26. Anticipate possible questions from your audience.
If the kind of presentation you are going to make would give an opportunity for some people to ask questions, then you should be prepared for it. One way of doing this is to anticipate possible questions from your audience, and preparing professional answers to them. Try to come up with the most difficult and unexpected questions, so that you won’t be caught off guard when someone asks them.
27. Practice more.
The more you are going to practice your presentation, the more you would become an expert on it. Thus, you should practice more often. Practice in front of your kid, your spouse, your dog, as well as in front of the mirror. Time your presentation, and give more emphasis on those points that are more challenging.
28. Be comfortable.
The more comfortable you are in front, the more effective you can be in conveying your message. To achieve that, you should make sure that you are comfortable with what you are wearing. Aside from that, keep in mind that it can also be achieved when you have properly prepared for the speech.
29. Be positive.
When you constantly think of negative thoughts, then you may not become successful in public speaking. Thus, you should always think that you are great in it, so that you would be able to attain that. When you constantly have positive thoughts, you would become more confident in yourself, and have the motivation to constantly improve.
30. Giving your audience what they want.
It is best if you know what your audience want, before you have your presentation. This way, you would be able to convince them to listen to you all throughout your speech. Thus, if your audience what to be entertained, then you should not hesitate in telling a couple of funny stories, which are all related to the topic you are talking about.
31. Don’t forget to bring some notes.
When you do your public speaking, it is necessary to have some notes in front of you, in order to have something as your guide, as far as following a certain flow in your speech. Thus, you should prepare them beforehand. Make the notes small, but highlight some words, so that you can easily see them at a glimpse.
32. Don’t put yourself down.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, if you feel that you have not given your presentation a hundred percent. Always remember that
you can always make some adjustments on your upcoming presentations, so that you can improve further. Aside from that, it does not necessarily mean that your audience did not enjoy your speech, if you think that it was not good.
33. Public speaking is not a matter of life or death.
You should learn to relax when you are speaking in front of a crowd. When you miss out on something that you have on your notes, you should remember that no one except you would know that. Aside from that, no one is going to shout at you if you missed an image in your visual aids.
34. Don’t tell your audience that you are nervous about your speech.
If you are nervous
about your speech, it is actually not the best move to tell your audience about it. If you do, then they may see you as someone who lacks experience and better skills in public speaking. Thus, it is best to hide it, and gain control over it. Sound more confident at the beginning, and you will realize that just prior to hitting your first minute in front, all your nervousness would already be gone.
35. Give it your best shot.
Every time you speak in front of a crowd, make it a point to always give it your best shot. This means that you should always try to make it your best speech ever. By doing it this way, you are always challenging yourself to be better on it, and you are recognizing the fact that there is always room for improvement.
36. Don’t speak too fast.
One of the most obvious signs of nervousness and lack of confidence is when a speaker begins to talk real fast. Thus, even if you are nervous, you should learn how to pace yourself. Always remember that when you talk fast, in most cases, your audience may not be able to understand what you are saying. Thus, slow down at bit, so that you can also gain more control over your nervousness.
37. Try to avoid looking at the eyes of the people in front of you.
If it is your first time to speak to a large crowd, then try to avoid looking at the eyes of people nearest to you, since it can make you more nervous. This does not mean that you should look at the floor, ceiling, or your sides. Always remember that they want you to look them in the eye; however, if you are too nervous in doing it, you should look at their forehead instead.
38. Take a deep breath.
If you are trembling, especially when you are just a few seconds away to being called for your speech, you should practice deep breathing. Taking a deep breath can help in calming your nerves. Thus, just before you position yourself in front of the crowd, take a deep breath, so that you would become more relaxed, and be rid of your nervousness.
39. Be funny, but don’t overdo it.
Telling jokes that are related to the topic you are talking about can be an effective technique in getting your audience’s attention. However, you should not over do it. When you tell too many jokes, some people may think that you are a comedian instead of a professional public speaker. Aside from that, it can also take away the validity of your presentation..
40. Everyone makes mistakes.
Making mistakes is actually normal. Thus, you should not worry too much about them. For example, if you mispronounced a couple of words, you should not dwell too much about it, since it can affect your whole presentation. What you need to do instead, is to acknowledge them, and to simply move forward.
41. Keep it short and simple.
Always remember that not too many people love to hear or watch long speeches and presentations. Thus, you should keep it short and simple, as much as you can. However, make sure that you are able to cover all the important topics, so that your audience are able to gather important information from your speech.
42. View yourself as the messenger.
It is highly unlikely that you would be asked to give a presentation about yourself or your life story. Thus, always keep in mind that your presentation is not about you. It is actually about the topic that you are going to talk about. With that, view yourself as the messenger that would convey the information to the audience, so that you can focus more on that, instead of focusing on yourself.
43. Try to fake it.
If you don’t have confidence on yourself when it comes to public speaking, then you should fake it. Faking it means that you should try to act that you are confident, when you are in front and talking to your audience. By doing that, they would listen to you more attentively, and eventually, you would even gain the confidence you didn’t have.
44. Just be yourself.
Watching experts in the field of public speaking can help you in a lot of ways, but it is best not to mimic them. This is because, some people in the audience may be familiar of the techniques and styles that you are copying. Just pick some good points from the experts, and be yourself, so that you would be able to come up with your own style that people would love.
45. Practice yoga.
Yoga does not only provide you relief from stress, but it can also maintain the health of your voice and your throat. Thus, you should practice yoga more often. By performing
certain yoga techniques, you would be able to clear your throat, and prevent all sorts of problems that are related to your voice.
46. Always remember that your audience is the most important part of your presentation.
Don’t forget that every time you have a presentation, it is not for yourself, but for your audience. Thus, you should keep in mind that they are the most important part of your presentation. With that, make sure that you are able to deliver a speech that can catch their attention, so that they would be able to benefit from it.
47. Say what the audience want to hear.
Saying what you want can help you become more comfortable in speaking in front. However, if you want your presentation to become more effective, then say things that your audience need to hear. Always remember that people are listening to you, because they are hoping to learn from your presentation. Thus, you should focus more on what they need, so that you can come up with an effective speech.
48. What to do, when you are called for an impromptu speech.
If your employers have called you for an impromptu speech, there are certain things to do, to make it your best. One of which is to immediately stand, and avoid showing any kind of hesitation, so that you will gain a more commanding presence. Aside from that, keep in mind that your bosses would not have requested you for the presentation, if they believe that you are not ready for it.
49. What to do when some people are not listening.
When someone is not listening to you, one of the things that you can do is to increase the volume of your voice a bit. Aside from that, you should also try to make eye contact with them, in order to grab their attention. By doing that, you are actually giving them signals that you noticed that they are not listening.
50. Arrive at the venue early.
When you arrive late at the venue where you are going to do your presentation, you may not be able to prepare yourself properly for it. Thus, it is best if you can be at the place at least 30 minutes either before your speech, or even before the program starts. By doing that, you can do all the necessary preparations you need, in order to feel more comfortable and be at ease at the place.
