Top 7 Steps to Better Public Speaking
Whether you want to be a part time, full time or BIG time speaker you must speak, speak, speak. At first, deliver 25-30 minute free talks to service clubs and community organizations. Consider it to be your off-Broadway tryout. A great opportunity to fine-tune your program…and maybe get some future paid business! Do the following to put at ease when delivering a speech: 1. Your speech needs a beginning, middle, and end. You must grab your audience’s attention in the first minute…so begin with a starting comment, question, story, or humor. End your speech on a strong note by asking a question, providing a quote, tell a story or leave them laughing. 2. Every 5-7 minutes, back up your facts with signature (about you or others) stories. Stories are out there – everywhere. Find them in the stores, at restaurants, on the airplane, at home. People retain information better when hearing a story. 3. Practice your speech out load. Record it on to a tape recorder and/or video camera. Also do this when giving a program to a live audience. Do it every time! 4. Practice pausing before and after important points. Don’t be afraid to leave open space. The use of silence is a key requirement to becoming an effective speaker. 5. Use direct eye contact. You can focus on one person when making a point…and everyone else in the audience will think you are speaking to them also. 6. Don’t just stand behind the lectern: move around, gesture. Be animated. (Fifty-five percent of how people perceive you is by body language; 38 percent by your voice; 7 percent by your words) 7. Smile a lot. Be enthusiastic about what you are saying. And have fun. ©2004 by Sandra Schrift. All rights reserved Publishing Guidelines: You are welcome to publish this article in its entirety, electronically, or in print fre*e of charge, as long as you include my full signature file for ezines, and my Web site address (
http://www.schrift.com) in hyperlink for other sites. Please send a courtesy link or email where you publish to
sandra@schrift.com. Thank you.
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