Public speaking is an excellent skill to have. It will improve your communication skills, help you become more confident and open up new career opportunities for you. But what if you are already confident in your public speaking abilities? What if you are thriving on the adrenaline of being center stage, under the spotlight? You can still reap all of these benefits.
Although public speaking is an excellent skill to have, it can also be challenging for some people. If you are not naturally confident in the first place, then public speaking may still prove to be a challenge even if it is something that you want to learn or want to do more of. Feeling nervous before every speech may make you less excited to do more public speaking. Here are some things you can do to help overcome your fear of public speaking, tips on how to overcome it!
The first thing you should try is not to be anxious about it. Even if this sounds impossible, give it a try and see what happens. If you feel yourself getting anxious during a speech, just pause. Take a deep breath and try to relax. You can say something along the lines of “I’ll take a moment now to gather myself”. This is a great way to buy some time as well as calm your nerves.
Another thing you want to do is not think about how big the audience is, or what they are going to think of you. Think about your message and the things that are important to convey to your viewers. Remember, it is just you, talking to a group of people.
If these two techniques do not work, then try talking through your speech before you have to give it. Imagine yourself speaking in front of the audience as if they are right in front of you. If you practice your speech out loud before giving it, this will not be as daunting for you.
The next thing that you should do is see how other people act when they are giving speeches. You can watch them or even talk to them afterward about what it was like for them. This will help give you an idea of what to expect when you are in that situation.
It may also help to talk about your fears with the people around you, but only if you feel comfortable doing this. It is okay to be nervous before giving a speech, in fact it can improve your performance if you are nervous. This means that there is something big at stake for you when you are up there. If you can harness that nervous energy, make it work for you.
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Why is speaking confidence important?
Speaking confidence is something that every person needs to have in order to be successful. Whether you’re a businessperson, public speaker, or the life of the party, your words and actions will influence others and shape conversations.
Speaking confidently will help build your team and make you feel better about yourself and your abilities. When we speak with confidence we have more self-esteem and can accomplish anything we put our mind to. Many people benefit when you’re confident in yourself.
Everyone needs to have confidence when they speak in order to be successful. Here are some reasons why speaking with confidence is important:
It increases your chances of success. Whether you’re trying to land that promotion or impress your date, speaking with confidence will give you the best chance of getting what you want.
It simplifies communication. Speaking with confidence allows you to get right to the point. You aren’t worried about how your voice sounds or whether or not people believe in you, so it’s easier for others to understand your message and respond accordingly.
It disarms your critics. Speaking with confidence makes other people less likely to doubt you, which can remove a lot of roadblocks from your life. If people believe in you and trust what you’re saying, they won’t resist as much when you disagree or challenge them.
It increases your happiness. Self-confidence isn’t just for external success, it’s also for your internal happiness. Whether you’re having a good day or bad one, speaking with confidence will make you feel better about yourself and more sure of your actions.
what does speaking with confidence mean?
So what does “speaking with confidence” mean? There are three main components that define this quality: smoothness, conviction, and resonance. If you want to boost your confidence in any setting, pay attention to the way you speak and try to incorporate these three components into your conversations.
smoothness
Smoothness is a term used in linguistics to describe how easy it is for a word to come out of someone’s mouth. If you struggle with even basic words like “the” or “you,” it’s going to be difficult for you to speak with confidence. If you want your speech to come out naturally and convincingly, you need to practice saying words slowly until they flow easily.
conviction
Conviction is when you’re sure of what you’re talking about. Speaking with conviction means that when someone challenges or contradicts you, you don’t waiver in your response. It might take a while for you to feel this way about certain topics, but once you do your listeners will be much more engaged in what you have to say.
Resonance
Resonance is when your words gain power from how you speak them. Resonance makes people lean forward and listen carefully because it seems like every word matters. If you want people to feel like you’re talking directly to them, try speaking with resonance.
There are specific components that go into speaking with all three of these qualities: your breath, your words, and how you say things together. If you practice speaking in front of a mirror or record yourself for feedback, this will help you find the areas where you need to improve.
Once you’ve worked on the individual components, you can take them all together and speak with confidence naturally. The more often you practice speaking like this, the easier it will feel for you to do it in any setting. If people doubt or misunderstand what you’re saying now, your words will be much more powerful once they come from a confident speaker.
Sounding like you know what you’re talking about can help you get ahead at work and impress the people around you! If people doubt or misunderstand your message now, your words will be much more powerful once they come from a confident speaker. Once you’ve worked on the individual components of smoothness, conviction, and resonance, you can take it all together and speak with confidence naturally. The more frequently you practice speaking this way, the easier it will feel for you to do it in any setting. So go on that date or make a presentation at work if you want, but whatever you don’t forget to sound confident about what you’re saying!
The qualities of a good speaker
Have you ever sat through a presentation that was one of the most painful things you’ve had to experience?
What I am talking about is an awful talk; one where either no attention is paid to delivery, or someone with zero confidence gets up and presents something they are clearly not passionate about. The audience can sense it immediately – usually because they get distracted by something or suddenly get the urge to clean their desk – who knows!
But have you ever given a presentation where it’s so engaging, so intriguing, and so impassioned that people in your session want to be in there forever? I know I have. And if you’re like me, then you probably think “Oh it just came naturally!”
Well, that’s not entirely true. While there is a lot of truth in the idea that you can’t teach charisma and people either have it or they don’t, I think we all know at least one presenter who we absolutely loved and we could tell was working hard for it.
So if you ever find yourself feeling a little less-than-confident about your next presentation, never fear – I’m going to let you in on my top three qualities that make up the perfect speaker.
The three qualities that define a great speaker are natural, magnetic, and passionate.
Natural public speaker
A natural speaker is someone who comes off as comfortable being in front of a crowd and knows how to engage them in a conversation. Someone who is natural at speaking can make people feel like they’ve known each other forever, even though this is the first time they’ve actually met.
Natural speakers know when to pause and when to speed up or slow down. They know when to use gestures and how much to use, and they can tell when the audience is following along with them.
Magnetic public speaker
A magnetic speaker is someone who knows how to get everyone on their side during a talk. They are charismatic people that no one can stay mad at or dislike for very long. Magnetic speakers are great at working the crowd into becoming everyone’s best friend by making others laugh or making them feel like they’re part of the conversation.
Passionate public speaker
A passionate speaker loves what they are talking about, and it’s palpable for the audience to sense this energy coming off of their body. When someone is passionate about what they’re saying, you can’t help but want to listen to every word! They keep us captivated with their intelligence and knowledge, and we all want to be on their team by the end of it.
So now that you know these three qualities make up the perfect speaker, how can you work on using them?
Just by realizing what they are, you’ve already taken a step in the right direction! If you practice some mindful meditation before your next speech, you will find yourself in a better state of mind and more at ease with your environment.
Also, keep in mind that nothing is set in stone when it comes to public speaking! We all have different styles, and if something isn’t working for you the first time around, try again – maybe this time with a little bit more energy, or try pausing for five seconds before you speak.
Finally, the easiest way to practice these three qualities is to pay attention to the speakers that leave a lasting impression on you! Watch TED Talks online or catch some inspiring speeches at your university. Every speaker has their own style and finding yours will only benefit your audience. So get out there and get to work!
Your audience will notice if it doesn’t come naturally… But they’ll feel the magnetic pull for you if you work on your delivery. And their eyes might even start to water when you get up on stage with passion in every fiber of your being.