by Mark G. Sullivan

Created on: September 04, 2009

Ask a group of people what they fear the most and many will state that speaking in front of a group of people rates as high as the fear of death. For them public speaking will be avoided at all costs. Just the thought of having to speak while others watch and listen brings a cold sweat, shaky hands and dry mouth. Needing a strong voice to hold the attention of an audience, this last condition will have just the opposite effect.

As a result, the public speaker needs to get over any fear of talking to others in a meeting like setting. Overcoming this apprehension can be accomplished through various techniques resulting in a cool and calm presentation.

Practice

To be a good speaker requires practice, practice and more practice. Practice while standing in front of a mirror, while driving a car, standing in a checkout line, while taking a walk. Being an effective speaker requires the words and thoughts to flow naturally, not forced or recited as if giving an uninteresting report. This all comes through practice.

Visualization

A confident speaker will close their eyes and see themselves in front of an audience. They see all the smiling eyes looking back at them in anticipation of a great presentation. The strong voice carrying across the audience, delivering the information all are waiting to hear. Then the group is clapping after the finish. An effective public speaker will visualize all this happening long before they step in front of any audience.

Know the material

The quickest way to lose an audience is by not knowing the material. An effective speaker does not have to memorize the presentation. The use of small note cards is fine as long as they are referred to occasionally, not read. Additionally, "filler words" such as, um, ah, like, so, ok, are not acceptable. An in-tuned audience will find then distracting and quickly lose interest.

Introduction

This is a critical part of the learning process. An effective public speaker will not waste the opportunity of providing an audience with background information on them and their material. By writing their own introduction gives the speaker control of the message he or she wants those in the attendance to hear. They do not want the person responsible for the introduction to ad lib their thoughts. A hard copy should be provided to this person in advance with the instruction to read it over before the meeting starts so it flows smoothly.

Timing

It is imperative the speaker finish within the allotted time provided. A seasoned public speaker will finish five minutes early allowing for questions or more importantly show consideration for their audience.

Thank You

Public speakers do not take for granted the time given them to present their material. A thank you goes a long way in cementing a relationship, maybe resulting in another invite to come back in the future. In addition, at this time the speaker will ask for a referral letter that can be used to "book" engagements with other groups.

An effective public speaker will use these techniques as the stepping-stones to an accomplished career in front of many audiences.

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