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Public speaking is one of the biggest fears in the world. In certain surveys, Public speaking is rated higher than death. All of us have been there. The anxiety, the butterflies, the fear before going on stage or making that important presentation. After noticing some of the best public speakers across the world we realize that they have a few things in common. Let us look at these tips to help you to master the art of Public Speaking.
Become a Good Public Speaker
1Know Your material
Be thorough with your material. The more familiar you are the topic of the speech or presentation the more confident you will appear. Read as much as possible about the topic. This will help widen your perspective and will help you take an intelligent stand.
2The Preparation
Practice in front of the mirror or record a video on your phone. Rehearse with all the equipment that you plan to use, for example, laptop, pointer or cue card. Practice with a timer so that you do not finish your presentation too soon or overshoot the time.
3Know Your Audience
As a public speaker, you should be well aware of your audience. Their expectations, education, background and profession. Research and learn more about your audience so that you can make your content as relatable as possible. In short, you can speak their language for maximum effectiveness.
4Look Your Best
Accepted or rejected a public speaker is often judged by his audience not only one the basis of your content,but also the personality. The way you look, the way you carry yourself on stage will have a huge impact on the quality of the presentation. Also when you look good you feel more comfortable about facing a large crowd.
5Have the Right Body Language
Butterflies or nervous energy is very common before we go onto the stage. Take a couple of a deep breath to feel more calm and confident. Maintain the right posture, have a pleasant facial expression and use hand gestures effectively. Use the stage space effectively, rather than being glued to the podium. A simple message can be amplified with variation in tone and usage of the right body moment.
6Eye Contact
Maintain eye contact and try involving each and every member of the audience. This can be challenging for a lot of us. A little trick here is to maintain three points above the head of the audience. These points should be on the left, center, and the right. Ensure that you are looking at all three sides. This will make the audience feel involved and important.
7Make it Interesting
Use quotations, facts, and statistics to compliment your idea. You could also use humor, personal stories, and conversational language to make your presentation more engaging.
8Use of Aids
Use effective aids to support your presentation. One cannot possibly remember everything. You could use cue cards or power points. While using power points, ensure that they are not too text heavy or too animated that they take attention from you.
9Start Strong and Close Stronger
The body of your presentation should be strong too. However, the audience will always remember your first and last words. Ensure that you start strong. In the first few seconds, the audience is judging whether you have worth their time. Similarly, ensure that you have an impact closing.
10Passion and Conviction
People may forget what you say,but they rarely forget your emotions towards the topic. How much you believe or do not believe in the topic can easily be sensed your audience. So, always speak with passion and conviction.
We hope these tips will help you become a more confident public speaker. Public Speaking as a skill will defiantly help you accelerate your career.
BY M. DIVYA SRI
