Five Reasons Why You Must Make Visual Contact With Your Audience!

Should you make eye contact with individuals in your audience? The answer is: Yes. In fact, it is essential that you do so.

It Shows Speaker's Interest In Reaching Audience!

Here's why. When you speak to an audience, you are attempting to communicate with them. That's what public speaking is, one person attempting to communicate with others. And what is communication? The flow of ideas from one mind to another, or to a group of individual minds.

In everyday life, if you're talking with someone, and they look first at their watch, then at the ceiling, then at a magazine they have in their hand, and finally at others passing by, what feeling do you start to get? You begin to feel that they have little interest in communicating with you, and you're probably right. Why? Because they never look at you!

It Builds Trust!

Similarly, when a speaker looks over the heads of those in his audience, or at the back wall, in an effort to seem to make visual contact, no one in his audience is fooled. He might as well focus on his notes and not look up at all. The effect on the audience is the same. It becomes easy for them to feel that the speaker has no real interest in them, but is simply giving a speech. So making eye contact builds trust.

Holds Interest of Audience!

Another benefit of making visual contact with various individuals in the audience is that the entire group is more likely to feel that you are conversing with them, rather than giving a speech to them. People find it easier to pay attention to a conversation they're engaged in than to a speech someone is giving. To be conversational, we have to look at members of our audience. This helps to maintain their interest.

Provides Feedback!

In one-on-one conversations, we look at the other person to get feedback. Even if they make no reply to a statement we make, we try to fathom their reaction by the expression on their face. If they smile or nod their head, we take that as agreement. That feedback encourages us to continue. If they frown or shake their head from side to side, we know they may not be in total agreement with what we just said, and we may give a more detailed explanation to convince them.

Speaking to an audience is similar. We need feedback, to see whether they seem to accept what we're saying, or if more explanation is needed. The person in the second row who smiles and nods her head is telling you what you need to know. She's saying that she both understands and agrees with you. But how can you perceive that if you're looking at the back wall?

It Gives Emotional Support To The Speaker!

A fifth reason to look briefly at different people is your audience is the emotional support you'll often receive. While you are not primarily seeking support, you'll often somehow sense that the audience is emotionally in tune with you. You cannot sense that if you avoid looking at individuals in your audience. This, in turn, is a powerful stimulant to you as a speaker, and may even improve your presentation.

Why You Should Not Seek Perfection in Public Speaking

When you have a job at hand, is your goal to do it perfectly or to the best of your ability? Be honest with yourself in answering that question because, in public speaking, it could mean the difference between a dynamic presentation and one that is so-so.

Without a doubt, there are some things I want done perfectly - like the surgery on my dog's eye to remove a large cyst or the adding of numbers when I do my taxes. When I was a child, my mother taught me to sew and we made identical dresses with a striped pattern. I can't tell you how many times she had me rip out the seams until I had matched the stripes perfectly. I know this was one of my best lessons in life.

There are other things, however, in which seeking perfection will thwart your success. Any type of live performance, be it on a stage, the football field or a baseball diamond, is subjective. Who is to say that the game, the concert, or the play is perfect? What I may think is perfect may not be what you think is perfect. In that sense, seeking perfection is a waste of time.

If you want to be able to speak and do it well, I suggest you:

1. know your material inside and out (which you have practiced out loud over and over and over again); 2. speak with emotion, with life, and with passion; 3. make eye contact with your audience; 4. breathe; and, 5. believe in yourself.

When you can incorporate those 5 rules into your delivery, you will then be achieving the best you can do. What this means is that you will give an excellent speech or presentation. No, it will not be perfect. In fact, you will probably make a mistake or two. Remember, your audience is not looking for perfection from you: your audience is looking for a great message that inspires or motivates or persuades them.

Deliver your message just as if you were having a conversation in your living room and you will be creating an intimacy with them that is not possible if your material is memorized or read from a script. Watch those who are really skilled at public speaking and you will see that they all share that one characteristic in common. They treat their listeners as if in conversation and they don't worry about a couple of mistakes.

Next time you are scheduled to speak, stop fretting over the unattainable and seek that which is easier to accomplish and much more dynamic in the long run.

What to Do If You Fear Public Speaking More Than Death

Do you do any public speaking or training? If not, why? Is it because you believe there are people who are gifted in public speaking but not you? Or is it because you feel that you are not good enough in public speaking? Whatever reasons (and I call these excuses) you use to justify why you do not do any public speaking, I would still like to let you know that you can become an expert in public speaking if you choose to. Why? The short answer is that public speaking is a learnable skill.

There is a saying that no one is born smarter than the others. In fact, if you speak to anyone who is a practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, I believe he will tell you that if it is possible for the others, it is possible for you too.

Since public speaking is a learnable skill, I am going to share with you 4 tips that will help you to overcome fear in public speaking. Before I do that, I have to first acknowledge that the original ideas did not come from me. I did not invent or create anything new. Nevertheless, what is original here is my unique experience, which is what I am sharing in this article.

