It feels horrible when you find out that you have to give a speech in public. The hands of the universe feel like cranking the earth’s gravitational pull up a notch, your feet feel heavier, your knees start to wobble, and your stomach and heart drop to your crotch. You feel like your brain just digested all the sodas all together and you might pass out.
This scary feeling has been a part of everyone’s professional life. Thankfully, there are great public speakers who experienced similar in their career. But throughout the process, they learned some valuable lessons that made them great in their public speaking ability.
Following are the most powerful public speaking tips.
Not talking as you walk on stage:
When you talk right after reaching the stage, it communicates insecurity and fear to the audience. Therefore, it is recommended to walk on the stage, take a deep breath, find your place, and wait a few seconds before beginning with your speech.
Become the giver:
When you are on stage, the best impact you can create is by becoming a giver and not a taker. People are most likely to trust a giver because they are instantly given value. When the audience understands that the person is a giver, they get interested in learning something new and to get inspired by their teaching.
Making eye contact:
During your speech, you should look at each person intently for an entire sentence or a thought. After finishing the sentence, move on to another person and keep connecting to your audience through eye contact. This is a much easier and effective way to keep eye contact and keeps you engaged with your audience.
Speak slowly:
The more you rush during a speech, the more you will turn your audience off. Instead, if you speak slowly, people will hang on your every word. It will help them to understand what you are trying to say instead of just making up in their mind.
Focus on your supporters:
While giving a speech, it is important to focus on the people who appear as your supporters. These are the people who are visibly engaged with you, enjoying your presentation, and nodding to things that you are saying. Ignore the people who are sitting with crossed arms and shaking their heads for a visible “no”.