6 Public Speaking Tips for Shy People
People often share the truth that among their biggest fears is speaking in front of others. Whether it be in school, at work or sometimes even in front of their friends and relatives, it is difficult to imagine standing in front of everyone to deliver a public speech.
In reality, public speaking is a skill everyone can almost certainly cultivate. It takes a lot of effort to go from fearing the thought of it to looking forward to delivering a public speech. If you are looking to get there, you should employ certain tips that can aid shy people in the process:
Write a list of your goals and fears
You need to think about what causes your fears and what reasons you have for those fears. Maybe you have had a bad experience with public speaking in the past, or maybe you are just shy and lack confidence. Write down your insecurities, along with how you think they have held you back. Afterwards, think of how you can overcome those fears and what goals you can set in front of you. Use this list as your go-to motivation piece when you feel like you cannot deal with the issues of public speaking.
Record yourself when presenting
Many of the best speakers have embraced their past mistakes and taken the time to learn from them. They know that is how they become better at what they do. The best way to practice is to record your speech on video and then watch that. You can do it on your own, and you will be surprised just how many things you will find out about the way you present. You can also ask family and friends to check it out and hear it from their perspective. This is by far the best practice method that you can ever resort to when it comes to public speaking.
Share a story with a friend
One good strategy to make yourself feel comfortable telling stories, which is something you will have to do during speeches, is to tell a story to a good friend. You can even do it in your home, where you feel most comfortable. It is getting used to the feeling of sharing in this way that you can later use in your public speaking efforts.
Go to some speech and ask a question
If you wish to gain more confidence, you should go to a speech of your choosing and ask a question. When the Q&A section comes, you will go for it. This way you will gain some insight into how it feels to be among the audience. Notice that people there are also ashamed and that it is not always about you, as a presenter or member of the audience.
Work with friends on public speaking
There is every chance you have friends of yours who have issues with public speaking and wish to get better at it. You can recruit them as partners to practice together. You can share feedback and refine the process together in a way that is much more effective than doing it alone.
Practice with less intimidating audiences
Another great way to take the edge off public speaking is to practice with low-stakes audiences. So before you do that big speech in front of your colleagues, you can maybe do a talk about your career in your child’s school. This will give you some much-needed boost of confidence.
These are all great ways that you can boost your public speaking skills, even if you are a shy person. Make sure to use them and you will greatly succeed in your efforts.
