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Top tips for women who aspire to be great speakers

Written by: Sue Stockdale

Article Overview: Being able to speak confidently in public is the no 1 fear for many people, yet in business it’s a skill that you really need to have when you speak to investors, the bank manager, clients and suppliers. Here are some tips to consider so that you feel more confident as a public speaker.

Top tips for women who aspire to be great speakers

Being able to speak confidently in public is the no 1 fear for many people, yet in business it’s a skill that you really need to have as its likely you may have to present to investors, bank manager, clients and suppliers. Here are some tips to consider so that you are more confident when speaking to an audience.


Focus

Speakers need to have focus on both the overall presentation and also a high level of awareness of what is happening whilst they are speaking to be able to adapt their presentation to meet audience needs. Tips to help:

Develop a structure to the speech
A speech needs a structure i.e. beginning, main points, summary. Divide up the time for 1 minute for start and 1 minute for end, and in between 3 minutes per key point, depending on the timings. Limit the number of visuals as this can detract from you and your message.

Practice, practice, practice. You can never get enough practice of speaking in front of an audience. Take every opportunity you can get to do so, even if it’s just a vote of thanks for someone else speaking. Then make sure that you review how you did and learn for the next time. Or join a speaking club such as the Association of Speakers Clubs or the Professional Speakers Association to get more practice amongst peers.


Authenticity

You can spot a successful speaker often because they are being authentic. That means they are willing to recognise that they may not have all the answers and are being “themselves”.

Bring your speech to life. What impresses an audience is a bit of passion. Ensure that you can generate enthusiasm for the subject, and do not be afraid to just be yourself. Audiences love authentic people.

Don’t be afraid of questions. Its okay not to know all the answers. We know when presenters are waffling and not answering the question, so don’t be afraid to say you don’t know. But make sure you endeavour to find out and get back to the person, or take some other action to help them.


Resilience

Effectively managing your emotions is a critical part of successful speaking.

Audiences are friendly. Generally people want a speaker to succeed, so don’t be afraid of the audience. Take a deep breath and focus on a person at the back of the room and smile.

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Article Tags: answering the question, audience focus, audiences, authenticity, endeavour, fear, investors bank, key point, level of awareness, passion, peers, professional speakers association, resilience, speakers clubs, visuals, vote of thanks



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