For some people, it is extremely easy to speak in public. However, not everyone shares the same energy when it comes to public speaking you should Speak with Confidence. Some people might feel that the attention can be a little bit overwhelming, or for others–too much.
When you think of public speaking, what comes to mind? Do you feel a sense of dread and anxiety at the thought of having to speak in front of a group of people? If so, don’t worry – you are not alone. Many people feel this way before giving a speech, but speaking in public will become easier once you have the right steps to prepare.
And that’s how confidence works, but not everyone feels confident about speaking in front of a crowd, but that doesn’t mean that confidence can’t be developed. Here are three simple steps that you can do to get all the confidence you need in public speaking. Curious? Read more here to Speak with Confidence.
1. Preparation is key to Speak with Confidence
If you want to speak with confidence, preparation is key. This means that you need to know your material inside and out, from the beginning to the end. Do not leave anything out, and make sure that you practice as much as possible so that when the time comes for you to speak, it will all come out naturally without any hesitation.
Practice in front of the mirror, then speak loudly whenever you can. Stuttering and stammering a few times is okay, but do not make it more frequent, or the people would lose confidence in you, and in turn, you’ll also lose your train of thought. To pick yourself up each time you stutter, try to speak more slowly and carefully think about what you’re going to say next. This will help you regain control.
Remember: even confident people make mistakes sometimes, but the important thing is that you learn from them and move on. That being said, do not dwell on your mistakes, and move on smoothly as though nothing happened. Use your mistakes as stepping stones to improve yourself next time. Even Demosthenes and King George VIII suffered from speech impediments, and look what they left to millions of people worldwide. In fact, even Queen Elizabeth II was nervous when she addressed the British Commonwealth on her now-legendary 21st birthday address so keep calm and prepare.
You can also enlist the help of your closest friends or family members to help you prepare by listening to you as your audience when you practice. You can also encourage them to be brutally honest with you and take those as constructive criticisms.
2. Visualize success
When you’re standing in front of a large audience, it can be easy to feel intimidated and shy away from everyone’s gaze. However, if you visualize success while speaking, this will help boost your confidence and give your best performance. See yourself giving a great speech, interacting with the audience, and answering all of their questions confidently.
When you have a clear vision of success in your mind, it will be easier to achieve it. Many beauty queens use this when they get trained for their communication skills. Have you ever wondered how they can be quick on their toes in answering questions about social issues within 30 seconds? That’s because they often visualize themselves in front of a huge audience, as beauty queens are often used as ambassadors for companies and other nonprofit organizations.
Have that beauty queen mindset (sans the sash, high heels, and the lava gown, of course) and visualize seeing them in awe after your speech. That will surely work wonders for you.
3. Manifest it ’til you make it
Forget “fake it ‘til you make it,” if all else fails and you still find yourself struggling with confidence, manifest it until you make it. This means that you need to make yourself believe and act as confident as you can even if you do not feel 100% that way inside. The more you do this, the more confident you will become until it comes out naturally on you. It might take a little bit of time and practice, but eventually, speaking in public will come easily to you.
You can manifest that you will be great in public speaking as part of your daily affirmations when you wake up in the morning. If you don’t do affirmations, maybe it’s the time to start doing so. Starting your day with encouraging words will help your subconscious be programmed into thinking that these are orders meant to be followed, and thus, be able to work towards that goal in terms of having the right feelings, mindset, and actions.
Not all public speakers are born with everything. Of course, they had bumps along the way, but they manifested it until their speeches were now on everyone’s lips.
The Story of Oprah
Oprah Winfrey (born into poverty), one of the most popular and iconic celebrities in America, ‘faked’ it until her show became successful. She lived in a poor neighborhood with her mom, and she moved out with no money, no food on their table, only a $100 per month allowance for them both.
She said that when someone sets eyes on you as if you are not good enough because of your upbringing, never let yourself be defined by where you come from or who your parents are. And so she thought that even though people looked at her like she was nothing but destitute, she continued faking confidence until one day, what others said about her changed into reality.
Being born from a poor, black family in rural Mississippi, Oprah was never limited by the labels of being “poor” and “black.” In fact, she felt these were only facts in her life early on, but she did not believe these should encompass everything about who she is or define who she could be. Instead, she believed that she should not be limited by those labels and pursued a career in entertainment.
During Oprah’s time, a woman of color in a television show was not widely accepted–a field dominated by white males. And yet, she was able to be the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashville‘s WLAC-TV. And in 1984, her low-rated morning talk show, AM Chicago, went from the last place in TV ratings to surpassing the then highest-rated talk show in Chicago, Donahue, and of course, the rest is history.
Now, look at her. She has hosted one of the most iconic television talk shows on Earth, and she has been giving out speeches and inspiring people with her words. That’s what public speakers do in the first place — encourage people to feel something out of their speeches and inspire them to take action.
Final Thoughts
There is a quote from Abraham Lincoln floating around the Internet that says, “Whatever you are, be a good one.” And so, if public speaking happens to be something that you have been trying your best to do, keep on being a good one at it. It might take a few tries and a lot of patience, but eventually, it will click.
And when you finally feel confident enough with your skills in speaking in front of groups or crowds of people, then that’s when you know that all the hard work has finally paid off. Remember that you can do it, and people are waiting to be inspired by your words. Keep your head up and speak with confidence, and the world will thank you.
For more tips on public speaking and storytelling, visit our website. There you’ll find plenty of articles, examples and free resources to help you inspire your audience through stories.
