In the previous articles in this series, we looked at a variety of tips to help you with your speech making and presentation skills. But while a good subject, strong opening and lots of preparation and organisation are all essential, delivering with confidence (even if you don't feel it) and using good body language are also crucial in conveying your message effectively.
Everyone - even the most experienced presenter - will feel a twitch or tremble of nerves before taking the stage, but the real trick is learning to control it so that it doesn't negatively affect your performance.
Fear of public speaking can be due to the sense of the unknown, risk of failure, worries of looking like a fool amongst other things. Whatever the reason, the effect is the same - the fight or flight mechanism kicks in - we tense up, produce more adrenaline, and sometimes just want to run out of the room. It's innate, when we feel threatened or in danger, this response tries to get us to safety.
By relaxing your mind prior to your speech, you can take control of the nerves and reduce the fear you're feeling. Here are some techniques you can try:
It's natural to feel anxious, however well practiced and prepared you are, and a little adrenaline will help you to speak energetically – but by using some of these methods, you'll be able to speak and walk confidently so that your audience won't even realise you're feeling nervous.
If you're unsure what to do with your hands - or even your face - while giving a speech, here are some hints and tips on using body language to help you present more effectively. Couple these with the relaxation techniques above, and you'll be presenting like a pro in no time!
Body language is a great tool for adding emphasis and clarity to your spoken words, convincing the audience of your sincerity, passion, and commitment, and releasing nervous energy.
There are three categories of body language: the face, the hands, and the whole body. Let's look at each in turn...
Obviously an important one, as the face communicates more clearly than any other part of the body, and facial expression is often the key to the meaning behind a message. Match expressions with your words, meaning don't offer a huge smile if you're talking about something sad or traumatic – and remember that the audience will watch your face for social clues about sincerity, your attitude toward the message, and the level of conviction you're bringing to the speech.
Also remember to maintain eye contact, working your eyes across the room to different people, as this projects an air of confidence and sincerity.
Gestures can reinforce verbal messages, convey a specific thought or emotion and are mostly made with the hands and arms. Use strong, purposeful, and complementary gestures to strengthen your message and add interest to your presentation, avoiding distracting nervous mannerisms, such as fiddling with jewellery or a pen.
The three types of gestures you can use during your speech are:
Your stance, posture, and movement all tell the audience whether or not you're confident, alert and in command of the situation.
A relaxed, balanced speaking stance provides a solid starting point from which to gesture or move in any direction. Here you can also use the stage to anchor your message and create pictures in the audience's mind, referring back or forward to that point of reference using gestures.
I hope you've found these expert tips on public speaking and presentations of value, but if you have any questions or need any further assistance, please contact us at Hello@StrictlySpeakingHarrogate.org.uk and we'd be delighted to help.
Phil Heath
Treasurer and Found Member of Strictly Speaking Harrogate Toastmasters
About Phil
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