Here's how you can cultivate confidence in public speaking.

While there are obvious prerequisites such as Subject matter expertise, confidence, practice, AV etc. but understanding your audience and their need is the major step in preparation of successful public speaking engagement. Same content will have significant difference in delivery based on audience. These different audince groups could be students, teachers, junior professionals, senior professionals, experts etc. Every member present in the audience is looking for "whats in it for me" and if you deliver it then congratuations for delivering extremely successful public speaking engagement.

How to build confidence:- 1.Stop comparing yourself to others. 2.Celebrate and reflect on your wins. 3.Embrace your failures and view them as learning opportunities. 4.Step out of your comfort zone. 5.Treat yourself with respect.

Know your target audience and prepare your material to engage them. Practice either in front of a microphone/camera or mirror. Slow down. Don't be afraid to pause occasionally to ensure you're engaging your audience. If you find your subject matter interesting, chances are you'll be sufficiently animated to BE interesting. Be passionate about your subject matter!

Practice, practice and practice more! As you prepare think of the following: - who is my audience? How do I relate to them? (E.g. will the joke/ anicdote make sense to the people who are listening to me?) - are the slides/ deck I am using relevant? (Is there too much text/ too little?) - is there an opportunity to make the session interactive so the audience doesn’t get bored? - have I done reading around the topic so I can confidently answer questions? Practice in front of a group of trusted people and get feedback from them.

"Practise makes the person perfect." A lot of people shy away from the opportunity to speak, be it team meetings or public forums. One needs to shed that inhibition and speak. Utilise the available opportunity to share your thoughts. And the more frequently you speak, the more confident you become. Not only that, you will observe that the audience is also growing. So take charge, and speak.

If self doubt prevails, practice recording with a selfie camera or just a phone recorder to see how you look and sound. Keep practicing like this! It helps a lot in gaining confidence about how you are perceived by the 3rd party.

Conduct a couple of rehearsals in front of the mirror. Time your speech well. A speaker who cannot conclude his topic within the stipulated time or who cannot utilise all of the allotted time tends to loose respect and credibility from the audience.

From my experience, the more I practise, the better I get. It's not easy to stand in front of people especially unknown faces but with continuous practise, it gets better. It helps you to understand yourself better and how to pace, say things to elicit certain responses from the audience that will calm your nerves. Aside from practise, it's good to ask for feedback, watch/listen to any video/audio recordings of your presentations to learn from mistakes observed.

Experiment with different techniques and practice regularly. Memorize your speech but have small notes. Look at the audience, before moving to the next subject ask if there are any questions. Record yourself so you can see your body language, and practice. The more prepared you are, the less nervous you’ll feel.

Positive visualization has been a cornerstone of my career journey. By vividly imagining what I can achieve, I've been able to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and reach new heights in my professional life. When I first started in audio-visual software development, I envisioned myself leading impactful projects and driving innovation. Positive visualization isn't just about seeing the end goal—it's about experiencing the journey, overcoming obstacles, and continually refining your vision to adapt to new realities. It’s about catching the eye to catch the ear, as a wise friend once told me.

Walt Disney Said "If you can dream it you can do it." For one to be successful, you need to think of yourself as a successful person. Imagine what would happen once you achieve your goal and then write all of it down as a first person narrative. Eg: You have stage fright and you are supposed to give a speech. How to: Just imagine that you have delivered the speech and audience loved it. They are enthralled. You are happy. Now write it all down and then read it to yourself. Capture that feeling how it makes you feel when you succeed. Now hold on to that feeling and go ahead and complete that task of speaking. Tried and tested method. It works.

Before stepping on stage, take a moment to visualize your success. Picture yourself delivering your message with clarity and passion, and imagine the audience's positive reactions. See yourself connecting with your listeners, their faces showing engagement and understanding. Visualize each word flowing smoothly and your confidence radiating throughout the room. By mentally rehearsing a successful speech, you train your mind to believe in your capability, making it easier to translate that vision into reality. Positive visualization not only reduces nerves but also enhances your overall performance. Believe in the power of your story and your ability to inspire. When you visualize success, you set the stage for it to happen.

This strategy has been a cornerstone of my public speaking expertise since childhood. I would stand in front of the mirror, smiling, nodding, and imagining an attentive audience. Visualizing everyone watching and listening intently, I pictured receiving a standing ovation and being approached with praise for my effortless speech during the tea break. This mental rehearsal not only boosted my confidence but also ingrained a positive mindset that has greatly enhanced my public speaking skills.

Remember that it’s not about you, but about educating the people listening to something you have curated and become a pro at. You are trying to provide a message to improve the knowledge and understanding of the subject to the people you are communicating to. Stay positive, smile and knock it off the park 😀

Body language enhances confidence in public speaking by influencing both the speaker's mindset and the audience's perception. Power Posing: Adopting expansive postures before speaking boosts confidence. Open Posture: Standing tall with uncrossed arms reduces self-consciousness. Positive Feedback Loop: Confident body language elicits positive audience responses, further boosting confidence. Eye Contact: Establishes connection and conveys confidence. Gestures: Emphasizes key points, making the message clearer and more engaging. Facial Expressions: Approachable expressions build rapport with the audience. Posture and Stance: A balanced stance conveys stability and confidence.

Body language plays a crucial role in conveying confidence and engaging your audience. Stand with your feet slightly apart to establish a stable and grounded posture, and avoid leaning backward, which can suggest insecurity or disengagement. Move and gesture with intention to emphasize key points and create a dynamic presence. Confident body language not only helps in commanding the audience's attention but also reinforces your own sense of assurance. Remember, how you present yourself physically can greatly influence how your message is received and perceived.

