5 Ways To Improve Your Public Speaking Skills So You Can Give A Truly Insane Presentation
Do you dread public speaking? Do you feel like your voice shakes whenever you have to do an interview or presentation? Do you worry that you are going to make a fool of yourself whenever you have to speak in front of others? If yes, you are not alone. Everyone experiences some level of shyness when speaking in front of others, and even the most confident people can have a difficult time when they have to speak in front of a group. However, overcoming your fear of speaking can be done by practicing and improving your public speaking skills. In this blog post, you will learn five simple ways to improve your public speaking skills and give a truly insane presentation. Let’s get started.
Plan Your Presentation Before You Deliver
One of the first things you can do to overcome your fear of public speaking is to plan your presentation ahead of time. You don’t have to come up with the most elaborate plan possible, but you should at least have an outline of the main points you want to cover. Doing this will help you stay focused and prevent you from winging it during your presentation. This also gives you a chance to make sure your content is what people are interested in and that you know how to present it. If you are delivering a speech, you can also print out your presentation and bring it with you to the venue. This way, you can double-check your content and make sure all your notes are correct. Even if you are reading your notes off a sheet of paper, having your presentation nearby will help you stay focused and prevent you from making any silly mistakes.
Use Visuals Before and During Your Presentation
One of the best ways to improve your public speaking skills is to use visuals during and before your presentation. This can be as simple as having a PowerPoint slideshow or an image projected behind you, or it can be a more complex setup. If you are delivering a speech, you can use a screen projected behind you to show images and videos relating to your topic. This not only helps you stay focused but also provides your audience with context for what you are talking about. Additionally, visuals can help you memorise your content better. When you read off a piece of paper, your brain is not translating what you are saying into visuals. For example, if you are delivering a speech about the importance of road safety, you might be saying something like “cars traveling on the road represent the idea of life being fast and careless”. However, your words don’t convey this meaning to your audience. If you were to use visuals, your audience would see cars on the road and be able to associate these images with what you just said.
Check Your Pitches and Summarise your Content
Another way to improve your public speaking skills is to adjust your pitch and check your content. Before you make it to the stage, you should get a good feel for how high you should be. Start by mumbling into a microphone or even making a recording of yourself speaking. Then, adjust your volume so that it is not too loud and so that you don’t feel self-conscious. Another aspect of your speech that you can work on is your pitch. This can be as simple as lowering your voice a bit, but it can also be a little more complex. Try to visualize what you are saying and focus on slow, steady breathing. As you speak, imagine that you are drawing your breath in through your stomach and letting it out through your mouth. This will help you slow your speech down and make sure your pitch is consistent.
Practice Speaking With a Resume in Front of You
Another thing you can do to overcome your fear of public speaking is to practice speaking with a resume in front of you. This can be as simple as reading from a piece of paper, but it can also be a little more structured. You can create a situation in front of a mirror where you speak from a piece of paper. Alternatively, you can use a recording software to record yourself. The key is to practice speaking with something in front of you that does not have any written content on it. This will help you stay focused on your words and prevent you from getting distracted by your notes. If you are delivering a speech, this can also help you memorise your content better. As you speak, you can visualize what you are saying and associate these images with what you are saying. This will help you stay focused on your words and make sure your content is communicated clearly.
Conclusion
Public speaking can be a daunting task for anyone, but with a little preparation and practice, it can be overcome and given the chance to shine. These five tips can help you overcome your fear of public speaking and give a truly insane presentation. Remember, public speaking doesn’t need to be scary. With a little practice and preparation, you can improve and become more comfortable speaking in front of others.