10 Do’s and Don’ts to be a Good Public Speaker

Nerves should be beaten down

The ‘N’ word is horrible and you must do everything at your disposal to destroy them. Just before you go on to the stage, have a glass of water and take a few deep breaths. The point of this is to increase the oxygen to your brain, allowing you to concentrate better and focus on your speech and the audience. When you go on that stage, you must own it because it is like your place. You must compose yourself because when you go onto the stage, you are being watched and the only way you can get away with it is by being cool, calm and composed. If you feel confident, you can be confident!

9) The audience rule

There’s a certain audience rule that I made up which I find very useful every time I have to make a speech. Most of the times, nerves and the fear of public speaking only crops up when you are scared of the audience. Let that not be the case here. The audience rule dictates that whatever the audience might be, you don’t have to be nervous. If the audience is your friends and family, they won’t boo you or insult you in any way because they will know that you are nervous and they will empathise with you for speaking in front of many people. If the audience is a bunch of strangers who you have never seen in your life before, even if they dislike you, it doesn’t matter! These strangers are the people you will never see ever again. By keeping your speech interesting and fresh, you will win over any people who aren’t your fans in the throng.

10) Practice makes perfect

 There is no getting away from the fact that practice will make you the ultimate public speaking master or mistress. Practice in front of a mirror. This way, you will be aware of yourself and you can see what you are doing wrong. Speak in front of a trusted member of family or a friend and ask them for feedback. Those who are near and dear to you will give you an unbiased opinion and if there is something that you need to work on, they will tell you. Disappointment will come sometimes but you can only conquer it by practicing and working on your faults. Remember, no one is perfect and you must try if you want to get anywhere near it.

For further detials or any other tips for public speaking, a good site to refer to is http://www.toastmasters.org/