5 Public Speaking Tips for Beginners
Public speaking, for many of us, is something we dread.
It’s not something we’re natural at and it can weigh us down with stress — or worse! But if you want to be a thoughtful, effective communicator and make a lasting impact on people, then public speaking is one important skill that is critical to master.
Even though it seems impossible, there are a few easy things you can do to lessen your public speaking fear, boost your confidence, and give the impression that you’re experienced. You can bet that the process will go much more smoothly than you anticipated if you use the following advice to prepare for your presentation.
1) Consider your audience
Are you addressing a group of college students?
Are you speaking to a group of senior executives at the highest level?
Are you going to give a speech in front of your loved ones?
Before presenting your speech, you should ascertain your audience. It’s because starting a presentation preparation without first deciding who it will be delivered to is one of the most common mistakes.
Before you begin writing, consider your message’s target audience. Find out as much as you can about your listeners. This will help you choose your language, level of detail, organizational strategy, and motivating statement.
2) Establish Eye Contact
Your audience will not only be able to tell how anxious you are if you enter the room with your eyes firmly fixed on your notes, but they will also find it difficult to relate to your message.
Making eye contact with your audience is one of the best things you can do for yourself when it comes to giving a confident presentation.
I have observed that making eye contact with your audience can help them understand, remember, and decide how to respond to what you’re saying.
3) The less, the better
Both you and your audience won’t want to sit through a drawn-out, rambling presentation.
Edit your text carefully to only include the most important points; the less you can speak about your subject while still getting your point through, the better.
Try to sum up your presentation in one line to see if you’re trying to communicate too much. This will help you determine if you are. If you’re having trouble doing that, you probably included too much information about your subject.
4) Remember to breathe
Your words frequently speed up along with your heartbeat when you’re anxious because you’re trying to hide how you’re feeling.
The audience is more understanding and patient than you may realize at that point since they want you to succeed there, but the more you hurriedly deliver your presentation, the more you alienated the audience.
When that happens, it’s advisable to pause after making a significant point, take a sip of water, and then move on to the next part of your speech.
5) Let your character shine through
In any form of communication, stay true to yourself and avoid becoming a talking head. Your credibility will increase if your personality comes through, and your audience will believe you more if they can relate to you on a personal level.
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See you there!
Stay Awesome. Stay Productive.
– Divas Gupta