7 Practical Tips for Enhancing Your Public Speaking Skills
Very few people are immune to the anxiety and stress that come with public speaking. The very notion of standing up in front of an audience and conveying a message to them all is enough to send shivers down the spine of the average person.
But there are ways to overcome these feelings of fear. All it takes is to embrace a few tips, to improve the experience. Here is what you can consider:
Embrace nervousness and minimise it with enough preparation
It is normal to feel a physiological reaction of anxiety and all its accompanying symptoms when faced with the prospect of public speaking. All of these feelings don’t necessarily mean that you will perform poorly. Nervousness can be good. It makes you more alert. It can also transform into positive energy, as long as you know that you can manage the situation. To that end, you should ensure you have enough time to prepare a lot. Always go over the material a lot of times till you gain confidence that you know it well enough.
Learn what you can about your audience
Before crafting your message, you need to learn more about the audience it is meant for. Knowing more about your listeners will enable you to fine-tune the presentation or message so that you can present the information in the best possible manner. You will also be able to make a better motivational statement.
Attain purpose through the efficient organisation of the material
You need a framework for the speech. Begin by writing down your topic. Then, move on to figuring out the general purpose of your message. This is how you can determine the main idea and points you need to get across. That is how you will be able to win the attention of your audience.
Adapt to feedback
Your focus needs to be on your audience. By gauging their reactions, you will know how to adjust your message so that you remain flexible and adjust. You cannot just deliver a canned speech and hope for the best. You need to be flexible and follow the lead of the audience.
Allow your personality to come through
You don’t need to be someone you are not when delivering a speech. You have to be yourself. This is the best way to establish more credibility and give your speech the life it needs, to win the audience. Speakers who play a role are easy to distinguish because they don’t deliver natural speeches. If your personality comes through your speech, the audience will see you as a better person.
Don’t read, unless you have to
you want to maintain the personal connection during your speech. The only way to do this is by not interrupting your contact with the audience. If you read from a script, you are going to lose that connection Maintain eye contact and keep the focus on the message you are delivering to them. If you need to, you can make a brief outline to help your memory from time to time.
Be mindful of nervous gestures
One thing that carries a large portion of your message is non-verbal communication. You need to be mindful of your hand gestures and the way you move around. Be conscious of these factors when you deliver your message.
All of these tips work great when it comes to speaking in front of an audience. Make sure you adopt them and you will greatly enhance your public speaking skills.
