Be it education or a career; public speaking is one of the most rewarding ways to excel. Even though it may seem burdensome at times, if mastered with perfection, it can help you scale your business, host meetings, lead events, and become unbeatable.
Well, it might not be easy for all of us to address people, but we must learn the basics that will help us conquer our fear. Here are five such points that you can keep in mind during your next public speaking endeavor –
1. Organize and Structure Your Speech
No matter how great your diction and presentation skills are, if your content isn’t well structured and organized, your efforts will simply go in vain. Thus, it is crucial to consider structure as the backbone of your content, as without it, it would crumble.
Therefore, before you begin to research your speech, create a rough outline and jot down a brief introduction, pros and cons, any other important points, and a conclusion. You can then write your entire speech around these headings, as it will help you create a well-defined structure and organize your content effortlessly.
Let’s take an example of a speech by Admiral McRaven that is so well-structured that it instantly gets the audience on their toes and captures their attention.
2. Carry Placards, Don’t Drown in Your Notes
Rather than jotting down your entire speech on slides, it is much better to take some placards and note down the key points. It will help keep your attention on the audience rather than your notes.
You can craft your placards in intriguing ways – write some fillers or facts for moments when you might fumble or forget your speech, jot down lines that will help support your speech, and make notes of reference or extended material that will help you answer unexpected questions from the audience.
3. Maintain Eye Contact
Eye contact is the key to winning your audience’s heart in public speaking. It is one of the most effective ways to get along with your audience and make sure they are on the same page as you. One of the best ways to do it is by looking at one person at a time and gradually moving on to other people. Make sure to keep your glances subtle.
Let us understand with the help of an example by Donovan Livingston at Harvard Graduate School. In this speech, Donovan makes sure to maintain eye contact with his audience, and his non-verbal communication skills not only display his ease on the stage but also reflect his knowledge about the subject.
4. Connect With the Audience
A great public speaker focuses on establishing a rapport with their audience as soon as they get on the stage. Establishing a positive connection between you and your listeners can help them gather what you’re saying in a much easier manner. You can do this by keeping a conversational tone, sharing personal experiences, using high-definition PowerPoint graphics to support your content, or by storytelling.
One interesting way to connect with your audience is by sharing your fears in a fun-loving manner. Let us understand this with J.K. Rowling’s speech. She commences her address with a humorous twist to her fear of giving that particular speech. This caught the attention of the audience, made them giggle, and instantly helped them connect with her.
5. Harness the Power of Pauses
Most of the time, people speak really fast in order to make a point or finish their speeches. Rather than blabbering throughout your time on stage, it is extremely crucial to slow down, take pauses and then get back with your speech at a normal pace.
If you find it difficult to maintain a pace, you can start by using a timer. Note down your current speed at a faster pace, and then practice again by extending the time. It will help you elongate the speech and will reduce your pace.
Conclusion
Mastering the skill of public speaking is not a one-day task. It is perfected over time and with experience through multiple successes as well as failures. As you keep growing, it is crucial to keep learning new skills and tools that will help you in your public speaking journey.
Thus, it is important to remember that not all tricks and tips might work simultaneously for all individuals. It is best to experiment by combining a few elements and noticing which works best for you.
