Public Speaking Tips: The Do's And The Taboos

Just as there are definite things to 'do', there are also definite things to NOT do so I thought I would share some of the public speaking tips I've learned through my years of experience as a public speaker.

Do: Know your material backwards and forwards. Be so confident with your speech that you only have notes for a quick glance.

Taboo: Don't quote someone else's material without an acknowledgment of who it belongs to and where you found it.

Do: Know the venue where you are speaking. If possible view it prior to the day of your speaking engagement but if that isn't possible arrive extra early and walk onto the stage, become familiar with where everything is.

Taboo: Don't forget to check any equipment you have with you for your presentations well before you need to use it. If you are going to be using your laptop computer with a data projector or other audio/visual aids, make sure that you have all the cables, power cords, spare batteries and light bulbs you will need. There is nothing more frustrating than setting up your laptop and realizing the cable that connects your computer to the data projector isn't in the bag because you never checked it after someone else borrowed it to use.

Do: Visualize yourself giving your presentation in a successful manner. Seeing yourself handling all the hecklers and having the right quip on hand if something goes wrong. Remember, a well rehearsed joke can ease a load of frustration.

Taboo: Do not arrive to give your presentation without having done some research on your target audience. This is one of the biggest mistakes of public speakers. It's very easy to make an error and offend over half your audience because you neglected to learn the culturally correct phrases and the culturally insensitive comments that will upset people of a particular culture.

Do: Concentrate on the message and not the medium

Taboo: Do not have any alcohol before the presentation to 'steady your nerves'. Alcohol blunts your thinking processes and makes you 'THINK' you're are being clever, witty and wonderful when in fact, the opposite is true.

Do: Turn nervous energy into positive energy. Learn to harness your nervous energy and turn it into vitality, enthusiasm and dynamism.

Taboo: Do not apologize. If you apologize for what went wrong before the meeting or if the bulb on the data projector blows out and you have to replace it during your presentation or for your nervousness, then all you are doing is drawing your audiences attention and causing them to focus on the negative. You have to eliminate the negative from your comments and accentuate only the positive because whatever you focus on will occupy your mind and your audience's minds.

Do: Do realize that people WANT you to succeed. An audience wants you to be interesting, entertaining and stimulating. No one wants to come to a seminar or other presentation and be bored out of their minds.

I am not going to include another taboo in here because I want to finish this on a positive note. The tips I have given you are just a few of the points I have learned the hard way mostly. I can say these all work because they work for me and to friends of mine who are also public speakers.

Nyree

Add to SocialMarker