9 Tricks To Speak In Public
Public speaking is something we all probably have to do at some point. It can be at the academic level, when we study or in a professional situation.
These situations tend to provoke anxiety, sometimes so much that it completely overwhelms us. So what can we do? There are a number of tricks you can follow to control your emotions when you need to give a speech in front of a large crowd… keep reading to discover them!
Prepare to speak in public
If your anxiety is triggered when you speak in public, it will be a force that works against you. However, if you just feel a little anxious at the thought of speaking in public, it may actually force you to prepare your speech better. In fact , the first trick to keep in mind is to prepare the presentation.
To do that , you need to establish the time you have to prepare and practice. You can divide your time and dedicate blocks of time to prepare.
Our second piece of advice is that the speech should be clear and easy for the audience to follow. You need to be aware of the goal you want to achieve and who will make up the audience. That way, you can choose the right structure and tools to deliver your speech. The audience decides the starting point and the level of depth you can reach.
Third, to succeed, you need to be careful not to read your speech word for word. How? Develop adequate support, such as an overview or short notes. This may even include an audiovisual presentation that controls your speech.
Practice, practice, practice
What you can do to improve your presentation does not stop there. Once you have prepared your material adequately, you need to start practicing. This is the fourth step: practice your speech at home. Yes, loud. That way, you can hear what needs to be improved before delivering it to the public.
But not only should you practice at home. A fifth trick is to go to where you want to deliver the speech and practice it there. Doing so will help you deal with anxiety by familiarizing yourself with the place where the presentation will take place. In addition, it will let you check that adequate equipment will be available and that you know where to go in and out.
After this, there is only one thing to do before you deliver your speech – relax. Practicing some relaxation techniques such as deep breathing will help you ensure that your nerves do not take over and make you forget your speech. This will ensure that you do not forget the most important points in your speech as well.
The moment has come – what do you do while speaking in public?
Once you have started your presentation, it is important to set some additional strategies in motion. The seventh tip we have to offer is that you should pay attention to visual contact. It is extremely important to look at the participants, without attaching yourself to a single person or a specific point in the room, at least during the breaks. You should also not draw conclusions about how the audience judges you based on their faces, because it will make you more nervous.
It is useful to focus on what we say. How? The eighth trick that will make the presentation successful is non-verbal communication. In order to maintain the audience’s attention , it is important that volume, speed and tone remain at a medium level with subtle variations.
Finally, the ninth trick that will help you hold the audience’s attention and master the art of public speaking is to use humor to provoke a smile from the audience. Not a laugh, we do not want to distract too much from the information. Also remember that we all make mistakes, so if you miss or get a brain blanket, just reject it and continue with your speech … Go for it!
