While public speaking can often be a great way to reach out to a new audience and potential clients or customers, it’s also something that many people find to be a daunting task. Even though standing on a stage in front of a range of individuals can often seem scary, the advantages that can come from it are often worthwhile.
If you want to feel more confident when speaking in public, learning how to master the art of public speaking might be just what you need.
How can public speaking benefit your business?
Generally, those with a freelance or consulting business can benefit greatly from public speaking, mainly because of how inconsistent workflow can be. Some weeks can be great for work, whilst others just aren’t.
If you’re finding that business has been slow, it might be time to take things up a notch and try reaching out to more potential leads – and while SEO, ads and content marketing can all work, public speaking can often be a great method for connecting with your audience.
The main difference is that when speaking in public, you’re likely to have the attention of hundreds of people that could be potential leads all at once – and this is where fear can creep in. Whether you’re unsure of how to go about presenting your business or are just anxious about engaging your audience in general, public speaking can often be quite scary.
How to overcome your fears
One of the most common phobias of them all is speaking in public and often, there are numerous reasons why you may feel scared. In most cases, issues tend to lead back to a fear of failure – but the good news is that there are a few things that you can do to help yourself to overcome this, such as:
Accepting that you’re scared
Addressing a crowd can often make us feel vulnerable and this can affect how we portray ourselves, meaning that an amazingly written presentation that is performed badly is likely to suffer. While you may be scared, recognising that confidence can improve almost any situation should help to elevate your mood.
Practice makes perfect
Preparation and practice can be essential to your overall success. Take the time to create the ultimate presentation weeks in advance and practice and perfect it before the time arrives. In most cases, this can help to boost your confidence and allow you to tweak any issues that you may find along the way.
Work with a speaking coach
If you plan to speak in public often, or just want a little boost when starting out, getting the help of a speaking coach may not be a bad idea. Often, these individuals will be able to point out any problems you may have and provide you with valuable advice and feedback to help you improve.
How to become a master of public speaking
Before going out there and trying to tell people about your business, mastering the art of public speaking can often be a great way to make sure that you make as big an impact as possible. A few things to consider are:
- What are you going to speak about? (Write down your ideas and create a presentation)
- What’s your goal? (Why do you want to try public speaking?)
- Keep track of your goals (and create new ones when you achieve them)
- Start off small (going to smaller events at first is often better than going to big ones)
- Take the time to practice (this can often help to make your talk as good as possible)
- Make a pitch to the event organizer (be clear and precise)
- Learn from the experts (find out what other speakers are doing right)
- Incorporate slides (both design and structure can be crucial)
- Structure your talks (many public speakers use the “Aristotle technique”)
- Practice storytelling (stories often help you to connect with your audience)
Becoming a public speaker
As with most other things, it takes time to become a master at speaking in public – which is why it often be a wise idea to keep working at it. After all, practice will go a long way toward perfecting your skills. You can read more about how to master public speaking at this article by Foundr.