Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people
in a structured manner intended to tell, persuade, or entertain the
listeners. It is closely related to "presenting". Public speaking and
presentations can be very demanding. Whenever we have to get in front of
an audience to speak, we usually have to go through a panic moment.
Putting forth a good presentation demands a lot of courage, practice and
preparation.
Every time you speak before crowd, you learn
something new. With my 12 years of experience as a public speaker and
trainer on public speaking and presentation skills I have several tips
which would help many of you. These points would help no matter whether
you are speaking at a large conference or giving an internal
presentation to the co-workers. They can be used anywhere.
GETTING
PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY PREPARED BEFORE YOUR PRESENTATION- The more
you prepare, the more confident you would feel. Slowly and gradually
when you become comfortable in public speaking you'll unsurprisingly
feel more confident and the need to prepare may be of lesser importance.
Amateur speakers must spend more time in getting ready. But that does
not mean that you make yourself go crazy. Just be comfortable with your
material and keep practicing. If you are a first time speaker, you may
consult a public speaking trainer and would be of great help. They will
observe your style and suggest you some advice on addressing the crowd.
For example they might advice you to:
* Speak slower.
* Talk to individuals in the audience.
* Take pauses and think before you speak.
Going
over them before your presentation would help you to be more composed
and confident. Some more ways to prepare yourself can be the following:
* Drinking a lot of water.
* Taking a good night's sleep.
* Avoid drinking the night before.
* Breathe normally.
* Visualize a positive result.
* Talk to other speakers (if any). Ask them questions and for advice.
PREPARING
MATERIALS TO SUPPORT YOUR PRESENTATION- The key to prepare your
presentation is to remember that less is more. A few guidelines to a
good presentation:
* Keep text to a minimum. Do not put more than 5
bullet points per slide. People tend to lose interest in what you are
speaking while reading this stuff.
* Check for contrast and font size. Make sure that it is readable.
* Use pictures where possible to get your idea across. They can be remembered more easily.
* Keep the notes short and simple. Their purpose is only to serve as a reminder.
* Check the resolution of your presentation. To be safe, go for 800×600.
* Complicated charts and graphs should be avoided. Audience may get confused.
WHILE GIVING THE PRESENTATION- A few things to be remembered when giving the presentation:
* Be optimistic.
* Telling stories will make your idea clearer than charts, graphs and numbers. They also help in engaging your audience.
* Don't read your slides or notes. They should only play the role of supporters to what you are saying.
* Keep your introduction short yet strong.
* Keep your speech or the presentation slow and steady.
* Don't be anxious over mistakes. Don't apologize. Stay confident and just move on.
* Take pauses at appropriate times. This would also give your audience time to absorb what you presented.
* Smile, joke and laugh when needed. Don't try to overdo anything.
* Make your ending crisp, clean and powerful.
* Prepare yourself for interruptions and questions.
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