|
A
good way to build your business is by making presentations or doing buyer/seller
seminars. Does the fear of speaking in front of others stop you? Fear of public
speaking rates higher than fear of death for a large part of our population.
Mastering the art of feeling confident in front of others can give you a real
sense of confidence in yourself and further your goals. Relax and enjoy! 1.
Your audience wants you to succeed. They
have come to listen because they want what you know. They are on your side.
Look at them as a group of friends that are supportive. 2.
You must breathe. Take 4-5 deep breaths from the stomach before you
start and then make sure to keep breathing deeply. Those voice trembles come
from your vocal cords being tightly constricted. Deep breaths will relax them
and you will sound more confident (even if you aren't). 3.
Before you start, take 5-10 seconds to make eye contact with some of the people
in your audience.
This will allow you to really connect as a person, rather than it being a
one-person performance. Choose several nice, friendly people in the audience to
make contact with and then begin. This pause also will heighten the attention
from the rest of the audience. 4.
Be prepared.
The more prepared you are, the less fear you will have. Never read your
speech, but always have notes or an outline. Your notes should be in 14-16 point
type or larger, so you can glance down easily. Using highlighters for different
points is an easy way to give yourself some visual cues. 5.
What's in it for them?
This is what they are listening for. No matter how compelling the
information or point of view you are sharing, you still need to phrase it so
they can see why this benefits them or what the cost to them could be for not
seeing your viewpoint. As you read over your material, keep asking yourself the
question "So What?" and then insert clear answers to that question. 6.
Your first statement and your last are the most important. They
are what will be remembered most. Craft those with care. Open with a statement
that will get their attention. Close with a statement that will create an action
or leave them with a feeling. 7.
Plan your talk by the key points. One
point per 15 minutes is about the most that can be covered well.
Know what your key points are and then build the rest of the speech
around these points with examples or stories. Create logical bridges from one
point to the next to make it easy to follow. 8.
Tell them what you are gonna tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you
told them.
This classic advice for speakers is still the best there is! Keep it as
simple as possible and they will remember what you have said. 9.
Audience participation relieves your stress and allows them to get involved.
Whenever possible have the audience do something during your talk. Ask a
question and get a show of hands or input. Sharing with each other, do a short
"test" or working on some activity pertinent to your topic are other
ways. It keeps them involved, gives you a moment to regroup and is more fun for
them. 10.
Stop on time, no matter what. And
don't forget to have fun!!!!!!! Nothing
is worse than a speaker who takes longer than the audience expected. You don't
need to tell them EVERYTHING you know. In fact, it is good to leave them wanting
more. It is okay to formally end and let people know you will stick around and
answer questions, if that is practical. |
