Public speaking. Addressing an audience. Some people refer to public speaking as a fate worse than death! That’s one thing to be said about digital marketing. You don’t need to address a crowd . . .
Even still, learning how to speak in a clear and engaging manner in front of an audience is a skill that will serve you well in anything you do. What are some ways to improve your public speaking skills?
Focus on the SPEAKER
Do you get jittery before you approach the mike? That’s natural. Actually, you can harness those nerves to give spirit and spunk to your presentation. Even the most polished speakers have some sense of anxiety as they cross the stage to the podium. It’s what they do once they face the audience that makes the difference.
First of all, watch their body language. They walk with confidence. They stand tall. Their faces highlight and emphasize their message.
Next, listen to their voices. For one thing, they speak loud enough for those in the back of the room to hear. They control their breathing to sustain the tone of their voice. They also pay close attention to the pitch, not allowing it to slip into a disastrous monotone.
Lastly, look at the delivery of their talk. They carefully consider the rate of their speech–not too fast and not too slow. Instead of peppering their talk with fillers or empty words such as “you know” and “like” and “um” and “er,” they make good use of pauses throughout. Focus on polished speakers so that you can learn how to become a better speaker.
Focus on the AUDIENCE
Consider the people who will be in your audience. What do they want to learn about the topic? How can you catch their attention right from the start and keep it right to the end of your talk? Boil it down to answer this question: what’s in it for them?
By focusing on them, you can form in your mind a typical audience member. Fashion what you say on who you see. When there’s a mismatch between audience and delivery, your message won’t go far at all.
Remember also that those in your audience want you to succeed. They are there to listen in a static, passive role. Most of the time, they don’t have a chance to speak during a presentation. You can gauge the success of your message by watching their faces for reactions. Pay close attention to that. Adjust as you go along so that there’s a match between your message and their reaction. Focus on your audience to guide you through your speech.
Focus on the PURPOSE
Consider each one of these four methods of public speaking: to entertain, to inform, to persuade, to inspire. What is your goal for facing an audience? Focus on the reason for your presentation to decide on which techniques to use.
For instance, those who entertain must pay close attention to the timing of their delivery. On the other hand, those who inform must pay close attention to the details and description of the topic. Still yet, those who persuade must express their thoughts in a convincing way, aiming for agreement as the end result. Lastly, those who inspire must focus on a blend of all three.
If your purpose is out of focus, the audience will know that several minutes into your talk. Remember that your purpose must match the purpose of your audience. Tell them about what interests them and how it applies. Focus on the method, message, and delivery, so that your purpose is met.
Focus on the RESULT
When you speak to a group of people, your main purpose is to connect with the audience to deliver some sort of message. In this virtual world of business, we don’t necessarily need to address a live audience. We can use software to be the bridge between speaker and audience.
We’ve got a software platform that will serve as that bridge. With Online Sales Pro (OSP), you can address a crowd linking your Email Service Provider and an email list. For example, you can launch a sales campaign or a series of training segments with text and video, or inspirational and informative messages to your sales team.
Use this web and mobile app as your microphone and become a virtual public speaker. There’s no fear in that. In fact, we’ll help you get up and running. We’ve helped many others. Over 70,000 subscribers have used OSP as their microphone to reach their audience. You can do that, too. Give OSP a try and see how easy it is!
