Public
Speaking: The 5 Step Starting Routine
Confident
public speaking come with time
and experience
obviously. Few people are natural
born public speakers.
However,
there is a way to short-cut
the learning curve and appear much
more confident that you may feel inside
by mastering the starting routine.
Just
arriving at the speaker's stand or
in front of an audience and immediately
breaking into your speech by blurting
out the first few sentences catches
everyone
almost unawares and also reveals your
nervousness.
Likewise
shuffling your notes as you begin
speaking conveys a negative impression.
Instead, follow this simple 5
step routine before you begin
any presentation and you immediately
appear confident at public speaking
engagements and presentations:
Discipline
yourself
to follow this procedure and feel
your self-confidence soar!
Note:
While your presentation should be
extemporaneous, learning the first
few words or the first two or three
sentences off by heart can do much
to make sure the launch
is positive and confident.
Here
are some other suggestions which are
invaluable in developing a confident
public speaking style:
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm
can make up for a number of other
failings on the part of a speaker.
Even
if a speaker is not highly polished
in his/her presentation skills, an
audience won't give it undue attention
if the speaker is enthusiastic.
Enthusiasm
shows how
you feel
about the subject. If you have a passion
for it, if you just love speaking
about it, this will rub off on the
audience.
Be
Natural
Use
your natural, everyday
voice.
A false, overly precise manner of
speaking which is not normal for you
will be easily detected by the audience
as phony. There should be no need
to disguise yourself.
Be
yourself, use a natural, conversational
style and the audience will concentrate
on what you are saying, not on the
way you are saying it.
Reduce
Anxiety
Reduce
anxiety by being in the meeting room
or hall early
as the audience starts to come in.
Greet as many as you can and if time
permits have a few words with one
or two. Just a brief greeting,
introducing yourself, asking their
name, where they are from, etc. will
really break the ice.
When
you get on the platform and see the
persons you spoke to in the audience
you will feel like you are talking
to friends rather than strangers.
When
The Mind Goes Blank
If you have a sudden
lapse of memory
and your mind goes blank you might
be able to pick up the threads again
by simply repeating the last words
of your last sentence. It just gives
you those precious seconds needed
to get back on track.
In
conclusion, be realistic with
feelings of nervousness. Some persons
may be able to overcome audience fear
but never be able to completely eradicate
nervousness before beginning to speak.
With
experience and practice this initial
nervousness disappears after a few
seconds once you have launched into
the presentation using the five step
routine outlined above. Mastering
this sequence alone will
move you well along on the road to
confident public speaking.
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Your Presentation Skills With The Online Workshop
Next:
Effective
Public Speaking: 5 Powerful Ways To
Use Volume
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