If you are faced with a problem with public speaking, it is
likely that you are afraid of it. You need to learn about stopping the
anxiety before getting up to speak. It is true that if you have been
embarrassed once, you are likely to feel embarrassed again. In fact,
people who have a problem with public speaking may not be able to lead a
normal life too. It may impede you from socializing or speaking
anywhere in public. A lot of people recollect their first public
speaking experience as it was possibly one of the worst experiences they
ever met with.
Common Problems with Public Speaking
You
need not be necessarily afraid of public speaking whether you are
required to deliver a speech or conduct a business meeting. Only if you
follow a few rules and regulations, you can overcome your anxieties of
facing the public while giving a speech. This is something that will
make a difference in your career as well as future. You can even
approach an instructor who will tell you what is required to handle your
problem with public speaking. Trainers often grade the weak students or
executives with leniency.
One thing which needs to be known is
that you can perform well in your public speaking efforts by avoiding a
few common pitfalls. You can avoid making the following mistakes:
Follow
the Instructions: You are required to follow the instructions of the
trainer closely if you are to overcome your problem with public
speaking. Go through the directions provided and listen to the
instructor. They are possibly looking for certain specific requirements
and in case they are eliminated, you are likely to lose on your points.
If there is anything about delivering the speech that confuses you, you
are free to ask questions.
Failure to Practice: Do not fail to
practice. You cannot try and wing it. Make it a point that you practice
the speech at least once, and probably twice or thrice. You may want to
practice with the help of a timer and hence ensure that the speech is
delivered according to the time requirements of the corporate assignment
or event. Practicing will at the same time make you less nervous than
before and help you perform better when it comes to the real event.
Bad
Outlining: Trainers of public speaking will tell you that it is best if
the speakers outline their speeches well ahead of time. While some
students may blow off the matter as trivial, others who are far more
sensible will tell you that this is a big, big mistake. Practice
outlining your speech as it helps in the organizing of your speech. A
part of your job as the speaker lies in coming up with a speech which is
easy to understand and follow. If the speech is disorganized, you will
lose the audience.
Using Bad Visual Aids: Good and well made
visual aids will help in enhancing your speech to a great extent.
However, a lot of students use them in an inappropriate manner.
Use
Good Topics for your Speech: You can use good visual aids by using good
topics for your speech. Make sure that the topic is relevant to the
subject. In case you are not sure about the matter or what you are
expected to come up with, ask your instructor or trainer. They will help
you overcome the problem with public speaking. Select a topic about
which you are excited as otherwise it will not be possible for you to
excite the audience. If you are up there with a persuasive speech, you
can avoid the tiresome topics of persuasive speaking.
Use
Citations Well: Often, speakers tend to make poor usage of the
citations. Generally, the speech assignments require the speaker to cite
at least a couple of sources and include that in your outline. It is
sad that a lot of speakers lose their points on stage for not coming up
with correct citations. Make sure you follow the guidelines of the
instructor. It is important to make citations if you are using ideas or
words that are not yours. Citations are a way of ensuring credibility
among the members of the audience.
Do Not Plagiarize: Generally,
speakers know better than using the speech of others. If you are not
ethically corrected from using such material, remember that the audience
is smarter than you imagine.
Get over your problem with public
speaking. Once you have realized the uniqueness of being authentic, head
for creating a good rapport with your audience. They should get the
sense that you are trying to communicate with them actively. Don't just
recite the words in air and stay disconnected from them. As far as
delivery is concerned, you can achieve the best results with good eye
contact, speaking clearly and slowly and without reading aloud the
speech word by word, unless so required by the event.
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