We all fear embarrassment and when the embarrassment is in front of a large group people it almost feels like the earth should swallow us up just to save you with some grace. It happens to the best of us, we get nervous that we will screw up something and say the wrong thing thereby spoiling our whole image and making us the laughing stock.
Public speaking is a part of student life, as well as professional life. We all feel nervous doing it for the very first time, but confidence is the key to success here. If you know the subject, what you want to convey through words, and the purpose of your speech, it becomes an easy job.
If you haven’t done it yet, don’t worry, here I will give you a few simple tips that will help you prepare yourself for public speaking
1. Choose a subject
If a subject is hard or unfamiliar then it becomes hard for you to formulate words about it and speak in public. Therefore choose a topic which is familiar and you can easily talk about it without hindering the flow of your words.
2. Be organized
It is best to be organized about what you are going to speak about. You don’t need to write word to word and parrot it out, you just need to write the key points down thereby creating ideas and increasing flow of your speech.
3. Prepare and practice
It is important to practice and prepare extensively in order to avoid any slip up and also you can correct any errors before handed. This doesn’t mean writing each word down, it just means that you will be prepared for any questions or queries thrown at you.
4. Keep it short
The scrip of you speech must in short sentences that you can remember or change easily without much hassle thereby making it easy for you to edit on the spot.
5. Practice with a mirror
Before you speak in front of an audience make sure to recite a speech in front of mirror where you can see yourself speaking. This will help you to adjust and improve your gestures, posture, body movements and facial expression because these are very important when a speaker needs to connect with his audience.
6. Try on a mock audience
Before you do your speech in front of your intended audience make sure to practice your speech on mock audience like your siblings, your parents, friends etc. This will help you get the opinion of your mock audience thereby helping you do necessary changes for making the speech better.
7. Breathing exercise
It is important to have control on your breathing otherwise you may lose your nerves thereby causing you to forget your speech or causing you to stutter. So practice simple breathing exercises that will regulate your breathing and make your speech more confident and approachable.
8. Keep water near
Keep a glass of water near you while you’re speaking so that you can sip it in between your speech thereby giving pauses and allowing you to regroup. This not only makes your speech more approachable but also helps the audience connect with you.
9. Keep it slow
Don’t try to rush it, keep your words slow, clear and well-paced thereby avoiding any errors or mispronunciations. This will help audience understand your point.
Debate, extempore, or hosting you college function can become very easy for you, if you overcome your fear of public speaking. So follow these simple tips and be prepared for an awesome public speaking experience.
