10 tips for speaking in public

We all sometimes have to speak to the public: during workshops, interviews, presentations and even family feasts. For many people, especially introverts, these moments are stressful. Fortunately, you can avoid panic or at least noticeably reduce its degree by following the advice of psychologists.

Today we are going to share with you 10 useful life hacks for those who have to speak in public.

Why is it important to be able to perform in front of an audience

I think it's worth starting with why everyone needs to be able to speak in public. Many of you may argue: I'm not an actor, not a teacher, or even a sales manager, why would I need this? But if you think about it, then situations similar to public speaking are constantly encountered in our everyday life.

From graduation to a job interview, to a toast at a family's wedding, to explaining the rules of the game to your own child and friends, these are situations in which you need to keep your audience's attention for a certain period of time, and it can often be difficult.

Sometimes we are faced with the need to speak in public at the most unexpected moment.

Fear of public speaking is one of the most common human phobias. Even if you do not panic, it is possible that the need to prepare a speech or presentation gives you some discomfort. But this feeling can be learned to control, including with the help of a number of tips that you will see below.

Psychologists say that in the first place, as with any other fear, it is worthwhile to vividly imagine the worst-case scenario. What can go wrong during a public speaking? Nowadays, no one is showered with rotten tomatoes! Most likely, the worst thing that can happen is if you mumble indistinctly or forget the prepared text. But we have all experienced similar moments in our lives more than once or twice, starting with unsuccessful answers at the blackboard. Has anyone died from this momentary humiliation? Moreover, do you still remember them? Believe me, those who should listen to you in half of the cases will not notice that something went wrong, and in the rest they will forget about it the next day. Nothing bad will happen even if your speech is not brilliant. However, making this whole process much less stressful is not that difficult. Let's look at some ideas on how to do this.

10 tips for speaking in public

So, let's turn to specific advice from psychologists.

1. Observe other people speaking in public.

Nothing teaches us more clearly than living examples. If you know public speaking is your problem, start by listening carefully to other people. Go to conferences, lectures, watch videos on YouTube – whatever is more convenient for you. I bet that you will meet both cool performances, looking at which you want to say: 'Oh, I want to be like this guy!', And much less successful ones, which will allow you to be less strict about yourself, thinking: 'But they still worry stronger than me! '.

2. Relax.

Let's go back to what we already said above: believe me, nothing bad will happen to you, even if you fail your speech.

Of course, if we are thoughtfully preparing our performance, we find it very important to have it brilliantly. But even if something goes wrong, believe me, people around you will quickly forget about it or not even notice. Yes, perhaps you will not fulfill some goal: you will not convince investors, you will not find partners, you will not get your message across, etc. But all this is definitely not the end of the world and is not worth so many nerves spent.

3. Prepare everything in advance.

Of course, if public speaking is not your thing, be sure to do your homework. Write the text of your speech or at least the main theses, practice at home – in front of the mirror or in front of your family.

If you need to speak at an event, never arrive at the last minute. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the site, make sure you have everything you need (presentations, screens, materials, etc.). The more you feel confident that the rest of your speech is under control, the less you will worry about your speech.

Well-tuned technology is an important part of the success of any speech

4. Study your audience.

The lion's share of the features of your speech depends on who will listen to you. If you have the opportunity to find out in advance who will be your audience, then you can try to guess what exactly they want to hear from you, which means immediately grab their attention.

For example, if you are a guest lecturer at an educational institution or at a master class, it is best to know in advance what is the approximate age of the audience, as well as what is their average knowledge of your topic. This will help to avoid both too complex and, therefore, incomprehensible and boring lecture, and too simple, from which your listeners will not learn anything new.

Also, knowing the interests of the intended audience will help you pick up jokes or deviations from the topic that will certainly grace any public speaking.

5. Involve the audience in your presentation.

If you've studied your audience, then this is the next logical step. You can ask questions, forcing the audience to answer or raise their hands (for example: 'How many of you have heard of …?'), Or joke on topics they are familiar with.

In addition, psychologists emphasize the importance of eye contact: try to look at your audience or at someone specific in the room or class, this will help your speech sound more convincing. If the speaker looks exclusively at the floor or at the ceiling, nothing prevents the listeners from burying themselves in smartphones and finally losing interest in his speech.

6. Tell life stories.

People love to listen to stories from personal experience. Sometimes a short story about how you yourself, for example, was able to solve a problem with the help of what you are now trying to sell, works ten times more convincing than any statistics.

In this case, of course, brevity is important: do not delve into the details of your personal life too thoroughly, try to quickly return to the main topic.

Do not be afraid to open up to the public, tell something personal about yourself, this will help to win the audience towards you.

7. Take your time.

One of the most common mistakes in public speaking is incorrect speech topics. Most of us in life speak much faster than is acceptable for a lecture or presentation. Try to pause if you feel you have spoken too quickly, take a sip of water, take a breath.

You can also arrange with a friend or relative present in the room that he will give you a signal if you are in too much of a hurry.

8. Move!

Notice that almost all successful speakers walk around the room and gesture while speaking. Take an example from them, do not hide behind a pulpit or a table!

At conferences, long presentations and other work events, people often have to listen to speeches for hours, so their attention is already deliberately distracted. If you move, smile and show your energy in every way, you are much more likely to be heard.

Don't be afraid to move, gesture, and draw attention to yourself

9. Prepare good questions.

You will hardly forget to prepare your speech in advance, but it is equally important to prepare questions and answers on your topic. Why is this needed? Remember how many times at various events you saw a similar picture: a person ends a speech, asks: “Does anyone have questions?”, And in response – silence. You should take the time to ask questions, but you can never guarantee that someone will really want to ask you. In this case, you can get out of the situation as follows: 'I am often asked the following question …' They themselves asked the question – they themselves answered. Everything's under control!

10. Do not refuse to communicate with the audience after the performance.

After you finish your speech, do not run away from the audience or audience. Surely someone from the public wants to ask you a question or show support. Take business cards with you, hand them out to those who wish, use this opportunity to expand your network of contacts (you can also use other tips for competent networking).

Chances are, most of the audience will quickly forget what you were talking about, and that's okay. But people will definitely appreciate it if you were polite, considerate, and took the time to answer their questions.

Conclusion

Speaking in front of an audience is not necessarily an innate talent. Most often it is a skill that can be developed and improved. Remember that Demosthenes – the legendary orator of ancient Athens – in his youth was tongue-tied and learned to speak clearly, picking pebbles in his mouth, and the famous comedian Jim Carrey at the beginning of his career struggled with a real phobia of public speaking. Do your homework, exercise in front of the mirror, try to stay calm – and you will succeed! Good luck!