Tag Archives: improve

10 Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills

10 Tips for Public Speaking

public speaking

 

Public speaking is described as one of the greatest fears. However, there are many ways to tackle this anxiety.  You can learn to become a better speaker.

Here are the 10 public speaking tips written by Marjorie Lee North that will help you to reduce your anxiety and improve your performance.

  1. Nervousness Is Normal. Practice and Prepare!
  2. Know Your Audience. Your Speech Is About Them, Not You.
  3. Organize Your Material in the Most Effective Manner to Attain Your Purpose.
  4. Watch for Feedback and Adapt to It.
  5. Let Your Personality Come Through.
  6. Use Humor, Tell Stories, and Use Effective Language.
  7. Don’t Read Unless You Have to. Work from an Outline.
  8. Use Your Voice and Hands Effectively. Omit Nervous Gestures.
  9. Grab Attention at the Beginning, and Close with a Dynamic End.
  10. Use Audiovisual Aids Wisely.

“Good communication is never perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect. However, putting in the requisite time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to shake your nerves entirely, but you can learn to minimize them.”

Join Toastmasters and find a club that you like to practise your speeches in a friendly environment. You are welcome to visit our Kampong Ubi Toastmasters Club if you are living in Singapore.

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How To Improve Public Speaking Skills & Confidence?

Presenting & Public Speaking Tips on How To Improve Speaking Skills & Confidence

Check out this video for tips on how to improve your Presentation & Public Speaking Skills and Confidence.

Here are the Top 10 Tips to Becoming a Better Presenter mentioned in the video:

  1. Focus on the audience.
  2. Delete all the excess text from your slides.
  3. Keep it simple!
  4. Rehearse, rehearse and rehearse.
  5. Make friend s with people.
  6. Dress to impress.
  7. Be comfortable.
  8. Stand still.
  9. Tell a story.
  10. Be enthusiastic.

If you want to overcome stage fright and learn to speak with confidence, join a toastmasters club.
You are welcome to visit our Kampong Ubi Toastmasters Club if you are living in Singapore.

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Learn How To Write Better

Learn how to write better is important for your career or studies. How to improve your writing skills and communication skills?

The following article and videos will show you some tips on how to write better. Be a better communicator!

1.  10 top writing tips and the psychology behind them

“There are plenty of folks happy to tell you how to write better, just as any doctor will tell you to “eat right and exercise.” But changing your writing (or eating) habits only happens when you understand why you do what you do. I can help you with that…”Top10 Writing Tips

2. Scott Berkun – How to write well, instantly, every time
The video teaches us some of the techniques Scott Berkun uses to write well. In the background is a time-lapse video of him writing an essay – from start to finish.

 

3. How to Write Better- Writing Tips on Voice, Tense, Perspective, Cliché and Wordiness  
The above video discusses how to correct the most common mistakes made in writing. Whether you are writing fiction, non-fiction, or in an academic setting, these tips are a vital foundation for good writing.
– Passive and Active Voice
– Tense- Past, Present, Future
– Perspective, Point of View- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Person Perspective
– Cliché
– Economy of Language- wordiness, modifiers, phrase

 

4.  5 tips to Improve Your Writing
The video shares 5 easy and quick tips that will improve writing in formal and academic settings. If you’re in college or university or plan to study overseas, this video is for you!

Practice is the key to helping you improve on your communication and presentation skills. Join Toastmasters and find a club that you like to practise your speeches in a friendly environment.  You are welcome to visit our Kampong Ubi Toastmasters Club if you are living in Singapore.

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17 Effective Public Speaking Tips to Improve Your Speaking Skills

17 Effective Public Speaking Tips and Tricks
public speaking

When you think of impressive public speakers, they have their passion for their topic.

So the most important thing you can do is to get fired up about your topic. Find an angle that excites you, and the rest will come.

Here are the 17 Effective Public Speaking Tips that can help you get much better for your next presentation:

