Ways To Give

Gaining Confidence as a Public Speaker

Written by Laurie Wang

Being a good speaker and communicator is essential to having success, not just in the workplace, but in life. Think about how many presentations you do in one day. You make presentations to your spouse, your co-worker, your son, and even in your e-mails. When you talk to the people in your life, you are giving a presentation. Good communication is the bedrock for great relationships.

Fear of public speaking

Public speaking may seem scary to some people. In most cases, this is due to not believing you have enough content, confidence or credibility.

1. Content

When you don’t have something to say, you will be scared to say it publicly. This is why it is important to gather content. Know where your area of expertise is and that there is much knowledge you have to share with others.

Become a great researcher. When you find a funny or interesting comic such as one of the Dilbert comics that your audience can relate to, save these in a file in your computer for future presentations. Always be on the look-out for quotes and practical tips. Write them down. The more comfortable you are with the amount of content you have, the easier it is for you to present it publicly.

2. Confidence

Lack of confidence will hinder your performance. For many speakers, praying before a presentation gives them confidence and strength. You can also take a toastmasters course or attend the Speakers Training Forum. These courses equip you for public speaking so you feel more comfortable speaking in front of a large crowd. Also, take opportunities to speak. When you are asked to speak, take on the challenge and do not give it up. The more you speak, the more confidence you will have for the next presentation.

3. Credibility

Do you ask yourself, Who am I to speak to these people? You may feel you lack the credibility to be speak and think nobody will want to listen to you. Remember that if you were asked to speak, then people must have known you could do it, or they wouldn’t have asked. You don’t need to have spoken before in order to speak. The more you present, the more comfortable you will be at it and the more credibility you will gain.

5 common mistakes to avoid

Public speaking takes practice and we all make mistakes at the beginning. Here are five of the most common mistakes people make. Learn them now so you can avoid them later.

1. Not meeting expectations

Ask yourself, What does the audience want to hear? What does your audience expect from your talk? If the mayor of the city died that day, the audience expects you to make some kind of mention of that in your talk. If you make no mention of that, you are not meeting your audience’s expectation. The death of the mayor must have stirred up emotions among citizens in the city, and you need to show empathy and acknowledge the feelings of pain or anxiety that they may have. Remember to ask yourself what the people attending want to get from the talk and what you would like them to learn from you. People go to a presentation with expectations, not meeting them will hinder the effectiveness of your presentation.

2. Failure to connect

Some public speakers will say the same thing over and over again. They end up touching heads, not hearts. You want to communicate in a way that touches people’s hearts and also speaks to their heads. Don’t be afraid to tell personal stories and share some of your experiences. Remember, “Stories sell, facts tell.” A sense of humor also helps people relate and connect with you. Also, 94 to 97% of communication is non-verbal, so don’t stand still, relax and communicate with your hands, body and smile!

3. Lack of structure

Presentations need to be planned and have a certain order. The audience only gives you 15 seconds to connect and grab their attention at the very beginning so use short time wisely. Open your talk with something that packs a punch and grabs your audience’s attention. Be sure to close your talk well, you want to leave your audience with a laugh, with hope or a challenge—make sure you don’t just leave them!

4. Too long or too short

Again, this point goes back to expectation. If your talk is expected to be 30 minutes, then by all costs, keep it at 30 minutes. It doesn’t matter if your content is unbelievable and you are amazing, once you pass the time expected, you are disrespecting the audience and their time. They may get antsy or even angry. And instead of remembering your content, they remember your talk as the one that was “too long.”

5. No focus

Statistically, after half an hour of hearing someone talk, the audience only remembers 50%. A day after, they only remember 20% and a week after, they’re down to 10%. So, to focus your talk, ask yourself, What is that 10% I want people to leave with and remember? Find out what it is and say it in 10 different ways. Make that 10% your focus and try not to sway too far from it.

Good speakers can impact lives. They teach, equip and can even change people’s views. Be a good speaker. Face your fear, get on the podium, and keep communicating.

2 Responses to “Gaining Confidence as a Public Speaker”

• Loading comments
• roblin says:

  September 4, 2008 at 6:34 am

  pls , i encourage you to keep it up.
• olayemi says:

  January 4, 2010 at 7:19 am

  ones personal convictions matters alot in public speaking.you may not need to rely on others conviction at all times.

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