Public Speaking Techniques

The fear of speaking in public is a more common emotion than it seems to be expressed as a very unpleasant sensation. This sensation occurs at the moment of speaking in public, but also in the moments before and during the period of time in which the person knows that they will have to speak in public. Whether it is to defend a project at school, present a proposal at work or make a speech for a celebration.

The fear of speaking in public is due to the perception of danger, that is, the belief that speaking in public carries some risk. For example, making a fool of yourself, doing it wrong, making others think you don’t know, etc. But the reality is that there is no danger so great as to have a fear reaction that makes us unable to speak in public. It’s all in our mind and the maladaptive interpretation of reality.

The emotion of fear is associated with the action of avoidance and flight. If you run away from the situation and avoid speaking in public, the fear will be reinforced and strengthened. Therefore, if you want to lose your fear of speaking in public, The best thing you can do is face the situation.

1. Observe to speakers and pick up their tricks. Look at people who speak in public, what aspects they have in common, what details catch your attention. You can search for one or more references. By observing others, you will know where to start.
2. Imitate to your references or people you like how they speak in front of others. Find a moment of quiet, put yourself in the shoes of a speaker and imitate him by copying the techniques he uses when speaking in public.
3. Practice. All practical skills are learned by repeating over and over again. Learning to give speeches in front of others is learned with practice.
4. Identify errors. There is always something that can be improved. Be aware of the failures, choose one of them and focus on that to improve it. When you have acquired that learning, identify another error and follow the same procedure.

It is possible to learn the skill of praying by knowing and applying the techniques for public speaking without serbs and practicing them. Below are some of the most important ones.

1. Believe in yourself

Increase the level of self-confidence. You can work on increasing self-confidence, since, to speak in public, it is very important to believe in yourself. You must trust yourself, your abilities and your knowledge.

2. Don’t judge yourself

The important thing is not the speaker, but the speech. The audience, surely, is not going to observe and evaluate the speaker, they are going to listen to a speech. Therefore, what is important is what is transmitted and what is provided to the public, the information and the feeling that the audience takes away from the presentation.

3. Ignore nerves

It is normal to feel some activation of the body, such as increased heart and respiratory rate, sweat in the hands, slight tremor and general excitement. Nothing happens, the body is simply activating to face a challenge. The heart pumps faster to irrigate all areas of our body, just as breathing accelerates to provide oxygen. Muscles prepare for movement and body temperature increases. All the body is ready to help us face the challenge to give a lecture in public. It is not necessary to give it more importance than it has.

4. Learn breathing and relaxation techniques

If your nerves make you unable to speak in public, you should learn breathing techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing, and relaxation techniques, such as Jacobson’s progressive muscle relaxation. To be able to put them into practice and achieve a decrease in physiological activation.

5. Imagine

Do an imagination exercise. The brain sometimes does not distinguish reality from imagination. Therefore, it is good to previously imagine the situation in which oneself speaks in public properly in as much detail as possible. When speaking in public, the brain will not interpret this situation as totally new, because for it it has already happened, even if only in imagination.

6. Master the topic

Knowing the topic to be presented in depth provides the basis for a good speech, from a greater sense of self-confidence, to greater knowledge to prepare the important points of the talk and also to be able to answer the questions that the audience may ask.

7. Be clear about the objective

Being clear about the objective of the talk is necessary to have a point of reference present at all times. Know what we want to communicate and what we must transmit to guide the speech. The objective must appear in the conclusion.

8. Know the audience

Know the characteristics of the audience to whom the talk will be directed. This allows us to adapt both the information and the way it is given. To do this, it is necessary to put yourself in the place of the attendees and talk to the audience about what they find interesting and in a language that suits their understanding.

9. Prepare the speech

It is essential to prepare very well what to say and how to say it, that is, to plan a script with the skeleton of the speech. The first few times you speak in public, the less you leave to chance, the better. It is recommended to start preparing the script at the conclusion and continue tracing the path to reach it.

10. Generate interest

To create expectation and generate interest, you can use any of these tricks to attract attention:

• Formulate a shocking question. For example: Eliminate drugs or legalize drugs?
• Cite one well-known phrase. An example: I only know that I know nothing. Even add some variation. For example: Houston, we have 3 problems.
• Use a pun. Like: Drink to live and not live to drink
• Provide surprising facts: In Spain more than 10 people commit suicide every day.
• Use examples, visual content, statistical data, metaphors, comparisons, etc. It is a way of offering information in a different and attractive way. However, these resources should be used in moderation.

11. Establish a good atmosphere with the audience

Having the sympathy of the public will be one of the key factors for a speech to be successful. This can be achieved by practicing empathy, being honest, explaining an interesting or funny anecdote and interacting with the audience: you can give a compliment, a question addressed to the audience, etc.

12. Be natural

It is recommended to opt for simplicity, ease and clarity. Use understandable vocabulary and try not to digress or lose the thread of the explanations.

13. Use humor if applicable

In situations where the use of humor is appropriate, it allows you to liven up the speech and connect with the audience. It also makes the audience smile and encourages their willingness to maintain attention.

14. Make correct use of silence

A pause in the speech serves, for example, to leave space for the audience to process the information and reflect. In this case, it would be used after an important phrase, a weighty explanation or the formulation of a question. On the other hand, silence allows you to draw attention and create expectation. In this case, it can be used before answering a question, before continuing with an important part of the speech or before revealing information.

• The law of primacy and the law of recency. These laws say that we remember the beginning and the end of the content, therefore, these two parts are key and require greater effort and preparation. Specifically, the last phrase of the speech is of great importance, since it will or will not prompt the audience’s applause.
• Verbal and non-verbal communication. Such as, for example, tone of voice, facial expression and body posture.

Always avoid when speaking in public

• You should avoid saying the typical phrase “I’m not good at public speaking” before doing the exhibition and much more during it. That the public believes this phrase works against us. Even more so if the speaker himself believes it.
• The excuses. It is not advisable to excuse yourself because of the material or any aspect of the speech.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

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