You're
Always Public Speaking So Be Prepared
By:
Maria Davies
The funny thing about presenting and public speaking
is that the majority of people will tell you they
don't enjoy it and/or aren't very good at it.
And yet regardless of who they are and what they
do, most of the speaking they do on a day-to-day
basis IS public speaking.
You
see, mostly when we talk to ourselves we keep
it as an internal dialogue that nobody else can
hear. But whenever we open our mouths and actually
make a noise in front of another person we're
speaking in public - hence "public speaking".
So why do so many people find it so scary?
I
think it's the eyes. All those sets of eyes fixed
on you..... BORING into you. It's unsettling.
So would it be any easier if your audience was
ignoring you and all looking the other way? What
if they all dozed off so it WAS as if you were
talking to yourself? (Have you ever been a Rotary
after-dinner speaker?)
Whatever
the reason, the fact is that before getting up
to speak, even the most seasoned professional
will have some butterflies, whether they choose
to call the feeling nervousness or excitement
doesn't really matter. Rest assured, we all experience
it to some degree.
If
I had one tip to pass on, if I was asked to tell
you the most important lesson I've learnt over
the years I've been presenting, it would have
to be to stress the absolute necessity of being
totally prepared.
Now
this may sound obvious and I'm sure you've heard
this before, possibly many times, and like a lot
of important messages it tends to become diluted
the more we hear it "Oh yes, I knew that,
now what else?".
And
yet, knowing this, some people will be outside
in the car park seconds before they have to deliver
their sales pitch scribbling it out on the back
of a business card. I know, I've been there.
When
I talk about being prepared, I mean you should
know your talk off by heart. You should be able
to give it verbatim, standing on your head, without
even having to think about what comes next.
Now
some of you may be thinking "Yes, but I don't
work like that. I like to keep the spontaneity"
or "Yes, but I want to tailor my talk to
the occasion" or "Yes, but that would
be boring because I'd just be on auto pilot."
But
actually, that's not what happens. In effect,
the opposite is true. When you know your talk
by rote, it gives you the freedom to change it
around, to add, to subtract without losing your
direction. It's like driving from A to B. If your
route is set from the outset and you know it well,
you can safely veer off and browse in a few antique
shops and have a pub lunch in a picturesque village
off the beaten track and still get back to where
you were to complete your journey. But, if you'd
just set off in the general direction with no
main route to which to return, you'd soon get
lost if you were to be diverted and you'd have
difficulty picking up that thread again.
You
see, there are so many things out there that can
throw the speaker, and lots of unexpected things
can occur when you're dealing with the public.
No matter how good you are, you will become distracted,
so knowing your material to the nth degree is
absolutely crucial.
If
something happens that needs your attention, you'll
have to stop and deal with it, but you can return
to your talk with barely a glitch and appear calm,
collected and hence the ultimate professional.
You
see we all get nervous. We all stick our feet
in our mouths sometimes. We don't ever operate
in a hermetically sealed environment, especially
when exposed to other humans. But prepare, prepare
and over-prepare and not only will you enjoy the
confidence of knowing that nothing can phase you
because you know your material, but if you're
forced off your chosen route for any reason you
can return smoothly and appear to be the consummate
professional speaker.
And
after all, if you can't - or won't - speak about
your business, who will?
Author
Bio
Maria Davies is the UK's top professional speaker
and presentations coach for women. Find out more
at www.laddersofsuccess.com
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