101: Public Speaking
Does the idea of speaking in front of a crowd give you the sweats? You’re not alone. Fear of public speaking is a common malady and causes way too many sleepless nights. We have searched the web to find key tips to help make you podium-perfect in any situation.
Use fear as an edge. Nervousness can actually serve you well, says expert Gerry Genard at PublicSpeakingInternational.com. “Without those butterflies in the stomach, we run the danger of becoming too placid and mellow, without any of the edge or energy that make a presentation engaging for audiences,” he says.
Just because we are anxious doesn’t mean the audience sees it, Genard says.
“We may love to beat up on ourselves, but our audiences really are not looking for an opportunity to join the fight,” he points out. “They usually are genuinely interested in what we have to say.”
It doesn’t have to start with a joke. Especially if you don’t normally joke around, says Laurie Schloff of SpeechImprovement.com.
Using gentle self-deprecation in your speech will make you “humorously humble,” says Schloff, but be careful you don’t go too far and lose your audience’s confidence.
She also suggests using exaggeration instead of humor, and tells of a presenter who had the misfortune of following an extraordinary speaker and began by saying, “That was a superb talk, Carl. I’m reminded of the time I tried out for the opera, and the fellow before me was either Pavarotti or his twin.”
Avoid reading a speech. You should just jot down talking points, says Rob Sherman in Toastmaster magazine. Use a keyword outline to jog your brain, look at the audience, and expand on those topics.
He also urges public speakers to start strong. This may mean a shocking statistic, a current headline or an interesting quote. It does not mean thanking the person who introduced you.
Sherman also advises speakers not to end their presentations with a Q&A session. It’s OK to take some questions from the audience, but then do a closing talk summarizing the main points of your speech, bringing your listeners back to your key points or leave them with a call to action.
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