How do I improve at public speaking?

Question

I used to do readings, many years ago, of the spotlight-stool-and-microphone variety. I was comfortable then, even enjoyed the rush of it, though I have never been comfortable giving speeches or even speaking up in front of a class or group. Now I seem to have lost my comfort with readings. I don't know if it's because I now stand behind a podium instead of on a stool (though I am still under a spotlight), or if it's something else. Can anyone tell me why I might be having difficulty now and how I can get over this new discomfort with giving public performances? (Please don't say picture the audience naked!)

Answer 1

u can take deep breaths before ya go onstage or ya can stare at the wall behind the audience.

Answer 2

Have you ever played on ice when you were a kid? Remember how much fun it was? Did you run and slide on it?

That fun was often preceded by a feeling of nervousness. We were afraid of falling down. Once we got comfortable, falling down did not matter.

As we get older, the fear of falling has more to do with getting hurt in a way that will be more lasting. Broken bones, maybe even a broken hip.

Picture yourself giving a speech, standing on the podium or stage and  behind the lectern. Close your eyes to do this.

By the way, if you were standing behind the podium your feelings are a bit more understandable. The audience would not be able to see you very well. The podium is the thing you stand on. The lectern is the thing you stand behind.

Then imagine the feelings welling up inside you. As you feel those feelings, imagine your standing on the stage and it is covered with a sheet of ice.

As you continue with those feelings, try to discover why you are feeling them. Are they reasonable. If they are not reasonable, then ask if you need to have them at all.

It is not enough to just eliminate the bad feelings.

You need to replace them with good feelings.

So next picture yourself doing what you want to accomplish. Here is where it gets tricky. If it is about pleasing yourself, well, there will always be at least one person pleased with you.

If your goal is to help the audience, if you focus on this thought, then it will remove a lot of pressure from you.

To be a good speaker, it has to be about them, not you. Picture yourself pleasing them, helping them, fulfilling them.

Only then will  it not be a pressure for you.

Something else will happen. That ice you imagined under your feet. Either it will melt or you will slide around on it like a kid and start to have fun. If you choose the latter,  your running and sliding will be as you play with the audience using words.

How ever you fare, may you fare well.

Answer 3

keep practicing everyday like exercising. Also have a change of attitude.

Answer 4

if you want tyo improve than you need to practice you speech.  get a book and read a page or two outloud to make sure you dont say gonna and say going to ect.  practice in front of the mirror and then your family.  after a week or two practice in front of your friends.  then you might want to talk out at your lunch table and stand up when you do this.  or talk at your dinner table since school is out.  maybe practicing advertising in a town center saying things aloud so that you can improve if your embarressed.  then, when school comes, speak in front of your class and raise your hand a lot.  and in no time, your confidence will be back and you will be back to your old self again.  hope i helped!

Answer 5

No. Picturing the audience naked isnt a good solution. I got my BA in public speaking, and the real trick to giving a confident speech is to be well prepared. Some of the tricks we use include writing down and rehearsing the speech in a mirror. Also a good trick is called  "storyboarding". Draw yourself pictures of each section of your speech, so instead of concentrating on the words, you can just bring to mind the pictures you drew, which is much easier. Just be prepared with your speech and your confidence will well out of you like a geyser.

Answer 6

all u have to is keep getting embarssd somwhere by friends or just embarssing yourself outside. act immture and have a bunch of ppl look at u all the time. after this u will be able public speak better..

Answer 7

i do lots of public speaking. i'm not sure why you are having problems now but it can be easily fixed. i personally have to make myself calm down. breathe deep and relax, its not that bad. i always tell myself, if no-one else in the audience has the guts to get up and speak in front of other people, then they will have no right to critecize me when i'm done. i hope i could help, and good luck.