You may need public speaking skills both at work and in public life. However, fear of the audience and the inability to correctly present information sometimes interfere with competently conveying thoughts.
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare to speak. Learn your text well, plan the story, and prepare additional visuals that you will need to demonstrate. If you are using equipment such as a projector, test it.
Step 2
Review additional information on the topic of your talk. You may need it when participants start asking questions. Try to anticipate what people might ask you in advance and prepare answers.
Step 3
Take it easy. Excitement can prevent even the most prepared storyteller from speaking. Use visualization techniques. For example, imagine yourself as a wise expert educating other people. You can also do auto-training, mentally repeating to yourself about your own competence, professionalism and success.
Step 4
Capture the audience's attention. Start your presentation by updating the issues you intend to cover. Show that the topic of your talk is really important and people will listen to you.
Step 5
Keep eye contact with your audience. Do not look at the floor or to the side. Move your gaze from one listener to the next. Try to keep the entire audience in sight and distribute your attention evenly. Then each person will feel that you are addressing him.
Step 6
Feel free. Do not stand at attention. Move around the audience, get closer to the audience, use gestures.
Step 7
Add some informal elements to your presentation. You can joke a little or talk to the audience at the beginning of the meeting about the weather, ask if they are comfortable. This will make people feel good and keep them interested.
Step 8
Pause. Divide a large block of information into several paragraphs. It will be tiresome for people to immediately listen to a huge lecture. If the format of your presentation allows it, alternate lectures with some other parts of the presentation, for example, watching videos or answering public questions. Be sure to take one or more breaks so that participants can move around or have coffee.
Step 9
Ask questions. This will create the effect of audience engagement. If the format of your presentation does not involve active communication with the audience, ask rhetorical questions. The fact is that the very interrogative intonation activates people's attention. So, use this technique to keep the interest of those you are speaking to.
