“Standing up in front of a roomful of people terrifies many people, even if those people are our own peers.
But resisting public speaking engagements can hold an entrepreneur back, since workshops, presentations, and pitches are the perfect way to network and land support for our efforts.”
1. Take a Course 2. Join a Group like a Toastmasters Club 3. Practice 4. Prepare 5. Research Your Audience 6. Use Tools 7. Know Your Environment 8. Get Experience 9. Watch Others 10. Start with a Bang 11. Put the Audience to Work 12. Encourage Questions 13. Focus on the Audience 14. Dress to Impress 15. Avoid Filler Words 16. Focus on Individuals 17. Walk 18. Breathe 19. Use Prompts 20. Partner Up 21. Record Yourself 22. Ask for Feedback 23. Bring the Right Tools 24. Practice Articulation 25. Finish with a Call to Action
Did you know that 54% of adults ranked the fear of public speaking higher than the fear of death?
Check out the below “How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking” video for more information.
Since 1924 Toastmasters International has helped more than four million people gain the confidence to communicate. Join Toastmasters and find a club that you like to practise your public speaking skills. You are welcome to visit our Kampong Ubi Toastmasters Club if you are living in Singapore.
Public Speaking Classes : A group such as Toastmasters is non-profit and helps people get over their fears by having them practice speaking on subjects over and over.
Lightly Exercise Before Speaking
PowerPoint Can Be Really Great, Or Really Bad
Even Warren Buffett Had Public Speaking Anxiety At First
Sip Water That’s Warm Or Room Temperature
Read Eloquence In Public Speaking By Dr. Kenneth McFarland : the starting point of being an excellent speaker is for you to really care about your subject.
Pick A Subject That You Really Care About
Know 100 Words For Every Word That You Speak
Focus On The Material, Not The Audience
Relax
Don’t Overthink Audience Reactions
Avoid Talking Too Fast
Make Your Nervous Energy Work For You
Pay Any Price And Spend Any Amount Of Time To Speak Well
Meditate 5 Minutes A Day
Public speaking can be a great source of income
Have Pride In Your Work & Recognize Your Success
Develop A Plan To Improve Your Next Speech
3 Key Components to Improving Your Public Speaking Skills
Pick a subject that you care about. Prepare and practice…
Use Pictures And Visuals When They Add To The Presentation
Use Bullet Points Rather Than Paragraphs
Don’t Read Your Slides Word For Word
Use Easy To Read Text
Bring Your Own Hardware
Try To Keep It Under 20 Minutes
Use Videos To Add Engagement
Quality Over Quantity
Practice, Practice, Practice
Learn From The Best PowerPoint Presentations
Make It Actionable
How to Outline Your Speech in 5 Minutes
This PREP formula is an extremely effective preparation technique that some of the best speakers in the world use all the time. P: Point of View R: Reasons E: Example P: Point of View
15 Ways to Start a Speech or Presentation
4 Ways to End a Speech With a Bang
End with a Call to Action
Quick Summary
Close with a story
Be Inspirational
6 Vocal Tips to Improve Your Public Speaking
Slow Down
Build Vocal Power
Record and Listen to Your Voice
Record Phone Conversations
Focus on Pauses
Eat and Drink Well
Public Speaking Tip The Power of the Pause
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.
“There’s no single formula for a great talk, but there is a secret ingredient that all the best ones have in common. TED Curator Chris Anderson shares this secret — along with four ways to make it work for you. Do you have what it takes to share an idea worth spreading?”
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.
How to Give a Good Presentation
The students of Access Foundation at Kingston College pass on their wisdom about giving presentations in class.
A Good Presentation that will Amaze your Audience
How to givea good presentation? Giving a presentation is like being in total control of a situation. You have to know what you are talking about and how you talk about it – it is the responsibility of the presenter. Imagine giving people the wrong information or giving the right information but it was understood differently.
However, giving a good presentation is entirely different from having a broad knowledge about a topic. How so? Simply because it boils down to how you effectively presented your topic in such a way that you were able to convey your knowledge to other people successfully. To put it simply, it is the way your audience understood you and was awed by how you made them understand.
There are a lot of tips and tricks in successfully achieving a good presentation. There is really no precise format in doing so. It really depends solely on the person giving the presentation, on what works for him or her. Here are some of them:
Four Objectives of a Presentation
You should, at least, be able to apply any of these objectives in your presentation:
1. Information: Your goal is to inform, to share your knowledge on agiven topic. Only discuss related and necessary information. Remember, too much of anything is considered boring.
2. Entertainment:As much as possible avoid jokes and just try to tell personal stories (short ones) that are related to your topic (if possible). It is a sure way to your audience heart because you are giving them a glimpse of you as a person and not just the presenter. But do not dwell on it for too long, just enough to get your audience’s attention and then get straight to the point.
3. Emotional Touch: Tapping the emotional side of your audience is only applicable if the topic calls for it. But do not depress your audience, because sad people will not understand or remember anything. Avoid criticism if you cannot offer a solution.
