Public Speaking Isn't All That Bad

Public speaking is an art. And this art can take many years to master. For some, public speaking comes naturally, but not so much for others. Most people have a fear of public speaking and this can severely affect their speech. But fear no more because these following tips will help you become a highly effective public speaker. 

1. Have a clear goal for your presentation: What do you want the audience to take away from your speech? Make sure the speech reflects the message you want your audience to walk away with. 

2. Prepare early and often. Don’t wait until the last minute to write your speech. Develop the message over a period of days. The more time you give yourself to prepare the better your speech will turn out in the end.

3. Find stories. Adding stories to the speech gives a personal touch. Everybody has stories to share and making them personal is all the better. An audience appreciates stories because it can add excitement to a speech that is mostly filled with data.

4. Involve your audience. Rather than sitting there talking at the audience talk with the audience. Get them involved; get them interested. Audience members want to be apart of the presentation, so ask them questions and be sure to ask them questions about themselves too.

5. Always respect the time limit. If you are given a half-hour for the speech then stick to that time limit. Do not go over the time limit. There is always a question and answer portion after the speech so prepare the speech with the intent to end early rather than later.

6. Show up early. Showing up early allows for time to get settled into the space and test out the technology. If something doesn’t seem to be working you now have time to fix it or plan for something different. Also, this gives you time to meet the audience and see what they are like.

7. Practice practice practice. Practice makes perfect. Practice wherever you are; practice in your car, to your friends or just to yourself. This gives you time to know and get familiar with your speech. Give speeches as much as you can because the more speeches you give the more comfortable you will become.

Have you ever been in awe of a public speaker and wished you could convey a message like they could? By following these tips you too can be that speaker people are in awe of.