3 Steps to Confident Public Speaking
Speaking in front of a group comes easily to some people.
Others have to work at making their delivery calm, smooth and interesting.
While there are all sorts of strategies that public speakers use to get ready for a speaking engagement, there are three key steps that you must take, if you want to be successful.
Prepare
There are few things in this world that go well without some advance preparation.
Speakers that know how to get and keep an audience’s attention know this very well.
Be well-versed in the topics you share with your audience.
Also, consider the nature of your audience.
If you are speaking to a group of IT professionals, feel free to use technical terms.
If addressing a general audience, choose language that the average adult will understand with ease.
Knowing your subject and your audience is the only way to really prepare and achieve your goal.
Practice
Believe it or not, practicing in front of a mirror or a trusted associate will do wonders for your delivery.
No matter how well-crafted your notes, they do not contain all the words you will use.
Taking the time to audibly practice will uncover trouble spots where you are likely to stumble, or have trouble moving from one concept to the next.
This gives you a chance to work on those spots and achieve a steady flow to the presentation that convinces the audience that you do know what you are talking about.
Stay On Track
One of the most common mistakes that speakers make is allowing themselves to wander into side topics.
This is dangerous for two reasons.
First, you find yourself floundering with an issue that you don’t know that well, which threatens your hold on the audience.
Second, you will have trouble finding your way back to the main topic, losing more of your audience in the process.
Even if your presentation is interrupted with questions from time to time, mentally mark your place, quickly respond to the questions, then pick up where you left off.
Effective public speaking requires work.
Even seasoned speakers still have to prepare, practice, and find ways to avoid wandering off-topic.
Keep these three steps in the back of your mind as you try various approaches and strategies, and your chances of delivering a speech calmly, that is a hit with the audience will increase substantially.