PUBLIC SPEAKING TIPS

Want to participate the Declamation Contest in your school/college/university?? Always wanted to take part in debates, but got a stage fright?? Wanted to join Debates Society/club in your school/college/university, but didn’t know how you’d perform??

Here are a few simple tips which would help you excel any forum of public speaking!!

The most fundamental rule of public speaking is Body Language. Body Language is 93% of public speaking. Rest 7% being the words you speak. Here, we’ll talk about the 93% of your public speaking.

1) Stay calm. Staying calm, cool and composed helps you stay focused on your target, and helps avoid confusion.

2) Don’t use a Dais/Rostrum. If the format of declamation or speech allows, don’t use a dais or a rostrum. It hides over half of your body.

3) Use space in front of you. You are the King (or Queen) of the space available in front of you. Use it to your advantage.

4) Keep moving. If possible, keep moving about the space available to you. DON’T STAY STATIC!! Take a few steps to the left, to the right, forward, backward.

5) Park your hands. When not using your hands, park them. To do that, clasp them in front of you one on the top of other.

6)Don’t use fillers. Don’t use fillers like “umm….” “err….” “ah….”. Instead take a pause. This makes the audience crave to know what you’ll speak next, while giving you time to think what to speak next.

7) Eye contact. Eye contact with the audience is a MUST!! If you don’t, it shows your lack of confidence.

8) If possible, don’t use mike. If the venue is small and you can get yourself heard to the audience without a mike, don’t use one. But it if’s a big venue, like an auditorium, you can’t avoid using a mike.

9) Tone vs Volume. Know how to use your tone and volume well. If you want to insist on something, change your tone, don’t raise your volume. Raising volume too much could be considered as shouting (bad bad idea!)!!

A few other tips:

1) Know thy tech. Get to the venue ahead of time and get used to any tech you might use and get familiarized with the venue.

2) Use visual Aids. Using multimedia presentations as visual aids is a big help. It is highly recommended if it is possible to use. But be warned, don’t put too much information in the visual aids, audience is attracted more to what they see than what they hear!!

3) Make friends in audience. You can look at these people for making eye contacts.

4) Question your audience. Questioning them ensures that your audience stays attentive to whatever you speak.

There goes friends. Just try these simple tips and see the magic weave!!! :-)