Have you ever heard a speech (or presentation) that had an impact on you and managed, even for a brief moment, to capture your attention on the ideas presented?
When we recall such events, we tend to attribute the speaker’s oratory ability to some kind of natural gift. However, while important, pure talent is not the determining factor for success in public speaking.
When observing the great speakers of history, we also see different techniques that can be applied to any type of speech.
Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King, for example, although they were in completely different fields, are remembered to this day for their persuasiveness . What they have in common is that they both trained and prepared intensively.
So how about we consider public speaking as a skill that can be trained rather than limiting it to the category of natural talent?
In this text, we will define the concept of public speaking, show you the obstacles you will have to face, and also give you 5 essential tips to improve your performance when you have to speak in public.
What is public speaking?
In a simple and precise way, we can define south africa telegram data it as the art of clear and objective communication with the public.
However, as with everything involving an audience, this definition can be varied by adding principles such as eloquence, the ability to deal with objections , and even interaction with viewers.
It is a mistake to think that a person can achieve all this with good verbal communication alone.
A good speaker must work on body language appropriate to the audience and the idea he wants to convey.
More than that, it is essential to have a very well-structured message as a basis so as not to let the audience lose their attention or capture information that is different from what is intended.
Given all its characteristics, it is not surprising that in the West this art has its origins in classical Greece: the first manual that sought to guide its use comes from the region known today as Sicily.
Since then, historic names such as Aristotle, Cicero, Winston Churchill and Barack Obama have distinguished themselves in the study, application and perfection of public speaking.
What obstacles stand in the way of good public presentation?
As we indicated at the beginning the importance of retention marketing for business success of the text, the idea that oratory can only be perfected by people born with the gift is not correct.
Even people who have spent part of their lives afraid to show projects or ideas in public have the full possibility of mastering this communication skill . To start, we will explain the obstacles that must be overcome:
Nervousness
This is the main villain that speakers phone number vietnam face, especially those who are just starting out or don’t have enough experience to feel confident.
Who doesn’t remember the nervousness of speaking in public as a child, before a school presentation? As scary as the memory may be, you have to put it behind you.
Feeling nervous before an important event is natural and accepting that is the first step to managing it. Ask yourself where that feeling is coming from – it could be negative thoughts, lack of preparation or even physical discomfort. Identifying the cause makes it easier to work on resolution.
Diction problems
Diction refers to the way we pronounce the sounds of syllables, letters and words. This factor is essential for good oratory because, if poorly worked on, it can make it difficult for the audience to understand.
A speaker who speaks too quickly or skips certain syllables, for example, can quickly lose the audience’s attention.
As with the previous problem, identifying the cause is crucial. They can originate from disordered breathing, lack of verbal awareness or even lack of warming up of the facial muscles.
As a cure, there are methods and training suggested by speech therapy professionals.
The fear
The fear of performing in public is common and refers to our almost irrational search for acceptance. The larger the audience, the more difficult it is to be accepted by everyone.
At least that’s what our subconscious tells us. A good way to overcome this shyness is to deepen our knowledge of the audience . After all, we know that the unknown is always scarier.
What are the best techniques to improve your public speaking?
We already know the concept and origin of oratory, as well as its importance for good communication and some of the main problems that must be overcome.
Below we will present you with 5 valuable tips to develop and perfect this skill. Keep reading!
1. Know your audience
Knowing your audience is the most effective way to alleviate the nervousness experienced before and during a public performance. This tip, however, goes beyond that.
Understanding the characteristics of your listeners helps you structure and plan the message you want to convey . If you are familiar with marketing concepts , you may have heard of buyer personas, right?
A buyer persona is a semi-fictional profile that we use in marketing strategies to adapt the content of the message to the audience we want to reach. The same idea can be applied to improve your public speaking.
For example, if you’re going to a room of academics who understand a topic, using more technical and complex terms can be a way to gain their respect and speak with authority .
If the same topic is directed at pre-university students, using the same terms can be a barrier to understanding the idea.
2. Work on interaction with listeners
Have you ever sat in a class or lecture where the speaker talked for hours, giving the impression of not caring about the audience?
If so, we’re willing to say that you probably couldn’t absorb the content and had trouble maintaining interest. That’s not what you want for your own audience, is it?
Interacting with your audience doesn’t mean you have to give the audience questions right from the start of your presentation.
A simple technique, such as establishing eye contact, may be necessary to elicit connection, empathy and engagement from the audience.
After all, if you speak as if there’s no one listening, the tendency is for listeners to not feel included .
Remember that eye contact should be done in a practiced manner. Mere improvisation can lead to awkward situations, such as looking too long at one person or at one side of the room.
The ideal is to scan your audience with your gaze so that everyone feels worthy of attention. At the end, a space for questions and comments from the audience is excellent to crown the interaction.
3. Use audiovisual resources
Today, the digital transformation technology tools we have access to facilitate any form of communication.
The production of videos, graphics, audios and images can serve as support to structure the idea that the speaker wants to convey.
Additionally, they provide listeners with examples and illustrations of what you are talking about in real time.
Exploring these elements provides the speaker with greater confidence. After all, in case of forgetfulness, a glance at the audiovisual resource may be enough to refresh the memory and continue within the script.
However, we must remind you of this: never read this material to the public. This can give the impression of unpreparedness and damage your credibility .