The Art of Public Speaking

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The very words “public speaking” strike fear in the hearts of many people. It’s a fact that the vast majority of people are afraid of speaking in front of a group. Often this so called fear begins at an early age, perhaps at school where we are often forced to stand in front of a class and give a speech.

For others it is something that simply creeps up on you in adult life where you are suddenly expected to speak to a group but have no idea how to do it.

Public speaking is a wonderful thing to master. Once you can speak confidently in front of people, your whole life changes. Gaining this confidence however can be a long process, but one that is not impossible.

Public speaking fears can manifest themselves in various situations such as job interviews, employee meetings, wedding speeches and anywhere that requires you to speak in front of more than one or two other people. Often it is the negative thoughts in your head that bring about public speaking woes rather than the act itself.

Some of the most important aspects of public speaking are:

- Body language: Everything counts here from your hands, body, posture, stance, eyes and facial expressions.
- Notes: don’t over use them. Your audience does not want to see you reading a script; rather they want to know what is on your mind. Cue cards are fine, but ensure that you don’t keep your head down for too long.
- Eye contact: aim to look towards the back of the room and even at individual people as much as you can.
- Tone: if your subject can be humorous then use humour. Always know your audience well and speak to them in a way that you know connects with them. Don’t use a monotonous tone; instead inject enthusiasm and passion into your speaking.

The best way to master public speaking is prepare! True, one can not prepare for an on the spot speaking engagement however if you have taken measures of preparing for your speeches in the past then you will not have negative doubtful thoughts in your mind when it comes time to deliver that impromptu talk. Instead, you will recall the last successful speeches you gave and these positive thoughts will flow through to your current speech. This positive flow on effect is how you gain confidence in public speaking.

Public speaking training is the best way to conquer your fear of talking or performing in front of people. This phobia affects an extraordinary number of people worldwide. It is thought that around 75% of Americans suffer from fear of public speaking! That makes it the largest phobia, even greater than the fear of death.

To become a confident public speaker you should undergo some training and practice. This can be done in a professional group with other like minded people. Here no one will laugh at you and everyone is there to support each other. This is an excellent way to increase your confidence in a supportive, non-judgmental environment.

Public speaking training consists of a variety of different exercises and modules. You will first learn how to ease your nerves and how to think positively. Your mental attitude is the only aspect that stops you from being a confident speaker. Once your nerves are calmed and you are in the right frame of mind, your speech will flow. This is what public speaking training will teach you.

A good training course will also show you the best way to prepare your speech. This includes tips on using props, how to use cards effectively as well as gestures and body language. The last thing you want to do when speaking is to read entirely from paper and never lift your head. By mastering the use of cue cards you will learn how to read points and expand upon them in your speech.

Handouts are another great way to enhance your speech. Giving them out at the appropriate time. Let your audience know that you are going to hand out a presentation outline; this saves them taking notes during your speech.

Further learning in a public speaking training course is that which extends to include scenarios such as question and answer sessions at the end of a speech. Often the best public speakers stumble at this point as the questions asked by audience members are unexpected. The best public speakers will not only be great at giving prepared speeches but also at answering impromptu questions from the audience.

Public speaking training is simply the most ideal way to beat your phobia of group speeches. Like anything in life, the more you face your fears, the less you will fear them.

Without a doubt you will come out feeling a lot more confident and ready to tackle that next speech!

Public speaking phobia is highly common all over the world. If you suffer from the fear of public speaking then it’s about time you learned to conquer it!

Here are some public speaking tips that are sure to give you the confidence you need to deliver fantastic speeches that your audience will love.

Plan and Prepare!
Preparation is the key when it comes to conquering your nerves. If you know what you are going to say then all you need to be thinking about is HOW you are going to say it. To be prepared you need to read through your speech many times. You don’t want to be reading straight from cards so make sure you are familiar with it.

Know Your Audience
You absolutely must know as much as you can about your audience. This includes their demographic and interests as well as anything else you can think of that will affect the content and presentation of your speech.

Practice!
Rehearse your speech in front of friends and family. Ask for their opinions and gauge their response. This is a key way to determine if your speech is going to work on a broader scale and how your audience may react.

Crowd Interaction
Interacting with the crowd will actually calm your nerves rather than make you more nervous. Rather than standing there thinking about what the crowd thinks of you, you can make them laugh or ask them questions. This gets them into your speech rather than have them sitting there judging you.

Use Visual Aids and Props
Visual aids can help greatly in diverting attention from yourself. It also garners interest from the crowd as some people are easily bored by a person giving a speech. PowerPoint presentations are a popular aid but use it wisely. Don’t over do the animation, and make sure your presentation is prepared in advance so that you know it off by heart.

Think Positive!
Your thoughts will determine the success of your speech. Tell yourself you are going to be great and you will be great. Focus on the negatives and you will fight a constant battle of fear of failure. Be positive!

They are just a few tips for improving your confidence in public speaking. Remember that you really need to practice on a regular basis. Practice makes perfect is the old saying and in this case it couldn’t be more true!