Top 10 Tips for Successful Public Speaking
Written by Julie Kelly On January 31, 2014 | Category:Blog
Did you know that many people fear public speaking more than death?? This is a very common fear and one that needs to be addressed if you are to be a successful career woman. It takes time, exposure and practice to become well versed in something new, and public speaking is no different.
Most managers and executives have to give public presentations at some stage in their career and it is a very good skill to have in your bag of tricks!
Being nervous is normal, even Madonna still gets butterflies before getting on stage, but it is a matter of focusing once you are in front of an audience.
Here are my top 10 Tips for giving a great presentation.
- Know your topic. Knowing your topic inside out and back to front is absolutely critical to giving a confident, successful presentation. As they say, knowledge is power, and the more you know, the more empowered you will feel. Research the topic/subject and ensure you are familiar with and understand the content. Once you have researched the topic, create your presentation in a logical order to capture the audience’s attention and maintain it throughout. Giving presentations is about information exchange, not a rehearsed verbatim. Use conversational language, a little humor if relevant and personal opinions or experiences.
- Know your audience. Knowing who will be listening to your presentation is very important, as you need to tailor it to the needs of the audience. Understanding the culture of those listening will help you choose appropriate language, monitor the inflections in your voice, control your body language and tailor your overall delivery.
- Have an expert mindset. You have been asked to present on a topic and that makes you an expert. The fact that you know more about a particular topic and are informing others about it means you need to own it. Be confident in the fact that you have been asked to talk in front of an audience on a topic that you are familiar with. It is a great way to learn and develop a new skill.
4.Familiarize yourself with the room. I personally love the “dry run”. I need to know where I am going to talk, what the room looks like, what the sound system sounds like and to run through my presentation to ensure there are no technical glitches. Another quote I love is, “People don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan!” Know the room and what would work best in regard to working the space.
- Practice. Once your presentation is complete, you need to start practicing it aloud in a private place. Practice it over and over until it sounds right and you are confident with the delivery. You can go the extra step and record yourself and review the presentation as an audience member. Refine and edit the presentation, as sometimes what seems good on paper does not translate well verbally. Refine and keep practicing until you feel like you have nailed it. This will boost your confidence tremendously.
- Visualization. If you can see it, you can achieve it! I’m a huge believer in this concept. Visualization is a powerful tool that allows your subconscious mind to believe your thoughts and imaginations. So if you can see and hear yourself giving the presentation of a lifetime, you are on the road to success. Believe in yourself.
- Work the room. Knowing your audience and topic go hand-in-hand with working the room. Giving presentations is not only about the words spoken but the presence you have whilst presenting. It is always better to stand rather than sit. Make good eye contact with the audience and move around the room so that each section feels like you are intimately talking to them.
- Breathe. Remember to breathe when you are giving a presentation. Pause when you speak and keep composed.
- Do not read from notes.Reading from notes can insinuate a lack of confidence and/or knowledge on the topic of presentation. It is acceptable to glance at notes throughout your presentation but be mindful not to read from them continuously.
- Speak with conviction and confidence. Speaking with passion and conviction captures an audience. Believing in what you are saying is key to nailing a presentation. Confidence is gained through experience but conviction comes from believing in yourself and your words. Be true to yourself and speak to your audience in a manner that makes them want to listen.
At the conclusion of your presentation, thank your audience and answer any questions they may have. Learn from each experience, as some will go better than others. Soon you will find a method that works for you. Fine-tune it with each presentation and soon enough, public speaking will become second nature to you.
How To Prepare For an Oral Presentation
ByJessica Stevenson
January 23, 2015
At some point during your time as a student, you'll be assigned an oral presentation such as a book report, debate orPowerPoint presentation. How can you get your point across to the class in an interesting way, avoid getting nervous andget a good gradeto boot? Here are a few tips to help you achieve all three of these goals.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Many people are good speakers, but most weren't born that way. What's the key to their success? Practice. Everyone who speaks well -- fromAngelina Jolieto the president -- rehearses speeches and presentations ahead of time and asks others for their feedback. Practicing your presentation in front of a mirror is also helpful because it gives you hints on how to improve your posture,body languageandgestures.
Use Note Cards Wisely
If you're allowed to use notes or an outline when speaking, consider putting your main points on 3-by-5-inch note cards. On each card, list one point and a few supporting points or buzzwords that will jog your memory about the topic if your mind goes blank. Avoid writing entire sentences on the cards because they're harder to read at a glance and encourage you to read your speech rather than speaking to the audience.
Consider Your Audience
One of the most important things to remember aboutpublic speakingis that you're speaking to an audience. Is the audience a group of your classmates? If so, what are some points about the topic that they might find interesting? Consider adding anecdotes from the class or peppering the speech with bits of humor to keep your listeners interested. The more you can relate it to their own experiences, the better -- and the more positively you're likely to be received.
Slow Down, Speedracer!
The biggest mistake teen speakers make is talking too fast. It's something that happens to most of us when we’re feeling anxious.
However, you can prevent yourself from speeding -- and make your presentation easier to understand -- by practicing your speech ahead of time for a friend, or by rehearsing it into a tape recorder and playing it back to hear how fast you're speaking and how many times you say things such as "like" and "um."
Pause, Project and Speak Clearly
Some people say it's helpful to imagine yourself singing the words to your speech, which would require you to pause and enunciate more than you do in everyday conversation. It also helps you to speak loudly and clearly enough so others can hear you.
Another way to make sure you're pausing enough during your presentation is to take a small breath between each sentence. This is also a great opportunity tosmileat your audience and gather your thoughts.
Make Eye Contact
Making eye contactwith your audience members makes you appear confident and knowledgeable about your subject, plus it helps them feel connected to you and the topic you’re speaking about.
If you're speaking to a small class, try to make eye contact with each person once during your presentation. If you're particularly nervous about speaking in front of the class, you can also try looking at an object just beyond the people in the audience, such as a clock or bulletin board on the back wall of the room.
Before getting all caught up in the gee-whiz features of PowerPoint, remember that the purpose of a presentation is to present information — not overwhelm the audience with a demonstration of all the software bells and whistles. The software is merely a tool. Avoid the typical pitfalls of PowerPoint presentations with purpose, simplicity, and consistency.
Other items to consider…
1. Match Design to Purpose
Decide if your presentation (PowerPoint, Keynotes, Prezi, iMovie, etc.) is meant to entertain, inform, persuade, or sell. Is a light-hearted or a more formal approach most appropriate to the subject and your audience? Keep colors, clip art, and templates consistent with your main objective.
2. Keep It Simple
As with any design, cut the clutter. Twofont familiesis a good rule of thumb. No more than onegraphic imageor chart per slide is another good rule (excluding any corporate logo or other recurring element in the design).
Most teachers, and Presenter's University, suggests the 666 rule for simplicity in design: No more than 6 words per bullet,6 bulletsper image, and 6 word slides in a row.
3. Be Consistent
Use the same colors and fonts throughout. Select graphic images in the same style. Templates go a long way toward helping to maintain consistency.
There are both good and not sogood templatesavailable on the Web for your PowerPoint, Keynotes, or Prezi’s. Choose carefully to find the templates that provide consistency, readability, and are appropriate to your message and image - or create your own template.
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