Speaking ranks right up there in terms of the things we are scared to do.
Whether it’s the fear of being watched closely by others, or the insecurity and
self-conscious feeling of slipping up during the presentation, these six tips
will help you give a intelligent, professional speech that you and your audience
can be proud of!

1. Know your audience. This is the single optimal piece of advice for delivering
a presentation. What are their concerns? Their backgrounds? Why are they coming
to hear you speak? What themes do you have to share with them? Approaching your
speech as more of a “me-to-you” discussion rather than a full-blown broadcast
makes it less abrasive.


2. What do you want your audience to do as a result of your speech? What’s
genuinely at the heart of your presentation? By centering on the “end result”
rather than plodding through the beginning, you produce a powerful punch that
drives home your message instead of rambling on.

3. Share a story. In public speaking circles, this is called a “hook” –
something that gets your audience’s attention and makes them sit up and listen.
Start off by asking questions or sharing an experience you had. People like to
be active, rather than passive listeners. By giving them something that they can
identify with, you’ll find that these people are just like you; that makes
giving a presentation a whole lot . Be sure your story has a beginning, a point,
and an ending. There’s nothing quite as bad as telling a story to an engrossed
audience and then drawing a blank why you told it!

4. If you’re marketing a product, focus on the benefits instead of the features.
People would much rather discover WHAT a product can do for them than HOW it
does it. Narrow down your product’s characteristics until you get to the core of
how it solves a problem. If you need help with figuring out the difference
between a feature and a benefit, ask yourself “So What?” For example, if you’re
selling a vacuum cleaner that has a hypoallergenic filter, put yourself in the
customer’s shoes and ask yourself “so what?” The answer would be something like,
“It picks up dust, mold and pet dander”. Again, “so what?” Answer, “You’ll feel
relief from runny nose and sneezing plus itchy, water eyes.” Now THAT’s a
benefit!

5 Powerpoint presentations are great but they can be consuming – or downright
boring. Instead, give your audience something to DO by providing them with
fill-in-the-blank flip charts or “team activities”. These help reinforce and
emphasize your message in ways that a computer presentation simply cannot.

6. Make sure your speech ends in a way that reiterates the beginning. Speakers
can get carried away with the details and leave their audiences asking, “What
was the point of all that?” People naturally digest info in “chunks”, so focus
on the big picture rather than all the pieces. If the points are just as
important, save it for an after-speech handout that the audience can take with
them and read over at their leisure time.

If you keep these six tips in mind in addition to choosing persuasive speech
topics , you’ll not only have an easier time mastering your fear of public
speaking, but you’ll have a very grateful audience who will in turn be more
open and eager to sample your product or service. Best of luck!

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