Research in the USA has shown that people are more afraid of public speaking than of death.
The symptoms of fear of public speaking include a trembling voice, a racing heart, sweaty palms, blushing, dry mouth, etc. I personally learned rhetoric from TV presenter Suzana Perman and I would like to publicly thank her for all the knowledge she gave me. Rhetoric deals with proper speaking, performance, facial expressions, etc.
A few days ago, I also met Filip Pesek, who told me that most audience members are only concerned about one thing – whether they will suffer through this speaker too. That is why the first 30 seconds are extremely important, where you tell/signal to the audience that they will have a pleasant time in your company and learn a great deal of new/useful/important information. He also mentioned an American study which stated that the ideal number of words per minute is 190 (when speaking live or when people can see you). Filip wisely pointed out that for most speakers, the problem is not the speed itself, or whether they speak 140 or 230 words per minute. The problem is that they constantly speak at the same pace and are therefore boring and monotonous. He also advises that you vary your voice and understand when to pause, speed up, and slow down your words.
Other tips for public speaking:
– A performance begins before you even speak, as listeners will already notice your facial expression, gestures, clothing, etc.
– In public speaking, the following ratios are important: 55% of what is communicated is non-verbal language (facial expressions, body posture, etc.), 38% is voice (pitch, volume, etc.), and only 7% is content (what you actually say with words).
– Before your performance, have at least 2 dress rehearsals.
– Before you go on, take a deep breath in and out.
– Drink a little water before your performance.
– Prepare well before a public appearance, and for that it is important to know who your audience is.
– Reading during a performance causes you to lose eye contact, so avoid reading.
– It is also important not to look at just one point, but to spread your gaze across the entire room and all audience members.
– Avoid filler words when speaking, such as: as you already know, literally – as they create an impression of nervousness and carelessness.
– Encourage listeners to participate in the conversation.
– Move around the entire space.
– Do not apologize during your performance, as listeners will pay attention to what you said throughout the entire speech.
– Use your hands, as you think more easily when you use them.
– Practice public speaking in front of a mirror.
– Before you go on stage, visualize a positive thought.
– In every public performance, try to follow three rules (ETHOS – charisma, personality, eye contact – say what the audience wants to hear; PATHOS – appeal to emotions – how would it be if; and LOGOS – prove or argue your point).
– Before public speaking, sing, talk, or shout to warm up your vocal cords.
– If you have trouble with shaking or twitching before a performance, exercise (do squats) to redirect the energy elsewhere.
– Before a presentation, ask yourself what you will say, to whom, in what setting, and in what manner.
Who I recommend in Slovenia for those interested in learning more about public speaking:
