Winning the Crowd: 10 Simple Public Speaking Tips
Some people are born speakers. Seemingly on a whim, they’re able to get up on stage in front of hundreds or thousands of people and deliver a confident and apparently well-researched exposition of anything from commodity-price trend forecasts in the out years to the merits of owning a three-piece suit. If that doesn’t sound like you, don’t fret. Just prepare as best you can with these 10 easy-to-remember tips.
1. Exude Confidence
Whether you’re practicing your speech in front of the mirror, waiting in the wings to go onstage, or delivering your monologue with the spotlight in your eyes, confidence is key. In fact, it’s often the best way to fool your audience. If you act like you know what you’re saying, those listening will assume that you do.
2. Make Eye Contact
This goes hand-in-hand with exuding confidence. No matter how big it is, talk to your audience as if it were a small group sitting across the table from you. Know your speech well enough that you’ll need to glance at your notes only infrequently and choose specific audience members with whom to meet eyes from time to time.
3. Defer Questioning
If you’re speaking to an intimate group in an academic or boardroom-type setting, audience members may periodically interrupt you to ask a question. Keep your flow by resisting the urge to indulge them. Instead, leave some time open at the end of the speech for a back-and-forth.
4. Control Your Motions
Nervousness can breed any number of strange habits. To control unprofessional-looking nervous tics like watch-checking, body-scratching and shifting back and forth on your feet, remember the statue game you played as a kid.
5. Strong and Silent
Don’t “um” and “ah” your way through your speech. When you’re practicing your speech, replace each “um” with a silent beat that allows you to collect your thoughts without distracting the audience.
6. Hydrate
Nervousness can cause dry mouth and hiccups, two unpleasant conditions that will obviously interfere with your ability to make a confident, coherent speech. Fortunately, a simple glass of water can cure both.
7. Store Knowledge
Learn enough about your speech’s topic that you can’t possibly cover every detail in an entire speech. You’ll sound more confident and will be able to mix in unplanned facts if you lose your train of thought.
8. Don’t Apologize
In your mind, your nervousness will magnify your speech’s perceived shortcomings far beyond what your audience is capable of noticing. As such, there’s no need to apologize publicly for awkwardness or inconsistency.
9. Connect with the Audience
If it’s appropriate, take a moment to introduce yourself before you begin. Speaking on a familiar topic will calm some of your jitters and get your audience invested in you and your speech.
10. Message First
Remember that your audience showed up to hear your message, not your voice. Rather than obsessing over how you look or sound, focus on delivering a coherent talk that informs and entertains.
If you let it, public speaking can be absolutely terrifying. It can also be eminently rewarding and educational both for you and your audience. These 10 starter tips should tip the balance in favor of the latter.
Brandi Bradley writes full-time for education blogs nationwide. She writes for www.marylhurst.edu where you can find out more about their online mba degree program.
