Speaking in front of a crowd is just too scary for many of
us, but if you hold a high position in a company or organization, this is
something you may have to do every once in a while. It is generally believed
that good and confident speakers are born with such skills, but this does not
at all there is no way you can develop the necessary skills to be called a good
speaker.
Here are some strategies that can help you hone your public
speaking skills, which you can actually use not just in your job, but other
things as well:
1. Choose a free
recording app and download it on your smart phone. Turn on the recording
and say something at your normal pace. Say it again, but now at a slower pace,
and another round at a much slower pace. Then listen to the recording and judge
for yourself which among them is the most clear. It would be better also if you
could ask someone to listen to it.
2. Take deep breaths
before you start. Take slow, steady and deep breaths through your nose
before you start delivering a speech. Doing this kind of breathing can have a
very calming effect and will help you ease any discomfort or nervousness that
you’re feeling.
3. Use your everyday
interactions as a practice for your speech. It’s a good habit to avoid
saying “um” even when you’re just talking with your friends. Although such
speech quirks don’t seem to affect your speech too much, getting rid of them
will greatly improve the quality of your voice and clarity of your speech. In
short, make it a habit to speak in a clear manner.
4. Pretend that you
are speaking to a 5 year old. When speaking to a little child, it becomes
natural to speak slowly and clearly. So when you’re doing your speech, just
imagine that your audience is composed of young kids who will have trouble
understanding you unless you become more aware of their capacity.
5. Practice with
someone and ask for feedback. It would be hard for you to correct your
speaking mistakes and bad habits if you don’t know what they are exactly. Thus,
it’s important that you be made aware of the things you need to change. You can
only know this if there is someone to give you feedbacks.
If your fear of public speaking is too much to handle, then
perhaps you could use a professional who will train you on this. It is not
uncommon for managers to hire a personal coach who teaches them the basics of public speaking. This is a great
investment on your part because it is an ability that you can use in so many
situations regardless of the industry you are in.
