Speaking in public is scary; it doesn’t matter if you have never done it before or of you have done it hundreds of times. The fear of public speaking stems from focusing on your audience not approving or agreeing with you or your material. Preparation is the most important ingredient to ensure you are ready to give you speech and answer every question. The following tips will help you to give motivational and convincing speeches every time:
Don’t ignore your gestures
Whenever you talk you will make arm movements, facial gesture and you may even pace around the room! Every one of your gestures tells your audience a message; it may display nerves, confidence or simply uncertainty. Record your speech and play it back whilst watching your movements. It can be both embarrassing and illuminating!
Convey the right message
Every speech you give should focus on one message. This message, the point of the speech, should be summed up in one sentence. Everything else is simply designed to support your statement. Having a short, focal point will allow your audience to take the right information home with them; it will also give you something to return to if you get stuck at any point.
Know your audience
Your speech must relate directly to the experiences, life styles and expectations of your audience. By keeping the speech relevant to them personally you will be able to drive the message home and they will want to act on it.
Starting off on the right foot
The most important statement you make will be the first one. Keep it short and punchy. Most importantly you should make sure it is relevant to the topic. Practice different lines until you find the one which portrays your message perfectly. Say it at the start of your speech and be sure t pause; this will allow the message to sink in before you continue.
Practice makes perfect
In many respects this is the most important part of any speech. Practicing gives you a chance to perfect your speech, to ensure you know your material and to improve on what you have already prepared. An excellent way of ensuring you know your material is to repeat it, over and over again. The more you repeat something the more you will remember it. This applies to speeches as well as general learning. The better you know your speech the easier it will be to deliver it and the more confident you will feel.
The same is true when giving your speech, repeat your message as many times as you can; this will ensure it sinks in with the audience. Your audience will then be able to pass your message on to others.
Don’t fear the silence – embrace it
Most speakers fear the silence and seek to fill the space as quickly as possible. However, pausing between statements is actually a good thing! It allows you to take stock of where you are and your audience can absorb the information provided.
Have a mission
Every speech should have a key point and this point should be directly related to a mission. The mission needs to be personal to the audience and their field of expertise. It should also be achievable. By doing this your message will become a part of the mission and will assist in shaping the future goals and achievements of both the individual and the company.
Evaluate yourself – be your own worst critic
The more speeches you give the more relaxed you will become and the more prone you will be to delivering outdated or irrelevant speeches. You should aim to evaluate your material at least once every three months. Assess your speech critically in order to see which areas need improving. You can also get other people to evaluate your speech; but you must be prepared to listen to their observations.
Are you ready to persuade, convince, inspire and motivate? Because that’s what leaders do in business. However to attain those goal are grab the attention of your employees, you have to stand out. Master the art of speaking in front of your people, and they’ll follow you everywhere you go.
Photo Credit: Flickr/ImagineCup
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This guest post is courtesy of Alfred Stallion. He is a regular contributor at many sites and mainly focuses on business related topics. Also he recommends London Speaker Bureau where you find world’s best speakers.