10 Tips for Public Speaking

Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:

Know your material

Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won't easily forget what to say.

Practice. Practice. Practice!

Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.

Know the audience

Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.

Know the room

Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.

Relax

Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.

Visualize yourself giving your speech.

Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.

Realize that people want you to succeed

Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They're rooting for you.

Don't apologize for any nervousness or problem

The audience probably never noticed it.

Concentrate on the message – not the medium

Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.

Gain experience

Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking.

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