Only a minor percentаge of people state that they have nothing against public speaking. For the vast majority out there the prospect of delivering a speech in front of an audience is as frightening as the thought of death.
If there is one thing that all public speaking experts agree on, it is that to minimise anxiety and deliver a memorable speech, you have to prepare. It is during the preparation process that you will hone your presentation and deliver your message in such a way as to leave a lasting impression. Here are some proven preparation strategies for giving a killer speech:
Set your goals – to motivate yourself and to focus your efforts in the right direction, you need to think about your goals. Do you want to educate your audience, or do you wish to make a successful call to action? Think carefully about what your presentation will be like and what kind of information you want to deliver.
Remember that practice makes perfect – practising your speech is the most important part of it. You need to start well in advance to learn all there is to know about the subject. By mastering each and every word that comes out of your mouth, you become credible. You will also hone the delivery of your message so that it gets to the audience.
Rehearse with an audience – don’t just read your presentation/speech – rehearse it instead. Ask your family and friends if they would like to hear you do a public speaking performance for them. Surely you will get a few volunteers. Even though it is only a small-scale experiment, it will serve you well to replicate how you feel in front of a bigger audience. It is a fantastic way of overcoming the anxiety that accompanies public speeches. Don’t forget to ask for feedback from the people! This is an excellent way to find out if there is anything wrong with your speech.
Make a video of yourself – if you cannot get anyone to listen to your speech, you should make a video of yourself. This is another clever way to get to see your skills in action. By watching yourself, you can catch potential problems with your tone of voice, your body language and even content.
Learn more about the audience – knowing the type of audience you will be seeing goes a long way in delivering a successful speech. It will also help you select the right approach concerning cracking things up with a joke and melting the ice between you and everyone else. Believe it not, this will also make you feel better about the audience, as it will no longer seem like you are talking to strangers.
These are all ideal tips for preparing to deliver the speech of your life. Keep them in mind, and you will be largely successful
