Surveys have shown that about 10% of the population loves public speaking. But for everyone else, public speaking is something that they would prefer not to do.
In fact, about 10% of people have a genuine public speaking phobia and can’t stomach the thought of getting up in front of a crowd to deliver a speech. Even if they only have to say a few words, their fear of public speaking gives them anxiety that is hard to overcome.
Does this sound like you? If so, you should know that you can work on mastering the art of public speaking by taking the right approach to it.
Here are four public speaking tips that should make the idea of talking in front of a large group of people more manageable for you.
1. Figure Out Who Your Audience Is Going to Be
If you know that you’re going to be asked to deliver some kind of speech in front of a crowd, you should try to figure out who is going to be in the audience ahead of time. Are you going to be delivering your speech to:
- A group of teenagers?
- A collection of families?
- A bunch of senior citizens?
Attempt to hone in on who your audience is going to be. It’ll make it easier to decide what you’re going to say to them and how you’re going to say it.
2. Prepare Whatever It Is That You’re Going to Say
Once you have a general idea of who your audience is going to be, the next order of business will be putting together the right words to say to them. Regardless of whether you’re giving a short toast at a wedding or delivering a 15-minute speech in a classroom, you should spend time preparing for it.
“Winging it” isn’t going to be an option if you have a real public speaking phobia. You’re going to need to make the proper preparations to eliminate some of the nerves that you’ll feel on the day of your speech.
3. Practice Your Speech Over and Over Again Until You Know It by Heart
After you’ve written down what you’re going to say during your speech, you should practice it, practice it, and then practice it some more. You should practice it so much that you know it by heart by the time everything is all said and done.
The more you practice, the better you’re going to feel about your speech. You might want to practice in front of a few family members and/or friends so that you can get used to talking in front of people.
Some people will even call on a speech coach to help them learn how to deliver a speech while practicing it. This wouldn’t be a bad idea for those who are making a very important speech that could help dictate their future.
4. Embrace the Butterflies That You Get Before Speaking in Public
No matter how prepared you are to deliver a speech, you’re going to get some butterflies in the hours, minutes, and seconds leading up to it. This is normal. Everyone gets nervous before speaking in front of other people!
The key is to embrace these butterflies and let them fuel you to some degree. You’ll find that they’ll all start to go away as soon as your speech starts. And as long as you’ve practiced it, you’ll have nothing to worry about.
You Can Get Over a Public Speaking Phobia by Working Hard at It
If you have a public speaking phobia, it doesn’t mean that you’re not ever going to be able to speak in front of people. It just means you’re going to have to work harder than some other people might have to in order to deliver a successful speech.
Utilize the tips found here to work towards getting over your public speaking phobia. You might surprise yourself with how well you’re able to give a speech after putting these tips to good use.
Read our blog for more great tips on improving yourself in major ways.