2. Speaking in public, in front of groups and
conducting presentations are commonly
agreed as the least favorite activities that
anyone can perform.
However, if we are well prepared, well
equipped and well supported, we will find
that speaking in public really can be quite
enjoyable.
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3. Don’t worry, you are in very good company!
Many people – including celebrities and
politicians - admit to being dead of having
to speak in public and suffer the same
symptoms as you might: tongue-tied,
blushing, damp hands, the shakes!
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4. Here are a few tips on how you might cope with
nerves and on how to deal with situations that
may arise during the course of your presentation.
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5. Take yourself off somewhere you won’t be
disturbed and do the following:
Take a long deep breath, count to four, relax
and then repeat four or five times
Extend your arms and contract your muscles for
a short time and release
Yawn to relax your vocal chords
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6. Speak clearly and with enough emphasis to keep your
audience interested.
Vary the pitch and tone of your voice, let it rise and fall,
make it louder or softer; a monotonous voice lulls us to
sleep, no matter how interesting the topic is!
Vary the pace, speaking slower or even using silence
to emphasize key points
Speak in the accent and way that is
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7. “One cannot not communicate.” Even if we don’t speak, we
communicate through our appearance and body language.
Body language consists of eye contact, facial expressions,
gestures, body posture, and movement.
Stand straight, don’t slouch with one shoulder lower than
the other. Get the right sort of balance
Keep your chin roughly parallel to the floor
Don't just stand there, with your arms by the side of you!
ACT CONFIDENTLY and you will FEEL CONFIDENT!
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8. Smile (but don’t grin) : Smile and the world smiles
with you
Give them time to get what you are saying
Acknowledge mistakes and announce positive measures
that should avoid future problems
Remember the audience’s attention will start at a low
point, climb to a peak, then decline
Keep to time. Do not make the audience feel you have
gone on longer than you expected by saying, “I’ve nearly
finished” or “Bear with me”
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9. You can deliver confident and powerful presentations!
All it takes is a little preparation, some practice, and a
winning mindset. Congratulations! This is your chance
to shine.
Know that you were asked to present, because you
can do it-you wouldn't have been asked otherwise.
The style and pace of delivery should be what is most
natural to you but there are some important “don’ts”
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10. Avoid seeming hesitant or nervous and too many
“ums” or “ahs”
Avoid mumbling or gabbling too quickly
Avoid using the same phrases repeatedly – watch
out for “actually”, “in fact”, “the point is”, “and so
on”, – your audience will be counting
Avoid looking at just one or two individuals or just
the front few rows
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11. Remember that only 7% of understanding comes from what
is said, that 38% comes from the tone of voice and 55%
from non-verbal signals!
Make positive eye contact by scanning the whole audience
Avoid defensive postures: folded arms, shuffling, fiddling
about
Use your hands to emphasize points but don’t overdo it
Be aware of personal mannerisms that may be distracting
and work to avoid them
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12. Don’t wag your finger or pen at anyone
Don’t pace around
Don’t stand with your back to the audience while
you are speaking; if you have to write something on
a flip chart, do so and then turn back to the
audience and speak.
Do not stand facing the screen, reading your slides
to the audience.
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13. If you can find someone to comment on
your presentation, it will help you review
your performance so that you can notice
areas for improvement before you speak
in public.
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14. THE 6 “BEs” OF
EFFECTIVE
PUBLIC SPEAKING:
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15. Being prepared breeds confidence.
Write down key ideas on a note card to keep your
thoughts straight.
Research. Don’t just fake it!
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16. Simple is best!
If you don’t understand it, neither will your audience.
Avoid fillers: uh, um, like, mmm…
Avoid repetitive phrases: “let’s see…,” “let me think,”
“another thing”
Silence is not your enemy! Pausing to collect your
thoughts or take a deep breath is okay.
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17. Make eye contact.
Don’t be afraid to look down to collect your
thoughts but be confident. You know the material
Make your audience believe!
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18. Posture : Standing up straight makes you look like
you are in control.
Open arms.
Using your hands can be very effective!
Chin up!
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19. Volume… VOLUME… VOLUME
Enunciate
Speak TO your audience!
No mumbling!
Slow down!
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20. Your audience will forgive your nervousness, but
they will be turned off by fake modesty or
bravado(BOLDNESS / COURAGE).
FAKE IT UNTIL YOU CAN MAKE IT!
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21. Be well prepared. Rehearse several times
Co-operate with your body - rest, eat and sleep
well beforehand
Dress in clothes that make you feel good
Take several deep breaths to relax your body
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22. Concentrate on the messages you want to get over to
your audience
Move around and release your nervous energy.
Visualize yourself doing well
Remember that your audience want you to do well
Think of a similar occasion in the past when you did it
before and did it well. Think about it for a moment.
Make no negative confessions "I'm so nervous"
Put the situation into perspective
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23. If you get nerves during your talk, move around or do
something different to get into a different "state“
Pick out some friendly faces and make eye contact
with them
If you make a mistake you make a mistake, laugh at
it and the audience with laugh with you. Make a joke
out of it.
The more you do it the better you will become.
Practice makes perfect.
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