Glossophobia – the fear of public speaking – impacts an estimated 75% of the world’s population and it can greatly hinder a person’s day-to-day life, especially within professional work environments.
It can be nerve-wracking to speak in front of a room – but we have compiled some tips and tricks to make your time on the podium a bit easier.
Do: Be Prepared and Be Flexible
The best way to be flexible is to know the topic you are talking about inside out. Have the points you want to hit mapped out, practice speaking it in front of a mirror, but also be able to deviate off script. Things happen during public speaking, there are interruptions and questions – so be prepared to go down a different path and know your talking points well enough to get back on track.
Do: Bring Assistance
If you are a nervous speaker or just like having a fall back, prepare a slideshow or have notes with you during the speech. Don’t overcomplicate this either – just a few talking points to keep you on track is enough. Also, choose one or the other – if you have notes, forfeit the presentation and vice versa.
Do: Smile and Be Welcoming
While speaking clearly and driving your point home is very important, it is all for nothing unless the audience are on your side. So make sure you open with a smile, an easy introduction and a welcome. This will also help people relax and will in turn help you calm down.
Do: Engage with your Audience
It can be hard to feel you are holding down a whole fort when public speaking; so don’t be afraid to turn the attention to someone else in the audience, such as “So and so here did this excellently when…”. You can also ask the audience to take a moment to consider a significant element of your topic, or to ponder some possible solutions to an issue, before revealing the solution. It is also good to encourage questions, but you may want to remind the audience to keep them until the end so you aren’t interrupted.
Don’t: Be Over-Rehearsed
While being prepared is essential, you don’t want your delivery to be over-prepared. This will come across boring and non-entertaining – try keep it loose while also stay according to plan.
Don’t: Ignore your Audience
Take cues from your audience on what sparks their interest and where you lose them. Try hang on to the topics that engage them, encourage that to ask questions at the end, and make them feel like they are involved.
Don’t: Lie
Make sure you triple check your sources and if you get caught on a topic you aren’t sure of, or hit with a question you don’t know the answer to, just be honest! A white lie is the worst thing you can do as if the audience catch on, you have lost all your credibility. A good way to pivot if you don’t know the answer to the question is by saying: “That’s a great question, and I think I have to do some research to get a good answer for you, or would someone in the audience like to answer to that one”.
At The Lir at Work, our practical public speaking course incorporates a range of theoretical, practical and performance modules used to train professional actors – which focus on using the Body, Breath and Voice to maximum effect. Under the expert guidance of our Voice & Performance coach, you will learn breathing, mindfulness and tension release exercises that will help you to overcome your fear of public speaking in both your professional and personal life.
Public Speaking: Fighting the Fear is ideal for anyone who has to deliver public addresses, presentations or lead meetings due to being promoted to a new position – or indeed is faced with the challenge of delivering speeches in their personal life.
For more information on the learning outcomes please visit our range of effective communication skills courses or contact us directly by emailing liratwork@thelir.ie