It is fair to say that if you stand on your feet and speak once in a blue moon, it is going to be very difficult to overcome any fears and become confident and effective as a presenter. The reality is the more that you do it, the easy it becomes. The more you speak, the less fear and anxiety …
The Rule of Recency and Primacy
As a public speaking trainer and coach two things that I always try to get people to remember are: Start Strong Finish Strong The first thing that you say (primacy) and the last thing that you say (recency) are 2 parts of your speech that are very likely to be remembered by an audience. So make use of them and …
Common Mistakes When Public Speaking – 11 to 15
11. Failing to Start Strong Staring strong is very important and you should grab your audience’s attention within the first 30 to 60 seconds, so they know exactly why they are there and why they are listening to you. Simply put, the first thing that you say is one of the most likely things to be remembered by the audience. …
Preparation
Previously I spoke about “owning your content and the importance of preparation and I mentioned how Sir Winston Churchill spent 1 hour preparing for every minute he spoke. There are no shortcuts in preparing an effective and powerful speech and as they say “prior preparation prevents pitifully poor performance” Mary Atkins in her book “Finding your voice: ten steps to …
Overcoming Fear Of Public Speaking – Podcast No 1
As you work towards overcoming fear of public speaking and becoming more confident, it is important to recognise the role of anxiety in public speaking. This podcast explains how anxiety, fear and nerves are in fact a normal part of public speaking and what you can do to better understand these feelings as you speak. Podcast
Own Your Content
As a presenter or speaker, you need to own your content Sir Winston Churchill used to practise for 1 hour for every minute that he spoke, to ensure he knew his subject well, he knew all the facts and that he owned his content. Preparation is a key ingredient in effective and confident public speaking and it allows you to …