Public speaking is an essential skill that helps individuals communicate effectively with others. But speaking in public is one of the most common fears that people experience.
However, it is a necessary skill in many areas of life, including school, work, and social situations. In this report, GOOD EVENING NIGERIA explains how to overcome anxieties related to public speaking and become a master on stage.
While public speaking anxiety can be a challenging obstacle to overcome, it is possible.
Understanding the Causes of Anxiety
- Fear of Failure: Many people experience anxiety when speaking in public because they are afraid of failing or making mistakes. The fear can be in two fold; (a) you will make fool of yourself; (b) someone will make fool of you.
- Lack of Confidence: If a person does not believe in their abilities, it can contribute to public speaking anxiety.
- Self-consciousness: When people focus too much on themselves and worry about how they are being perceived, it can lead to anxiety.
- Lack of preparation: Not being prepared for a speech or presentation can also contribute to anxiety.
Techniques for Managing Anxiety
- Deep Breathing: Taking deep breaths can help to calm nerves and reduce anxiety.
- Visualization: Visualizing a successful presentation or speech can help to reduce anxiety and build confidence. Imagine the stage before the speaking starts.
- Positive Self-Talk: Talking positively to oneself can help to reduce anxiety and build confidence. This can simply be telling oneself “everything is okay! I can do it! I’m not inferior to people I’m speaking to! My audience wants to learn from me!”
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: This technique involves tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body to reduce anxiety.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This therapy can help to change negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to anxiety. CBT can be admitting “it’s okay to make mistake, but it’s not okay not trying.”
Practicing and Building Confidence
- Practice: Practicing speeches or presentations can help to build confidence and reduce anxiety.
- Positive Feedback: Receiving positive feedback from others can help to build confidence.
- Visual Aids: Using visual aids such as PowerPoint presentations or props can help to increase confidence.
- Finding a supportive community: Joining a public speaking club or finding a supportive community can help to build confidence.
Becoming a master in public speaking
Whether one is speaking to a large audience or a small group of people, it is important to prepare carefully for speech to ensure that it is delivered confidently and effectively.
Here are some key steps to help prepare for public speaking:
Understanding the Audience: One need to know the audience are, what they are interested in, and what their expectations of the speech. Some questions to ask oneself about audience include: Who will be attending my speech? What is their age range? What is their level of education or expertise on the topic? What are their interests and concerns? What do they expect to gain from my speech?
By understanding your audience, you can tailor your speech to their needs and interests, making it more engaging and effective.
Conducting Research: Once you have a topic for a speech, next is to conduct research to gather information and supporting evidence for your speech.
This may involve reading books, articles, or other materials related to your topic, as well as conducting interviews or surveys. When conducting research, it is important to: Use reliable sources of information; Take notes and organize your research materials; Keep track of your sources for citing in your speech.
Structuring Speech: Once you have gathered your research, you can begin to structure your speech. A well-structured speech should have an introduction, body, and conclusion.
Some tips for structuring your speech include:
- Start with a strong opening to grab your audience’s attention.
- Organize the body of your speech into main points and supporting evidence.
- Use transitions to move smoothly between main points.
- End with a strong conclusion that summarizes your main points and leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
Delivering Speech: Once you have prepared your speech, the next step is to deliver it effectively. Good delivery is key to engaging your audience and getting your message across. Here are some important aspects of delivering your speech worth taking note of:
- Speak slowly and clearly, making sure to enunciate your words.
- Vary your pitch and tone to add interest and emphasis.
- Use pauses to give your audience time to absorb what you are saying.
- Avoid filler words like “um” and “ah”.
- Use eye contact to connect with your audience.
- Use facial expressions to convey emotion and emphasize key points.
- Use gestures to add emphasis and make your message more engaging.
- Avoid nervous habits like fidgeting or pacing
Handling Nervousness: It is natural to feel nervous before giving a speech. However, nervousness can affect your delivery and impact how your message is received. Some tips for handling nervousness include:
- Practice your speech several times to build confidence.
- Take deep breaths to calm yourself before speaking.
- Visualize yourself giving a successful speech and focus on that goal
- Believe on yourself, your hardwork and preparation
- Remember that your audience wants you to succeed.
- Concentrate and do not be distracted by noice or other distractions coming from the audience. Focus on what you intend to deliver alone.