Public speaking is essential to develop in the academic and work world, there are many professions in which verbal and oral competence is decisive. Furthermore, one of the evaluation formats in the academic field is the presentation, defense or oral presentation of a work. It is no less important in personal and social life, since we are social beings and live in society, so there are many occasions in which we must express ourselves in public.
We often say that someone is a good or bad speaker. We see the speeches of famous personalities or lecturers and it seems that public speaking is an innate gift that only some are lucky enough to possess. As in any other skill, there are people who have certain conditions and ability to speak in public. However, The good speaker is not born, but also made. As Quintilian said: “Poets are born, but orators are made”. Of course, you can learn to speak in front of others and make quality speeches by knowing the techniques and practicing them. For all this, in this Psychology-Online article, we explain Public speaking techniques easy to apply and very effective. Go for it!
The fear of speaking in public is a more common emotion than it seems to be expressed as a very unpleasant sensation. This sensation occurs at the moment of speaking in public, but also in the moments before and during the period of time in which the person knows that they will have to speak in public. Whether it is to defend a project at school, present a proposal at work or make a speech for a celebration.
The fear of speaking in public is due to the perception of danger, that is, the belief that speaking in public carries some risk. For example, making a fool of yourself, doing it wrong, making others think you don’t know, etc. But the reality is that there is no danger so great as to have a fear reaction that makes us unable to speak in public. It’s all in our mind and the maladaptive interpretation of reality.
The emotion of fear is associated with the action of avoidance and flight. If you run away from the situation and avoid speaking in public, the fear will be reinforced and strengthened. Therefore, if you want, The best thing you can do is face the situation..
It is possible to learn the skill of praying by knowing and applying the techniques for public speaking without serbs and practicing them. Below are some of the most important ones.
1. Believe in yourself
Increase the level of self-confidence. You can work on increasing self-confidence, since, to speak in public, it is important. You must trust yourself, your abilities and your knowledge.
2. Don’t judge yourself
The important thing is not the speaker, but the speech. The audience, surely, is not going to observe and evaluate the speaker, they are going to listen to a speech. Therefore, what is important is what is transmitted and what is provided to the public, the information and the feeling that the audience takes away from the presentation.
3. Ignore nerves
It is normal to feel some activation of the body, such as increased heart and respiratory rate, sweat in the hands, slight tremor and general excitement. Nothing happens, the body is simply activating to face a challenge. The heart pumps faster to irrigate all areas of our body, just as breathing accelerates to provide oxygen. Muscles prepare for movement and body temperature increases. All the body is ready to help us face the challenge to give a lecture in public. It is not necessary to give it more importance than it has.
4. Learn breathing and relaxation techniques
If your nerves make you unable to speak in public, you should learn , such as diaphragmatic breathing, and relaxation breathing, such as . To be able to put them into practice and achieve a decrease in physiological activation.
5. Imagine
Do an imagination exercise. The brain sometimes does not distinguish reality from imagination. Therefore, it is good to previously imagine the situation in which oneself speaks in public properly in as much detail as possible. When speaking in public, the brain will not interpret this situation as totally new, because for it it has already happened, even if only in imagination.
6. Master the topic
Knowing the topic to be presented in depth provides the basis for a good speech, from a greater sense of self-confidence, to greater knowledge to prepare the important points of the talk and also to be able to answer the questions that the audience may ask.
7. Be clear about the objective
Being clear about the objective of the talk is necessary to have a point of reference present at all times. Know what we want to communicate and what we must transmit to guide the speech. The objective must appear in the conclusion.
8. Know the audience
Know the characteristics of the audience to whom the talk will be directed. This allows us to adapt both the information and the way it is given. To do this, it is necessary to put yourself in the place of the attendees and talk to the audience about what they find interesting and in a language that suits their understanding.
9. Prepare the speech
It is essential to prepare very well what to say and how to say it, that is, to plan a script with the skeleton of the speech. The first few times you speak in public, the less you leave to chance, the better. It is recommended to start preparing the script at the conclusion and continue tracing the path to reach it.
10. Generate interest
To create expectation and generate interest, you can use any of these tricks to attract attention:
- Formulate a shocking question. For example: Eliminate drugs or legalize drugs?
- Cite one well-known phrase. An example: I only know that I know nothing. Even add some variation. For example: Houston, we have 3 problems.
- Use a pun. Like: Drink to live and not live to drink
- Provide surprising facts: In Spain more than 10 people commit suicide every day.
- Use examples, visual content, statistical data, metaphors, comparisons, etc. It is a way of offering information in a different and attractive way. However, these resources should be used in moderation.
11. Establish a good atmosphere with the audience
Having the sympathy of the public will be one of the key factors for a speech to be successful. This can be achieved by practicing empathy, being honest, explaining an interesting or funny anecdote and interacting with the audience: you can give a compliment, a question addressed to the audience, etc.
12. Be natural
It is recommended to opt for simplicity, ease and clarity. Use understandable vocabulary and try not to digress or lose the thread of the explanations.
13. Use humorif applicable
In situations where the use of humor is appropriate, it allows you to liven up the speech and connect with the audience. It also makes the audience smile and encourages their willingness to maintain attention.
14. Make correct use of silence
A pause in the speech serves, for example, to leave space for the audience to process the information and reflect. In this case, it would be used after an important phrase, a weighty explanation or the formulation of a question. On the other hand, silence allows you to draw attention and create expectation. In this case, it can be used before answering a question, before continuing with an important part of the speech or before revealing information.