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Speaking in front of people can seem a nerve racking and daunting task. Some people will do anything to avoid presenting to a group of people. But no matter how little time you have to prepare and how nervous you may feel, by following these public speaking instructions you can deliver a speech with confidence and success.
 | Develop a catchy introduction and a striking
conclusion that will stay with your listeners. |
Decide on a topic. You should always speak on something you are knowledgeable about. If you know your material you have no reason to be nervous. Simply focus on what it is you are trying to convey to your audience. If you feel you are lacking information on what it is you are presenting about you should research as much as time allows. The more knowledgeable you are, the better off you are. The quickest, easiest and most reliable online research tools available are Wikipedia.com and About.com.
Develop and organize your ideas. Expand on your topic ideas and organize them into pullet points. You should have at least two or three main points to your speech followed by reasons and examples. Develop a catchy introduction and a striking conclusion that will stay with your listeners. Write out an outline of your speech to have with you to glance at while you are speaking. This way you can stay on task as you speak and don’t have to worry about losing your train of thought. Some people find writing out the entire speech with the outline helps them to feel prepared. Do whichever makes you feel the most prepared and comfortable while speaking.
Brain storm and prepare visual aids. Look at the outline of your speech and brainstorm possible tools you can use to help liven up your presentation. PowerPoint presentation slides are a great tool to help you engage your listeners. Include quotes that you may read and definitely include pictures that help to illustrate what it is you are speaking about. Use complementary color schemes, and make sure your words stand out against the background. You can also create flyers and handouts for your audience, make a poster board, or bring an object to show and pass around. There are really no limits to the possibilities of visual aids. Try to make your speech engaging and fun to listen to.
Practice and time yourself. After you have developed your speech and prepared visual aids you should practice giving your speech from beginning to end. Practicing alone and in front of one or two other people should make it easier to do the same to a larger group. Once you feel proficient, time yourself and see how long it takes you to get through the speech. If you are trying to meet a time limit, adjust your speech accordingly by expanding with additional examples or cutting something miniscule out.
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