Five Tips for Success in Public Speaking

If you fear public speaking or are new to it and looking for tips to help you devise and implement an effective speech, the following five ideas will help to guide you.

One: The first thing you need to do is overcome any fear that you may have. The most effective way to overcome fear is to face it head on. You will be surprised how quickly the fear of the unknown goes away once it is no longer the unknown. Practice makes perfect, so the more you present, the easier it will become. The easiest way to become versed in public speaking, and comfortable with it, is to do it as often as you can. Take the bull by the horns, so to speak. This is true with most things in life, and is very much so the case when it comes to overcoming your fear of speaking in public. You may think now that you will always dislike speaking in front of a crowd, but once you have done so a few times, your fear will diminish and you may even come to enjoy it. My advice, do not shirk away from the opportunities to speak aloud, in fact, do the opposite and volunteer for these opportunities every chance you get.

Two: Psyche yourself up. Talk positively to yourself to rid feelings of negativity. This is an opportunity for you to shine. Your irrationalities may be telling you otherwise, you have to exert control over that and know that only good things are going to come from your speech. Tell your inner voice that is saying, "No, I cannot do this," that of course you can. You have control over how you think. Visualize yourself doing a spectacular job and know that that is what is going to come to fruition. Know too, that the worst that can happen is really no big deal. So what if you do make a mistake or two, the majority of your speech is going to be successful and that is what people are going to remember. Go in with the attitude that you are glad to have the opportunity to be doing this and you can make it so.

Two: Be in Control. This means controlling those things you know you can to ensure your speech is successful. Know who you are speaking to, what you are speaking about, and how long you want to speak. Research your material so that you come across as knowledgeable on the subject you are speaking about. Practice what you are going to say over and over again until you know it like the back of your hand. Practice your tone so that you know you are coming across as a confident and well-versed speaker. Use a tape recorder if you like, or a video camera, to make sure you are projecting yourself in the manner you would like to. When the time comes to speak, you want to arrive at the place where you will be talking prior to anyone else being there so you can get familiar with your space and set up, and to help relax any last minute nerves that might come up prior to your speech. Also make sure that you are well versed on the equipment you are going to use, if any, such as the microphone, slide projector, transparency sheets, maps, speakers, etc. Test the equipment just prior to using it to ensure it is in working order. Make sure you have allowed yourself enough time to fix the problem, should one be present. You also want to plan ahead for incidences that could occur, such as dead batteries, broken slides, malfunctioning microphones, dried up markers, etc. Again, allow yourself ample time to fix any such small issues ahead of time so that they do not become minor catastrophies.

Three: Remember that appearances are not everything, but they sure can help. Dress for success. This means that unless you are speaking in an environment that calls for individuality and flair as the norm, that you want to dress conservatively. Make sure clothes are clean and pressed, and that shoes are not dirty or scuffed. Jewelry should be kept to a minimum and should not be gaudy in any sense. Hair should be clean and neatly styled and fingernails nicely manicured. When you look the part, you will feel the part, and others will take you more seriously in your role as speaker.

Four: Build a rapport with your audience. Greet them as they come in. Mingle with them before your speech. Leave them mementos of the topic you are addressing on their tables or chairs (such as information or resources on the topic you will be speaking about), or get your audience involved in the speech as you go, asking them questions or having a relevant activity that requires active participation. If you can get the audience laughing, all the better. People tend to not only enjoy humor, but to relate better to the person who makes them laugh than they do the somber presenter. Just be sure when using humor that it is appropriate for your audience at all times.

Five: Feed off of your audience. Take a look around and you will see the reactions of the people as you are talking. Of course there is going to be someone who looks bored, or tired, or frustrated. Ignore that person. Who knows what they could be thinking about; it could have absolutely nothing to do with you or your speech. If you focus on the negative looking person you will dwell on them and forget that there are many others in the audience who are listening with rapt attention and who are looking at you with an encouraging smile or look. Focus on the people who are reacting positively, be it a look, a word, a question or their participation. Let yourself be drawn into the positive reactions of the audience, not let down by the one or two negative reactions of the audience. You will reinforce your energy by doing so, instead of dwindling it away if you are doing the opposite.

Once you have finished your speech, silently congratulate yourself on finishing the job. None of your worst fears came true and you are one step closer to not being afraid to publicly speak at all (remember, practice makes perfect). Once you face your fears head on and move towards conquering them, you will see that you were worried about nothing at all. It is perfectly normal to be apprehensive when trying something new. It is also perfectly normal for those feelings to dissipate once you have tackled whatever it is that has made you fearful. With a little research, preparation and practice, and by following these five easy to tackle tips, you are well on your way to becoming a really great public speaker.