How to Speak in Public with out Fear
People can have mental block when it comes to public speaking: doing so in front of people takes practice and self belief. The more you practice public speaking, the easier it becomes. At the same time being able to talk to a room full of people, takes preparation and confidence.
- Know your subject
One of the best ways to gain confidence in order to be ready to speak in public, is to know your subject matter inside and out. If you need to keep looking down at sheets of paper to see what you are talking about, you'll lose continuity in your speech, and your confidence will dwindle.
Not only should you know what you're talking about, but you should genuinely be interested in the subject at hand. Your enthusiasm will come across as you speak, and make your talk more eloquent and exciting. Half the battle of public speaking is being able to hold your audiences attention, and engage their minds.
- How to remember your speech
You can remember what you want to say, by preparing before hand. Instead of writing a list, or your speech word for word, try brainstorming and mind mapping. By doing this you'll help raise your own enthusiasm, and naturally assume a more interesting way of getting your message across.
To brainstorm and mind map, you need to have the subject matter of your speech as a central theme. Write this as a heading, in colored pen, in the middle of a large, plain piece of paper. Out from your central theme, draw arrows, in different colors, for different ideas, or aspects of the subject, that come to mind.
By preparing in this creative manner, you can provide yourself with a talk you'll remember better, in a form that can be used as a visual aid.
- Flip charts / visual aids
Your audience will be far more enamoured with your talk if you provide them with something to look at. At the same time, you'll be giving yourself a means of remembering what you want to say, and in what order.
A visual aid can be a mind map you draw in front of your audience as you speak, or, it can be a prepared mind map, which acts as a prompt.
- Audience participation
Why give yourself all of the work, and have that heavy load on your shoulders when you don't need to? Keep colored pens handy, and use them to underline facts and important points. Keep good eye contact with your audience, and if you see someone who looks interested, get them to join in.
By engaging your audience in this way, you will have their complete attention, and what's more, they'll start enjoying themselves. As they lighten up and become enthusiastic, you'll find yourself having fun too.
Public speaking need not be a nightmare. Remember to get enthusiastic about the subject matter. Know it inside and out. Get your audience involved, and be creative. This way, you will automatically speak confidently, and your self esteem will soar.
