Now that’s a promising title, yeah? But… you’re doubtful, right? You’ve heard a thousand hacks and tricks: meditate, know your subject, assume the POWER POSE, and imagine everyone in the audience completely naked (BTW, that one does not work – but it will get you laughing uncontrollably and probably get you kicked out of the conference hall).
Well, you got me: there are indeed many tricks and tools. But there is one single best way to be confident when you’re giving a speech and that is…..PRACTICE IT.
See, you already knew that!
But if you’re like me, you realize you should’ve done that when you’re about a minute into your speech.
So, when you’re planning out your speech (oh, that will make you more confident, too) – write several practice sessions into your calendar. And, don’t just write them down: ACTUALLY DO THEM.
Then, when you’re practicing, I suggest doing so with a human listening to you so they can point out anything stupid you should probably not be saying. GIVE THE SPEECH as if they were your real audience. If no humans are available, practice in front of empty chairs and pretend like you have an audience. World Champion Public Speaker Manoj Vasudevan* often repeats this excellent advice along with pointing out that practicing in front of a mirror, doesn’t do much to improve public speaking. It might flatter the narcissist in you, though…
Other hacks are great, but give practice your #1 priority and watch your public-speaking confidence grow!
If you want to know more, we’ll be talking with expert Turan Tanin in a future blog post – don’t miss it! We also have a course called NO FEAR PUBLIC SPEAKING.
Wordworks helps companies communicate better. Check out our courses
*How to Become the World Champion of Public Speaking”, Manoj Vasudevan, 2019