A fate worse than death?
A study conducted in the USA on phobias put Public Speaking in its number one spot with 19% of respondents naming that as their top fear. That is 3% higher than those that said they feared death most and 6% higher than those that hate spiders and other creepy crawlies! It may seem crazy that death is less scary than speaking to an audience, but I guess you only have to die once!
If public speaking isn’t something you enjoy, or something you outright dread, what can you do to help yourself? The key to making presenting a more pleasant experience can be summed up in 5 points:
- Preparation – it goes without saying that very few people can stand up and deliver a great presentation on the spur of the moment. Prepare every aspect of your talk, from introduction to anticipating the questions you might get asked at the end.
- Practice – To paraphrase a well know quotation – ‘Good speakers practice until they get it right: Great speakers practice until they can’t get it wrong. Practice is absolutely key.
- Psychology – Know your audience, and if you don’t know them, find out about them so you can use the best approach to appeal to and interest them
- Physiology – Stand tall, head high, look them in the eye, project confidence and authority so that your are truly believable and authentic to your audience
- Practicalities – if you are using slides, whiteboards or flipcharts to enhance your presentation make sure they are located correctly, make sure your computer presentations are working smoothly, that the audio equipment is functioning – don’t let external factors let you down!
Remember these 5 P’s and your presentation will be much more professional. For more tips and techniques on delivering memorable and effective talks coming along to my seminar, Powerful Presentations, on 18 September 2014 at Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre, Mt Wellington, Auckland. Click here for more details or book here.