Public speaking is one of the most common fears among children and adults, and has been prevalent in our communities since prehistoric times. In the early stages of human evolution, communication was crucial for survival, meaning those who struggled to communicate effectively would most likely become socially isolated and have reduced access to resources. Naturally, this would make public speaking a pivotal moment in whether or not the group will accept you or kick you out, thus rooting this fear deep within us.
In today’s world though, there is no possibility of losing access to vital materials needed to survive. Worst case scenario, you may have a brain fart, stutter, or have to work through some technological difficulties during your presentation.
However, the deep rooted fear is still there, and it can cause people to lose confidence before they talk or even chicken out all together. In this article, we’re going to be looking at four tips that will help you improve your confidence so you can give a good public presentation or talk.
We will be drawing our tips from professional speakers from across the world, such as the featured speakers from this financial summit conference.
Be Prepared
If you already know you’re the type of person to procrastinate a project until the last day or week, then you must make sure to prepare ahead of time for all of your public speeches and presentations. Regardless of whether or not you can successfully prepare last minute, your confidence will be much lower than if you had prepared for the talk over a longer period of time.
Some ways to make sure you’re prepared for your talk could include making cue cards or an outline, rehearsing, and preparing for any potential questions that may come from the audience.
Know Your Audience
A big component of feeling confident in giving your talk is to match the atmosphere of the room. If you are going to give a presentation in front of a classroom of children, then you’re going to want to approach how you give your talk differently than if it were to a group of businesspeople.
Tell Stories
Regardless of your audience type, telling stories will help you connect with your audience and will also engage them to stay focused on what you have to say. By telling a story with your presentation, it could make the whole talk more memorable and engaging for your audience.
Managing Nerves
This one is definitely easier said than done, but there are a few tips that will help you limit nervous feelings before or during your talk.
For starters, practicing your breathing will be very helpful. Many people don’t notice, but their breathing tends to change when they get nervous and anxious, and can lead to even more feelings of anxiety and nervousness. By focusing on deep breathing, you can almost trick yourself into feeling like you aren’t nervous.
Another tip you can try to utilize while presenting if you are nervous is to simply act confident, even if you aren’t. The phrase ‘fake it till you make it’ rings especially true for managing your nerves during a public presentation. By acting like you are confident, you will surely start to feel it as you realize giving the talk isn’t as bad as it seems.
Thanks for checking out this article, and we wish you luck on your public talk!
