subject: Learn How To Speak Confidently In Public [print this page] To establish a bond, people must begin to communicate. The most common way to do this is by speaking. This happens every day. However, sometimes it is necessary to talk to a large group of persons and not everyone is prepared to do so. In front of a large crowd, those who are not prepared to deliver a speech, usually feel that their whole body has turned to stone, thoughts are replaced by an irrational panic, hands get sweaty and most frightening, the mind goes blank and nothing of what is to be said can be remembered. This situation can happen in many different situations or places: a conference room, in front of a group of workers or students, or even in the act of posing a question to somebody else in a crowded room.
Fortunately, the ability to speak in public can be learned and mastered. It is completely normal to feel anxiety when speaking in public, and the professionals use this feeling to stay alert and be better prepared to face any situation that may arise.
The first step towards this end is to recognize that one is not capable of speaking in public and face the fact that panic is present every time. The will to overcome this fear is a very important and decisive factor and a huge step forward in the right direction. Some people get more anxious because they perceive the public as some kind of enemy or foe. However, if one thinks of them as a group of people who is actually interested in what is about to be said, it gets easier to deliver the speech. These people in front of you are there to listen; they are interested and are willing to learn something new.
It is important to notice that "fear" is a personal feeling, and the public should not realize when the speaker is actually scared. To avoid showing this feeling, it is a good idea to center the concentration in the lines about to be delivered, while thinking positive thoughts. It is quite simple to replace the "I can't", or "I am not what they expect" with something like "They want to hear me" and "I am here to impress them". The public is a dynamic entity that can provide a lot of information to the speaker. The whole objective of speaking in public is to convince the audience of what is to be said. To achieve this, the message itself has to be well understood and divided in three areas: introduction, body and conclusion. The use of active words instead of passive times, delivered in short and clear sentences is the key to keep the attention focused. The use of visual aids, graphics and diagrams help deliver the information easier and can help to clarify the concepts much easier. But most important it is to speak slowly, clearly and to make pauses whenever necessary before jumping to a new idea.
Speaking in public is not impossible to achieve. As with every other difficult task, instead of avoiding the situations where one must face the public, only practicing is the key to get better and better each day.
