Over the past two weeks, we’ve provided some tips for speaking confidently in front of an audience. Here are some final tips to keep in mind.
Positive Thinking – Thinking positively can make a big difference in effective communication to a group. Negative thinking and fear bring up self-sabotaging thoughts and self-talk, lowering your confidence and your chances for success. Use affirmations and visualizations to build your confidence. Visualize giving a successful presentation and imagine how you’ll feel when it’s done. Remember: your audience wants you to do well!
Cope with Nerves – When we have to speak in front of others, we imagine all kinds of bad things happening. We might forget what we wanted to say, miss a key point, cry, or faint. Those things almost never happen yet we convince ourselves otherwise and end up a bundle of nerves. Instead of letting your jitters gets the best of you, you can use this nervous energy to your advantage. Try to stop thinking about yourself and your fears; instead, focus on your audience and your message. What you are going to say is really about them. You’ll be educating them in some way and your message is more important than your fear. Taking deep breaths helps here, as does finding one friendly face at a time in the audience. Pretend you are having a one-on-one conversation and your message will come through naturally and confidently. Thinking about your audience’s wants and needs will help you focus less on your own.
Use these tips when you make a speech or presentation. Your skills will improve each time you’re in front of an audience, no matter the size or the venue.
