10 foolproof public speaking techniques to get others to listen to you

Stage fright is familiar to many people. In the company of friends it is easy for us to say nice words and make witty jokes, but in society for some reason harshness and tongue-tiedness appear. How do you be a charismatic person and tell stories in a way that takes your audience’s breath away? Here are a few tips to improve your speaking skills.

Don’t forget to prepare

No matter how skillfully a person masters the art of improvisation, one cannot rely entirely on luck. After all, luck favors the hardworking. After all, skill is important in every job. Therefore, understanding the subject is not enough; It is important to be able to convey the subject to the audience correctly. It is advisable to prepare a presentation in advance, choose interesting pictures, indicate all the important points and even make a suitable joke. It is advisable to think not only about possible questions from the audience, but also about such little things as appearance. After all, no matter how interesting the topic is, the position of the audience will depend primarily on the first impression. You can also ask one of your friends or colleagues to review your speech to ensure you properly cover the allotted time and think about answers to possible questions from the audience. To practice, it’s helpful to perform in front of a mirror or record yourself on video.

Briefly introduce yourself

“I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, first called, Unburnt, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Dothraki Sea, Breaker of Chains, and Mother of Dragons. It is no coincidence that the phrase of the hero of the series “Game of Thrones” became a meme, like its sequel “And I am Jon Snow.” No matter how impressive your job title is, it’s best to introduce yourself briefly since most people have trouble remembering names. If you combine several positions, such as editor-in-chief and beauty editor, introduce yourself at a higher level, that is, in the first person. It is important that there is no confusion in the listener’s mind. After all, most people are too lazy to understand all the subtleties. Later, you can add that you are an expert in beauty. The important thing is that it looks organic.

Pause, gestures, politeness

When it is our turn to speak in front of the audience, we often start chattering quickly and loudly, giving our interlocutor tons of information. We think that this way we will give the impression of being qualified and confident people, but in reality we leave the audience confused. Yes, this is better than an awkward silence, but the meaning of what is said does not hit the mark. In this case, the story, as a rule, is accompanied by expressive gestures that clearly betray our excitement. Unfortunately, most people underestimate the power of pausing. Sometimes silence speaks louder than a thousand words. Therefore, you should not neglect them. Please remember that people with status and power are never in a hurry. Another important nuance when speaking is to logically evaluate the listener. With whom you can communicate through “you”, with whom you can communicate through “you”, etc. You should always be friendly to strangers and remember three important words: “hello”, “thank you” and “goodbye”.

Interesting introduction

You only have a few seconds to catch their attention. For this, the beginning must be bright. For example, before the presentation of a new smartphone model, you can start with a question and ask the public how often people use it. It’s always good to start with some numbers and facts. Example: “People drink more than 2 billion cups of coffee every day.” And only then move on to the essence of the conversation.

Stick to the main idea

A common mistake novice speakers make is to let their thoughts run wild. Before speaking, it is important to write a note containing points on the most important topics, so as not to bore the audience with unnecessary details. You may think that all information is important, but it is not. People remember only the most vivid things. You should also not overuse terminology. If you have the opportunity to express yourself more simply and clearly, do it. Your job is to talk about complex things in a way that even a child can understand.

Use quotes, jokes and narrative units

It is not enough to attract the viewer’s attention, it is important to keep it. For this, you need to avoid dry expressions and bureaucratic language in your speech. Feel free to include quotes from famous people in your speech, especially if they are relevant to the topic. Humor is a subtle ingredient that can make or break an audience’s love for it. Therefore, it is better to use jokes carefully and not overdo it. It is recommended that you test these on someone you know first. Aphorisms and expression units will also help you diversify your speech.

Use exciting things

Sometimes speakers get so anxious when speaking in public that they blurt out all the information at once, eliminating the intrigue. It’s important to always have some understatement. It is this technique that is often used in TV series when the episode ends with a murder scene (Talking about events in the Abyss – Ed.), and then it turns out that the hero was injured, but survived.

Stay in touch with the public

Ideally, a conversation should resemble a conversation you have with your best friend, so try not to constantly look at the piece of paper, instead memorize everything so you can do without it. You should not speak with your back to the audience during the presentation. Even if you want to comment on some graphic information on the screen, your body should be facing the viewer. At the same time, it is desirable that your words complement the presentation and do not overlap. After all, people can read this for themselves. To avoid confusion, you can include main points that will remind you of the order of information you plan to share.

Ask listeners for their opinions

Since sitting and listening for several hours in a row is very tiring, naturally the attention span of the audience decreases, especially if there are still speakers in front of you. Therefore, you can get out of the audience’s past by asking their opinions. This will increase interest in the topic and stimulate the audience a little. It is good that such a discussion arises among people. The important thing is to conduct it in a way that does not take up your own time allocated for the conversation and meets the deadline.

In summary

If a bright introduction allows you to attract the attention of the audience, then the ending should be a compilation of everything that was said. This is necessary so that each person can briefly retell the essence of the topic, for example, at the water cooler with colleagues.