  1. Define Your End Goal
    The first thing to do when preparing a speech is to define your end goal. What do you want the audience to do after they leave the room? What information should they walk away with?
  2. Be a Giver, Not a Taker
    Once you’ve defined your end goal, build a presentation that offers real value to your audience, regardless of whether they pursue your product or service. Make any business pitches subtle and at the end of your presentation.
  3. Make Slides an Aid, Not a Crutch
    The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association recommends using keywords, instead of sentences or paragraphs on your slides. This helps your audience focus on your message.
    PowerPoint Do’s and Don’ts
    Do’s
    Use legible type size.
    Be brief.
    Use key words to help audience focus on your message.
    Enhance readability.
    Make every word and image count.
    Limit the number of slides.
    Don’ts
    Don’t overuse special effects.
    Don’t use more than eight words per line or eight lines per slide.
    Don’t use too many words or include non-essential information.
    Avoid hard-to-read color combinations.
  4. Practice (But Really, Practice)
    Maybe you’ve rehearsed your presentation by yourself, but haven’t run it by anyone else.
    Make sure you’re practicing your presentation in front of several groups of people.
    Ask for honest, critical feedback on the good, the bad, and the ugly of your presentation.
  5. Eat Well & Burn Cortisol
    Eating a protein-packed snack before a public speaking engagement boosts your energy, focus, and mood. Exercise one to three hours before you speak. You’ll feel less stressed and your audience will benefit from your focus.
  6. Meet Audience Members First
    It’s always a good idea to meet a few of your audience members before taking the stage.
    This is a great way to calm pre-presentation jitters.
  7. Give Yourself Time to Acclimate
    Many speakers begin talking immediately after being introduced or walking onstage. Instead, try approaching the stage in silence. This gives you time to gather your thoughts, take a deep breath, and get used to being in front of the audience.
  8. Don’t Open with an Excuse
    Don’t begin your presentation with an excuse. That makes the time about you, when it should be about your audience and how you can provide value to them.
  9. Be Conversational
    How do you make the most of that first few seconds of your presentation? First, be conversational. Use inflection in your voice and engage in natural, friendly body language.
  10. Rejoice in the First Mistake
    I wouldn’t recommend calling out the first mistake you make in front of your audience. Simply acknowledge your first mistake and view it as permission to relax and move on with your presentation.
  11. Tell Stories & Make It Personal
    Your audience is more likely to remember and share the stories you tell than the stats and figures you pack your slides with. Make your presentation personal, and remind them that you’re human.
  12. Channel Nervous Energy into Positive Energy
    If you’re not excited about your presentation, why would your audience be? One way to channel excitement into your public speaking is to transform nervous energy into positive energy.
  13. Speak Slowly & Pause Often
    Speaking slowly make it easier for your audience to understand. Routinely pause during your presentation can allow you to refocus and get attention from the audience.
  14. Repeat Audience Questions
    Try to repeat audience questions. It gives everyone a chance to hear what was asked. Repeating audience questions unsure that you’ve understood what the question is and give you an extra few moments to gather your thoughts.
  15. Reinforce Key Points
    Repeating key points at multiple times throughout your presentation helps your audience retain what’s most important.
  16. Use Video & GIFs Sparingly
    When appropriate, throw in a GIF or video. But make sure it aids in your storytelling, instead of distracting from it. A truly engaging public speaker will be able to present impactfully without gimmicks.
  17. Always End Early & Say Thanks
    Whether your audience gave you five minutes of their attention or an hour, end early and say, “Thank you.” Be respectful and always end early especially if you’re expecting a longer Q&A period.

Check here to download the shorter version of 17 Effective Public Speaking Tips and Tricks in pdf format for your easy reference.

Public speaking is an art, and one that can take years to perfect. Join Toastmasters and find a club that you like to practise your speeches in a friendly environments. You are welcome to visit our Kampong Ubi Toastmasters Club if you are living in Singapore.

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How To Improve Your Presentations Skills?

Have you tried everything from the books to improve your presentation skills and still feel the fear of public speaking? 

scared-lady

Check out the below 10 Ways to Improve Your Presentations Skills offered by 10 Forbes Coaches Council members.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2016/06/13/10-ways-to-improve-your-presentation-skills/

  1. Deconstruct What Great Speakers Do
    The internet gives us access to countless videos of the greatest speakers of our time. Deconstruct their speech by highlighting their approach, tactics and execution.
  2. Focus On Your Audience, Not Yourself
    By focusing on them, and what you plan to share, your focus becomes the content, not how you look or sound.
  3. Know Your Stuff So You Can Let Go And Be Yourself
    Practice your material so much that it becomes truly a part of you. Because the quality of a talk isn’t the content; it’s how well you connect with your audience.
  4. Get Specific About What You Need To Improve
    Get specific on what your weakness is by asking for targeted feedback. You can then attack the problem without spending unneeded time shooting in the dark.
  5. Create a Speaking Avatar
    Create a You 2.0. Fully imagine and visualize it. When it’s time to present, have your avatar take the stage.
  6. Join Toastmasters
    Joining a Toastmasters group in order to practice presenting in a non-threatening and supportive environment.
  7. Accept Constructive Criticism And Apply It
    To improve upon what you’ve read and learned, you must be willing to accept constructive criticism and apply it.
  8. Get Into Your Body More
    A frequent experience in speaking in front of a group is to lose connection with your body. Practicing some specific exercises, such as yoga, tai chi or dance, can help you gain body awareness and more control of your inner energy flow.
  9. Explore Your Self-Talk
    First, explore your self-talk. Gently pause those negative thoughts, and explore the positive ones.  Get comfortable inside first, and the rest will follow.
  10. Try Improv To Improve
    Step out of the box and onto a stage, specifically an improv class at a local theater or comedy club. These are phenomenal ways to force one’s brain to expand its limits of handling the pressure of a speaking situation. 

Join Toastmasters and find a club that you like to practise your speeches in a friendly environments. You are welcome to visit our Kampong Ubi Toastmasters Club if you are living in Singapore.

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