Public Speaking Navigation
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Speak Like a Pro
Public speaking can be lots of fun or an unbelievable nightmare, depending on the person. Many people experience nervousness whether giving a speech in front of a few people at a meeting or at a convention with an audience of thousands. Most people wish to avoid public speaking, but that is not always possible if you are in business. The only other option to avoiding public speaking is learning how to speak like a pro. The following public speaking tips can help you appear like a public speaking star.
==> Start on Time - Time is extremely important. Never show up late to public speaking engagements. Always start your speech on time. You would wish to speak to a fresh audience, ready to hear you speak, not a frustrated audience who has been waiting twenty minutes for you.
==> Smile - A smile comes across as confidence and is a powerful tool in banishing fear. Smiling creates energy. When you give your audience a smile, they will give you a smile in return, boosting your confidence while public speaking and the audience's confidence in your speech.
==> Use Short Sentences - You will lose the attention of your audience if you speak in long, drawn out sentences. If you keep your sentences to the point, your audience will stay focused and will understand your speech.
==> Do Not Use Big Words - Unless you plan to hand a dictionary to every audience member and allow time for them to look up your big words, do not use them. It does not impress people when you deliver a speech full of words your audience does not understand. It will confuse and alienate your audience.
==> Pause - Pauses can be dramatic. They allow you to emphasize important information while public speaking and will give your audience some time to pause and reflect on the information. Pauses can be sticky, too. The information said with a pause will remain with your audience long after your speech is over.
==> Use Eye Contact - Eye contact will allow your audience a connection to you during your public speaking. The audience will pay closer attention when you look at them. Take the time to look directly at individual audience members, but not for more than a few seconds before moving on to someone else.
==> Move Around - Use the entire stage space to move during your speech. Do not stand in one place or behind a podium your entire speech. It will bore your audience and create discomfort. Moving around on stage does not mean pacing back and forth. Move occasionally and have a reason for your move. Do not just randomly move about the stage .
==> Do Not Make Fun of Others - Making fun of yourself is quite OK and can even be an entertaining way of drawing your audience into your speech. Making fun of others may turn off your audience. For the success of your speech, if you plan to use humor, only joke about yourself.
==> Finish on Time - Starting late is bad enough, but finishing late is often worse. People have things to do. If you do not want to have audience members leaving during your speech, finish on time. If you started late, find a way to make up time or reduce your speech. Show respect for other people's time.
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