For many people, public speaking is a nightmare. Having a crowd of people watch you while you try to give a speech can be very intimidating. The nerves get even worse when you are being assessed for your speaking skills. Your hands start shaking, your palms start to sweat, and it feels as if you’re going to completely blank out. Been there, done that. As terrible as public speaking is to some people, it is an essential skill for life. Public speaking is not only important for school presentations, but later on in life it may be required at your job. Not only that, but public speaking is important for you to convey your ideas in a strong, persuasive way. For those of you struggling with public speaking, fear no more. I have compiled a list of tips that helped me personally get over my fear of public speaking.
1. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse!
This may seem obvious, but I cannot stress enough how important it is to rehearse. It is important to know your information from top to bottom in order to perform well. If you know every aspect of your speech, it will be less likely that you will have to rely on your notes. I don’t know about you, but I have definitely experienced losing my place while reading my notes during the presentation. By rehearsing ahead of time, you will reduce the likelihood of awkward pauses while you scramble to find your place. Also, if you know what you’re talking about, you will seem confident to the audience. This helps you come off as knowledgeable, and like you put effort into your project.
2. Find something that interests you.
Although often we don’t get a say in what we’re presenting, it is helpful to find a point that you are interested in. Scan through your presentation, and try to link it to something that you are passionate about. This will help you become more interested in your presentation. Interest builds passion, and when you are passionate, it will give you more confidence. Think of presenting as relaying information about one of your hobbies. Don’t think of it like a hard history assignment. If you genuinely enjoy yourself, there will be less mistakes to occur due to nerves.
3. Know your audience.
Are you presenting to your classmates? Teachers? Parents? Whoever it is, it is important to know your audience. That way, you can adapt and tailor your speech in order to suit their level of comprehension. Consider what message you want to send, and how you can choose your words and gestures to do so.
4. Watch your audience.
While giving your presentation, don’t completely focus on your presentation like a robot. Instead, watch the crowd’s reaction and body language. This will help you gain an idea of how you are doing. With this, you can adapt and adjust in order to keep your audience captivated. Remember to be flexible, you don’t have to go word for word on your script.
5. Be comfortable.
Try not to think of it as a presentation. Instead, pretend like you are talking to your parents or friends, depending on your audience. This will help put you at ease. Use hand gestures, and make lots of eye contact. Try to sound natural, and remember that you are just talking to your friends or family. However, it is still important to maintain a certain level of formality. What I’m trying to say is, don’t be a robot. Be comfortable, be you.
6. Move on.
Made a mistake? Flubbed a line? Don’t worry about it. Instead of pausing or apologizing to your audience, or worse yet, going into a bout of nervous giggles, move on. Go on to your next line, or whatever you prepared. If you don’t dwell on it, it is likely the audience won’t notice. However, if you do dwell on it, it will only draw attention to your mistake. Remember that your speech does not have to be perfect.
Take a deep breath, and tell yourself, you’ve got this.