Speaking in front of people can be quite challenging for some. However, there will always come a time when you need to overcome this fear. Our friends over at www.findmyworkspace.com share some valuable tips on how you can overcome stage fright and be an effective speaker.
Many of us are not used to speaking in front of an audience – even the most experienced public speakers (and entertainers) get nervous on stage from time to time. However, public speaking skills will come in very handy when it comes to doing business and forging relationships with your network, employees and entrepreneurial partners.
Stage fright is usually curbed as you grow confident. Confidence however can be gained little by little through practice and experience, but it takes time. Building this up requires a lot of pre-work too. To be confident, you must be prepared and well-versed about what you will talk about. Merely reading in front is a no-no. This will surely bore your audience, and will ultimately render your speech ineffective.
When it comes to public speaking, there is no substitute to preparation. This is the only way for you to know and become acquainted with the proper subject and key topics of your speech. Giving yourself ample time to research and rehearse it can already build up your confidence even before facing your audience.
Aside from proper preparation, you also need to take note of the following tips in order to fully overcome your anxiety when it comes to public speaking:
- Your fears are mostly psychological.
More often than not, our nervousness usually comes from the notion that we might commit a major blunder on stage. The fact is, that did not even happen yet and it is still all in your head. And if it does happen, what’s the worst thing that it could do? Nothing, really. The audience won’t even bite you.
Furthermore, most of your audience would likely expect to hear and learn from you, that’s why they are there in the first place. At that moment, it is actually you who is in control of the situation, and it is not the other way around. Essentially, what is there to fear? As long as you have rehearsed your topic well, then you are good to go.
- Review your speech from time to time and simplify it.
An effective speaker knows how to keep up the interest of the audience. Remember that the average attention span of most adults is just around 10 minutes, so the most important thing to remember here is to make your speech short and sweet as possible.
This is important especially if you are holding a speech for possible investors or partners of your business. Make it simple. Sure, you can present statistics and data, but leave the technical jargons in your white paper. In your speech, make sure you focus on the clear and concise points that you want to convey to your audience, and if possible, convince them over to your side.
- Practice in front of a trusted friend or family member.
If you live alone, you can practice your speech in front of your pet, or in front of a mirror. It is more advisable though that you get actual friends or family to watch you first. That way, somebody can critique you afterwards and make you aware of where you should improve, or what part of the speech should you revise and make clear.
- Just be candid.
When you make a speech, it is rather important that what you say actually comes from the heart. Speaking your mind with conviction is part of building up confidence. Being honest about what you feel in front of your audience will also help ease your tension.
For example, at the start of your speech, you could say in half-jest that you are almost cringing in fear of being in front of the audience, or joke about how this is the first time for you to put the spotlight on yourself. This tactic will not just help calm you, but it will also perk up your audience’s interest as most of them could relate to you too.
- Make simple gestures as a way to lessen the tension.
Some people may advise you to keep eye contact with some of the audience, but take note that some people might get weirded out when you do this too often. Even you yourself might find it awkward to make eye contact with people you don’t really know that well.
That’s okay though, you may not necessarily have eye contact with the other people of the room, but try to at least make hand gestures or walk across the stage once in a while – it can help you feel at ease, and will be even effective when you need to emphasize a certain point.
In the end, all these still boils down to the proper preparation and ample pre-work that you do before your speech. You can of course write down summaries of the points that you need to discuss if it will help you feel more confident on stage.
Gemma Reeves is a seasoned writer who enjoys creating helpful articles and interesting stories. She has worked with several clients across different industries such as advertising, online marketing, technology, healthcare, family matters, and more. She is also an aspiring entrepreneur who is engaged in assisting other aspiring entrepreneurs in finding the best office space for their business.
Check out her company here: FindMyWorkspace