Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even
beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here are some proven tips
on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:
on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:
- Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal
stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget
what to say.
- Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with
all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control
filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and
allow time for the unexpected.
- Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
- Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
- Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you
time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before
saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three
one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
- Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine
yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the
audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
- Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.
- Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.
- Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
- Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment