Public Speaking Tips

I had to come up with a five minutes presentation in my class and had approximately fifteen minutes to choose a topic and material. I had to choose something unique not that simple nor that complex.There are six basic public speaking tips that everyone should know and never get confused.

Public speaking is the process of communicating information to the audience, usually done in front of a large crowd, like in school, workplace or during sessions.

Think about a time, you had to stand in front of a bunch of people and tell them something. Maybe it was an oral report in school or a proposal at work. You gather materials, prepare what to say, arrive at the podium and started talking.

That, my friend, is public speaking, and it involves communicating information in front of a large audience. What makes public speaking different than, just talking to a crowd of people, is in the way information is conveyed. In public speaking, the information should be purposeful and should be meant to inform, influence or entertain the group of listeners.

Here are the basic public speaking tips, every individual should know and work on before speaking:

1) Determine Your Purpose

The objective of you message is always twofold: reason for the message itself and to create the goodwill. Is your message informational and persuasive? Is your purpose realistic, timely and acceptable to the organization?

Be enthusiastic, honest and be as precise as possible, and you'll the audience response.

2) Analyze Your Audience

Prepare the message from your audience point of view, their needs, interests, attitudes and culture. You need to make it easy for your receivers to understand and respond.

Acquire as much knowledge about your listeners as you can. Why they are gathering? Find out what they know or think about you and what you want them to do?

3) Select Your Idea

With your purpose and audience in mind, the next step is to choose the idea for your message. Highlight your key idea to be discussed and jot the main points in the margin.

Your statement should be a clear and focused proposition about a more general topic.

“Today I’m going to talk about the policies that can have a great impact on our economy.” Instead, you can say, “Today I’m going to tell you why economic policies are necessary, and I’ll show you how we can make sure it increases our economic growth.”

4) Assemble Your Data

Be sure to collect enough data to support your key idea; the material that explains the validity of your claims.

You must determine whether you need specific facts and figures, statistical evidence, history, references or visual aids to support your points. Sometimes you may need to enclose a table, picture, brochure or product sample.

5) Organize the Data

Organizing your message before you speak can prevent rambling and unclear message.The order in which you present your points is as important as the points themselves. A commonly used and simple structure has three main parts:

I. Introduction

· Gain audience attention and interest

· Begin with key idea

· Preview your main points

II. Body

· Provide necessary details

· Organize 2-5 points to explain and clarify your key idea

· Clarify relationship between your points and the evidence

· Highlight the key idea in between by summarizing or using key idea in your statements, so the audience remember what you are mainly talking about.

III. Conclusion

· Close with statement of desired action

· Help audience to remember your message

· Summarize the overall points

· Offer the audience an immediate opportunity to act.

6) Rehearse the Topic

Practice your words at least 2-3 times so you will not get confused while speaking or mix you points.

Smile and make eye contact with your audience, which will help them to connect with you and your topic. It also helps you feel confident and overcome shyness if you are a shy guy. The beginning is always crucial as you need to grab your audience’s attention in first few minutes before they start to switch off and hold it.

RELAX, BREATH and ENJOY!

Tags: Conversation Public Speaking

Public Speaking Tips