How to Perform in Public Like a Pro, Even If It’s Your First Time
If you tremble when you think about performing, you are not alone. This is fine. Just thinking about it makes me shudder – and I spent 18 years giving talks. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years to get rid of my fear of public speaking.
Preparation is the key to success
You want your speech to flow, and it won’t happen if you don’t take the time to prepare for it. This is not an easy goal, but it can be done. Start by taking the time to assemble your part. Continue by writing down the points you want to convey to your audience. Then arrange them logically so that they naturally flow from one to the other. After that, you can add something else to grab your audience’s attention: stories, illustrations, and props like images and videos in your slideshow. You are probably afraid of public speaking because you don’t know what to talk about in your speech or how to pronounce it. By taking notes, you are allowing your speech to crystallize in your head. Strengthen your speech by doing due diligence and researching your topic .
For example, suppose you have a simple oral assignment, such as introducing a guest speaker. If you’re tasked with introducing a dignitary rather than just reading about a guest before the event, talk to him in person. Find out who he really is and how he wants to be introduced. If you cannot meet in the flesh, you can use your phone or skype. After speaking with him, you will learn about his significant achievements, the respective positions that he held, and his powers pertaining to this case. You are now halfway there.
Know your audience
At this stage, you know what to talk about, but how to get it across to your audience is another matter entirely. First, you need to know who will be listening when you speak. In other words, know your audience . Find ways to get to know your audience. Strive to be close to them. Dig up their eccentricities, desires, pains and anger. What do they want to know, hear or talk about? What are their interests? Be aware of their age group. Demographics are integral to identifying your audience. You also don’t need an official survey to get this information. Just chat with them in the first five minutes of your talk.
Be an expert on your topic
Let’s say you’re talking about love and romance. Think about your personal life. What are your romantic experiences? Or think about the lessons you’ve learned from famous love stories. Use these lessons to spice up your speech.
You can also explore love and its myriad fascinating definitions across cultures and boundaries. Study them and see what interests you the most. Select examples from your life and relate them specifically to the definitions you studied. If you have time to prepare, you can interview experts and collect data for a “box of gem treasures” that you can share with your audience during your talk. Try to transform yourself into a love connoisseur before taking the podium. When you’re in the spotlight, you’ll be ready to speak with confidence, eloquence, and authority.
Emphasize positive
What kind of speaker are you? To be more effective, you must define your style. Communicate your strengths and weaknesses as a speaker and focus on what you do best. You have a great sense of humor? Or are you a good storyteller? You may be a good student; someone who can break down concepts and explain complex ideas with simple facts. After careful analysis, choose your own kind and focus on speaking in your own style so you can shine like a star. Don’t change yourself because you think one style is better than another, and don’t try to be someone you are not.
Feel comfortable with the environment
Go and check out the venue where you will be performing. Get to know this place. Find out its size. Knowing the size of the area will help you prepare yourself for your movements.
The size of the room is directly proportional to your gestures and movements. Large spaces require large gestures and wide movements. Small spaces call for the opposite. In a huge hall, you need to plan for large hand gestures and body movements, otherwise you will not be able to attract the attention of the public. If the meeting place is as small as a high school classroom, adjust accordingly. Rolling your eyes in a small space will catch people’s attention. Even a half smile can emphasize a thought.
If you check the venue first, you will also know if you can walk freely up and down the aisle, or if you will be confined in a tiny space, such as behind a podium. These small details aren’t really small things at all, and if you think about them carefully, they will be crucial in your conversation.
Visualize your audience naked (for fun)
Fear of public speaking is associated with fear of criticism, and fear of criticism is associated with fear of public opinion and rejection. This fear is not easy for you, but try this: Imagine that you are talking to a group of people who are wearing nothing but their underwear. I know it’s weirdly funny, and that’s the point! Render the scene. I’m pretty sure you will smile as you go up on stage.
Some have questioned the effectiveness of this tactic, but the bottom line is that the best way to resist the challenge of public speaking is not to take yourself too seriously . Also, you are a speaker. You are in charge! When you finally get to this podium, relax, take three long, deep breaths, smile and say hello to the crowd. If you’re still nervous after saying hello, read the first two lines with all the confidence you can get straight from the script. After the first two lines, move on to the third, fourth, and so on. Maintain eye contact.
Typically, when you finish your first ten sentences, everything will be fine. Do it step by step and when you’re on the go, everything else will be easy.
Pay attention to your appearance
Don’t overlook a key confidence-building factor on performance day: your clothes.
Make sure you are groomed and fresh in your favorite outfit. When you look great, you feel great. On the other hand, if you prefer a casual look and it suits your event, go for an informal look. This will make you feel more comfortable and more attractive to an equally casual audience. At first, viewers judge you by your appearance, so make an extra effort to dress in a way that inspires respect and confidence.
Psyche yourself up
What’s the worst thing that can happen if you stand up and speak in front of a large crowd? You may be booed and embarrassed, but if you are not talking about a sensitive political issue, which is unlikely, this is the worst that can happen. Nobody will take you to court just for speaking in front of a crowd.
However, if you prepare properly, you will never feel embarrassed. Convince yourself of this: you will prepare carefully and diligently and give an engaging speech .
Practice as if your life depended on it.
While you are on the podium, your life depends on how hard you have prepared and trained. If you’re wrong, your audience will remember you for it. It is enough to practice and keep practicing. Record on video how you practice your speech and explore your strengths and weaknesses. Identify the moments when you use “like”, “mmmmm” or “ahhh” and do your best to eliminate them. There are many such shortcomings, but the most common are “mmm” and “ah”. Drop them out of your speech.
When you write yourself down, you will also notice if you are speaking too fast or too slow. Adjust your speech rate so your audience can get the most out of your presentation. Watching your speech on video is also a way to check if you tend to speak in monotone. If so, try to change your tone. Remember, practice leads to excellence.