Body language is an outward reflection of inner thoughts. If you want to connect with the audience, you have to mean what you are saying. In addition, practice and adopt the right gestures while on / off the stage. Use of the confidence gesture in private for a few minutes before the speech is likely to have positive effect.

Body language plays an important role in public speaking thus one should always be confident while presentation. You can check body language by practising in front of mirror this will help in improving

Body language can make a lot of difference in one's personality..it displays one's confidence thus helping in aceing in one's career and achieve great milestones....

A dialogue is always more interesting than a monologue. I’ve never known an audience leave their questions to the end, so why do we design our presentations that way. If you have a 20 minute slot, it means you probably really have 15. So design your presentation content for maybe 8 minutes max. Invite questions throughout and ask questions of your audience. Now they’re engaged. Allowing them to ask questions does two key things. 1. It allows you to demonstrate your expertise. 2. It builds trust. And if they trust you, you are far more likely to achieve your objective and get them on side.

Asking thought-provoking questions as a part of your speech or using questions in the middle of the speech and answering them at the end are all devices used to speakers to engage the audience and ensure active listening by speakers. If the audience are engaged they are more likely to remember your speech and give you a chance to follow up. Remember the best TEDx Speeches. The speakers always ask questions to the audience and that pushes the audience to think, internalize and visualize and think about the scenarios. This engages active participation and allows for more effective communication.

Telling personal stories that support your subject is another tool that can engage your audience. As people, we are made for hearing stories. It is amazing at how much we can connect with people when we share a part of ourselves by storytelling. When sharing a story, be authentic, make it flow, add humor, etc. When you get to the end of your story, reiterate to your audience how the story supports/explains/applies your subject.

Por dos años consecutivos, me tocó ser parte de un equipo que dio un taller de pensamiento estratégico en Alsea para los coordinadores con alto potencial. Lo que puedo decir que funciona es primero conocer a la audiencia, a quienes les hablas, que hacen, cuales son sus problemas e intereses. Después  involucrarlos a través de ejemplos familiares a su entorno, de temas que todos conocen o situaciones en las que podrían verse involucrados. Importante también utilizar el storytelling: Iniciar con un gancho y exponer "una historia", buscar inspirar a los escuchas y crear una conexión de confianza y afinidad emocional.

Managing anxiety in public speaking involves a lot of preparation, relaxation techniques, and positive thinking. I thoroughly prepare and make sure that I know the content so well, which automatically boost my confidence. I use deep breathing exercises to calm my nerves before and during the presentation. I practice mindfulness to stay present and avoid overthinking, which helps me stay focused when delivering a speech. I often start with a strong opening to gain confidence, engage with my audience through eye contact, and smile to create a positive connection. Accept that some nervousness is natural and can enhance your performance. I hope these strategies will help you manage anxiety and deliver a confident, effective presentation.

One thing I find very useful and taught by a very experienced powerful speaker is to focus your eyes on one person at a time for 3 to 5 sec. Imagine that you are conversing with him/her. After a while, turn to another to do the same. Public speaking is like having a conversation with many people at the same point. It helps to soothe my nerves and maintaining their attention to your speech. Here’s more tips about it: - Use the 90-percent rule. Your goal is to maintain eye contact with the members of your audience at least 90% of the time. - Hold someone's gaze. - Tap a large crowd's 'sweet spot. - Know your material so you don't have to keep looking down at your notes. - Take advantage of visual feedback.

Learning how to shut down, turn off, wind down, switch off or whatever you want to call it will significantly reduce anxiety. Also finding inner peace and being content will reduce anxiety levels. The best tip I can give anyone with anxiety is to open YouTube and type on beautiful Quran recitation you will soon see results.

Al respecto puedo aportar tres tips q me han funcionado: 1. Antes de subirte a un escenario, en esos minutos previos, solo ten presente la primera línea de lo que vas a transmitir, el resto ya irá fluyendo (claro está, si sabes bien de lo que vas a hablar y entrenaste varias veces tu charla). 2. Antes de subirte a un escenario procura reírte y activar tu cuerpo (pueden ser pequeños saltos y/o un estiramiento articular) para soltar las tensiones que puedan surgir. 3. Toma solo agua (pequeños sorbos), antes y durante la charla, eso ayuda (no tomes bebidas alcohólicas que eso es engañoso)

A few additional aspects I prioritize when giving a speech include: 1. Dressing appropriately to convey professionalism and confidence. Personally, wearing heels boosts my confidence during public speaking. 2. Arriving early to familiarize myself with the venue and adapt to the environment, ensuring a smooth delivery. 3. Double-checking the equipment and visual aids to prevent any technical issues. 4. Being well-prepared to handle questions and having extra information ready. 5. Seeking feedback to continually enhance my presentation skills and refine my delivery for future engagements.

Organize your content with a clear structure, including a strong opening and key points to maintain focus. Adopt a positive mindset by replacing negative thoughts with affirmations and visualizing success. Seek feedback by practicing in front of friends or recording yourself to identify areas for improvement. Regular practice and constructive feedback will gradually build your confidence and enhance your public speaking skills.

Use innovative methods for ice breaking sessions. Always keep a few 'wow' points handy to break monotony - For example, Did you know this is THE largest.... and so on.

To build more confidence, it is important to go beyond the technical skills and polished speeches, and focus on authenticity, because true leadership and impactful communication comes from the heart. It is about being genuine, vulnerable, and connecting with your audience on a deeper level.