mike and other equipment and make sure everything is ready to go. This will make you more comfortable and it will give you confidence.

Also as people come in try to guess their personalities. If they come in and are laughing and talking you must present a certain way than if they come in solemn and quiet.

Make sure to include this in your preparation process.

3.      Feel Good about Yourself (Self Confidence)

The fear of public speaking is simply the fear of making a fool of oneself in front of people.

So to overcome this problem on the day you are going to present wear your best clothes, your best shoes, and your best perfume. If you really need it, even get a fresh haircut and/or shave.

This way your self confidence will get boosted and not only will you feel better about yourself but you will have an edge over public speaking because you will be looking your best, feeling your best and at the same time you will feel a bit more brave.

4.      Relax and try to even enjoy

The best thing you can do for yourself is change your perspective on public speaking. All public speaking really is, is an informal conversation with many people at one time. It isn’t really rocket science as the audience itself wants you to succeed and be interesting and entertaining

The more natural you behave the better your presentation will be. Imagine talking to one person only louder. 

5.       Concentrate on what you are going to Say rather Than How to Say It

Put all of your anxieties aside when you are about to present and focus on what you are going to say. This focus will not just help you during your speaking because you will remember your points but it will help you calm your nerves in the beginning even before you begin.

6.      Present with Sureness

The best presentations are those where the presenters seem sure and confident about what they are presenting and take command of the room and atmosphere.

That’s why whenever you present make eye contact and maintain a certain air about yourself.  People trust people who look at them in the eyes, so keep your head up and project your voice.

If you make mistake it’s okay, simply move on. If it’s a really big blunder apologize quickly and move on.

People won’t mind much about the mistakes as long as you don’t mind that much yourself and keep your composure.

 “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.”  Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Good luck in becoming a better Public Speaker.