5 Surefire Tips To Better Public Speaking

If you search for “public speaking tips” with Google, you’ll find more than two and a half million results. It seems that there is a nearly unlimited number of resources online which offer to help you overcome your fear of public speaking; but if you need to give a speech soon, the last thing you need is to spend all of your time looking for tips to successfully make it through your own upcoming speech.

Most of the fears people have about speaking in public come from within themselves, rather than having any sort of basis in how their audience may react to them. The people who will listen to your speech are far more concerned with the information you’re presenting them than with how you give your speech. You may be anxious about speaking, but this anxiety comes from yourself – and the five tips which follow can help you to overcome this and feel comfortable with giving a speech in front of an audience.

Public Speaking Tip #1

You need to know your topic backwards and forwards. Not only do you have to know your speech by heart, but you should be very well versed in the subject matter so you’re prepared to answer any questions which audience members may have. Make sure to research your topic very thoroughly while writing your speech.

Public Speaking Tip #2

Before your speech, talk with as many of the audience members as you can. The more familiar you are with the people in the audience, the more confident and comfortable you’ll feel when speaking.

This strategy also prevents you from pacing back and forth and worrying yourself to death until you go on. There is no point in cramming now, if you don’t know it, you wont, and it will show.

Public Speaking Tip #3

DON’T think everyone in the audience is naked, this in fact will hurt your chances of a successful public speaking outing.

Public Speaking Tip # 4

When you find yourself with only a mouthful of uhs and ums, stop yourself, repeat the sentence as if to add importance, and replace the uhs and ums with silence to allow your points to hit home.

Public Speaking Tip # 5

Use body language. A lot of people think that giving a speech is all about what you’re saying. That’s only half of the picture. You need to use gestures and other body language to add emphasis and energy to your speech if you want to be a truly effective speaker.

These are tips can really help you take your next step in public speaking. Do you realize that people pass up promotions because they will be required to speak publicly?

Many even have a greater fear of speaking in public than they do of death! Of course, it’s easier to get your head around the prospect of stepping up to the podium than it is to grapple with an abstract concept like dying – but fear of speaking in front of a group is very real and can be intense. Thankfully, it is possible to overcome this fear and be able to speak publicly. You may never learn to love it, but you can learn to get through it unscathed. As long as you know what you’ll say and can anticipate the most likely questions you’ll be asked, you’re more than halfway to giving a successful speech.

Learn more about public speaking. Stop by Alex Brooks’ site where you can sign-up for his free professional speaking tips newsletter.