Just the mere thought of speaking in public may send chills down your spine. But did you know there are ways to put an end to your fears of public speaking? In this article, we are going to consider five invaluable tips that will improve the most important aspects of public speaking.
Even if you have debilitating anxiety, practicing those tips will help you overcome them and excel at public speaking very rapidly.
So let’s discuss each one of them at the time so you will better understand what public speaking consist of and how you can improve your skills.
1) Presence
One of the best things you can do is to first find out how introverted or extroverted you are. This will help you to find the best way to improve qualities such as presence. By improving your stage presence, you will better overcome the feelings of panic and fear. You will be able to achieve this by working on the following items.
a) Confidence
Presence can be improved by focusing on key areas such as confidence. Your confidence will improve if you have deep knowledge and understanding of your subject. Be sure to research your topic thoroughly to have a firm grasp on your content. If you do this you will naturally feel more confident sharing it with others.
b) Friendliness
Delivering your speech in a friendly manner while smiling when possible will help your audience feel closer to you. A smile on your face will not only help you be more relaxed but it will put your audience at ease as well.
c) Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm in your speech will help you to be more engaged with your subject and your audience.
2) Voice Control
You can have all the confidence in the world. But if you can’t properly convey your thoughts with a clear voice, the audience will be lost.
By breathing well, you will have better control of your voice. It’s important that you breathe through your diaphragm and not your chest. This will make your voice much more robust, allowing the audience to hear you better than ever.
It will also serve to reduce a rapid heartbeat. This will naturally calm your anxieties and help you to better manage your voice’s tone, volume, and pitch.
3) Body Language
A slouched or slumped over the body will not only distract your audience, but it will cause you to be less engaged. It’s crucial that you practice standing tall and remaining relaxed and confidente. This will help you to speak clearly and with eloquence.
The expression on your face also falls into this category. As we discussed above, smiling will help you to keep a friendly expression at all times. This will draw the audience to your words much more effectively.
4) Delivery
This takes some practice, but if mastered you will have the audience eating out of the palm of your hand. Typically, when you use the aforementioned tips, your delivery will improve in a positive way.
Delivery coincides with confidence. If you are truly confident about what you’re speaking about, your delivery will be more direct and colorful.
5) Relate to the Audience
This can take a lifetime to master, as it is an ever-changing aspect of speaking. Not all audiences react in the same manner. So you may have to learn different ways to relate to them by getting to know your audience.
If you know the general nature of your audience beforehand, think of ways that will draw them in. For example, if you are delivering a speech to country-folk, you may try changing your speaking style to one that is more ‘southern’.
This will make them feel like they can trust and relate to you. They will naturally be more inclined to listen, thereby making your speech a success.
Conclusion
Practice these tips as much as possible in your spare time while preparing for your speech. Some of these tips involve trial-and-error, but the more you practice, the better you will become.