6 Tips to Help You Prepare For a Public Speech or Presentation

It goes without saying that at one point in your career, you will need to deliver some form of public speech or presentation. Whether it is in front of many people, or just a few of them, you will have to do everything in your power to engage the audience and get their attention. And that is a thought, which frightens many. Public speaking is no easy feat, especially when you have very little experience.

But the fact of the matter is that there are a few steps that you can take, to prepare for the occasion. Here are the concrete steps that will guarantee success:

• Learn as much as you can about your audience — the first step is to prepare with some knowledge of your audience. This will allow you to adjust your speech accordingly. You will know what sort of language to use, and what topics to include. The experience needs to be enjoyable and informative. The way you accomplish this task largely depends on your specific audience, so make sure you research that element well before you begin your preparation.
• Learn more about the environment — try to take a mental picture of the environment and how the speech will go when the time comes. To do this, you need to know where it will take place. So gather some information on the venue. Is it someplace you know, or somewhere you have never been before? Check what sort of tech you will be using. Make sure you know how to use the space accordingly.
• Outline your main points — if you want to get a focus of your speech and make it more organised, you should outline your main points. These are the foundations of your speech. You should focus on using specific keywords, which will bring the attention of the audience towards what you are saying or presenting. Keywords are always good because it is easy to remember them and they work well enough even only in an outline. You can check these keywords in your notes, to help you stay on track with the presentation.
• Get some feedback about your speech — no matter how good you think your speech is, it is best to get another opinion on it. When you practice with others, make sure you get some feedback from them. They can give you a new perspective on things and using that you can later improve the speech.
• Make sure you practice a lot on your own — practice makes perfect, and this statement rings 100% true with preparation for a public speech or presentation. The whole experience is anxiety-inducing and one of the best ways to gain some confidence and fight back that anxiety is to get plenty of practice. You can make a video of your presentation and then review it closely. This is an effective way to practice, as it can reveal certain mistakes that you would be otherwise unable to catch.
• Mind your body language — using hand gestures and body movements to emphasise the presentation is a must. Body language plays a serious role in conveying your message. If you are too stiff, people won’t pay attention to what you are saying. Make sure your movements are natural and not forced. When you make a video of yourself presenting, you will get a pretty good idea of what you are doing wrong in terms of body language and you can correct that.

These are all great tips to use in the preparation of a public speech or presentation. Make sure to utilise them to their fullest potential.

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