Getting nervous while speaking in front of too many people who have keen interest and attention in your speech is normal. Every normal person gets nervous before gaining enough confidence to speak calmly.
Confidence is a key to success. Having less confident, uncertainty and low self-esteem can lead you to failures or unmentionable success.
Here are some strategies to improve your public speaking.
Plan Appropriately
Planning is normal and crucial as well. The person who plans well gets the job done. You need to plan and sort out your speech and sequence of the sections of your speech.
Try to start your speaking with attention grabbing words. You can use some interesting statistics or some story. The good beginning of you speech would keep you confident throughout your time on the stage in front of the audience.
Practice Nicely
Do prepare and finalize the material you’re going to deliver before the deadline because it will give you extra time to practice. Practice makes a man perfect and same is the case with this particular task.
Try to speak in front of dummy audience or you can speak in front of a mirror facing yourself. Put stress on the words and practice enough till you get fluent and strong in your words.
Get Involved Into the Audience
Don’t’ feel isolated by just speaking the words you had memorized. Try to ask questions to individuals and groups even. Try not to use words like ‘I think”, “actually”, “may be” and “just”. The words like these will make you sound less sure.
Be certain about your words and try to engage the audience by asking questions, taking feedback and answering questions as well.
Body Language
Your body language speaks a lot about you. If you’re leaning on one leg, hiding behind podium and speaking in a constant tone without taking pauses and ups and downs of your voice, the audience will find out your inner state instantly.
Do not hide behind podium. Stand in the center and try to walk among the audience so you may look more confident and certain about your words and body language.
Think Positively
Well! It is one of the most important part of delivering a good presentation or speech. If you keep telling yourself that you can not do this or you’ll get faint on the stage in front of the audience, you will never be able to be a good speaker.
Try to think in a positive direction. Do not think negative of yourself and believe in your abilities. Just tell yourself that “I will do better than I did last time” and it will help you to be more positive.
Watch Recordings of Your Speeches
Ask one of your friends in the audience to record you so you could watch it later. Watching your videos will improve you dramatically because you’ll be able to witness your mistakes and weak points, yourself.
Look for your gestures, postures, body language and standing position in front of the audience. Find out your weaker points and you’ll avoid making such mistakes when speaking next time.
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