Public speaking is one of the world’s most common phobias (75 per cent of people suffer from the fear of public speaking, according to NBC). If we got the chance, we would like to avoid it like Ebola. There is no way one can run away from public speaking. They come in the form of best man speeches, interview pitches, work presentations and toasts. Therefore, rather than having sleepless nights, it makes sense to adopt a few simple tips and tricks from the men and women who do it well. See tips on how to be a great public speaker below:
1. Face your fear of public speaking
“The only way to get over a fear of public speaking is by speaking in public. Don’t you know that the longer we wait to do something, the more intensifying it becomes? If you got a big speech to make, bite the bullet with a test run before the main event. You can join the Toastmasters club which has around 16,000 locations in 142 countries and join members to practice their lines among others in the same situation so you can overcome your fear of public speaking.
2. Hype yourself
Don’t psyche yourself out before you even get up on stage – you never know, it might be your secret skill. And if not, most people in the room are already impressed you’ve made it up there. We all have this preconceived notion about what we can and can’t do. People will say ‘Oh I’m terrible at it’ and when I ask how many speeches they have given, they would say ‘none’.”
3. Be calm
Physiological arousal’ sounds like something that happens when you picture everyone naked to calm your nerves. In fact, it’s a way to stop the body from entering ‘fight or flight mode’. Learning to calm yourself physiologically by controlling your heart rate and practising slow breathing will make you a much better public speaker as the body won’t be in panic stations. Practice slow breathing while also practising your speech to see your heart rate slow down and in turn, calm yourself.
4. Practise some more
There are so many tips out there, but none help quite like practising. No tool is as powerful in allowing you to practice than the webcam. Make it a habit to switch on the webcam for three minutes each day and practice talking in the way you would speak to a crowd.
5. Fix your eyes on the prize
This may sound easier said than done, but focusing intensely on what you are saying and the importance of it will keep you connected not only to your ideas but also to your audience. In staying focused, you won’t be thrown off track by the audience. Instead, you will connect with the people who want to connect with you and strengthen your delivery to make you sound confident, even if inside you are scared.