Speaking Confiedntly is the Language of Success

Speaking Confidently is the Language of Success

Many people say that the fear of speaking in public is greater than the fear of death.
Early in my career as an image, etiquette and communication coach, I certainly would
have agreed with this.

At 40 years of age, I took up downhill skiing. Now, that truly is greater than the fear
of death. I just knew I was going to die on the slopes as I was completely out of control.
On the positive side (and there is always a positive side) I no longer had the fear of death
while speaking to an audience.

I now ski with passion and love the sport and a speak with passion to audiences around
the world.

Here are a few tips to assist you in mastering the art of speaking.

Each and every interaction with someone or a group is about being understood. We speak
with our words, our tonality, the pitch of our voice and pace of our words. We also speak
through our body language. The key to success in speaking is to have a strong level of
congruency between the spoken word and the body language. How you deliver your message
has as much impact as the message itself.

When you are presenting to a group make sure that you are introduced properly. This sets
the tone and gives you the respect of the audience. A good introduction will establish your
credibility and provide the audience with a clear picture of what you will be telling them.

Find out who will be introducing you and brief them thoroughly. You may wish to give them
a typed introduction and ask them to read it as a formal introduction of you, your topic and
your expertise.

Begin your presentation in a strong and confident manner and deliver your first few points
without looking at your notes. This will reinforce the air of confidence and authority and
enable you to establish eye contact with your audience. Look directly at the audience and
move your head and your eyes to encompass all of the audience.

Establish a heart-to-heart connection with the audience by adding positive gestures and
changing the tonality of your voice to match the content of your words. 

Vary the pace of your delivery to keep the audience engaged in your presentation. Pause
between your main points. Speak slowly and emphatically to highlight the most important
points of your presentation.

Be aware of the non-verbal clues you are sending out through your body language. Keep
an open posture and avoid crossing your arms. Use hand gestures to emphasize your key points.

Eye contact with the audience is vital to your success as a presenter. Sweep your gaze across
the audience and from front to back of the audience. It is easy to focus on the people in the
audience that are giving you positive feedback through their body language but do not forget to
focus on the people that may appear neutral or negative. Everyone in the audience needs to feel
included.

Be respectful of time and wrap up your speech in the time allocated to you. This shows respect
for the audience and other speakers.

During the presentation give your audience clues as to your talking points such as point three is....
And my fifth and final point is.....

Begin your presentation with a powerful opening paragraph and close with a strong paragraph.
It is vital to create a strong finish.

Do not rush off the platform or immediately or take your seat if you are presenting to a small
group in a conference room. Give the audience time to ask questions and absorb the depth of
your message.