Tip No.1: Start small first

If you have not done any public speaking before, I can only imagine that you would freak out if I ask you to speak in front of a large group of people. There is no short cut in acquiring any skill. It takes time to practise and perfect the craft.

When I first started public speaking, I started with a small group of 5 to 10 people. The reason was that I had to create my identity as a public speaker, and this allowed me to form certain beliefs that I could become an excellent public speaker in future.

In addition, I am sure that we all make mistakes especially when we are considered beginners. Would you prefer to make mistakes in front of a smaller group or a large crowd?

After you get used to speaking to smaller groups, you can consider increasing the size of the group progressively. Take one step at a time.

Tip No.2: Control your mind

I must say that our mind has good intention for us at all times. It does not want us to feel awkward or uncomfortable whenever we are doing something new.

Here was what happened to me before. When I was on the stage, I was nervous and my inner voice suggested that I should leave the stage immediately. It did not look good on me as a speaker. Many years later, I have learnt from my mentor that I had the power to control my mind. With continuous practices, whenever my mind now suggests anything that is not useful to me in a particular situation, I will say to myself "thank you for sharing" or "shut up". Which one you should use will be entirely up to you. Both work well for me.

Tip No.3: Have a script in front of you

From my experience, part of the reasons why some of you may fear public speaking is that you are afraid of making mistakes when giving your speech. This is especially when the subject matter is highly technical in nature.

In my case, some of my trainings involve discussing complex financial products such as derivatives and options. How do I remember all the important details and make sure that my participants understand the subject matter? The secret is to have a script in front of me so that I can follow it closely. You can consider using cheat sheet too.

Tip No.4: Have a coach to give you feedback

My last tip is for you to engage a coach who will provide you with feedback on your training or public speaking engagement. Many years ago, I thought I delivered a great training. However, my participants did not feel the same. I did not know why because i did not seek help from anyone.

Over the years, I have learnt to be humble and get some experienced coaches to sit in during my training to provide me with feedback and suggested improvement. This allows me to identify my weaknesses so that I can improve my delivery next time.

As you have seen, there is no need to be afraid of public speaking. You just need more practices and you will eventually be able to deliver the topic you are passionate about in front of a large group of audience. I hope you find my sharing insightful and use these tips in practising your public speaking skill.

A Public Speaking School for Skills Improvement

When it comes to effectively delivering a speech in front of an audience, skills need to be developed and what can help you with this is a public speaking school. Majority of those who have tried at delivering one yet failed along with those with extremely sensitive nerves for social interactions would truly find this a very difficult task to confront. There could be two ways to meet this task where one is through attending classes with other people of the same predicament to work on and another is by working on your own.

Dealing With Nerves via Lessons

A public speaking school comes to serve not only to rid of nerves but also as a vital part of putting your other skills into better and more practice. Even when at most times a traditional class could aid many people in eliminating nervousness in some cases it can't. A case that is most serious could be one having very serious nerves particularly when trauma is there already buried deep within. One such case could be best addressed via therapy like hypnosis and it is only when this has been resolved can one effectively attend classroom teachings.

People with excessive nerves when it comes to social interactions may also find a classroom setup in a public speaking school quite tough to deal with. Perhaps these people have attempted to speak publicly before yet failed to materialize. Being one with such a case should cause you to remember that trying too much too soon is not wise because should failure become a recurring pattern it is only likely to cause further damage. You can instead try making small speeches and practice them in front of a mirror. By doing this you can better connect with your inner mind in convincing it that you can indeed make a public speech even in a gradual manner.

Being Armed for Attending Public Speaking School

When you get into a public speaking school it is important you come prepared and it helps to practice the mirror technique. Be sure that you continue with it at home even when initial classroom lessons have progressed for you to benefit from those lessons. Lessons should work to improve speaking techniques along with confronting your need to rid of anxiety and for the best results, both parts of the method in public speaking should work together. In the beginning you may need to work with a variety of speeches to determine your strength. With this, humorous and serious materials are not excluded.

Classroom learning via a public speaking school is beneficial in the area of speech preparation and its efficacy when delivered. People at most times find it more enticing to use an existing speech or make one out of a material that is already of public domain. What could be a predicament here is that there can't be maximum familiarity as opposed to a material which you have prepared on your own. Whether you choose to use one material over the other, in any case there is a need for extensive practice.

Additional Advantages in Attending Public Speaking School

Of the advantages of attending public speaking school one that is obvious is the ability to have feedback from other people prior to your actual public speaking stint. What can be aided here includes refining of your posture, making the proper eye contact and even the manner in which you speak. When speaking before an audience in a large room, you need to utilize a different method as the need to overcome the room size and length of space found between the audience and yourself is there. The use of a microphone also comes with the need for mastery using a different skill which your school in public speaking could help you with.