Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Perform
• Part 2 of 3: Working out the content of your speech
• Part 3 of 3: Public speaking
• Tips
• Warnings

Many people are afraid to speak in public, be it giving a speech, making a toast at a friend's wedding, or in class at the blackboard. Fortunately, you can make public speaking less exhilarating for yourself with some of the tips in this article. This skill may never be your forte, but you will be less likely to drop your performance right in the middle in front of a lot of people.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing to Perform

1. 1 Know the topic of your talk. Part of becoming a relaxed and dynamic speaker is making sure you know what you are talking about and you know it well. Lack of knowledge can make you nervous and insecure when performing, which your audience will quickly understand.
   • Preparation is key to success. Take the time to plan your speech so that it sounds natural and logical. You should also make sure that you are able to manipulate speech in such a way as to emphasize your positive qualities as a speaker and muffle any shortcomings.
   • Even during a public speaking, sometimes you have to answer questions like in a lesson, so you definitely need to know the topic of your speech well. This will help you feel more confident, which will also create a good impression on your audience.
2. 2 Train your body. Although public speaking is not a running competition, you need to make sure your body listens well to you. This involves much more than just refraining from trampling from foot to foot during the performance (calm your toes and you will stop stomping). This also includes correct breathing so that you can plan and pronounce the phrases correctly.
   • Speak from your diaphragm. This will help you sound clear and loud so the audience can hear you without undue effort or yelling from your side. To train, stand up straight and place your hand on your stomach. Breathe in and out. As you inhale, count to five, and then to ten as you exhale. You will feel that your stomach has begun to relax. You need to learn how to breathe and speak in such a relaxed state.
   • Modulate your own tone of voice. Determine the pitch of your voice. Is she too tall? Too low? A relaxed state, a comfortable standing position, and proper breathing will help you find a more comfortable and pleasant tone of voice for your performance.
   • Avoid choking your breath and inhaling with your upper chest, as both can make you anxious and tighten your throat. As a result, your voice will become more tense and constrained.
3. 3 Train your voice tempo. In simple conversation, people speak much faster, but for a public speech in front of a group of people, this rate of voice is not suitable. The audience should be able to follow the coldness of your speech, the listeners should have time to analyze its meaning.
   • Try to speak more slowly and more carefully than during normal conversation. Be sure to pause between different ideas or particularly important topics so that the audience can understand and reflect on what you are saying.
   • Practice correct articulation and pronunciation. Articulation refers to the correct pronunciation of sounds. Concentrate mainly on improving the pronunciation of the following sounds: b, d, d, g, n, t, k, c, h.With regard to pronunciation, you need to be sure that you pronounce the words correctly, and have sufficient experience in pronunciation especially difficult words.
   • Eliminate hums and parasitic words such as "uh ..." from speech. These words are common in simple conversation, but when used in public speaking, they give the impression that you do not know what you are talking about.
4. 4 Know the structure of your own speech. Knowing your own speech is just as important as knowing the topic you will be talking about. There are different methods of delivering a speech, so you need to choose whichever method works best for you.
   • To give a speech, you will need to prepare the abstract cards or a speech plan. Or, you can simply remember the theses if you have a good memory (do not try to do this from memory if you are not one hundred percent sure that you will not forget anything).
   • You don't want to write down every detail on the abstract cards (leave some space for improvisation), but it can be helpful to make background notes on them, such as "pause after this message" or "remember to take a breath", so that you don't really forget about these things.
5. 5 Learn your own speech. You do not need to fully memorize your speech or its main theses, but it can be a huge help in order to seem more confident and knowledgeable about the topic of the speech. However, make sure you have enough time for this.
   • Rewrite your speech several times. This method helps you memorize speech better. The more you write it, the easier it will be for you to remember it. After you rewrite the speech many times, check yourself how well you remember it. If there are sections in your speech that you cannot remember, rewrite them several more times.
   • Divide your speech into smaller parts and memorize each of them separately. It can be really difficult to memorize the entire speech in its entirety. In this case, for memorization, it would be better to divide it into small parts (start learning speech by memorizing the most important semantic part, and then move on to memorizing the rest of the main parts, and so on).
   • Use the location method to memorize. Divide your speech into paragraphs and key points. Visualize in your mind a specific picture for each key moment (this is analogous to imagining Harry Potter when saying J.K. Rowling's name and discussing how much she has contributed to children's literature). Determine a location for each key moment (for example, Hogwarts for Rowling, meadow for Stephenie Meyer, and so on). Now you just need to move between locations (for example, imagine that you are flying on a broomstick from Hogwarts to the meadow). If you need to talk about many things, then place them in special places around the main location (for example, to discuss the popularity of Harry Potter, take the main hall of Hogwarts or to report on the writer's contribution to the revision of the genre - a Quidditch field).
6. 6 Get to know your audience. You need to know who you will be speaking to, as certain techniques of speech can suit one type of audience and be downright boring to other audiences, or even anger certain groups of people. For example, you cannot be informal during a business presentation, but you can stick to an informal style when communicating with college students.
   • Humor is a great way to relieve tension from yourself and your audience. There are usually certain jokes that are appropriate for most public situations (but not always!). It's a good idea to start with a little joke to defuse the atmosphere and give the audience an impression of their confidence. To do this, you can tell some funny (and true) story.
   • Understand what you are trying to convey to your audience. Do you want to inform her of new information? Reformulate old information? Convince people to do something? This will help you focus on what you are trying to accomplish.
7. 7 Practice speaking. This is extremely important if you want to perform well in public. It is not enough just to know the material you are trying to convey to people. You will need to practice giving the speech several times to begin to feel comfortable while speaking. This is similar to wearing out your shoes. When you put on a new pair of shoes the first few times, you get blisters, but soon you begin to feel comfortable in a well-fitting shoe.
   • Try to visit where you will be performing and practice there. This will allow you to become significantly more confident, as you will become more familiar with the place.
   • Video your rehearsal and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the performance. While watching a video of your performance can seem daunting, it's a great way to identify your strengths and weaknesses. You may notice your nervous tics (for example, shifting from foot to foot or stroking your hair with your hands) and can work to eliminate or minimize them.

