Public speaking

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Speaking in public, in front of groups and conducting presentations are commonly agreed as the least favorite activities that anyone can perform.

However, if we are well prepared, well equipped and well supported, we will find that speaking in public really can be quite enjoyable.

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Don’t worry, you are in very good company! Many people – including celebrities and

politicians - admit to being dead of having to speak in public and suffer the same symptoms as you might: tongue-tied, blushing, damp hands, the shakes!

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Here are a few tips on how you might cope with nerves and on how to deal with situations that may arise during the course of your presentation.

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Take yourself off somewhere you won’t be disturbed and do the following:

Take a long deep breath, count to four, relax and then repeat four or five times

Extend your arms and contract your muscles for a short time and release

Yawn to relax your vocal chords

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Speak clearly and with enough emphasis to keep your audience interested.

Vary the pitch and tone of your voice, let it rise and fall, make it louder or softer; a monotonous voice lulls us to sleep, no matter how interesting the topic is!

Vary the pace, speaking slower or even using silence to emphasize key points

Speak in the accent and way that is

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“One cannot not communicate.” Even if we don’t speak, we communicate through our appearance and body language. Body language consists of eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, body posture, and movement.

Stand straight, don’t slouch with one shoulder lower than the other. Get the right sort of balance

Keep your chin roughly parallel to the floor

Don't just stand there, with your arms by the side of you! ACT CONFIDENTLY and you will FEEL CONFIDENT!

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Smile (but don’t grin) : Smile and the world smiles with you

Give them time to get what you are saying Acknowledge mistakes and announce positive

measures that should avoid future problems Remember the audience’s attention will start at a

low point, climb to a peak, then decline Keep to time. Do not make the audience feel you

have gone on longer than you expected by saying, “I’ve nearly finished” or “Bear with me”

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You can deliver confident and powerful presentations! All it takes is a little preparation, some practice, and a winning mindset. Congratulations! This is your chance to shine.

Know that you were asked to present, because you can do it-you wouldn't have been asked otherwise.

The style and pace of delivery should be what is most natural to you but there are some important “don’ts”

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Avoid seeming hesitant or nervous and too many “ums” or “ahs”

Avoid mumbling or gabbling too quickly

Avoid using the same phrases repeatedly – watch out for “actually”, “in fact”, “the point is”, “and so on”, – your audience will be counting

Avoid looking at just one or two individuals or just the front few rows

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Remember that only 7% of understanding comes from what is said, that 38% comes from the tone of voice and 55% from non-verbal signals!

Make positive eye contact by scanning the whole audience

Avoid defensive postures: folded arms, shuffling, fiddling about

Use your hands to emphasize points but don’t overdo it

Be aware of personal mannerisms that may be distracting and work to avoid them

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Don’t wag your finger or pen at anyone

Don’t pace around

Don’t stand with your back to the audience while you are speaking; if you have to write something on a flip chart, do so and then turn back to the audience and speak.

Do not stand facing the screen, reading your slides to the audience.

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If you can find someone to comment on your presentation, it will help you review your performance so that you can notice areas for improvement before you speak in public.

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THE 6 “BEs” OF EFFECTIVE

PUBLIC SPEAKING:

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Being prepared breeds confidence.

Write down key ideas on a note card to keep your thoughts straight.

Research. Don’t just fake it!

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Simple is best!

If you don’t understand it, neither will your audience.

Avoid fillers: uh, um, like, mmm…

Avoid repetitive phrases: “let’s see…,” “let me think,” “another thing”

Silence is not your enemy! Pausing to collect your thoughts or take a deep breath is okay.

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Make eye contact.

Don’t be afraid to look down to collect your thoughts but be confident. You know the material

Make your audience believe!

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Posture : Standing up straight makes you look like you are in control.

Open arms.

Using your hands can be very effective!

Chin up!

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Volume… VOLUME… VOLUME

Enunciate

Speak TO your audience!

No mumbling!

Slow down!

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Your audience will forgive your nervousness, but they will be turned off by fake modesty or

bravado(BOLDNESS / COURAGE).

FAKE IT UNTIL YOU CAN MAKE IT!

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Be well prepared. Rehearse several times

Co-operate with your body - rest, eat and sleep well beforehand

Dress in clothes that make you feel good

Take several deep breaths to relax your body

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Concentrate on the messages you want to get over to your audience

Move around and release your nervous energy.

Visualize yourself doing well

Remember that your audience want you to do well

Think of a similar occasion in the past when you did it before and did it well. Think about it for a moment.

Make no negative confessions "I'm so nervous"

Put the situation into perspective

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If you get nerves during your talk, move around or do something different to get into a different "state“

Pick out some friendly faces and make eye contact with them

If you make a mistake you make a mistake, laugh at it and the audience with laugh with you. Make a joke out of it.

The more you do it the better you will become. Practice makes perfect.