4. Action speaks louder than words:A good presentation does not stop at just presenting your topic. Early on you should know what you want your audience to do after they heard your presentation. Be direct and specific, you should be able to get a commitment from them.
Preparing for a Presentation
In preparing for a presentation, you should think like a journalist. You should be able to answer the “what, who, why, how, when and where” (The Five Ws and One H) questions:
1. “What” is the purpose of the presentation? – Is it for training, seminar, for report, for planning, and etcetera? You have to know this so you can gather the needed information.
2. “Who” is your target audience? – This is also important because it will give you an idea on what content to use for your presentation that is appropriate to your audience.
3. “Why” are they attending the presentation? – This is relatively important too because you will know that if attendance is compulsory, you have to be able to make them realize that your presentation is not a waste of their precious time.
4. “How” many are attending the presentation? – Some presenters ignore this, which is wrong. It is important that you know the estimated attendees. Especially if you are using visuals, it is important that every attendee can see it.
5. “When” is the schedule of the presentation? – The date is crucial to your preparation because it will give you an estimate of how much time you have to finish your presentation.
6. “Where” is the venue of the presentation? – This is sometimes ignored too, and again it is wrong, simply because to know where the venue is will be important in determining what equipment that you will need to bring or to request. For instance, you might need a projector, microphones, a podium, and etcetera.
The video looks at being organized and concise, making direct eye contact, using fewer notes to speak more extemporaneous, using simple slides for visual aids, and a confident posture, gestures, and voice.”
The 7 Don’t are rambling, bad eye contact, cluttered notes, complex slides, fidgeting, too soft and fillers.
Here is the screenshot for the Do and Don’t extract from the video:
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.
Public Speaking Tips: How To Make a Speech Like a Pro
If you are expected to make a speech or give a talk, check out the below article for 8 simple tips that will help things go smoothly. 1. Practice in front of a video camera or mirror, and rehearse enough times to feel confident…
——- Public Speaking Tips – Make a Speech Like a Pro By Judy Camp
Public speaking can be a scary thing the first few times you try it, but people who speak often have a few tricks that help improve their performance. If you are expected to make a speech or give a talk, here are eight simple tips that will help things go smoothly.
1. Practice in front of a video camera or mirror, and rehearse enough times to feel confident, without saying “um”. In between rehearsing, take a moment to close your eyes and visualize your audience smiling and enjoying your talk. Visualization might seem strange, but it has been proven that positive visualizing beforehand will create a positive experience.
2. Know the material well. The key to public speaking is not just to memorize enough for the presentation, but to really know it well enough to explain it without making a speech. That will make you much more comfortable and confident during your speech. Search out various sources of information, from different points of view, which might make your speech more colorful.
3. Think about your audience, and why they need the information, and where they are coming from. Figure out what they will find most interesting. Tailor your speech depending on the audience’s background, age, nationality and other demographics and psychographics.
4. Back up your points with solid facts. Don’t make accusations or speculate on points you cannot back up. If you do, and your audience does not agree with you, they will often stop listening entirely.
5. Create an outline and follow it. Your audience should not have a hard time following your thoughts or taking notes. Be clear when stating an idea about whether it is a main point or a subtopic.
6. Use visual aids, but keep them to a minimum. A simple slide show indicating the outline of your speech can help the audience follow along. But do not try to put everything into the visual aid, or it will be distracting.
7. Try to get comfortable with the setting. Take a look at the room in advance, if possible, and picture yourself giving your talk there. Relaxing is an important part of public speaking.
8. Perform deep breathing just before your speech, which will relax your body. If you can find a good place to do it, do some stretching exercises with your arms, head and shoulders.
By following these steps, you can remain confident during your speech.
Judy Camp is a writer for SolutionOriented.com, specializing in articles which offer business and career solutions for the small business owner or manager.
Public speaking is the number one fear for a large majority of people. To share the message you desire to get out there you need to be good in your presentation.
Do you rely too heavily on notes when speaking?
Do you avoid eye contact?
Learn how to steer clear of some common speaking mistakes that might alienate an audience…
Here are some common presentation mistakes that you should avoid when speaking:
Public Speaking Mistake #1 – Being Unprepared Preparation is key for an effective presentation.
Public Speaking Mistake #2 – Not Knowing Your Audience Tailor your presentation for relevance to your audience.
Public Speaking Mistake #3 – Not Having Clear Points Give your audience a simple take away from your message by breaking it up into smaller points.
Public Speaking Mistake #4 – Over Dependence On Visuals Don’t let your audience be victims of death by powerpoint!
Public Speaking Mistake #5 – Not Getting Honest Feedback The simplest method to improve your presentation skills is to ask for feedback.
Bonus Tip #1: Not Having Your Timing Right Comedians will tell you that the perfect joke relies more on timing than content.
Bonus Tip #2: Not Having A ‘Plan B’ What if… … your opening line falls flat, the microphone fails, or you are constantly interrupted? Create a contingency plan for a few worst case scenarios.
