Public Speaking

[Grumps]

Tell a joke.

I'm kind of unreliable when it comes to presentations, I've done really well on some, but joked on the others. The difference, I've found, is serious vs casual. When I joke more it feels less intense and I can talk easily. Try it, maybe it'll work for you too.

[kiwi.at.heart]

I'm weird, if I'm up in front of any size group of people and it doesn't count for assessment, I'm not bothered one bit.

But once I know that I am getting marked for it my body immediately goes into stage fright mode. I guess its because I'm scared I will stuff up and not get the marks I want, which is ironic because that is exactly what i do since I start tripping up on words and making no sense. Anyone got any advice?

[ILM]

Speak it front your self, more than one time, Arrange your ideas in a paper, then go front of people, if you are afraid, look to an point over the people heads. Btw I hate speaking in public.

[wombat123]

Even though I often hear people say/read that you should look at the audience's reactions and adjust what you're saying accordingly, I find that watching their expressions can sometimes mess me up if they start making negative reactions. It's hard to avoid their reactions if your audience is really small. If your audience is bigger and you know that'll make you stumble, then you can always look at your audience, but try not to focus on their faces and kind of, you know, blur their expressions out.

I find it a lot more effective if I have thought about my speech a lot prior to writing it or point-forming it (whichever one you do), so that way I already know what I'm saying without having to look down and my paper too much. If you type yours out or write it out, try to make the paragraphs fairly small so you don't get lost in them during your speech.

Oh and make sure you're super energized for your speech so you'll have the energy to speak very enthusiastically, emotionally, etc. Eat an energy bar prior or get yourself on a mini sugar rush if needed. Make sure you don't read your speech off of a pre-written speech.....it can really reduce the effectiveness and genuinity of your speech.

[Lindsay]

Fake it til you make it.

People often cannot tell that you're scared inside if you act and speak confidently on the outside. In fact, they'll be impressed by it. Having an entertaining and interesting speech will allow others to appreciate you a lot more.

From my experience, I went and did something quite far-fetched. I entered into a public speaking competition (note that back then I was the shyest person in school) and went ahead and did my speech. I found that any other speeches after that were nothing compared to how scared I felt when speaking at the competition. Funny thing is, it wasn't even that big of a deal when it was over. I was happy I had the experience and have been able to speak at least a little more confidently and well for many school presentations.

[DC_JackBlind]

Please consider this if you have tried the above and the problem persists.

I used to be a very scared, shy, quiet and the polar opposite of the arrogant and boisterous boys in my class. Nowadays, I'm much more confident in myself and consequently public speaking issues have almost disappeared. If I'm well prepared I will deliver very good speeches/presentations and this is all down to self-esteem.

From what I gather, people who are in the position I used to be in have the same confidence problems outside the classroom and are generally very timid. This can be changed, as it was for me but often you will need a nudge (for me this was a shrink my parents forced me to see) and a lot of practice. Once you know your problem and have found ways to control it, you will need practice in all sorts of situations.

I recommend speaking to a CAPABLE (it may take some time finding this person) psychologist about why exactly you become nervous and uneasy when you're trying to deliver a speech as this can have many reasons, most of which are deeply rooted in your personality, which in turn is influenced strongly by your past experiences. Mine were very traumatic, however small things, even ones you can't remember as they happened at an early age, can set these protective reflexes off.

Don't be afraid of seeking help by someone, just try to keep it as private as possible as people tend to think of it as a weakness, when it really isn't any different from physical injury. Or worse.

-- A fellow soul of public speaking angst

[stargazerben]

Just breathe in and then speak. Remember these things:

1. The audience doesnt know how you have planned your speech, if you make a mistake, go with it.

2. Remember that as you are under stress by talking, time apparently flows faster when you talk, remember to take a little breath of about 3 seconds,

this gives your audience a chance to reflect about your words and prep themselves for your next part.

3. if you have an audience of 200 plus people, remember that most of them will never see you again, so dont worry too much about messing up.

4. Speaking of messing up, remember that we all are only human and makes mistakes all the time. Just realize you made a mistake, say your part correctly and move on.

5. Pray or put yourself at a calm place before starting, a calom heart makes awesome presentations.

6. VERY IMPORTANT: MOTIVATION, IF YOU HAVE IT, YOU ARE A SHOE-IN

hope this helped

[Katerine]

I'm weird, if I'm up in front of any size group of people and it doesn't count for assessment, I'm not bothered one bit.

But once I know that I am getting marked for it my body immediately goes into stage fright mode. I guess its because I'm scared I will stuff up and not get the marks I want, which is ironic because that is exactly what i do since I start tripping up on words and making no sense. Anyone got any advice?

I am exactely the same! Being assesed is so scary, because I would hate to mess up and get bad marks.

I try not to think about the assesment part, and just do it, sometimes it help, but not always. :/