Public speaking is not as easy as many people think. It is not always about what someone knows but how someone handles the situation.
Here are 8 hacks to help you excel in public speaking:
Be confident: Confidence is everything in public speaking. You may not know a subject well but confidence will make you excel. Always appear like you are the smartest in the room, but not too rigid to listen to a voice of reason.
Relax: Just relax. Public speaking is about the flow of thoughts. A good flow of thoughts comes when you are relaxed and focused. Don’t be in a hurry to put points across. You will “terrify your audience.”
Learn to speak off head: Do not be a slave of your notes. 90 percent of the people in the room will have confidence in you and think you are intelligent if you speak without reading every word from your notes.
Keep it simple: Use simple words that resonate with the occasion. Do not use terms that you yourself have no idea of what they mean. Be simple and expound on your points while paying attention to your audience.
Throw in a joke: People love good jokes. Throw in a joke here and there in your presentation. Do not just be a robot. You are speaking to humans who have feelings. But, be careful, use balanced jokes that cut across the audience.
Study your audience; As a public speaker, the audience is your client. Study them. Know when they don’t like the product you are offering and switch to a subject that interests them. Involve your audience. Ask them questions and encourage them to ask questions.
Do not brag: Don’t brag too much. Do not make your audience feel less intelligent. Make them feel comfortable and want to travel through your presentation with you.
Give breaks: If the presentation is too long, give a break, or make it shorter and more interesting.
