Getting Comfortable with Public Speaking
If you ask your friends what they are afraid of, it’s almost certain at least one person will express fear of public speaking. What about you? Does delivering a speech or speaking in front of a group make you nervous? Why are we so afraid of speaking in front of crowds? At the simple thought of speaking in public, many of us will feel anxious, jittery, shaky, and break out in a sweat. Well today we’re chatting about public speaking and giving you strategies to try the next time you’re tasked with speaking in front of a crowd. Hopefully our tips will help take the nerves away and make it something you actually look forward to doing?
Prepare
If you know you’ll be speaking in public, the first step is to start planning your remarks. Begin by organizing your material. We recommend writing an outline to get your thoughts organized. Begin with your main topic. Think about the purpose of your speech. What does your speech need to accomplish? Write this down and keep it in the front of your mind as you work on your outline. Once your topic is established, think about your introduction. How will your speech begin and how can you grab your audience’s attention? After you’ve worked on your intro, outline the main points you want to cover with supporting details for each point. Use humor and simple stories to support your points. Simple, concise, and to the point will always be effective. As you write, keep your audience in mind. What’s the crowd like? Not every story or joke will work for every crowd. As you wrap up your speech, summarize your main point and finish with a strong statement.
Once you get your thoughts out, we recommend putting your outline away for the night. Sleep on it and come back the next day with fresh eyes.
Practice
Once you finish preparing your outline, it’s time to practice. We recommend reading it out aloud. You may find your outline needs more detail, or that you need to write out your thoughts word for word, at least initially. Reading aloud will give you a feel for how the speech is flowing. Your words should sound natural and conversational. Speak like you’re chatting with a friend. The more conversational it feels, the more natural it will feel later to deliver to a crowd. And the more the content sounds like you, the easier it will be to share it with others. Tweak your outline as needed. Practice, practice, practice!
When you feel ready to share, ask a friend or family member to listen to you practice. Ask them for honest feedback. As you practice in front of them, think about your body language. Be aware of how you’re moving. Some movement is natural but try not to fidget or bounce from one leg to the other. Make eye contact and try not to read directly off your notes. If you have any visual elements connected to your presentation, practice with those too.
In the Moment
It’s showtime! As you prepare to deliver your message, take some deep breaths. Remember, your nerves are not your enemy! A boost of adrenaline can help you focus your attention and energy. Breathe and use some positive self-talk to encourage yourself. And we might be old school, but if you need to have anything written down, print it onto notecards and avoid reading off your phone! We have enough phones and devices in front of us day to day. No need to read off a phone in front of a group!
While delivering your speech, remember your body language. Make eye contact with people in the audience. Stay tuned in to their reactions and stay flexible. If they don’t seem to be connecting to your delivery, you might need to pivot or change your tone. Be open to adjusting your approach!
If public speaking scares you, we hope these tips make it feel more approachable! Remember, your voice is important and people are interested in hearing what you have to say! If you take the time to prepare, you will thank yourself when you’re standing in front of your audience. Have confidence in your preparation and abilities. And please share your own tips for tackling public speaking in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you!