The Art of Public Speaking

Gather together some friends, family, and pets, sit them down, and deliver your presentation to them.

After it's over ask them to tell you about what you did well and what you need work on. Ask them to tell you what they didn't understand.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Another key to gaining confidence, is pick subject matter that you care truly care about-and then work to prepare your speeches successful. In her book, "Secrets of Successful Speaker," Dr.Lilly Walter notes that proper preparation reduce stage fright by up to 75% . In order to manage your fear, you must be willing to rehearse the presentation again, again and again.

see if you can memorize sections without relying on the notes at all.

As you improve, see if you can memorize without sections relying on the notes at all. These memorized sections will give you prolonged time to connect to the audience.

Tape record or (even better) videotape yourself

delivering the presentation. When you replay the tape, listen to determine if everything sounds coherent and logical, and watch the way you look while speaking. Look for eye contact, gestures, and weird facial tics.

SMILE

don't forget the most important gesture: to SMILE. It makes you look more comfortable and less like a victim in front of a firing squad.

Use gestures when using active words

so if you're talking about a split between to people (or organizations or concepts), use a gesture that emphasizes it. If you're talking about a synergy or meshing of people (or organizations or concepts), then use a gesture that emphasizes it.

Stand in front of a full length mirror

try to look like a public speaker. Keep your posture straight, your hands in sight, and look into your own eyes. Be conscious of the way you look in the mirror and adjust yourself accordingly as you're talking. Make sure that you're not being stiff, but always maintain an alert posture, or the audience will end up imitating your slump. Look into your eyes whenever you look up from your notes, and look up from your notes often.

Note of Finality

Find a creative and graceful way to bring your speech to a close, such as another story or thought-provoking quote, Leave your audience with something compelling.

Fair Hearing

Here the speaker will state the benefits of the topic and cite from article.

Attention Getter

Here the speaker will utilize a dramatic story, testimony, quote, poetry, or another creative device to actively engage the audience.

rehearse small sections of your speech throughout the day.

If you have 5 or 10 free minutes, go over parts of the speech in your mind. These mini-rehearsals are easier to fit into your schedule and will give you a chance to practice parts of the speech that are giving your trouble.

Use Flash Cards

- After you've written your speech, it can be helpful to put it on 3x5 index cards. They are easier to carry around and shuffle through, and because you don't want to spend your entire presentation reading(and not speaking), index cards will make you feel more inclined to glance up when you flip through them. Just be sure to put huge numbers on the front of each cards, in case they accidentally get shuffled around. But don't use the index cards as a crutch. Then, people will think that you're talking to your hand.

Think Positively

- Confidence is mostly the well-known power of positive thinking, If you think you can do it, you usually can. On the other hand, if you predict disaster and doom, that is almost always you will get. - Here are a few examples of ways you can transform negative thoughts into positive new as you work on your presentations.

Project your voice

- Contrary to popular belief, projecting your voice does not mean shouting. When you project, you simply raise the volume of your natural speaking voice without losing control of it (that's talking to someone in a noisy restaurant, and calling your dog in from the backyard). - You must always project while giving a speech, even if your are presenting in a small room. Find the object furthest away from you and deliver your speech to it. During the first minute of speaking, monitor your audience members' face (especially the ones in the back row) to see if they look confused.

Rehearse Correctly

- Gather together some friends, family, and pets, sit them down, and deliver your presentation to them. - Rehearse small sections of your speech throughout the day. - see if you can memorize sections without relying on the notes at all. - ad-lib some parts.

Prepare for Success

- Prepare by rehearsing often. - Maintain confidence and positively. - Relax, breathe, and focus.

Tips for a great speech...

- Speak up! Make sure to speak a little louder than normal conversation when you are giving your speech. - Slow Down! When you are giving your speech to your listeners, remember to slow your speech down a little bit and don't rush through then words. Make sure to enunciate and don't slur your words either. Be confident! You can do this! Believe in yourself!

Remember...

