At some point in your life, you have probably had the occasion to speak to a large audience. Of course large is relative. To some, it can be any number larger than zero, where others don't start to get uncomfortable until the number reaches over a hundred.
If you are among the number of people who would rather be in the casket than delivering the eulogy, you now the anxiety, along with the sweaty palms, unsteady speech and the fear of blacking out that come with public speaking. Perhaps the worst part is waiting for your turn to speak, whether you are introduced or have to get every body attention yourself. That is the moment of truth.
Perhaps the reason for the fear is that you don't simply think everyone is looking at you; you know everyone is looking at you and judging what you are saying.
So, you take a deep breath and begin to muddle your way to the speech. At the end there is a sigh of relieve as you try to figure out if you had even holding your breath the whole time.
If this sounds familiar to you, it may help to know that even very confident people still get stage fright from time to time. Even when they have delivered the same speech hundreds of times- think motivational speakers. From time to time, we can all loose our confidence.
If you are looking to be able to deliver an address so that the audience thinks you have everything together, here are a few things to keep in mind before your next speaking engagement.
First, preparation is the key to your success. Make an outline of your speech, being sure to bold the points you want to be sure you hit.
Practice your speech to you friends, family, the dog, whoever will listen. If they have questions try to answer them in the speech. If they offer helpful suggestions, on word usage or flow, take them.
When D-Day comes, make sure you get to the venue as early as possible to feel it out. Is it a large auditorium or a relatively small meeting room? You don't want to think you are speaking to a room that holds 50 only to find out you have enough room in the hall for 150.
Dress in comfortable clothes that look nice. This will boost your confidence and make your feel more at ease.
Don't let the audience think that you are not one hundred percent confident and knowledgeable about your topic. After all, they are there to get information from you. If they knew more about the issue at hand, they would be there.
Remember, you have earned the right to speak. Some body somewhere decided you were the best person to present this idea, whatever it may be, to the masses.
And breathe!
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