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Related Reading
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 I
Can See You Naked Revised Edition
A complete guide to public speaking that describes the qualities
of a good presenter and discusses openings, nervousness, boredom,
audiences, question handling, and more.
 The
Complete Guide to Public Speaking
Comprehensive, practical, and accessible, The Complete
Guide to Public Speaking serves all the needs of public
speakers, from the seasoned pro to the greenest rookie. Whether
you're trying to start a career as a professional speaker
or improve your speaking skills to further your career or
influence those around you, this straightforward guide will
help you deliver dynamic, compelling, and convincing presentations.
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Look Who's
Talking!
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Would you rather have your wisdom teeth pulled out than
have to speak in front of even a small crowd? Does the thought
of having an audience full of people watch you while you're
speaking make you want to zip your mouth shut? You're not
alone. But you
can make it through unscathed. Follow these
simple do's and dont's, and you'll be sure to get a standing
ovation!
Do ...
• Relax. It's doubtful that your audience, large
or small, wants you to mess up or get booed. Have faith
in yourself, because they probably will!
• Be
prepared. It's not realistic to think you'll do
well on your speech if you haven't sufficiently prepared.
Spend time going over your material, but don't memorize
it.
• Make eye contact. Sure this sounds
scary, but it will help you connect
with your audience and makes it seem like you're speaking
to each individual. So try it, even if you'd rather not
take a second glance at the woman in the second row wearing
the T-shirt that reads, "I love mullets."
• Have fun! If possible, tell
a joke or two. It'll loosen you and your audience up.
Even if you tell a horrible joke, they'll probably still
laugh at how bad it was!
Don't ...
• Chew gum or play with your clothes, buttons, etc.
Not only is this distracting, but if you're nervous,
it's is a definite way to bring it to the attention of the
audience. Play it off like you aren't, and chances
are, they'll never know.
• Speak too fast. This is usually
the number one mistake people make. Take a deep breath and
don't rush. The audience isn't leaving until you're done
... hopefully.
• Look down or at the ceiling. You're
confident, right? Good, so show them you are and look at
the audience. Practice the number three Do, "Make eye
contact."
• Stare at your paper. You can use
a few index
cards as reminders, but don't take your complete speech
with you. Become comfortable enough with your material that
you only have to put key words on your index cards.
Written by Lindsey Thomas
How did you survive your last public speaking incident?
E-mail
us!
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On the Web
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Public
Speaking 411
National
Speakers Association
Public
Speaking Modules
Tips
for Successful Public Speaking
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It's really a phobia ...
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For many people, the fear
of public speaking ranks higher than the fear of death.
Unbelievable! And there's actually a name for the fear of
speaking in public: glossophobia.
There seem to be an infinite number of
fears, but these are some of the more interesting ones ...
• Anuptaphobia:
fear of being single
• Arachibutyrophobia:
fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth
• Cyberphobia:
fear of computers
• Geliophobia:
fear of laughter
• Philemaphobia:
fear of kissing
• Scriptophobia:
fear of writing in public
• Xenoglossophobia:
fear of foreign languages
For a complete list of phobias, visit www.phobialist.com.
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