Speak like a king.

               
Confidence




      I'm serious, when you are speaking you want to be the center of attention, all eyes on you, people should be captivated by what you have to say. Public speaking invariably comes at or near the top of the list whenever people are asked about their greatest fears. Given that so many people are unable or unwilling to speak in public, does it really make a difference if you too are not confident about giving presentations? The answer is yes, public speaking opens up lots of opportunities and anybody can do this with a little self practice and following a few tips.

1. Know your material

   Find out what your going to speak about. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language, that way you won’t easily forget what to say. Finding out what your going to be talking about is far better than arriving on stage and finding out what your going to be talking about in just a few minutes.

2. Practice

   Practice, Practice, Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected. This helps build a natural presence with speaking aloud.

3. Know the audience
    Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers. Get to know the people your going to be talking to, so when they see you on stage you are more relaxed by seeing  familiar faces.


4. Know the room
     Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. Sit in the chairs and pretend you listen to someone, This will make you become familiar with the place you will be speaking at.

5. Relax

    Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.") Transform nervous energy into confidence.

6. Visualize

   Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, confident and powerful. Visualize the audience clapping, it will boost your confidence.


7. They want you to succeed

    Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you. They want you to keep them busy, your not wasting their time or they wouldn't be there.

8. Mistakes
   Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it. If they did, just laugh it off as a dumb mistake, this will make them laugh. Mistakes are common, most of the time people bow their head with nervousness because they realize they made a mistake. This is the wrong way to do it, make a joke out of it if you have to, they will laugh with you and reduce stress on yourself.

9. Experience
   Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you — as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. Talk to your mail man, talk to people at the grocery store, talk to anybody that you can. This builds experience and makes your confidence level shoot through the roof.


10. Conclusion
   When you are nervous about speaking in public or unsure of your presentation skills, you will be in a constant state of anxiety in any situation where you may be called upon to speak. Toasts at weddings, an invitation to present at a conference, a meeting with a valued client or supplier. The prospect of these scenarios will make you shudder. It's the very fact that the majority of people are not accomplished public speakers that makes you stand out if you are able to do so. By volunteering to take on the dreaded and challenging job of speaking to a crowd, your superiors will be impressed and your co-workers will be beyond grateful that they did not have to do so. You immediately stand out from the crowd as a confident, assertive and team-oriented individual.


The ability to make presentations and speak in public opens up a wealth of different career paths. Sales, marketing, management and more are all career directions which are much more easily accessed when you have confidence in your public speaking skills and are able to give clear, effective presentations. Your co-workers and subordinates are better able to understand and follow your plans and visions, while your clients and suppliers can follow your line of reasoning and know exactly what you are trying to communicate to them. With some practice and experience, this is all a walk in the park.