Speaking Like a Pro

Do you have a hard time speaking in front of lots of people? Is public speaking on your hate list? I totally understand if you answered yes to both questions because public speaking is really challenging with all eyes focused on you—your moves, your gestures and physical appearance.
I am here to help you get over your nerves in front of the public. By implementing the tips below,you can improve your confidence in front of an audience.
Rule number 1 – Never apologise to your audience or make any disclaimer for being unprepared. Doing so lowers your credibility as a public speaker. In the first place, you should always be prepared mentally, emotionally and physically before standing in front of your audience. Preparedness leads to more confidence.
Rule number 2 – Analyse your audience. I cannot stress this enough with my clients. You may not have all the facts about your audience but you can surely make a good guess about their interests and professions, their goals and beliefs, and much more. Doing a quick bit of research to find out all these things won’t take much of your time in preparation. And don’t forget to check if there are any ‘important’ people that you might like to recognise the presence of.  This could be well known people in your industry, celebrities, sponsors or potential clients.
Rule number 3 – Talk as if it’s 1:1. Now here is a big mistake people make – pPublic speaking doesn’t mean you are communicating to the room in general.  Of course you ARE doing that, but when you stand in front of the room and start speaking, you have to sound like you are doing a one-on-one talk with each person.  Eye contact is very important. It doesn’t only attract your audience’s attention, but it also makes it seem like you are speaking to that person directly.
Rule number 4 – Engage! Start your talk with a catchy statement, question or a story. This will serve as your ice-breaker and gives the first impression to the audience. Engage your audience as if you’re having a conversation with them. Throwing some questions and asking for a yes or no answer or asking rhetorical questions that make the audience think, will help develop your engagement with the people you are talking to. As a speaker, the last thing that you want to happen is to bore your audience, right? With proper engagement, that won’t happen.
Lastly, end your speech with a remarkable statement—something worth remembering or something that will encourage your audience to think and be curious about. Ask the audience to write it down. Ending statements should always give your audience something to think about long after you have finished speaking.  And if you have time and it is appropriate you can ask for questions at the end.
Confidence is something that cannot be taught.  But you can develop your confidence with practice.  Something I have found a helpful tip, from a friend of mine who is a public speaking coach – is this….don’t think “what do I need to say next” – because that is when you are in your head, judging yourself, trying to remember everything and be perfect.  That is often where people lose their way in presentations and have to go back to reading off their slides.   Instead think – what does my audience need to hear next?  This gets you out of your head and focusing on them instead of you.
Do you need assistance in making your business stand out from the competition? We can help! Find out more here.