Public Speaking and Confidence

Public Speaking skills can be summed as one of the most required and yet so poorly trained aspect of personality development. A Public speaker is like a singer except for the tunes. Like a singer he too has to engage his audience or else his message will go unheeded. Public Speaking is an absolutely necessary skill for especially the business class. Some things you would want to look into before addressing an audience the next time are:

 

1.  Indulge with your audience:  Before any concert ,seminar or speech , if time permits mingle with your audience.Let them know that you appreciate that they came. Also ask questions as to what are  they expecting from you.
2. Aggressive Body Language: You have to be a person who is filled with energy and shows off his energy. This will boost your confidence and also people love  energetic people. Do you remember the last time you saw a lay speaker?
3. Bite your tongue: This is a technique used by opera singers . Whenever your mouth gets dry , just give it a gentle bite. It will release saliva and make your throat moist.
4. Use your eyes:  Your eyes will tell the audience whether you believe what you are saying! Each time you make a point , focus on one person in the room and look straight into her.This might be a little intimidating for them ,but it keeps them and you focused. Move to new people in the room and you'll have a better audience response.
5. Change your Norm: When you reach a part of your presentation where you really have to make a point ,changing your norm works nicely. If you speak standing at the center of the stage , move to the left or right of your primary position when making a really important point. This will make people look upto you. If you are a mover and shaker, standing still for a few moments will have the same effect.
6. Pin drop effect: When you really need attention get quiet. This will scare the noisy guy to death and people will give you attention. That is what sells your talk .
7. Tee it higher: If you want to rush adrenaline into your audience , raise your pitch a little higher. It creates a sense of urgency. A low pitch gives the audience a relaxed feel while a high pitch rushes adrenaline and passion.
8. Rehearse , rehearse and rehearse: Practice makes perfect. Nothing else has to be said.
9. Perform for a  hero: Think that you are performing for your favorite superhero so that he will choose you as his favorite superfan, how will you prepare? How will you perform? Always think of your favorite hero and perform like you would perform for him.
10. Know when to go:  Knowing when to go is more important than any other tip. If you see signs of your audience getting bored , try to revive them up. Still if nothing works, start thanking and leaving. Your audience will remember you for knowing when to stop than for your content.