Speaking in public is a skill that can be challenging for many people. The idea of standing in front of an audience and delivering a message can generate nervousness and anxiety.
However, there are effective strategies that can help you overcome these fears and improve your performance in public speaking.
Harvard, one of the most renowned universities in the world, shares valuable tips for those who want to enhance their public speaking skills.
These tips have been compiled to assist you in reducing anxiety, demystifying the experience, and achieving a memorable speech.
Below are the 10 Harvard tips for public speaking:
Anxiety is normal. Practice and prepare!
It’s normal to feel nervous before speaking in public. Instead of associating these feelings with poor performance, understand that some nerves are good.
The adrenaline they generate can make you feel more alert and ready to give your best. The key to overcoming anxiety is preparation.
Set aside time to review your notes multiple times and practice extensively. You can record yourself on video or ask a friend to evaluate your performance.
Know your audience. Your speech is about them, not you.
Before starting to craft your message, consider who it is aimed at. Learn as much as you can about your listeners.
This will help you determine your word choices, level of information, organizational structure, and motivational statement.
Organize your material in the most effective way to achieve your purpose.
Create a framework for your speech. Jot down the topic, general purpose, specific purpose, central idea, and key points.
Make sure to capture the audience’s attention within the first 30 seconds.
Observe reactions and adapt to them. Keep the focus on the audience.
Observe their reactions, adjust your message, and be flexible. Delivering a canned speech will ensure that you lose attention or confuse even the most devoted listeners.
Let your personality shine through.
Be yourself, don’t become an impersonal speaker in any form of communication.
You will establish better credibility if your personality shines through, and your audience will trust what you have to say if they see you as a real person.
Use humor, tell stories, and employ effective language.
Incorporate a funny anecdote into your presentation, and you’ll surely capture the audience’s attention.
Generally, audiences appreciate a personal touch in a speech, and a story can provide just that.
Don’t read unless necessary. Work from an outline.
Reading from a script or slides breaks the interpersonal connection. By maintaining eye contact with the audience, you keep the focus on yourself and your message.
A brief outline can serve to refresh your memory and stay on track.
Use your voice and hands effectively. Avoid nervous gestures.
Nonverbal communication conveys the majority of the message. Good oral expression doesn’t draw attention to itself but rather communicates the speaker’s ideas clearly and without distractions.
Capture attention at the beginning and close with a powerful ending.
Do you enjoy listening to a speech that starts with “Today, I’m going to talk to you about X”? Most people don’t. Instead, use a striking statistic, an intriguing anecdote, or a concise quote.
Conclude your speech with a summary and a strong statement that your audience will surely remember.
Use audiovisual aids intelligently.
Excessive use of audiovisual aids can disrupt the direct connection with the audience, so use them in moderation. They should enhance or clarify your content, or capture and maintain the audience’s attention.
While practice doesn’t guarantee perfection, good communication is never perfect, and no one expects you to be.
However, dedicating the necessary time to prepare will help you deliver a better speech. You may not be able to completely eliminate your nerves, but you can learn to minimize them.
Source: Harvard
