Public speaking is an invaluable skill that can open doors and accelerate career advancement, yet many are nervous to perform it in front of an audience.
Preparation is key to conquering public speaking anxiety. Join a public speaking support group like Toastmasters International and practice your speech before giving it in public.
Overcome Fear and Nervousness
Fear of public speaking is understandable and manageable with effective techniques.
Set achievable speaking improvement goals that are easy to monitor, such as providing ideas at team meetings or giving short presentations to colleagues. Establish an achievable timeframe and seek support from coworkers who can hold you accountable.
Accept that physiological reactions, like a racing heart and shaking hands, will appear. Don't take these as signs that you will fail or embarrass yourself during a speech; consider them instead as indicators that your body is gearing up for an inspiring speech delivery experience. Focus on changing negative self-talk into more optimistic attitudes toward yourself.
Understand Your Audience
When we think of public speaking, our minds might jump to images such as President Barack Obama delivering his inaugural address or sales rep persuading clients in a boardroom; teachers lecturing; or maybe even courtroom scenes from Law & Order. But public speaking takes many forms and happens every day: from Presidential inaugural addresses to sales presentations in board rooms to teacher lecturing to teacher lectureship to dramatic courtroom scenes like Law & Order! In reality though, public speaking takes many shapes and happens regularly throughout our everyday lives.
As part of your job, requirement for class, or something you enjoy doing, public speaking can be an integral part of life. To be effective, the key is understanding your audience and crafting engaging narratives full of struggle, mistake, and lessons that resonate with them - like Dewey said "Education comes not from experience but through it". Educator John Dewey famously stated "Education comes not from experience but through it". Hence the more informed you are regarding the context in which your speech - room size/composition/ technology available etc - the more successful your speech will be!
Craft Compelling Narratives
Utilizing stories effectively in your speeches can captivate audiences and leave a lasting impact. Just be sure that they are tailored specifically to the topic, audience and message at hand.
Making presentations more interesting by including storytelling or personal anecdotes that draw audiences in will keep listeners attentive throughout your speech, and humor may keep their interest peaked throughout.
When discussing complex or abstract ideas, it can be helpful to give some background and context. This will enable your audience to grasp your subject more easily and connect more readily. In doing so, it also demonstrates credibility by showing that you conducted thorough research. Furthermore, providing this extra information also helps avoid any miscommunication that might otherwise arise as humans often misinterpret language in ways we cannot.
Use Visual Aids Effectively
Visual aids can add visual impact and clarity to any presentation, enhancing its impact and increasing clarity. They may include physical samples, models, handouts, photographs, slides and videos.
When using visual aids, make sure they relate directly to your topic and can easily be read from a distance. Where possible, keep text quantities low - this way your audience is focused on listening rather than reading your words or notes!
Before giving your presentation, it is wise to practice in front of friends, family or strangers and get feedback on both your material and delivery. Rehearsal can help calm nerves while providing practice on timing and transitions - the more time spent practicing, the better your presentation will be!
Practice and Rehearse
Rehearsal of your presentation before giving it is key for feeling at ease with its material and being able to articulate it confidently in front of an audience.
As you rehearse, pay attention to pacing and use of fillers such as "umm," "ahh," and sentence starters that may distract the audience from hearing your message. Recording yourself and listening back can also be helpful in assessing delivery style and making improvements.
Remind yourself that even experienced and accomplished public speakers occasionally forget an important point or make mistakes while presenting. Your audience will likely understand and accept you if you take a deep breath before correcting yourself - they might even appreciate seeing how easily you handled any stumbles during your speech!
