Here are 7 steps to improve our public speaking, such as :
- Be well prepared. Practice your speech in front of the mirror and bring little notes with you just in case. After all, it's better to have to look down at your paper quickly rather than stand there completely tongue-tied.
- Before you begin, breathe deeply. It isn't as hard as it seems. Take a deep breath.
- Organize your thoughts, and draw a mental picture of what comes after what. You will stutter if you run out of things to say, so it's important to have a mental outline. You can practice drawing up forms of your speech or remembering the order of your topics at home.
- Be sure to make a thesis or to have a point. There's nothing worse than getting nervous about a speech that wasn't worth it.
- Start your speech by making that point, and then give a brief outline of your examples and other evidences that you plan to use to prove your thesis. Sometimes a bit of comedy can help settle the nerves. Be creative!
- Slowly, visualize your examples and tell them one by one. Don't be afraid to add more examples on the go or add little details, since they make your presentation much more personal. Make sure to walk around a little- but not too much, look your audience in the eye, and use facial and hand expressions. Speeches get very boring very fast if you stand in front of people like a deer in headlights.
- Have fun, and be ready to answer questions. You can do it!