Part 2 of 3: Working out the content of your speech

1. 1 Choose the right presentation style. There are three styles of presentation: informative, persuasive, and entertaining. Despite the fact that they can overlap each other, each of them has separate specific functions, which it performs.
   • The main purpose of an informative presentation style is to communicate facts, details and examples. Even if you are trying to convince the audience of something, it is based on facts and information.
   • A convincing presentation style is all about convincing the audience. In it, you can use facts to help, but you will also use emotions, logic, your own experience, and so on.
   • The entertaining presentation style is designed to meet the social needs of people, but it often uses some aspects of informative speech (for example, in a wedding toast or in a thank you speech).
2. 2 Avoid a blurry intro. You must have heard speeches beginning with the phrase, “When I was asked to give a speech, I didn’t know what to talk about ...” Don't do that. This is one of the most boring ways to start your speech. He walks around the bush about the speaker's personal problems and is not at all attractive to the audience, as the speaker thinks.
   • Start your speech by communicating the main and overarching message of the message and three (or so) major supporting facts to expand on later. Listeners will remember the introduction and conclusion of your speech better than you can remember any part of it.
   • From the beginning, open your talk in a way that grabs the audience's attention. This means communicating surprising facts or startling statistics, or posing a question and then answering it and dispelling any public doubts before they arise.
3. 3 Have a clear structure for your presentation. So that your speech does not constantly stumble over every word, you need to come up with a clear format for it. Remember, you are not trying to overwhelm your audience with facts and ideas.
   • There should be one clear, overarching message in your speech. Ask yourself what are you trying to convey to the public? What do you want people to take away from your speech? Why should they agree with what you say? For example, if you are preparing a lecture on trends in national literature, consider why your audience should care. You shouldn't just throw facts.
   • You will need a few basic arguments that support your main idea or position. It is usually best to have three arguments. For example, if your main idea is that children's literature is becoming more diversified, have one argument for new trends, a second argument for readers' perception of this diversity, and a third argument for why this diversity of children's literature matters. ...
4. 4 Use the correct language. Language is extremely important in both writing and speaking. You need to refrain from using too many words that are too cumbersome and long, because no matter how smart your audience is, they will quickly lose interest in you if you constantly pound them in the head with a thick vocabulary.
   • Use bright adverbs and adjectives. You need to liven up your own speech and audience. For example, instead of saying "children's literature presents a range of different perspectives," say "children's literature presents a new range of exciting and diverse perspectives."
   • Use figurative juxtapositions to awaken your audience and make them remember your thoughts. Winston Churchill often used the phrase "Iron Curtain" to describe the secrecy of the Soviet Union. Figurative juxtaposition tends to linger better in the minds of listeners (as can be seen from the fact that the "iron curtain" has become a catch phrase).
   • Replays also serve as a great way to remind the audience of the importance of your speech (think of Martin Luther King's “I have a dream ...” speech). This emphasizes more of the main arguments and allows you not to forget the main idea of ​​the speech.
5. 5 Keep it simple. It is important for the audience to easily follow your speech and continue to remember it after you finish your speech. Therefore, it should not only contain figurative comparisons and amazing facts, but also be quite simple and close to the essence. If you wander through the swamp with little to do with your performance, you will lose the interest of the audience.
   • Use short sentences and phrases. This can be done to create a particularly dramatic effect. For example, the phrase "never again" may be used. It is short, loaded with meaning and powerful.
   • You can use short and meaningful quotes. A lot of famous people said something funny or meaningful in fairly short phrases. You can try to use a pre-prepared statement from one of them. For example, Franklin D. Roosevelt said: "Be sincere and short, and after the speech, sit down immediately."

