Tips For Nailing Your Next Speech, Presentation Or Lecture
You’ve spent endless time and money on your presentation. You rehearsed for it for weeks, months, or even years. Now you’re in front of the class and you have to deliver. What should you do? Well, first off, don’t worry. It happens to the best of us. You’re in good company!
But even though it might be a little unnerving at first, your nerves will likely ease as you get into your stride and remember why you were ever doing this in the first place. So here are some tips collected from the the toplevel public speaking course singapore that could help turn that sweaty palms nervousness into confidence and get that speech or presentation under way!
Plan your speech out before hand.
Before you walk into the room, head to the café down the street from the venue and write out your speech on paper. This will help you stay focused and avoid getting side-tracked during your presentation. If you’re giving a speech you’ve written, be sure to cross any ideas that don’t fit or feel right.
Go over it with your audience.
After you’ve written out your speech, go over it with your class. Not only will they be more likely to give you helpful feedback, but they’ll also be able to tell you what needs work. Ask them to read your speech aloud to you so you can sound out any words that need ironing out.
Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback.
Once you’ve gone over your speech with the class and received feedback, take it into account when you give your speech. If something in your speech doesn’t feel right, ask the audience members how they feel about it.
If you don’t feel comfortable or confident enough to take the feedback on the chin, knock yourself out! But don’t be afraid to ask for help, either. The school auditorium is a small room and there may be others in the room who feel as stuck as you do. In those cases, you may not be the only one struggling.
Stay focused, even if you feel like daydreaming.
Even though you want to convey your thoughts in your presentation, you also need to stay focused on what you’re saying. Whether you’re speaking on a slide or a whiteboard, avoid making eye contact with the audience or else you’re likely going to lose your train of thought and get off track.
Laugh and smile.
Laughing and smiling will help you stay focused and help you feel more at ease. When you’re nervous, your body produces serotonin, which makes you feel happy and relaxed. If you try to harden your smile and come across as a grumpy old man, your audience will definitely notice. So, keep your happy face and your laughs in!
Eat something that makes you feel good beforehand.
If you’re presenting on a day that’s particularly hectic, try to eat something that makes you feel relaxed and confident before you go on. A strong stomach is not a good look for anyone! Read more…
Keep trying! And don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Sometimes the hardest part about presenting is getting started. You may feel like giving up at some point. But don’t. You’re probably a natural at giving presentations and you’ve just spent the last few months perfecting your craft. But when something doesn’t feel right or you feel like you’re running out of steam, you can always ask for help.
There’s no shame in asking! In fact, it can actually help you avoid making mistakes because you’ll be more aware of what you’re doing wrong and how to correct it. And when you do, you’ll be much more likely to get the help you need and take your presentation to the next level. Read more…