***Believing In Yourself At The Lecte

One of the characteristics of dynamic public speakers is that they believe in themselves. We all know that public speaking is man’s greatest fear; however, if you approach the lecte doubting yourself, how successful do you think you will be? Believing you cannot do it is a recipe for failure. The following steps will help you on the road to a positive mindset the next time you are asked to give a presentation. 1. Know your material. There is no excuse for not knowing your material, even if it means pulling an all-nighter to ensure that you are comfortable with your script or your notes. Practice your material out loud. [Although I am an advocate of a good night’s sleep, if it comes to lack of sleep or lack of knowledge, I would forego the former. You can crash later; your adrenaline will get you through it!] 2. Breathe. The single most important thing you should do at the lecte is to breathe with the support of your diaphragm. It is truly the best means of controlling nervousness in any form of public speaking. Unfortunately, breathing at the lecte is something we never do. 3. ‘Talk’ your presentation. Your audience came to hear your speak, not to hear you read to them. Unless you are doing a reading at the library, your presentation should be given from notes, around which you speak. If you are delivering a speech, practice it out loud so that you don’t sound like you are reading. 4. Speak TO your audience, NOT AT them. When you are public speaking, you are having a conversation. Your audience’s response to you is the conversation. The nodding of their heads, their frowns, their smiles, their body language, are all part of the ‘talk;’ therefore, do not stare at one image on the wall or one person in your audience. Look around the room and make eye contact when you speak, just as if you were having a conversation in your living room. 5. Be yourself. If you watch the great speakers, they are indeed themselves. Were you to talk to them privately, you would discover they are the same people in person as they are on stage (in most cases). If you can employ these 5 techniques into your presentation, you will be much more successful in your abilities as a public speaker. Imagine how much better you will feel if you can anticipate an upcoming presentation with a positive attitude instead of a negative one. Tell yourself that you are going to do the best job that you can do and then go do it!