Public Speaking Tip: Building Confidence


Being confident when you are speaking in front of a room crowded with strangers can be very daunting.  While there are those who seem to be born with buckets of confidence, it is a very different story for us mere mortals.

Fortunately, confidence is like a muscle - it can be built if you work at strengthening it.  Bear these pointers in mind and you can become a more polished speaker with a natural poise.

1) Knowing Your Personal Style

You know yourself better than anyone else.  You know what style of speeches you are most at ease doing.  Maybe you always fall flat when giving academic style speeches but excel at telling stories.  Therefore tailor your speech to suit that style.  It will bring your speech to life rather than put your audience to sleep.  Our Toastmasters meetings are the best place for you to experiment with different styles and find your own voice.

2) Use Your Personal Experiences

Personal experiences are the best places to draw materials for your speeches.  The best part is there is no need for you to memorize any facts because they are easy to recall from your memory.  Talking about personal experiences removes a barrier that usually stands between a speaker on stage and the audience.  It makes you more personable and less aloof.  Your audience will find it easier to connect with you.  The best part is, nobody knows your experiences better than yourself, therefore you don't have to worry about saying something that is wrong.

3) Knowing Your Material

It is always a good idea to talk about something that you know about very well.  You certainly don't want to go into a room full of professors and talk about economics when you can barely balance your cheque book.  The knowledge that you will be presenting something that you have expertise in will help take the edge off the stage fright.

4) Practice, Practice, Practice

The term "Practice makes perfect" never rings truer.  Even if you do know your material backwards and forward, it's still better to run through your speech a few times.  You'll be able to go on stage knowing that you have prepared as best as you can.  It is also a good idea to run through your speech with a few people, like fellow Toastmasters who will be able to give you some helpful feedback on areas of improvements.

Finally, like the quote above, remember that no speech is perfect.  There are bound to be mistakes made.  Just remember that your audience will not know this unless you let it slip.  It's perfectly fine to make mistakes and if it is glaring, just apologize and move on.  Don't dwell on it.

Just like you work on your muscles at the gym, confidence is something that will grow if you work on it.

If you would like the opportunity to hone your public speaking skills as well as learn leadership skills, join us for our bi-monthly meetings on every 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month.  Our meetings start at 8pm.  For further information please contact us at gurneyhydrotoastmastersclub@gmail.com or refer to our Next Meeting page for information on our next meeting.

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