Tips On Public Speaking

The mere thought of having to know the tips on public speaking may scare the pants off you. Speaking of which, does picturing audience members wearing only their underwear really work?

It might.

But there are other surefire tips for public speaking that will definitely help. They will reduce your anxiety and improve your success rate, regardless of your experience level.

Preparation is key. Sufficient preparation is important before any public speaking attempt.

One of the most important tips on public speaking is to prepare. Effective preparation can often make the difference between a disastrous public speaking engagement and an unforgettably great speech.

The best public speakers know that sufficient preparation is one of the main keys to success.

There is a good reason that famous people like presidents and heads of state hire people to prepare all their speeches. They realize that effective preparation makes a good speech. They also know that addressing the public unprepared and speaking “off the cuff” will not win the public’s respect.

Being well prepared is a good tips on public speaking. Write out your entire speech and then make some point form notes. This advice is even more applicable if you are new to public speaking.

Preparing well will give you more confidence. It will also minimize your risk of stumbling over words or forgetting important points.

“It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech”.

Mark Twain definitely had the right idea so take his advice and don’t “wing it”!

Leave that to the improv comedians. Instead, sit down, grab a cup of java and put all the amazing ideas in your head to paper.

Practice, practice, practice.

Another one of tips on public speaking is that you need to spend as much time as possible practicing when you are public speaking.

If you live with roommates, make them listen to your speech. Repeat it so often that they will be able to give the speech themselves! If you are forced to enjoy your own company, make your living room mirror your new best friend. Practice your speech in front of a mirror. Watch your facial expressions and body language while you are speaking. You can also use a video recorder to tape yourself.

Practice reading your speech many times until you feel ready. Then practice a little more! This is one tips on public speaking that you do not want to neglect. I guarantee you won’t be sorry. I’ve never heard a successful public speaker say “Wow, this speech is going so well I wish I hadn’t spent so much time practicing”.

Know your audience. Learn as much about them as possible.

When you are doing any kind of public speaking, try to learn about your audience beforehand. Find out the kind of people you will be speaking to before writing your speech. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

• How old are the audience members?
• What are their backgrounds?
• Is English their first language?
• How well do you know them?

The more you know about your audience, the easier it will be to prepare effective material.

Just imagine preparing a complicated speech on nuclear physics and discovering the majority of your audience members are 12 and 13 years old. Reverse the scenario. Think of how well your “advantages of getting your bellybutton pierced” speech will be received in a room full of middle-aged executives!

Discussing your mechanical engineering position with lots of acronyms and technical terms may be great for your office meeting. But try repeating the same speech to an audience of recent immigrants. The subject matter will no longer seem like such a good idea.

Adding a few good-natured blonde jokes in your next business proposal may not get you the raise you wanted. If one of the new managers in the room happens to be blonde… well, I think you can picture the disastrous results for yourself!

The point is, you should tailor your subject matter to your audience whenever possible. Speaking about a topic that is relevant to your audience will capture their attention much more effectively.

Use easy to understand vocabulary. Refrain from using big, complicated words

When you are preparing your speech, resist the temptation to use sesquipedalian vocabulary.

You are probably shaking your head and wondering what the heck that word even means. That, or else you have already given up and found another website you can actually understand. If you’re still reading, I’ll satisfy your curiosity. The term is defined as “long and ponderous; having many syllables”.

I’m sure we all know people who like to ramble on using complex words. They prefer vocabulary that nobody on earth ever uses in everyday conversation. You wonder if they spend their Saturday evenings memorizing the dictionary for fun. If this sounds like you, please stop! If you just can’t resist using those long words, save them for your PhD thesis, not your next speech.

Nobody wants to listen to someone using long words they don’t understand. Actually, that statement is not completely true. If you are really tired and want to catch a few zzzs, a speech like this is perfect. You will be drifting off into dreamland after the first few lines.

If you want to keep your audience attentive, keep your vocabulary basic and easy to understand. Click on the link below for more tips on public speaking.

Tips on public speaking - Part 2