How can you improve your public speaking delivery and reduce anxiety?

Knowing your purpose and audience is crucial in public speaking. It helps tailor your message effectively. To understand your audience: 1. Research: Gather demographics, interests, and expectations. 2. Surveys or questionnaires: Collect feedback. 3. Observe body language and reactions during your speech. 4. Network: Engage with attendees before your presentation. 5. Ask organizers for insights. Tailoring your content based on this knowledge makes your speech more relevant, relatable, and engaging, reducing anxiety by increasing your confidence in delivering a message that resonates with your audience.

The importance of knowing your audience is massive in public speaking for a number of reasons. These include tailoring your speech so it is not too technical or the jokes are at the right level. Also certain audiences will not want certain topics

Some ways to get started; Get on a balcony and practice in public Practice practice practice to a live audience ( start with 3 friends and build your way up. tell them you you are not looking for feedback just want to practice your nerves..) Go to a public place( parks, a big mall, the tube, metro, anywhere with public access) and start pitching. You will realize it’s not a big deal and get out of your own head.If you are still nervous think of it this way “ People simply just don’t care “

Of course, you should do your research and prepare a solid work, just as if you were writing a paper to be published. Be yourself when delivering your speech. Have fun. (You can have fun even while giving a serious speech.) Practice your speech in front of different people - friends and family. Talk directly to them in a way that's meaningful. Nothing replaces practice!

This title address two distinct yet related questions. How to improve delivery? How to reduce anxiety? These are both meaty topics that can be addressed separately.

Two other popular ways for practicing are - 1. Record a video of yourself practicing say with a phone camera and re-watch the recording. This will help in opening up any subconscious bias of how we think we are presenting vs how it might look from the other side 2. Practice in front of the mirror. You can be yourself's best audience.

Planning and practicing your speech are vital steps. Firstly, outline your main points and structure. Create visual aids if necessary. Practice in front of a mirror or record yourself. Time your speech to ensure it fits within the allotted duration. Practice helps you become comfortable with your material, reducing anxiety, and increasing confidence. Rehearse not just the words but also your tone, pacing, and body language to convey your message effectively.

It is natural to feel nervous during your speech. The toughest part of preparation is preparing in an environment that actually triggers your nerves. I'd advocate practicing in front of smaller or less consequential audiences first. If you can't make that work you could jump on an instagram, facebook, or linkedin live stream and just go -- sound scary? Good - that means it will be excellent preparation for delivering your content while nerves are triggered.

In my experience, my body language communicates to my audience the true message that my words don’t. Body language is some sort of communication and is therefore key to effective communication in our daily engagements. Your audience is most likely to get keen or distracted while delivering a message if you display unfavorable body language. Moreover, your body language conveys your confidence and a wide range of emotions which can easily be picked up by your audience. And regardless of how interesting your speech is, the substance of your speech won't be understood if your body language is negative. Therefore, employ the right body language and tone to convey the unspoken part your presentation to give your message more impact.

Effective body language and voice are powerful tools in public speaking. Maintain eye contact to connect with your audience. Use gestures to emphasize points and exhibit confidence. Vary your tone and volume to convey enthusiasm and engage listeners. Slow down your speech for clarity and avoid filler words like "um" and "uh." Practice controlled breathing to manage anxiety and maintain a steady voice. By mastering these aspects, you enhance your message's impact and reduce nervousness during your speech.

One thing not mentioned above; eye contact! Be sure to look at the front, middle, and back of your audience at various points throughout your speaking engagement. You can even appoint friends or colleagues to look at intermittently as you speak as a grounding technique should you become anxious. You can also use eye contact, combined with pauses, to drive points home powerfully.

The physiological sigh has been shown to be one of the most effective, in-the-moment behavioral stress reduction tools. Inhale through the nose and at the top of the inhale take a second inhale to maximally inflate the lungs. Then sigh out exhaling the lungs completely. I often do this before I speak.

