by Dolores Moore

Created on: January 07, 2009

The first thing you must do is forget about YOU and focus on your audience. This applies to small gatherings of strangers or when addressing an auditorium full of people, and that is what this article will concentrate on. By being interested in your audience, by trying to meet their needs, by treating THEM as the most important factor of your speech, your confidence will grow. Of course, you have to prepare the groundwork so as to be able to establish a rapport and make a connection. These preparations will also add to your confidence, giving you more of a sense of security.

Integral parts of preparation include:

# Know your audience

# Know your subject thoroughly

# Practice your delivery before the event

# Dress to attract and interest

# Make simple key word cue cards

# Practice breathing for relaxation

Obviously your speech is designed for a specific target audience, so you can confidently assume some degree of interest from them. But there may be some people who will ask awkward questions to try to throw you off track - there usually are. Be conscious that this could happen and have a non-committal, polite response ready. Try to inject humor, a few rhetorical questions from you can create warmth and participation. So if you know your subject thoroughly and share it with enthusiasm, you can afford to be more relaxed in delivery. The more relaxed you are, the more confident you will feel.

Practicing delivery is not just about speaking the words till they are automatic. It is a good idea to run through the speech in front of a mirror, then with friends, asking for their feedback and suggestions. Consider facial expressions, smile when appropriate, make eye contact, modulate your voice with different tones throughout, move around a little and use open handed gestures. It is a fact well known to the teachers among us that a soft voice will cause people to quieten down and sit up and listen with more attention than a loud, contentious approach. But use varied tones to keep interest alive.

Dress appropriately, but add interest with color and little touches of personal style that make you feel good and say something about your personality. Things like a bright scarf and matching shoes can lift a business suit out of the realms of the ordinary. A favorite, unusual tie or shirt will get people to look and listen better; you are intriguing. Because, once you know you have the audience's attention, then you can feel that rapport building and that confidence growing.

Never be afraid to admit you do not know the answer to something if questions are asked. Acknowledge this as an idea you need to explore further, and if time permits, ask the audience for thoughts on the issue. This will give you a breather and time to look at your notes, if necessary. Try to use these sparingly; reading from notes always makes the speaker seem un-confident and ill-prepared.

Finally, enjoy the experience. Speaking in public on a subject you feel passionate or very knowledgable about is quite uplifting. You are a star for that short space of time, maybe acting away like crazy, but with confidence, you can do this. Just remember Jiminy Cricket and "give a llittle whistle." Good luck.

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