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10 Tips for Successful
Public Speaking from the Toastmasters Website
Feeling some nervousness
before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care
about doing well. But, too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here's
how you can control your nervousness and make effective, memorable
presentations with 10 Tips for Successful Public Speaking
- Know the room. Be familiar
with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around
the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual
aids.
- Know the audience. Greet
some of the audience as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a
group of friends than to a group of strangers.
- Know your material. If
you're not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with
it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise
it if necessary.
- Relax. Ease tension by
doing exercises.
- Visualize yourself giving
your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear,
and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will
be successful.
- Realize that people
want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating,
informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail.
- Don't apologize. If you
mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think
you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention
to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent.
- Concentrate on the message
-- not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties,
and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness
will dissipate.
- Turn nervousness into
positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into
vitality and enthusiasm.
- Gain experience. Experience
builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters
club can provide the experience you need.
For more helpful tips please
join us at our next meeting.
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