-
=X
Log out Welcome back
Are you a life coach, business coach or NLP practitioner? Join us Log in
Find a coach
  • Home
  • Coaching Areas
  • NLP
  • FAQs
  • Articles
  • Local events
  • Your stories
Welcome !
Member's AreaLog out
Log inJoin us
Bookmarks (-)
  • Home>
  • Articles>
  • How to effectively prepare for public speaking

How to effectively prepare for public speaking

Becky Wright
by Becky Wright, writer at Life Coach Directory
August 21st, 2017
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Bookmark
August 21st, 2017
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
Bookmark
We're here to calm your nerves and ease your worries. You're going to ace this - trust us.

Public speaking – it’s the stuff of many people’s nightmares. In fact, glossophobia (the fear of public speaking) ranks as one of the UK’s top three fears, along with snakes and heights. Whilst the latter two are often easier to avoid in the business environment, public speaking is something that is not so easily skirted.

We explore what you can do to make sure you are fully prepped for your next public speaking gig.

1. Become familiar with the venue

Do you know the address? The room? Where you’re going to be standing? These factors can be easily overlooked when you’re preoccupied with sorting out what you’re going to be saying. But, all your preparation will be in vain if you get lost, or turn up late.

You might be speaking in a venue that you’re familiar with – it might be a conference centre you’ve been to before, the boardroom in your building, or even in your office itself. If this is the case, think back to times when you’ve been in the audience. Be conscious of what you could hear and see when you were on the receiving end in this location.

2. Get to grips with the running order

Make sure you know all the nitty gritty details: when you’re speaking, who is introducing you, who you’re passing over to. Knowing this in advance will help to prevent you from becoming flustered on the day.

3. Write down what you want to say – but try not to script it

You will sound more convincing and passionate if it appears to be more spontaneous. Whilst it is tempting to write your whole speech out as a script, this can come across quite dull and boring for your audience.

If you’re worried that your hands might shake if you’re holding a sheet of paper with prompts, use cue cards instead. They appear sturdier to your audience – it won’t be as noticeable if you do start to quiver.

4. Practise

This may sound obvious, but, even if you’re a confident public speaker, don’t underestimate the value of practising. Hearing what you’re saying out loud may prompt you to change the wording, cut your content down, or add more.

5. Have a contingency plan

As much as we’d like to expect everything to always go to plan, it’s good to have a backup plan (just in case).

For instance, technology. Sometimes it can be hard to imagine life – and business – without it. But, we all know that technology has the potential to fail us at times. If you’re relying on a powerpoint or a soundtrack, make sure you have some kind of fallback. Know how you would handle the situation effectively – so you still come across well to the audience.

6. Where possible, show your emotion

Speakers are easier to relate to when they are real. Try to get an emotion across to your audience, whether it’s passion, fear, sadness, excitement, or something else – do your best to show your human side.

7. Fake it till you make it

If nothing else, make everyone else think you’re totally in control – even if you don’t feel like you are. Lift your head up, put your shoulders back and smile.

To find a coach to help you develop your confidence and self-belief, use our advanced search tool.

Find a Life Coach dealing with these types of distress

Career coachingConfidenceLeadership
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

About Becky Wright

Becky is a Content Producer for Happiful and writer for Life Coach Directory.

Other articles by Becky

  • How to find a coach on Life Coach Directory
  • 6 ways to create a standout CV
  • 5 questions to ask yourself to assess your work/life balance
Building up overnight success one block at a time Six questions to achieve your confidence goals this September
Find a business or life coach near you
advanced search

Interesting sites

  • Guardian
  • Institute of Career Guidance
  • Telegraph
  • Times Online
Interesting sites
Guardian Institute of Career Guidance Telegraph Times Online

print this page

Related articles View all

Career coaching Confidence Work/life balance
Careers coaching and well-being
Careers coaching and well-being
By Lisa Stone, Career Coach
Careers coaching will help you focus to achieve your goals and to move on to the next...
Career coaching Confidence
Career confidence
Career confidence
By Sarah Clark - Mariposa Coaching
What does it mean to be confident about our career? We can define confidence as 'a...
Confidence Personal development
Essential mentoring skills
Essential mentoring skills
By Sarah Clark - Mariposa Coaching
As we go through our lives, we often find ourselves in a mentoring role, but what is...

Real stories View all

Confidence Work/life balance Stress
Jane: "Coaching helped me find my confidence again."
Jane: "Coaching helped me find my confidence again."
In January 2017 I was a having a crisis of confidence. I had left my job which had become...
Career coaching Depression
Jackie: "My coach has helped me to live the life I want."
Jackie: "My coach has helped me to live the life I want."
I had come to a crossroads in my life. I had to decide between leaving a well-paid job or...
Confidence
Sam: "I treat myself much more kindly now."
Sam: "I treat myself much more kindly now."
The most important thing my life coach helped me to realise was how negatively I talked...

Connect with us

Facebook
Twitter
"Lightning process® training course" in Salisbury is running on Wed 15th Jan https://t.co/h97rtWJ64a @nikkiemerton
Get involved
More information
  • Home
  • About
  • Legal terms
  • Cookie policy
  • Privacy notice
  • Browse by region
  • Links
  • Press Centre
  • Site help

Company Details

  • Life Coach Directory, Building 3
  • Riverside Way, Camberley
  • Surrey, GU15 3YL
  • Membership Services Team: 0333 325 2501 *
  • Contact us
  • * Calls to 03 numbers cost the same as calling an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls.

Copyright © 2019
Site by Memiah Limited

Healthy ideas that change the world

Get our free monthly e-magazine straight to your inbox

Find out more at happiful.com

Happiful magazine cover
Before using our site, please take a moment to review our Privacy Notice and Cookies policy. By continuing to use this site we'll assume you agree to both.
Ok