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How To Speak In Public Without Nerves

Career : Career Development

There are several ways to ease feelings of fear when speaking in public, but here are the ones which have been most successful for me.



Firstly, if you are allowed notes, make sure they ARE only notes - do not attempt to condense your entire speech onto one piece of paper or card. Have key headings only, this enables you to glance down briefly every so often and see immediately what point comes next.



Eye contact is very important and is another reason why only notes should be taken in with you. It should be established immediately. As you speak, focus on each part of the audience and thus every corner of the room. If people are talking as you speak, it often helps to focus on them briefly - generally they will realise that you have noticed their rudeness and will stop talking.

If this does not work and they persist, do not show that you are rattled by such ignorance. Continue speaking and if it becomes a problem, stop and politely ask them if there is a problem or if they have any questions. This also tends to embarrass people into quietening down.



The tone and speed of your voice is also crucial. It is tempting to speak quickly as a means of getting things over with, but this is not good as the impact of what you are saying will be lost. Make an effort to pause for slightly longer than usual between key points; this way you hold your audience's attention and also hopefully give them the chance to absorb the information.

Similarly try not to speak too quietly - projection is the key word. Always remember that you want your voice to carry right to the back of the room, therefore it is essential that you speak clearly and concisely. Many people find that they start off well but their voice tone peters out towards the end.


By: Bev Woolfson on Wed, Jun 12th 2002

More confidence advice

What i find is that the more confident you sound,the more confident it actually makes you feel, making your points heard and noticed.

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