Seven Public Speaking Tips

I went for my company course last monday, these are some of the tips that the presenters sharing with me. I find them quite useful.

Preparation

When you prepare for your speech or presentation, always have an introduction, body and a
solid conclusion. Get yourself prepared for the unexpected. Sincerity is the key as there is no foolproof formula.

Be relevant to the topic you are presenting

Find out as much as possible about the audience that you are going to present so that you are
able to address to their needs and acknowledge them in your introduction. Able to relate to
them, never alienate.

Project your voice correctly

You must be clear with your objective or aim, so that you can vary your pitch, tone or volume,resonance and speed to suit your task. Do a self assessment on your voice by recording your voice. If you are not convinced, no one will be.

Be Composed, Not to be tense

Your audience will know by your shallow breathing when you are nervous. Take a few deep
breathe to calm yourself down. Massage with specific exercises if you find some tensions in
your face, throat, necks, shoulders and back. If you don’t have time, try yawning. It works.

DON’T READ FROM SLIDES OR NOTES, TALK TO THE AUDIENCE

Avoid reading from note. Maintain eye contacts and make pause long enough to make a
connection with a few people in the audience. Visualize talking to one person instead of many
people.

ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE

Maintain eye contact regularly with your audience. Ask thought-provoking questions. Address to their needs and aim to inspire them to action. As long as you get their attention, the length of the presentation is not that important.