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16 November 2013

Effective Public Speaking

By Zoe Smith


How are you when speaking in front of an audience? Are you comfortable and articulate-or do you find yourself stumbling all over yourself when you open your mouth in front of people? I have many friends who have had almost crippling public speaking anxiety. The good news is it can be overcome. Yes, you do not have to spend sleepless nights anymore worrying about each time you need to face people. Here are great public speaking tips you can use to help you in the future.

1. More often than not, we will have ample time to prepare before giving a speech. Gather every bit of material you can on the topic needed and study like crazy. You don't need to incorporate every trivia you got, but you must make sure that you know as much as you can about what you are speaking about. When you are confident on your expertise or knowledge of something, it will significantly ease the anxiety you are feeling.

Also, keep in mind that even if you have all this information in your head- do not read it verbatim. Speak from your heart. Be passionate about your topic. If you have prepared well and sincerely care about what you are saying, you will be an effective speaker.

2. If you are using power point or some similar program for presentation-do not use bullet points. It is akin to a lullaby and will end your illustrious speaking career before you even begin. The best presentations are concise and compelling so make use of engaging visuals, images, videos, etc. that are appropriate to your topic.

3. For some of us, it doesn't matter how prepared we are and how great our presentation is, public speaking anxiety will still find its way to the pit of our stomach. The peak of this anxiety is a minute before the speech so take deep breaths and relaxation exercises before this happens. Rehearse the speech in your mind and visualize your audience positively responding to your speech.

4. When you get in front of the people, it's good to find a friendly face there. If you don't have a good friend-find a person who is interested and receptive to you and address him/her when you are having trouble engaging the crowd. Even if everybody else is busy or unattentive-you have one person that appreciates your message and is helped by what you are saying.

5. If you want a successful talk, then engage your audience. Make your stories relatable or ask questions intermittently. Allow them to participate and make it seem like you are all friends simply having a good time. This not only dispels your own nervousness but the more positive the experience you leave your audience, the better they will remember what you have said.

Every single individual has something to say-don't be deceived into thinking otherwise! Go ahead, learn these helpful public speaking tips, practice in front of a few friends and get ready when the time comes for you to shine. Live and be free today!




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