How to speak
in public
Nowadays speaking in public is a necessity in the daily dynamics of all people. There will be people who by the nature of their function or work in society do not need it or do not like it, but others find it essential from the classroom in primary education to the university or the company. Here you can find some techniques for speaking in public:
Technique 1: Preparation.
When speaking you must be convinced of what you say so that you can project confidence in your topic. That is why you should do enough research until you can master the subject perfectly. Preparing yourself well means researching, analyzing, and organizing your information. In this way, it will be much easier for you to remember and express your ideas in a fluent and clear way. We suggest you sort your information into subtopics, index these subtopics, and then add related keywords, phrases, names, or examples below each one.
Technique 2: Practice.
Before making your presentation you should practice it at least 10 times in front of the mirror, although the more practice the better. Of all the public speaking techniques, this is the best known. Only with practice will you be able to observe and listen to your body movements, your gestures and your voice, so that you can improve them until you print the correct intention. In addition, it will help you to reaffirm the information so that nothing is forgotten and you can deliver it with total confidence to your audience. If you wish, you can use your outline as a guide to practice, and it is highly recommended that you do it in front of family or friends who can give you their opinion.
Technique 3: The Voice.
The best tool you have to communicate with your audience and deliver an impactful message is your VOICE. Your voice should project enthusiasm and conviction, but at the same time it should be pleasant to those who listen to you. A well modulated voice has much more power than a monotonous voice. This is why you should make changes to the volume, pitch, and speed of your voice throughout your presentation. Those changes will not only serve to inject suspense and excitement into your audience, but also to prevent them from getting bored or falling asleep.
Technique 4: The Positive Attitude.
Having a positive attitude is the key to being successful in your presentation. One of the most common mistakes people make is letting negative thoughts come to their minds like, "What if something goes wrong?", "I'm very nervous," or "What if I forget what I'm going to say?”. We recommend that you repeat the following phrases mentally or aloud: "I can do it", "Every day I am better at speaking in public", "I am a better speaker every time”, etc.
Technique 5: Trust.
To develop your confidence you first have to take ACTION and try what you want to learn, then you need to achieve a little SUCCESS by striving to do it well until you see some progress, when you see that you have obtained good RESULTS you will begin to BELIEVE more and more in yourself.
Technique 6: Control fear.
Fear is a natural tool that protects us against dangers that can put our lives at risk. However, there are irrational fears that do not really represent a real danger, but that can be a great distraction and discomfort. To control these types of fears, such as the fear of speaking in public, you need to face them in such a way that you get used to gradually exposing yourself to that situation that causes you fear. As you realize that nothing bad is going to happen, nor is your life at risk, you will gradually control your irrational fear, and you will be able to express yourself with more confidence in front of people.
Technique 7: Deep Breathing.
Breathing deeply will help you feel more relaxed, and your brain has more oxygen and you can concentrate better.
Technique 8: Sincerity.
Your goal when speaking in public is to deliver something of value to the people who listen to you. And besides, they are perfectly trained to discover if you are speaking to them sincerely, or just want to take advantage of them. That is why it is important that when you speak in front of an audience you speak authentically. Don't try to pretend or lie either.
Technique 9: Make Mistakes.
Losers believe that it is bad to be wrong, winners know that you learn from mistakes. From now on, DO NOT be afraid of making mistakes, because only then will you accumulate experience. Human beings learn more from our mistakes than from our successes.
Once you’ve read the text on the topic, it’s time to test your knowledge.
Solve the following practice exercises!