How to Improve Your Speaking and Presentation Skills
One of the most valuable assets that you can possess is the ability to speak in public.
In the business world one of the most valuable assets that people can possess is the ability to speak in public. There are many instances where people in the business world have to speak in front of others. There could be sales presentations where you must confidently speak about products or services that your business offers, while trying to convince someone to purchase your offerings. Other instances of public speaking could be in public presentations, debates, interviews and many other possibilities.
Public speaking is one of the most important aspects of business people worldwide, but also one of the toughest for many people. The majority of people dread the prospect of having to speak in front of friends and co-workers, not to mention strangers. This speaking anxiety can result in people being nervous in delivering a talk, stuttering, forgetting what they intended to say, increase in pulse and blood pressure and many other physical and mental problems.
In order to deliver a convincing speech or presentation, the speaker must be able to overcome these concerns. To help overcome fear of speaking the speaker must follow certain rules. Such as being familiar with the speech topic, being in a relaxed state before delivering the speech and using your voice properly. Adding a visual portion to your speech, like a powerpoint presentation for example, can help you stay focused and engage your audience. If you have a visual portion of the presentation, make sure that it is attractive enough to get the attention of your audience. By having an attention grabbing presentation it will help deflect the audience's attention away from your speech slightly. Thanks to modern electronics and adapters, its easier than ever to connect a computer to a TV or projector and add visuals to your presentation using only a laptop, even if you need to use multiple screens.
The ability to deliver speeches and to confidently talk in front of an audience is a great gift to have. It is an ability that will be helpful in the business and personal world. To help people prepare for public speaking assignments, we have put together this helpful guide.
Overcoming Speaking Anxiety
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Overcoming Fear – Article which provides insight into how people can avoid the fear of public speaking.
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Overcoming Speaking Anxiety – ten helpful tips which speakers can use to overcome speaking anxiety.
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Speech Anxiety – Useful article telling how speakers can use anxiety to their advantage.
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Reducing Speech Anxiety – Helpful page which provides video and text telling how speakers can reduce anxiety while speaking.
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Speech Anxiety – Overview of the causes of speech anxiety and how it can be overcome.
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Public Speaking Anxiety – Informative page providing information on speech anxiety.
Speaking Tips
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Public Speaking Tips – Page which covers many different areas of public speaking as well as tips for speakers.
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Presentation Tips – Tips and suggestions on presentations for public speakers.
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Public Speaking Tips – Helpful suggestions for speakers on how to conduct public speaking tasks.
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Speaking Guidelines – Web page which lists helpful guidelines on public speaking.
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Toastmaster Tips – Ten tips on how to give powerful public speeches from Toastmasters International.
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Public Speaking Tips – Information and video tips on how to give better speeches in public.
Speaking Preparation
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Preparation and Practice – Information on the preparation and practice done by Steve Jobs when giving speeches.
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Preparation - Article on how to properly prepare to give a public speech.
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Speech Tips – Listing of several tips on how to prepare for a speech.
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Speech Preparation – Information on the UN model on how to prepare for a speech.
Working with an Audience
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Know Your Audience – Information and suggestions on how to prepare to speak in front of an audience.
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Speaking Basics – Informative page which covers many of the basics of speaking in front of a live audience.
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Knowing the Audience – Suggestions on how speakers can be prepared when facing audiences.
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Persuade the Audience - Tips on how speakers can be persuasive when speaking.
Presentation Tips
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Presentation Tips – Informative page with a number of useful tips on how to be an effective presenter.
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Presenting Tips – Useful page which lists some helpful suggestions on how to give a proper presentation.
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Tips on Presentations – Helpful web page which offers useful presentation tips.
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Slideshow Presentations – Ten tips for making eye-catching slideshow presentations.
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Hints and Tips – Useful page which lists a number of helpful presentation tips and hints.
Additional Resources
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Resource Center – Site which contains a number of helpful resources centered on public speaking.
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Toastmaster Resources – Informative set of free resources in a number of categories for people interested in public speaking.
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Resources for Public Speaking – Information and articles for public speakers to learn more about the topic.
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Public Speaking Resources – Useful collection of resources regarding speaking in front of the public.
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Speech and Public Speaking – Very useful set of links and information for people looking for information on speech and public speaking.