Public speaking is something which so many people that I know are petrified of and the one thing which I will often say to these people is “what is the worst things that can happen?” As far as I know, nobody has ever died or been injured as a result of speaking in front of people and so you should throw yourself into it with careless abandon because there are times when you are going to need to get up in front of a group of people or a crowd, and speak.
Some people are natural born public speakers, I was watching a video online recently of a Nigerian pastor and prophet called TB Joshua, he was so engaging, so captivating and so energetic that he managed to reach me through a computer screen, people like Joshua were born to do it but if you weren’t then here is what you should be doing to improve.
Write It Down
If you want to be truly prepared for your upcoming speech then don’t think for a second that you are going to be able to simply get up on stage and deliver a speech in style. This can be done by the masters perhaps but not by you and if you want tonsure that you feel comfortable and confident when you are in front of a group of people then you need to careful write down exactly what you want to say.
Practice
Practicing your speech is essential in order to help you to feel more confident in front of the crowd and to help you avoid nerves. When I talk about practicing, I am not talking about spending 30 minutes or so each day on practicing what you are going to say. I am talking about hours and hours of practice until you get that speech right. A great way to do this is to video yourself giving the speech, when you watch it back you can pick out the areas where you need to improve.
Body Language
Body language is key to a strong public speech and if you truly want to succeed when giving your speech then you need to utilize all of the tools that you can. Hands should be used to include the audience and to help to enforce key points. The frame of your body should be open, this helps to appear confident and commanding and will also help you to breathe easier. Finally, you should be walking up and down the stage in order to include the audience and also to appear commanding.
Visualize The End
From the moment that you step in front of people, try to envisage yourself walking off stage to the sound of applause, public speaking is over in no time and the truth is, it isn’t that bad. The key to speaking in front of people is to be prepared, practice and keep your eye on the finish line.
