How to Improve Public Speaking Confidence
If you're a normal human being, the thought of speaking in public probably fills you with fear and dread.
But there are times when you just can't escape having to speak in public.
Here are some tips to improve your public speaking confidence.
1.
Prepare This sounds obvious but you'd be amazed how many people think they can stand up in front of a room full of strangers and speak for minutes or even hours on end.
You need to know your subject and you need to know what you're going to say about it.
Preferably so well that if your Power Point slides failed, you could still give the vast majority of your speech.
Decide what notes you're going to make in preparation and how you're going to use them.
Some people like slides, others use small cards, yet others use sheets of paper (but it's easy to lose your place if you use this method) or even a mind map.
It's down to personal preference but you definitely need prepared notes of some sort.
2.
Rehearse Once you've prepared what you're going to say and made your notes, you need to rehearse what you're going to say.
There's a world of difference between reading something in your head and reading it out loud.
The two versions could be from a different planet.
So take the time to rehearse your speech out loud.
Not just mumbled but spoken in an audible voice.
Time yourself as well.
If you've been given a 60 minute slot to fill then you should aim for about 50 minutes on your practice run.
This will allow time for you to be introduced, maybe the occasional question from the audience during your presentation, clarification of a few points if your audience are giving you blank stares and a few questions at the end.
You can always cut the question and answer session short, although that can often be the best part and can allow you to show off your knowledge.
But you definitely don't want to over-run your slot otherwise you run the risk of following in Paul McCartney's footsteps when he and Bruce Springsteen had their sound system unplugged mid-song.
That would be bad.
3.
Don't be over critical Unless you've given out a word-for-word transcript in advance (and maybe not even then), your audience are highly unlikely to notice if you deviate from the script you prepared.
So don't start listening to your critical internal voice that pipes up every time you make the slightest mistake.
Providing your content is as promised and you're not droning on in monotone, your audience are likely to appreciate what you say.
They'll also probably be relieved that they're not standing on the podium but that's another story.
4.
Enjoy yourself Once you get in the swing of public speaking, there's a good chance that you'll actually enjoy it.
This may sound odd when you're standing in the wings, fretting.
But once you're on stage and speaking in public, there's a good chance that you'll get an adrenaline rush which will push the fear to one side and let you give a confident performance.
But there are times when you just can't escape having to speak in public.
Here are some tips to improve your public speaking confidence.
1.
Prepare This sounds obvious but you'd be amazed how many people think they can stand up in front of a room full of strangers and speak for minutes or even hours on end.
You need to know your subject and you need to know what you're going to say about it.
Preferably so well that if your Power Point slides failed, you could still give the vast majority of your speech.
Decide what notes you're going to make in preparation and how you're going to use them.
Some people like slides, others use small cards, yet others use sheets of paper (but it's easy to lose your place if you use this method) or even a mind map.
It's down to personal preference but you definitely need prepared notes of some sort.
2.
Rehearse Once you've prepared what you're going to say and made your notes, you need to rehearse what you're going to say.
There's a world of difference between reading something in your head and reading it out loud.
The two versions could be from a different planet.
So take the time to rehearse your speech out loud.
Not just mumbled but spoken in an audible voice.
Time yourself as well.
If you've been given a 60 minute slot to fill then you should aim for about 50 minutes on your practice run.
This will allow time for you to be introduced, maybe the occasional question from the audience during your presentation, clarification of a few points if your audience are giving you blank stares and a few questions at the end.
You can always cut the question and answer session short, although that can often be the best part and can allow you to show off your knowledge.
But you definitely don't want to over-run your slot otherwise you run the risk of following in Paul McCartney's footsteps when he and Bruce Springsteen had their sound system unplugged mid-song.
That would be bad.
3.
Don't be over critical Unless you've given out a word-for-word transcript in advance (and maybe not even then), your audience are highly unlikely to notice if you deviate from the script you prepared.
So don't start listening to your critical internal voice that pipes up every time you make the slightest mistake.
Providing your content is as promised and you're not droning on in monotone, your audience are likely to appreciate what you say.
They'll also probably be relieved that they're not standing on the podium but that's another story.
4.
Enjoy yourself Once you get in the swing of public speaking, there's a good chance that you'll actually enjoy it.
This may sound odd when you're standing in the wings, fretting.
But once you're on stage and speaking in public, there's a good chance that you'll get an adrenaline rush which will push the fear to one side and let you give a confident performance.
