So you've been asked to give a speech and you feel like you've been given a death sentence. Your mind is racing with thoughts of panic - will you forget what to say? What if you freeze up? The audience will be able to see you shaking! If this is anything like you, then this book is the Gospel!! It will help give your ideas the confident voice they deserve.Can you even imagine the lost potential of not sharing your...
The Power Of Public Speaking As A Communication Tool
Imagine a situation where you need to present your big project in front of hundreds of people. Would you let the fear of public speaking demotivate you and ruin the chances of getting your work out there? Of course not! You're afraid to talk on stage, so is half the world. That has never stopped anyone. Not even 12 year old Richard. Richard Turere from Kenya delivered a TED talk after just 6 months of practice. The young boy talked...
Eye contact with the audience is a great method to grab attention!
Look, eye contact is a huge deal. When you make eye contact with someone as you're speaking, they can get a real sense of your character. It's almost a primal way to assess if someone is trustworthy. Have you ever noticed how hard it is to lie to someone while looking them in the eyes? Same goes for a speech. Maintain eye contact with the audience and it helps them feel like you're being open and honest with them. They'll...
It is easy to talk about complex topics by using this 5-step process.
Psychologist Dan Gilbert was invited to speak on TED on 'synthesised happiness' Imagine if he went like "the long-term impacts of artificially stimulating neural pathways or genetically engineering brain chemistry to feel perpetual joy without due cause or consequence may ultimately do more harm than good by compromising our evolved neurological safeguard." Does that make you want to hear more? Fat chance! Instead, he started like this: "When you have 21 minutes to speak, two million years seems like a...
Consider the use of visuals if necessary.
Videos and pictures have become a daily part of our life now. We benefit from the visual medium. But, overuse of captivating visuals might not always work in the case of a talk. Other than ensuring your images are visually pleasing and engaging for your intended audience, you also need to strike a balance between the number of images and number of ideas. Get it wrong, and your words might lose their impact on your audience.The limited time frame during...
To Script Or Not To Script
How does one best prepare for giving a killer speech? Should meticulous scripting rule the day or does speaking freely unlock one's inner muse? The answer, it seems, comes down to a simple yet profound question: What makes you comfortable?Imagine you're Daniel Kahneman, world-renowned Nobel laureate, a champ at holding audiences, rehearsing a TED talk on some awesome topic on which you're basically the expert. But despite your expertise, you struggle to recall key points, pausing awkwardly mid-sentence. Why could...
Dress to Impress or Comfort First?
Let's reimagine the art of dressing for the stage. First things first, what's your go-to outfit for slaying the days with confidence and grace? Rather than squeeze into the latest fashions like an imposter, consider that ensemble, which is uniquely you!But here's a hard truth: we do judge books by covers, whether consciously or not. So, with random choices, you risk standing out. What if you glided on stage sporting a sharp three-piece suit while the audience relaxed in jeans...
It's just a speech. Tame that fight or flight!
We've established that speaking to a crowd can be thrilling. Hearts race, palms sweat, pulses quicken. The nervous energy bubbling up inside, threatening to boil over. That feeling rides the line between exciting thrill and paralyzing fear. So, without proper handling, that adrenaline rush can go from exciting to panic attack real quick.So how do we stop those sizzling nerves from burning out of control?First, reframe the fear. Recognize it as proof you care deeply. Harness it as fuel to...
Summary
There's no single or simplified answer to public speaking. However, a few tips can help you build confidence. The thing to remember is not everyone who is invited to speak for their oratorical skills. It's okay to be an amateur. The idea is to share the brilliant ideas we all are capable of, and make the world a better, more enlightened and happier place!
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About the Author
Chris Anderson is the Curator of TED, a nonprofit devoted to sharing valuable ideas, primarily through the medium of 'TED Talks' -- short talks that are offered free online to a global audience.Chris was born in a remote village in Pakistan in 1957. He spent his early years in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, where his parents worked as medical missionaries, and he attended an American school in the Himalayas for his early education. After boarding school in Bath, England, he went on to Oxford University, graduating in 1978 with a degree in philosophy, politics and economics.
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