CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – NOVEMBER 25, 2020
Public speaking techniques are a powerful asset to any individual. It provides us with an opportunity to leave a deep and lasting impact on others. And yet, this is one opportunity most people shirk, as they are terrified of expressing themselves in front of an audience!
Fortunately, this is also one skill that is not difficult to develop.
In this post, we walk you through 8 supremely effective tips to hone your public speaking techniques. If you can be willing to patiently and persistently work through the ideas listed below, you’ll find yourself rousing crowds with your powerful speeches in no time!
Public Speaking Techniques:
Below are some public speaking techniques listed which will improve your public speaking skills.
- Just jump in
Here’s our first (potentially shocking) suggestion: sign up for the first public speaking opportunities you come across! It may be a week or even a few days from now; just do it!
You’re possibly thinking, “What! But I’m terrible at it… And I truly am terrified of it…. Heck, I’m not even prepared… I don’t think there’s enough time… I can’t afford to muddle it up… I could make a spectacle of myself… I could lose my job…”
Our mind has the potential to come up with dozens – no, millions of excuses to justify our procrastination. And if we continue to listen to it, we’ll never get started! Act NOW and sign up for the next opportunity to speak in public. This need not be an elaborate affair; a team meeting at work, a casual presentation to junior colleagues or even a 10-minute speech at your apartment union will do just fine. Just Jump In!
Once you’re committed and find that you HAVE to deliver a speech soon, you’ll be amazed to see that your public speaking techniques take a dramatic turn on the upswing.
- Well begun is indeed half done
Now that you’ve committed yourself, the next step is to focus on the first 3 minutes of your speech. Yes, that is your only immediate concern.
You see, you either engage or lose the audience in the first 3 minutes. This is the “moment of truth” that determines how successful your first stint at public speaking techniques will be. So find a way to powerfully “hook” the audience right after you step on stage.
You could,
- Start with a potent one-liner.
- Share a rib-tickling joke.
- State some (possibly shocking) statistics.
- Make an outrageous (but decent) gesture.
- Play an attention-grabbing audio-visual.
And there lies your key: use these 3 minutes to grab the audience attention, so they stay riveted for the rest of the speech.
If they decide that your speech is “worth it” those precious few minutes, you can rest assured that they will stick with you for the rest of your presentation.
Note: Whatever you do, don’t apologize or stutter or lose the plot those crucial first few minutes. If you’re caught by surprise (like the A/V stops working or the mikes sounding like a hyena or worse, your papers start flying), wing it by cracking a joke or two so the audience believes you have it all figured out.
