How To Give A Great Speech
| Business : Career Techniques Most of us at some stage in our career are asked to give a talk or to give a presentation. Some of us do it regularly, others once in a while. sometimes in front of a small group, and at others in front of a conference or something like that. Of course beforehand you are invariably nervous, especially the first couple of times that you give a speech. Does this apply to you? Well, a few tips that can really help you give a great speech - and it's surprising what this could do for you in terms of career prospects and instantly becoming known to people in your sphere - is below. So if something is holding you back from giving a speech of whatever sort to however large an audience, then here are a few little pointers for you to bear in mind! Firstly, you should make sure that you write the whole of your speech out on paper. You don't need to learn it word for word, of course, but if you just write a few keywords on paper then need to discuss them to an audience then you might find your mind goes blank and you stop and start - therefore write it down beforehand. If you simply plan to deliver the speech, then make sure it is well spread out and perhaps have each paragraph in a different colour - this way you are guaranteed not to lose your place. You could underline words for emphasis and all sorts. If possible, you should look at getting nearer to the audience - of course if you are on stage in a big venue then perhaps this will not be possible, but for the vast majority of people you will be able to avoid a stage which naturally separates you from the audience and could create a 'them and us' sort of scenario. Remember to work out beforehand if you will need a microphone or not. If you are not familiar with the venue then go along in advance with a friend and get them to stand at the back of where people are likely to sit. If you cannot be heard comfortably without you shouting at the top of your voice, then you should get a microphone. Most large-ish companies or venues will no doubt already have this facility in place but you might need to make your own arrangements on occasion, so this is something to beware of - just check in advance to remove that little worry. When you give speeches and when you are nervous what happens? You get thirsty! Therefore you really should make sure that you have some water, or other (non-alcoholic!) drink around you that you can take sips from to prevent your mouth from going dry and making it harder to speak. So, how do you make the speech momorable then? Preferrably try not to make it a lecture! People will switch off if they feel that they are being overloaded with dry, dull information... this we have all had to sit through at some stage and see it as an endurance test. Of course there probably are some serious points that you want to or need to get across! But you should do it in a manner such that it is memorable, catchy and humorous and hence will keep the audience awake and help them participate, and generate some energy that you can feed off yourself. You could even try some one-liners from books or ones that yuo come up with yourself - anything to lighten the mood - the audience will be prepared to respond to any effort you make, remember that they won't expect you the be a comedian so the odd added joke will go down well. Great! Finally, remember to speak slowly, smile, be enthusiastic and energetic yourself. If you do all this and keep content to the point, clear and have the odd joke and jest then you can't go far wrong.
 Questions about public speaking:
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