The Art of Public Speaking

Tips for the Gents

Public Speaking

In life, it is said, the three most feared things are death, divorce and public speaking, however you can improve your skills and present yourself well, no matter what the situation, greatly reducing that fear of standing up and speaking in front of others. Here a few key elements to consider when you are going to speak at an event, be it a business meeting or attend an interview.

Prepare Research

Know your material and as much about the people you are meeting,
their organisations or backgrounds as you can
and make adjustments to your presentation as necessary.

Practise

Practise you speech/presentation or answers you may give
and questions you may wish to use.
Use short concise sentences,
stand up and speak out loud,
this helps to lessen your nerves and build up confidence.

Venue

If you are involved in the set up of the event/meeting,
ensure that you are happy with all arrangements
and know where you are expected to go.
If travelling to a meeting or interview,
check the route and give yourself plenty of time.

Taking the ‘floor’

Try to position yourself with light on your face -
take a good breath and then make a relationship with your audience
by looking at them, are they ready for you to begin?

Before You Begin

Think about taking enough breath
to enable you to finish your first sentence
without choking.
Taking in a good amount of oxygen
will also relieve your immediate stress.

Open Your Mouth

Don’t mumble in to your chest
or whisper to the nearest person.
Lift your chin, smile and speak out.
You’ll show confidence in yourself
and what you’re saying.
It is also worth remembering
that 1 in 7 people have partial hearing
and are actually lip reading so this
will help them understand you with much less effort.

Pace Yourself

Don’t rush your words out at the end of a sentence.
Take a breath and pause, tale a look at your audience.
This will give them time to take in what you have just said
and allow you time to think about your next point.



Relate

Make a connection with the others in the room –
Use eye contact and show genuine interest in them.
If you can possibly help it don’t
• Look down
• Mumble
• Waffle – less is more.

Presenting yourself well will attract more positive attention and if you work with a company or hope to have your own business, your public persona is very important, good presentation will enhance your reputation.

Those who can present well will usually be chosen above others who have less developed social skills. Hiding your light under a bushel and hoping someone will notice you, in the majority of cases, will see you left behind so it is really important to believe in yourself.

Many politicians and people in public office undergo coaching to improve their presenting skills and with a little application it is something you can do too.

Get across your ideas, improve your interview technique. This way you will give the best speech at the wedding – hold your audiences attention and enjoy the positive results!

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