A Crash Course in Public Speaking

It took some time, and when I first started speaking publicly it was nerve-wracking. My hands got sweaty, I was concerned about remembering what to talk about, and my body wanted me to be safely ensconced in the restroom, not on stage. But with each public event, it became easier and easier to get up in front of people and speak. Here are a few things to remember when engaged in public speaking.

When first speaking many people are fearful and anxious:

At first I thought it was just me. I thought I was the only person that was so nervous and thought I would faint. I found out, after talking to many people about it, that almost everyone experiences the nerves before going onstage to speak. It made me feel better to know that it wasn't just me that felt this way. And as time went on, each speaking engagement really did become easy, with no nerves at all. Remember that you are human. Humans make mistakes and flub up. Everyone does. So if you're concerned about forgetting something, it's okay if you do. And when you do, be honest with your audience.

Write an outline of your speech and write the text for the speech as well:

I've found that writing out an outline and having it right in front of me keeps me focused during the presentation. If I happen to forget where I am in the presentation all I have to do is look at my outline and find where I am and pick up from there. This eliminates searching through a fourteen page speech. I write down my speech from my outline and then practice, practice, practice. I rehearse with distractions so that when I get on stage, nothing will distract me. (I have a nine-year-old... That one's easy!)

When I say that I rehearse with distractions, this includes internal distractions as well as external distractions. Internal distractions, on stage, can make you forget what you are even talking about. My personal internal distraction on stage is when my mind wanders. It happens to everyone. I've learned how to conquer this particular problem by rehearsing internal distraction. I get my outline in front of me and refocus on my mind wandering. I then see how fast I can get back on track with my outline. This works every time. You most likely will encounter external distractions: People coughing, a waiter dropping something, or a baby crying. While you are in the comfort of your own home, have someone help you with some external distractions and see how quickly you can get back on track.

Rehearse Out Loud:

I tend to be a soft spoken person so when I first began lecturing, I was always being told to speak up. Even with a microphone you have to project your voice. When you rehearse, don't just rehearse silently to yourself. Rehearse in front of the mirror so you can hear the level of your voice. Rehearsing in this way, you'll be able to gauge your voice and adjust it accordingly. Another great thing about rehearsing in front of the mirror is to see what your face looks like when you speak. There are habits that we don't even know we have that you'll catch and be able to keep from doing. I used to do the little girl thing of twirling my hair when I would speak and when I saw this in the mirror it took away from my presentation. So I stopped the twirling.

Leave the fear at the door:

Even the best of the best speech presenter can be nervous. Your body may even exhibit symptoms of anxiety but the symptoms don't have to interfere with your speech. The fear or anxiety that we experience in a dangerous situation is what we call the fight or flight response. We either run away or stay and fight. That is how we respond. When the brain's perception is danger, even if it is a false danger, your body gets ready to flight or fight. The body starts to breathe faster, your heart races, and you get sweaty. This works well when you are facing danger but it can be uncomfortable when your body goes into overdrive when you are on stage. Work through a scenario; what would happen if this went wrong or that went wrong and what you would do? Always come up with a positive answer and remember that you will most likely experience anxiety but it will soon go away when you see you can get through it even with sweaty palms.

Make sure that whatever you lecture on, you love:

There's nothing worse than a boring speaker. Sometimes this comes from lecturing on something that doesn't thrill them and, surprise, it doesn't thrill the audience as well. When you speak on a subject you are passionate about, you exude an energy that is contagious. Make sure you have all the facts on your subject so if you have a moment where you 'lose' what you are talking about, you can refocus on your outline. If that doesn't work, wing it. When you have a subject that you are passionate about and know the facts, you can talk until you get back on track. It works every time.

So those are just a few tips that I have learned over the years about speaking in public. Public speaking is incredibly rewarding. Don't let your public speaking apprehensions keep you from imparting your knowledge to a willing audience.