Public speaking: confidence building tips
by Patricia Venables
The ability to speak well in public helps people in all walks of life. More
and more people are involved in charitable organisations, or on committees or
parent-teacher organisations. People who would never consider themselves
speakers find themselves having to structure a presentation and communicate
ideas, and are held back by lack of self confidence.
It is also true that giving a presentation to colleagues has become a normal
part of people’s working lives. Once it was just those in executive positions
who had to master the art of presentation, but now absolutely anyone can be
asked to present their ideas in this way. Learning to speak well in public can
help overcome shyness and self- consciousness, and help people to think clearly
under any circumstances, whether in everyday life or in the work place.
Make no mistake, delivering an effective presentation to a group of people of
any size is difficult. Because of the easy availability of all sorts of
information these days from the internet and other media sources, listeners
expect more from speakers today. More in the way of content, more in the way of
entertainment value. Audiences want a presentation delivered with personality
and verve.
Preparation
Preparation is everything. The first essential for a speaker is to be
familiar with his subject. If you have been asked to give a presentation on your
own pet subject, then this will not be a problem. Think about it for several
days, and do any necessary research. Find out as much as possible about the
group you will be speaking to. Perhaps you can dig up some little known fact
about their club or organisation. Audiences like to hear stories about
themselves!
Structure your presentation
Make sure you structure your speech. Begin with something to get the
attention of your audience, perhaps the fact you discovered about their club, or
a comment on a current event. Another way to gain immediate attention is to ask
a question. This is a technique used by many professional speakers.
Make sure you have only two or three main points in your speech, and back
these up with examples or statistics. Try to use a visual aid if possible. You
can simply use a flip chart or graph, or display an object. If you use an
overhead projector, make sure your slides are of good quality. There is nothing
more irritating to an audience than inadequate or blurred presentation slides.
Better to have none at all.
To read or not to read
Most beginners feel happier if they can stand and read their speech. This
should be avoided at all costs. You must look at the audience during your
presentation and maintain good eye contact. The trick is to let your eyes roam
the audience, covering all corners of the room. To enable you to do this, use
note cards instead of reading your speech. Make sure each card has a word or
phrase that will act as a trigger for a particular train of thought. Practise
your presentation with these cards several times. This is very important, and
can help reduce stress and anxiety on the day. Make sure you use variety in your
tone of voice, and smile!
A good closing
You have just treated your audience to a first class presentation, so you
must leave them with something to think about. You could summarise your main
points, or again, ask a question. Another technique used by the professionals is
to close with a quotation or a brief poem. If you choose this option, make sure
the quotation or poem is relevant to your presentation.
The points discussed here are the basics to encourage you to be the speaker
people will want to listen to.
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