Ben Edwards's blog : Giving A Great Keynote Speech
Have you ever been asked to deliver a keynote speech an important event or company function and turned it down because you were too nervous? If this has ever happened to you, you are not alone as many people avoid this situation like the black plague.
Giving a keynote speech can be a scary and nerve-racking experience. However, for those with an open mind, there are many ways of practicing before going on stage. Many have a fear of public speaking and therefore avoid it at all costs. However, the truth is that people who have a fear of public speaking need to overcome their fears. If you have this fear, the following tips may be able to help.
Public speaking is essentially the act or process of doing a public presentation to a live crowd. Public speaking generally refers to face-to-face speaking to a small group of people. There are many different types of keynote speakers that require different skill sets, but the basic premise behind public speaking is presenting information in an orderly fashion. You want to make sure that you prepare your speech well and practice it many times before going on stage.
One of the best ways to learn about public speaking is to join a Toastmasters Club. The club will give you the chance to meet other people who share your passion for learning. If you choose to join one of these clubs, make sure that you register early. After all, the more people you know, the more you'll benefit from the experience.
Another way to learn about public speaking is to take a public speaking class. Although a lot of people who speak in front of crowds feel that they need to master their speaking voice first, that's simply not true. There are a lot of other things you need to be able to do in order to become an expert in public speaking. For instance, a public speaking class will teach you how to be confident in front of others. This confidence will also translate into your speaking voice as you become more confident in front of your audience. You should also take the time to explore other professional keynote speakers and watch them speak as this can be very helpful since they already know how to speak at a high level.
Another tip to help you overcome your fear of public speaking is to watch as many movies and listen to recordings of people speaking in front of a live audience. By watching what others say in a similar situation and making sure that you are yourself at ease in front of the camera, you will be able to begin to speak confidently on stage. And get past any feelings of hesitation and nervousness that may occur while speaking in front of others.
When you are first learning about public speaking, it is important to realize that no matter what the type of performance, the goal is not to win the audience over. But rather, you want to ensure that you are speaking to the right person. And that everyone has fun listening to your presentation.
One of the worst trials of speaking in public is holding the gaze of your audience. Typically, people who are uncomfortable “protect themselves” in two ways: By fixing their score sheet or their Powerpoint presentation; Looking in the dark or turning your head from right to left continuously. Unfortunately, this is the best way to disconnect from your audience, who will feel that you are not really conversing with them. So try to successively look the members of your audience in the eye for several seconds, the time to make a sentence or formulate an important idea of your presentation.
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