There's a daunting moment in most people's life at some stage... a speech! Some people find it exciting or an honour and some people would rather die than give a speech in public.
So where to start? Sometimes just the idea of writing a speech can be anxiety inducing - but don't back out now! Stop and ask yourself the right questions, get the step by step process started and you'll be on your way!
No matter where you sit on the Public Speaking Fear scale, there's a few simple things to remember. It's like baking a cake - just follow the recipe! These key ingredients might help.
1. Dot points rule! Try to get your thoughts on paper in short format so you don't trip over writing full sentence scripts that can get too lengthy too easily
2. Mirrors are your friend. That will be your practice space so that you can go back to that space mentally on stage.
3. Take off the stress jacket - putting your anxiety and stress into a jacket means that taking if off before getting onstage is a psychological trick to take off a layer of stress and reveal your true self.
4. Breathe in 3...2...1. Don't forget to breathe. Simple, right? Well, if you find yourself in a state of panic at any time on stage, distract your audience with a question. Ask them to take a moment to think about something. During that moment, hold your breath and release slowly. Repeat if necessary. It does help.
5. Remember! You're sharing information that people need. Give them your best because they deserve the information you have
6. Practice makes better. In the car. In the shower. With your puppy. To the stranger in the cafe. As often as you can, practice your intro so that it becomes second nature.
To get more help with your speech preparation, contact us for more suggestions. We have heaps of resources to share!
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