Managing thoughts and emotions during public speaking involves: 1. Mindfulness: Be aware of your feelings without judgment. 2. Positive self-talk: Replace negative thoughts with affirmations. 3. Visualization: Imagine a successful presentation. 4. Relaxation techniques: Deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation. 5. Practice: Familiarity reduces anxiety. 6. Focus on the message, not yourself: Concentrate on delivering value to the audience. 7. Accept imperfection: Mistakes happen; they don't define your worth as a speaker. By implementing these strategies, you can stay composed, boost confidence, and deliver a more effective speech.

1. Create an anchor. In my workshops, ''How to Conquer Nerves When Presenting'', I guide participants through a process to create a psychological ''anchor'' to use daily leading up to the event, then immediately before going on i.e. apply a gesture or touch while visualising the best possible outcome of your presentation, while activating a peak feeling of success. 2. Master Self-talk. Before going on, silently repeat a positive phrase such as ''I feel supremely calm and confident''. 3. Do the work. Rehearse til you know you know it. 4. Memorise only the opening sentence, then trust the flow. 5. Use eye contact intentionally. Use the Z - rest eyes on the person back row left, then back row right, to front row left, then front right.

Feedback is invaluable for growth in public speaking. Seek constructive input from peers or mentors after your speech. Analyze what went well and areas for improvement. Embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn and refine your skills. Apply feedback to future presentations, gradually enhancing your abilities and reducing anxiety. Continuous learning and adaptation are key to becoming a confident and effective public speaker.

I know a woman in my local toastmasters club who goes with the line "say yes and figures out how to afterwards". The only way we can grow is by getting up delivering the speeches and making the mistakes and learning from the feedback given.

In addition to the mentioned steps, consider: 1. Engaging anecdotes: Incorporate relevant anecdotes to captivate your audience. 2. Use of humor: Appropriately placed humor can ease tension and connect with listeners. 3. Audience interaction: Encourage questions or participation to foster engagement. 4. Visual aids: Employ visuals like slides sparingly to complement your message. 5. Rehearsal environments: Practice in settings similar to your presentation venue if possible. 6. Backup plans: Prepare for technical glitches or unexpected interruptions. 7. Post-speech reflection: Analyze your performance for continuous improvement. These elements can further enhance your public speaking skills and reduce anxiety.

Research good examples & barrow tactics: Look up other experts (in your field or another) and take notes on how they delivered their speech. What did you like or dislike about their presentation? What's something they are doing with ease that you'd like to get better at? What's something they did, which you'd like to avoid? Most musicians learn their craft by mimicking others that they aspire to: they cover existing songs, transcribe solos, until eventually they find their own unique way of performing. Same thing applies to public speaking; in many ways, it is intended to be an engaging "performance". So, you can also borrow elements from other performances that you enjoy, and eventually put your own twist to it.

Please beware it is important that you deliver in a manner that you feel comfortable in. If you are feeling like an imposter this will automatically affect your presence and the way your audience views you. "Anxiety" and "excitement" light up in the same region of the brain, and reminding yourself that you are excited can help you to positively frame the situation. Some movement, such as shaking your limbs, or deep breathing can help you to feel more grounded and present.

Know Your Topic Well I regularly conduct public speeches for the Philippine Department of Energy for our Information Education Campaigns (IECs). Based on my experience, the audience expects that I am the authority on the topic I'm discussing (Basics of Natural Gas, Economics, Taxation, LNG Industry Regulations). That is, even if I'm not sure of my answer (very, very seldom though), they take my answer as gospel truth...Don't show that you're not sure, they don't know it... you're the authority on the subject matter. Lesson: Know your topic well. In my case, I'm the authority in the subject matter.

It's all about the story! Best story wins. You should have a minimum of one compelling story that illustrates the point you're trying to make. It could be a personal anecdote, case study, or account of an event. This will pull the audience in and make the idea memorable. Humans tend to understand and process things through story.