Part 3 of 3: Public speaking

1. 1 Deal with the excitement. Almost everyone gets a little nervous before they have to appear in front of people for a speech. The main thing is that at this stage your speech is already ready, and you know how to present it. Fortunately, there are some special techniques for managing anxiety.
   • Before you appear in front of the audience and start talking, clench and unclench your fists several times to cope with the adrenaline rush. Take three deep, slow breaths. This will clear your respiratory system and you will be ready to breathe properly as you speak.
   • Stand up straight in a confident but relaxed posture with your feet hip-width apart. This will reassure your brain of your confidence and make it easier for you to make a speech.
2. 2 Smile at your audience. Smile at people when they enter the premises (if you are there), or smile when you yourself appear in front of the audience. This will give people an impression of your confidence and defuse the atmosphere for both you and them.
   • Smile even if you are confused (especially if you are confused). This will continue to trick your brain into making your body feel more confident and relaxed.
3. 3 Give an introduction. Performing in public of any kind is always a performance. You can make your speech interesting or boring depending on the presentation you give. During the speech, you, in your own way, must put on a theatrical mask.
   • Tell a story. Part of your introduction is to present your speech as if you were telling a story. People love stories and will be more sympathetic to you, even if you talk about something based on facts. Use an overarching idea or object as the foundation of your story. Try to convey to the public why it should be concerned about this question? Tell her what's the matter.
   • Try to maintain a balance between rehearsed and impromptu speech. People don't want to sit and watch you just re-read your notes. It's a good idea to give yourself the opportunity to expand on any of the arguments in your thesis and supplement it with a couple of side stories to create additional interest.
   • Use your hands to highlight key statements. You shouldn't be banging your fists theatrically, but you shouldn't be standing there as you speak. It is good to use controlled gestures to emphasize your statements during a speech.
   • Vary your tone of voice when speaking. The audience will fall asleep within 10 seconds if you speak monotonously.Be inspired by the theme of your talk and demonstrate it by modulating your voice.
4. 4 Engage your audience. You must make sure that she is under your control, which means that she is immersed in the material of your presentation, regardless of its content. An interesting speaker plays a greater role in this issue than an interesting topic of discussion.
   • Look at the audience. Divide the room in your mind into sections and alternately make eye contact with one person from each section.
   • Ask the audience questions as you give your speech. You can open each part of your talk with questions that people should try to answer before you share your information with them. This will make them feel like they are part of your performance.
5. 5 Speak slowly. One of the most common mistakes people make in public is trying to speak too quickly. Your normal speaking speed is significantly higher than that required for public speaking. If you feel like you are speaking too slowly, you are probably doing the right thing.
   • Take a sip of water if you start to choke on your own speech. This will allow the audience to reflect a little on what has already been said, and you will have a chance to slow down.
   • If a friend or relative is in the audience, arrange with him to signal you if you start talking too quickly. Look at the person from time to time as you give your speech to make sure everything is going according to plan.
6. 6 Complete your speech correctly. People remember the beginning and end of a performance well, they rarely remember what happened in the middle. Therefore, you need to make sure that the conclusion of your speech is memorable.
   • Make sure the audience understands why your topic is important and why the information is useful to them. If you can, end your speech with a call to action. For example, if you talked about the importance of drawing lessons in schools, end up with an idea of ​​what exactly people can do in response to the fact that the number of hours of drawing lessons has been reduced.
   • End your talk with a story that illustrates the main point of your talk. Again, people love stories. Talk about how the information you provided was useful to someone, or about the dangers of not having this information, or how it relates to the public (people are more interested in what is directly related to them).

Tips

• Listen to and observe great speakers and try to analyze what makes them successful.
• Do not be ashamed of your shortcomings. Demosthenes was an outstanding orator of ancient Athens, even though he suffered from speech difficulties. A good speaker can overcome these difficulties.
• Try to get people you know in the audience. It will be even better if these people are the ones with whom you have practiced your speaking. This will help you feel more comfortable and familiar.
• When asking the public a question for the sake of maintaining interest, try to ask something that people can easily answer, and then validate and expand their answer by clarifying their own opinions and thoughts.
• Try to practice in front of the mirror!

Warnings

• Watch what you eat before performing in public. Dairy products and sugary foods can make speech difficult due to the phlegm in the throat. Likewise, highly flavored foods (such as garlic or fish) should be avoided so that the smell does not bother people.