Almost everyone I speak to finds the thought of speaking to a large audience incredibly daunting.
For most people, this isn't something they do regularly and this means the thought of standing up in front of a large number of people, with everyone staring at them is understandably terrifying.
There are some easy ways you can tackle this fear and build your confidence in speaking in front of large audiences.
1) Make sure that you know your material like the back of your hand - research your topic, write your presentation in advance if you can, practice delivering your presentation, and anticipate difficult questions so that you feel like the content is in your control. A speaking coach can help you with the preparation for a presentation
2) Get used to a crowd - whether it's a debating club, the Association of Speakers Club or Toastmasters, try and commit to speaking in front of others on a regular basis. There's no pressure and it helps build your confidence in a friendly group of people
3) Practice in front of an audience - the day of your presentation should not be the first time you present your content to an audience. Get your partner, parents, or colleagues to sit as your audience and present to them so that you can get used to the feeling of people facing you and watching you.
You might be wondering about the teddy bears - one Member of Parliament that I worked with found public speaking terrifying. They didn't even want to practice with their family…but they found that their confidence grew when they practiced presenting to an audience of teddy bears - and using an ice cream scoop as their pretend mic! It helped them get used to being “stared at”.
There are so many ways to improve your confidence and make you feel more comfortable presenting to an audience.
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