Published:
08/10/2014 11:40pm
6 Ways to Conquer Your Fear of Public Speaking
For a lot of people public speaking or anything that has to do with expressing a thought or opinion to a group of people is a big no-no for them. But truth is people who have strong communication skills and 'charisma' are naturally thought to be leaders even if they are incompetent. Therefore being an above average speaker is key to getting ahead. These are four ways i believe can help you conquer your fear of public speaking.Keep your presentation as simple as possible. By simple i mean keep only the relevant facts on your slide. Try and memorize the simple facts of the topic and the whole presentation You know how a picture is worth a thousand words, well graphs and statistics is a story written with numbers. A simple bar chart can save you a long explanation and that extra 2000 words you would have used to explain a certain point. No matter how lively you are, at a certain point you begin to sound boring (its called diminishing returns). Even if you're not mathematically inclined. you can start with pictograms and simple bar charts and graphs.
[size= 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif]Adding rare information to your presentation makes it enjoyable for example did you know Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest English word according to Wikipedia? Incorporating these little "did you know" facts into any presentation can breath some new life into a topic that can otherwise be boring or repetitive.When you are asked a question during question time. Listen carefully to the question. Do not listen to the question and think of the response you are going to give simultaneously. In most cases the answer to someones question is embedded in the question itself therefore if you listen carefully the answer will be clear to you. It might not even be a question but someone seeking clarification or opinion but because you did not listen, you start beating about the bush. An audience notice when you are not paying attention to the questions therefore be attentive as possible. After carefully listening to the question and you still need some time, ask the individual to repeat the question. This will permit you to listen to the question again and respond appropriately. After asking for a repetition and you are not sure go with your guts and say what comes to mind but stress the fact that you're not sure therefore you will cross check and get back to him or her if they can leave a contact.Don't hide your quirks. When we are preparing to speak in public and make a presentation, a lot of us try to be as rigid as possible. But then we have little quirks that makes us stand out for example the way we lift our eyebrows when excited, how we gesticulate, your smile and your general demeanor. Don't try to suppress these quirks and weirdness. Rather take advantage of them because you might not know who will find it attractive.Miscellaneous: By miscellaneous i mean all other things you have to do before the presentation/speaking these areBe adequately prepared. That is get your notes, power point, flash cards ready whiles you practice at least 3 times with a friend or in front of a mirror. This is how you nail the first point aboveSleep well the night before your big moment. On the day exercise, eat and dress wellWhen introduced to your audience take deep breaths and don't be in a rush to speak right after the applause. You can smile, make a thoughtful comment about how on time the program started and other general remarks which will allow you to stall a bit and organize your thoughts. Tip: You can say "thank you" "thank you" many times like President Obama of the U.S does after an applause when he's about to make a speech.Maintain eye contact no matter how weird this may seem. A lot of people seem uncomfortable with eye contact therefore end up looking on top of the heads of audience. Fix your gaze on the audience but no one in particular and put your points across. There you go, these are ways you can reduce and maybe eradicate your anxiety for public speaking and making presentation. Hope this helps you. o
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