Public Speaking Tip 1 - Tell yourself its OK to be nervous!
The first incorrect assumption many people make when when they know they have to give a presentation is that view their nerves or fear in a negative light. Convinced that the level of fear they have is bad, they try their hardest to eliminate it. Having told themselves or been told by others that they "shouldn't feel as they do" especially if they are normally seen as a confident individual or in a senior position, their fear becomes greater when they realise they cannot make it evaporate.
The greatest emotion the speaker then experiences is not a fear of the presentation, but it then is a fear of the fear itself.
The most rapid way to feel confident despite this fear is to say aloud and repeatedly: "My feelings are ok" "I acknowledge my fear or nerves and will not try to eliminate it." "It is OK to feel this way before a talk, it is completely OK and does not mean anything is not going to go to plan."
The effects of these few words are enormous as once we stop trying to suppress the fear, it naturally lessens as it was the trying to eliminate the fear that kept it alive. So the first public speaking tip is to remember it is OK to feel nervous!!!!
Public Speaking Tip 2 - Be yourself!
There is a well known phrase that "people buy people" and nothing could be more applicable than in the case of speaking in front of a crowd. Although we maybe do not know the exact reason, we all know when someone inspires us with a presentation or speech.
Unfortunately most people when asked to give a speech are not aware of this and feel that they are required to be anything other than themselves.
People who are normally funny and witty enter "public speaking mode" when asked to give a presentation and then become, downbeat. Many people become convinced that this "public speaking mask" is a better persona to show their audience than who they really are. Furthermore they put even more effort in ensuring the audience doesn't see the 'real' them in case they are unimpressed.
Trying to be someone else generally, is exhausting, but trying to be very different when putting on a presentation is doubly so. The best speakers in the world know that if they can someway display their 'essence' to the audience in an effective way the audience will be interested in them and then buy what they are saying.
So be yourself in front of your audience, don't think your regional accent needs to change, and your words need to suddenly become completely different
So Speaking Tip two is: Be yourself!
Public Speaking Tip 3 - State your topic detail clearly and concisely as soon as you begin your presentation.
There's nothing worse than attending a talk where you have no knowledge of the topic in hand- or maybe haven't been briefed on all the information and the speaker opens with a line such as "As I am sure you know" Lines like this that fail to explain any context of the presentation are a sure fire way to confuse the audience right from the start of the presentation. Even if you think that the audience should have some knowledge of the topic you are speaking about do not assume this!!!
In fact assume nothing from your audience.
The reality is, that if you are speaking in a business context for example your audience may have attended a number of different talks given by many people that day or during that week and may honestly be unaware what your talk is supposed to be about. Without a clear objective they might literally be confused as to the purpose of your talk.
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