Public speaking-Tips

by Anon

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care about doing well. However, too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here's how you can control your nervousness and make effective, memorable presentations:

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• Know the room. Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
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• Know the audience. Greet some of the audience as they arrive, ask their names. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers.
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• Know your material. If you're not familiar enough with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise if necessary.
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• Relax. Ease tension by doing relaxation exercises.
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• Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful.
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• Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail.
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• Don't apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent.
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• Concentrate on the message -- not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness will dissipate.
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• Turn nervousness into positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm.
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• Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need.

Remember, your audience is there to hear your message. Relax and don't focus on yourself. Be certain your speech is right for the audience. Take your time. Don’t read your speech word-for-word and don’t rush through it. Be conversational, as if you were talking with a group of friends. Be natural and animated. Use hand gestures, move around a little. But don’t rock back and forth — that conveys nervousness. Keep the speech short and simple. Make eye contact with the audience and make them pay attention to you. After all, they are here to listen to what you have to say.