- The way you end a speech is almost as important as the way you begin it. The audience will be most restless at the end, and you to find a way to tie everything together, The speaker should always finish with a compelling residual message. - Crafting your speech into a formal outline is an effective way to organize your thoughts into a clear and concise pattern of delivery.

Visual Aids

- Visual aids are very important for your demonstration. The key is to make sure that they ADD to your speech, Its important to keep your visual aids simple and direct, Images and uncomplicated graphs are best. You may use a combination of power point slides and/or video. - The speaker should be seen performing the steps in the slides or video. - You may also bring all of your props and materials to class and perform your demonstration step by step in front of your audience.

Six Techniques to Manage Stage Fright

1. Acquire Speaking Experience 2. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare 3. Think Positively 4. Use the Power of Visualization 5. Know that most nervousness is not visible 6. Don't Expect Perfection

Introduction

1. Attention Getter 2. Thesis 3. Fair Hearing 4. Overview

Hand Gestures

1. Incorporate gestures 2. Use gestures when using active words 3. Practice your gestures in front of the mirror as you rehearse 4. SMILE

Conclusion

1. Review-Recap 2. Note of Finality

The Body Three Main Points

1. Transition to your 1st step. - Power point slides or video. 2. Transition to your 2nd step. - Continue Power point slides or video. 3. Transition to your 3rd step. - Display your finished product.

Overview

3-5 steps of your topic.

Know that most nervousness is not visible

In addition to being anxious about giving a speech, many novice speakers are worried about appearing nervous to the audience. It's hard to speak with poise and assurance if you think you look tense and insecure. Even though your palms are sweating and your heart is pounding, your listeners probably won't realize how tense you are-especially if you do your best to act cool and confident on the outside.

Don't Expect Perfection

It helps most speakers to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech. At some point in every presentation, even speaker says or does something, no matter how minor, that does not come across exactly as he or she had planned. Fortunately, as with one's nerves, such moments are usually not evident to the audience. Why? Because the audience does not know what the speaker plans to say. It hears only what the speaker does say. If you momentarily lose your place, reverse the order of a couple of statements, or forget to pause at a certain spot, don't worry about it. Just proceed as if nothing happened.

Incorporate gestures

It is is imperative that you occasionally use gestures or during your speech. Here are some tips for effective gesturing.

Managing Stage Fright

Negative Thought: I wish I didn't have to give this speech. Positive Thought: This speech is a chance for me to share my ideas and gain experience as a speaker. Negative Thought: I'm not perfect, but I'm getting better with each speech I give. Positive Thought: No one's perfect, but I'm getting better with each speech I give. Negative Thought: I'm always nervous when I give a speech. Positive Thought: Everyone's nervous. If other people can handle it, I can too. Negative Thought: No one will be interested in what I have to say. Positive Thought: I have a good topic and I'm fully prepared. Of course they'll be interested.

ad-lib some parts.

Once you feel very comfortable with the material, don't be afraid to ad-lib some parts when you can get back on track, try speaking off the cuff. It'll help you sound conversational instead of like a robot.

Thesis Statement

One sentence that establishes the central idea of the speech.

Rehearsing Often is a Key

The best speakers become effective speakers through constant practice. The main things to keep in mind: - Stand in front of a full-length mirror. - Tape record or (even better) videotape yourself.

Acquire Speaking Experience

Think back to your first day at a new school, your first date, or your first day at a new job. You were probably nervous at each situation because you were facing the unknown. Once you became accustomed to the situation, it was no longer threatening. So it is with public speaking. The biggest part of stage fright is fear of the unknown. The more you learn about public speaking, the more speeches you give, the less threatening speech making will become.

Use the Power of Visualization

Visualization is closely related to positive thinking. It is used by many people, including athletes, musicians, actors, speakers, and others. This concept involves mental imaging in which a speaker vividly pictures himself of herself giving a successful presentation.

Review-Recap

all of the steps and supporting ideas that you have covered in the body of your speech. This is a vital part of the information and learning process for your audience.