Snakes? Fine. Flying? No problem. Public speaking? Yikes! Simply thinking about public speaking—routinely described as one of the greatest (and most common) fears—tin can make your palms sweat. Only in that location are many ways to tackle this anxiety and learn to deliver a memorable speech.

In role i of this series, Mastering the Nuts of Communication, I shared strategies to meliorate how you communicate. In part two, How to Communicate More Effectively in the Workplace, I examined how to apply these techniques equally yous interact with colleagues and supervisors in the workplace. For the 3rd and final part of this serial, I'm providing you lot with public speaking tips that volition aid reduce your anxiety, dispel myths, and improve your operation.

Here Are My ten Tips for Public Speaking:

1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!

All people experience some physiological reactions similar pounding hearts and trembling easily. Do not acquaintance these feelings with the sense that yous will perform poorly or brand a fool of yourself. Some nerves are practiced. The adrenaline rush that makes you sweat also makes you lot more warning and set up to give your best performance.

The best way to overcome anxiety is to fix, prepare, and fix some more. Take the time to go over your notes several times. Once you have become comfortable with the material, practice—a lot. Videotape yourself, or get a friend to critique your performance.

ii. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is Near Them, Not You.

Before you lot brainstorm to craft your message, consider who the bulletin is intended for. Learn as much about your listeners equally you can. This will help you determine your choice of words, level of information, organization blueprint, and motivational argument.

iii. Organize Your Material in the Well-nigh Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.

Create the framework for your spoken language. Write downwardly the topic, full general purpose, specific purpose, fundamental idea, and main points. Make sure to grab the audience'due south attending in the first thirty seconds.

4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.

Keep the focus on the audience. Approximate their reactions, adjust your bulletin, and stay flexible. Delivering a canned speech will guarantee that you lose the attention of or confuse even the well-nigh devoted listeners.

5. Allow Your Personality Come Through.

Exist yourself, don't go a talking caput—in any type of communication. Y'all volition constitute meliorate credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they tin run into yous equally a real person.

6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.

Inject a funny anecdote in your presentation, and you lot will certainly grab your audition'south attention. Audiences generally like a personal bear upon in a voice communication. A story can provide that.

vii. Don't Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.

Reading from a script or slide fractures the interpersonal connectedness. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, y'all keep the focus on yourself and your message. A cursory outline can serve to jog your memory and keep you lot on task.

8. Use Your Phonation and Easily Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.

Nonverbal communication carries most of the message. Good delivery does not call attention to itself, but instead conveys the speaker'due south ideas clearly and without lark.

ix. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.

Exercise you lot savor hearing a speech beginning with "Today I'm going to talk to you most X"? Most people don't. Instead, use a startling statistic, an interesting anecdote, or concise quotation. Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audition is sure to remember.

10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

Also many tin can suspension the direct connection to the audience, so use them sparingly. They should heighten or clarify your content, or capture and maintain your audience'due south attention.

Exercise Does Not Make Perfect

Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to exist perfect. Nevertheless, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, simply y'all can larn to minimize them.

About the Author

  • Marjorie N

    North is a consultant for political candidates, physicians, and lawyers, and runs a private exercise specializing in public speaking, and executive communication skills. Previously, she was the clinical director in the department of speech and language pathology and audiology at Northeastern University.