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Public
Speaking Not Public Freaking
Some women are confident speakers and have
absolutely NO fear when it comes to public speaking. On the other hand, if you are like me, you quake and shake at the
mere thought of standing in front of others and giving a speech or
presentation!
Chances are your speech won’t be oft quoted
or remembered by millions like Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech or
Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”, but here is a few tips to give you the
opportunity to give the best one that you can.
- write and rewrite the material in your
speech till it sounds good to you. Use
everyday language that your audience will understand.
- try to limit your use of statistics. Stats can be a sure-fire way to put your
audience to sleep or at least give them the yawns, so keep them to a minimum.
- use descriptive phrases, not unlike book
readers, audiences respond well to work pictures
- humour is a valuable tool. It can drive the point home or simply keep
their attention. Just make sure the
humour you use is appropriate for both your topic and your audience.
- read your speech out loud several times
to hear what it will sound like to the audience.
- while giving a speech, remember its not a
race, slow down. People tend to speed
up their speaking while nervous.
- practise relaxation techniques such as
deep breathing
- hand outs or overheads are always a good
thing, Visual aids help your audience
to remember seeing as well as hearing.
- remember to be an appreciative
speaker. Always thank your audience for
their attention.
These are just a few pointers on speech
making and hopefully they will assist you with it. The most important thing is to relax and just be you. If you are confident, smiling and relaxed,
you will be fine.
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