Building Confidence For Public Speaking
People who feel shy or intimated by public speaking can follow several steps to help overcome their doubts. Clear, confident speeches need to begin with organization, an outline, practice, voice control, and even artificially high confidence.
When preparing for a public presentation, it is important to start with simple basics. Topic of focus, time allotted, props needed, and any extras need to be accounted for in the planning stages. There is a large difference between a 2 minute speech in a small room with 10 coworkers and a 20 minute presentation in an auditorium with handouts needed to coordinate with a slide show portion. The location of the presentation should also be taken into consideration, including whether or not a podium or microphone will be used, the size of the room, and the number of people who will be attending.
Those in attendance, the audience, are central to the presentation, and their expectations should be considered with great attention. Discovering who the audience is will direct the presentation to them and create a relationship with them that will give value to the presentation. This relationship will also help turn the presentation into more of a conversation between friends than an overwhelming speech among strangers.
Once the basic configurations of the presentation and the audience have been accounted for, it is time to write an outline for the speech. The presenter can use a very simple format of Introduction, Points A, B, C, and more, as well as a Conclusion. This organizational tool is similar to what might be used to write a report and helps keep the presenter focused on each specific topic, instead of becoming overwhelmed by thinking of the presentation as one entire large, intimidating event.
Speakers who memorize speeches word for word can actually do more harm than good because if even one word is forgotten, the whole speech can be thrown off and the speaker can feel he has lost control. The outline approach divides the speech into sub-sections that are easier to remember. A speech should also not be written down and read word for word. The audience usually becomes bored and does not connect with the presenter or the topic. If no connection is made, it might make the speaker feel even more uncomfortable.
Public speakers should also pay attention to their voices, both the volume and the tone. People who sound nervous are often speaking too quietly. This is where establishing the basic plan is important and the awareness of the presentation location and any audio devices used. If a shy presenter wants to feel more confident, he should practice sounding confident, even if he doesn’t feel that way. Experimenting with different volume levels and tones can improve the presentation and build confidence. If the speaker can add excitement and or animation to the presentation, it is likely to add to the authority of the presentation and enhance the information presented.
Shyness can hinder public presentations, but speakers can do several things to alleviate some of the pressure and create a more positive experience. The speaker can create a conversational, confident presentation by planning and preparing, building a relationship with the audience, and practicing with different vocal varieties.
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