Don’t let your message be muted.
Youtube Video: Common Speaking Mistakes to Avoid
Here are some additional common speaking mistakes that you should avoid when doing your presentations:
1. Hiding from the audience. 2. Reading from your notes. 3. Offending your audience. 4. Not knowing your audience. 5. Obscuring your message.
For details, check out the below video about Speaking Mistakes to Avoid.
1. Not tailoring your message to your audience “Talk to a man about himself and he will listen for hours.” “On the other hand, if you don’t talk to your audience about themselves, they most likely won’t listen.”
2. Eye dart “From beginners to veterans, the majority of speakers fail to maintain meaningful, sustained eye contact with their listeners. To visually connect, maintain eye contact for at least two to three seconds per person, or long enough to complete a full phrase or sentence.”
3. Distracting mannerisms “There are at least 20 common tics to tackle, including: clenching or wringing your hands, pacing back and forth, keeping your hands in pockets, jingling change or keys, twisting your ring, gripping the lectern, licking your lips, adjusting your hair or clothing, fidgeting with a pen, bobbing your head, placing your arms behind your back, and touching your face. As a remedy, record yourself speaking and watch the playback.”
4. Low energy “A boring delivery — evidenced by a low monotone voice, dull facial expressions, and overall lethargy — is their most disliked trait.” “To avoid losing your audience in a New York minute, crank up the energy level,” says Price. “Speak expressively, smile sincerely, move naturally, and enjoy the moment.”
5. Not rehearsing Most proficient presenters prepare. “That is, they know the topic, organize their content, design a slide deck, and study their notes,” Price says. “This bad habit results in the audience seeing and hearing the unrefined run-through, versus the finessed final performance.”
6. Data dumping “Ditch the habit of data dumping. It loses the audience and undermines your innate ability to inspire, connect, and persuade.”
7. Not inspiring “An engaging, memorable, and persuasive presentation is balanced with both information and inspiration.” “It speaks to the head and the heart, leveraging both facts and feelings.”
8. Lack of pauses “Many speakers have the bad habit of rushing through their content.” “The three times you definitely want to pause include: before and after you say something very important which you want your audience to remember; before and after you transition from one key talking point to the next; and between your opening, main body, and closing.”
9. Not crafting a powerful opening “The beginning is the most important part of the work. So, open with a bang. Invest the thought, time and effort to craft and memorize the most important part of the work.”
10. Using too much (or not enough) humor “You don’t want your presentation to be dry and boring, but you also don’t want to come off like you’re trying too hard to be a stand-up comedian. A good rule of thumb is to be yourself, and infuse a bit of humor when appropriate.”
11. Reading from your slides “The people watching your presentation can read, so giving them the exact same information verbally and visually can be boring and insulting. Use slides as visual signposts for the points you’re making rather than a written version or summary of those points.”
12. Making an excuse or an apology “Making an excuse or an apology sets a negative tone and gives people a reason to think your presentation was underwhelming.”
13. Ending with Q&A “It’s fine to invite the audience’s comments and questions; however, be sure to end strong.” “Craft an effective three-part closing where you deliver a strong summary; present a call-to-action; and conclude with a powerful closing statement.”
Need more public speaking mistakes to avoid?
Here are the Top 10 Presentation Mistakes mentioned in the below videos:
1. Little, if any, advanced planning and practice.
2. “Me” focused.
3. Lack of clarity and structure.
4. Too much information.
5. Lack of creativity or a Big idea.
6. Little client interaction.
7. Visuals: Too much, too many or none at all.
8. Reading slides or speech.
9. “Ums,” “so” and “you know”.
10. Weak opening/ closing or call to action.
Have you made any of the above mistakes in your presentations?
For details, check out the below videos for tips on top 10 public speaking presentation mistakes created by Marc Corsini…
1. Feeling nervous about speaking in front of groups “Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early to make sure the technology is working. Practice your opening so you will feel more comfortable. Turn your audience from strangers to friends by saying hi. Focus on serving the audience.”
2. Not telling great stories
3. Having a voice that shakes “Warm up your voice before speaking. Breathe in through your nose, fill up your tummy.”
4. Avoiding humor
5. Picturing the audience “in their underwear” Stop doing that. Picture talking to your friends in the living room instead.
6. Worrying about what to say during the Q&A “Write down the possible questions people may ask you during the presentation. Practice answering these questions.”
7. Making a PowerPoint bullet-point data dump “People want to listen to you, not your slides. Storyboard your ideas with sticky notes. Find powerful images. Create engaging slides.”
8. Opening with “Good morning, everyone. Today I will talk about … “ “B-O-R-I-N-G. You only have seven seconds to grab your audience’s attention. A great way is to ask a rhetorical question.”
9. Believing “practice makes perfect” “Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice with feedback makes great improvement.”
10. Having a weak closing “To inspire action, summarize your key points. Repeat your message. Give a specific action step.”
Avoid making the above mentioned presentation mistakes and get over your fear of public speaking.
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.
