Public speaking is a common fear, but practice is key. Eye contact and visualization can help, as can establishing rapport with humor. Calming techniques include exercise and rehearsing in private. Resources for learning public speaking include courses, seminars, and guides.
For many people, only the fear of death trumps the fear of public speaking. In fact, giving a speech in front of a group of classmates, co-workers, or complete strangers can be one of the most stressful activities imaginable for those who aren’t experienced or trained speakers. There are a number of public speaking tips, however, that can make the experience much more bearable. The most important of these, perhaps, is practice.
One of the most common tips for public speaking is that nothing replaces practice. This means not only silently writing and reading the speech, but also speaking it out loud until it becomes as familiar as possible. Many people who have to give a speech at a business meeting or in front of a classroom don’t rehearse the actual speech as often as they should. Rehearsing a speech too much can lead to a rote or boring delivery, but the goal is to know the content of the speech well enough to recite it like a Shakespearean monologue.
Other public speaking tips emphasize the mechanics of delivering a speech. Audience members generally respond well to brief eye contact, so a speaker should try to click individual listeners with their eyes during their speech. Once you’ve made eye contact, it’s time to move on to the next person. When speaking in front of a larger audience, it is often helpful to locate a spot just behind the audience, perhaps a clock or exit sign, and deliver the speech at that spot. The audience may assume that the speaker is looking more into the eye than they actually are, and the speaker need not feel intimidated by the sight of hundreds of eyes staring back at them.
Nervous energy can be put to good use by a public speaker if he can channel it effectively into the speech itself. Some public speaking experts suggest visualizing your role as a messenger or spokesperson responsible for delivering important news to a need-to-know audience. This should help a nervous speaker deliver the speech with a greater sense of confidence. Some people get nervous because they fear their speech will not be well received by an audience that knows more than they do.
Some old textbooks of public speaking tips suggest visualization exercises such as imagining the audience in their underwear or other humiliating circumstances, but few modern guides to public speaking perpetuate this myth. It is best to establish rapport with the audience through humor, sprinkling a few well-chosen jokes or personal anecdotes throughout your speech. Too much humor and not enough information, however, can have a chilling effect on audiences over time.
If a speaker is experiencing too much anxiety or nervous energy before giving a speech, they may want to do some light calisthenics or take a walk around the venue. Standing behind the podium or lectern and rehearsing your speech in private can also help calm a nervous speaker. A tech rehearsal can help a speaker become familiar with audio levels, the ambiance of the room, and the glare of lights. If the speech is being viewed on a teleprompter or note cards, the speaker may want to try using them before the speech.
There are several ways to learn public speaking tips. Speakers may want to try college public speaking courses or corporate seminars with public speaking experts. Public speaking guides are also available as reference books in libraries or bookstores.
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