8 PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS

We have all been there, standing frozen, hands shaking, and our hearts beating out of our chests in anxiety because of stage fright. Before college, standing in front of an audience to speak was the most nerve-wracking thing I could think of, but I soon had to face my fears. I was pursuing an education major that involved a lot of speaking and teaching. The first time I stood in front of a classroom to teach some high school students, I was petrified; my hands were sweaty, and I felt dizzy. Over the years, I have learned to improve my confidence and public speaking skills, and you can do that too.

A man with stage fright

Giving a presentation can be intimidating, but it does not always have to be so. There are steps you can take to make it enjoyable and easy to communicate with your audience. Public speaking is an important skill regardless of the industry, and it will surely give you an edge in the job market. Below in this short post, I have highlighted some essential steps I have taken myself to make public speaking much easier and more enjoyable.

1. Practice! Practice! Practice: It never hurts to practice your material repeatedly. It gives you confidence when you know you are ready. There is a statement that says if you fail to plan, you plan to fail, and I agree with it. Know your material as much as you can. Know it like the back of your palm. You can practice in front of friends, family, and colleagues and get feedback from them. You can also practice in front of your mirror. While practising on your own or with friends, take it seriously; imagine it is the day of your big speech, presentation or speaking engagement.
2. Do all necessary research: Take the time to improve the content of your presentation. Having confidence is not enough when you don’t have useful content or enough content. Brainstorm on questions your audience might ask you. Being able to answer their questions correctly makes you appear much more knowledgeable. Also, think about questions or visual aids you can use to make it more interesting.
3. Take deep breaths: On the day of your presentation, take deep breaths and try to relax as much as possible. It’s normal to be nervous; that means you care about the outcome of the speaking engagement or presentation. Remember, your audience is just like you, and they are also eager to listen to and learn. You have a lot of power as a speaker; you can tell your audience to clap, jump or stand and they probably will, but make sure to know your audience and what is appropriate for them.
4. Limit unnecessary movement: Make sure to move with intention while speaking. Don’t fidget or turn your back on your audience. Move around when necessary and make eye contact with your audience to keep them engaged. Also, avoid hand movements or foot tapping that makes you appear nervous. You might be, but try not to show your nervousness.
5. Use an attention-grabbing opening: It’s time to get that funny bone out. Beginning with an attention-grabbing opener is the best way to start any speech or presentation. It could be a joke or a story you know your audience will relate to and enjoy. This will help to douse a tense environment and make it feel more like a conversation between friends than a formal speech. It will also help you relax when your audience laughs or smiles.
6. Avoid fillers: This might be the most difficult one. You don’t realise the number of hmm, uhm you say in your daily speaking till you decide to take track of it. This step requires practising. Before the day of your speech, you should record yourself and listen to yourself speak, so you pick out what your fillers are.
7. Take meaningful pauses: We use fillers because we are thinking of what to say next and trying to gather our thoughts. Instead of using fillers, take meaningful breaks instead. If you watch speeches from great speakers worldwide, you will notice that they don’t speak too quickly or rush their words. They would maintain a level tone and pause when necessary to survey the audience.
8. Make it interactive You don’t want to be the only one speaking in the room while your audience is completely zoned out. Depending on the setting of your presentation, you can ask questions or make them participate in an activity. Visual aids, as I said earlier, are also essential. If the setting you are in does not allow for that, you can still make it engaging by occasionally maintaining eye contact with them and giving real-life examples or stories that can keep them attentive.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and picked something from it. Public speaking can be daunting, but it can be better with practice. The more times you stand in front of an audience, the more confident you get. So don’t shy away from any public speaking opportunity; look forward to anyone that comes your way that way; you are ready in front of a large audience.