Sunday, September 04, 2011

Public Speaking Tips - The Importance Of Audience Contact


Although speaking in public is really a monologue of sorts, this monologue is addressed to a ready, able and receptive audience who wants to learn from you as much as you want to learn from them.

If it is listened to, then speaking in public would be more effective. To maintain that necessary contact with the audience, here are some effective tips to consider.

Don't forget to greet them

A few minutes prior to your actual speaking engagement, try walking around the venue and familiarize yourself with the people who will be listening to you. Give the people and the attendees a warm greeting as they arrive. Rather than trying to deliver a speech to a bunch of anonymous faces, it would be so much easier to deliver it to a group of people whom you consider as friends.

Being positive

The truth is, people expect and they want you to succeed. Audiences want to be as informed, stimulated and entertained as they could be. If you do fail, then they will cringe with you. Succeed and your audience benefits just as well from your great speaking performance.

There is nothing to be sorry about

Avoid expressing your apologies to any problems you think may exist about your speech or your speech delivery or mention to the audience that you are nervous because if you do, then you may be setting them up to focus on whatever you are apologizing for. It isn't necessary to mention this to them because it's possible they haven't noticed this until you brought it up. Relax and be silent. Your audience will relax with you.

You need to establish eye contact

Try connecting with your audience and appear natural. It would be better if be as natural as you can be without overdoing it. Getting the audience to nod their heads as an acknowledgement of what you are trying to convey is what you should be able to do. Make sure you don't breeze through your speech. Pausing for a while or for a brief moment is a must especially at those points that you want to emphasize. You can also consider this a good time to establish eye contact with your attendees and you can also catch that much needed breath.

Avoid debating

If an audience expresses disagreement with any part of your message during the question and answer part of your speaking engagement, you don't have to aggressively prove your point to him or her. The fact is a debate, aside from being just a futile means to get your point across, could just as well never be resolved. If you want to get that attendee to talk with you, make sure it's after your speaking engagement and not during. Join artist Caroline Jasper to learn water painting tips in this detailed DVD

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