The Do’s and Don’ts of Public Speaking

Do’s
 Thoroughly research before speaking on a topic. Gather all the relevant information you
can, so that you are ready to answer all questions pertaining to your topic of presentation.
 Focus on two or three main point, so that it’s easier for the audience to remember the
information provided to them. You presentation should be organized in such a way that
there is a logical flow of ideas from the beginning to the end. Jumping from one pint to
another will only confuse the audience.
 Use analogies, metaphors to elaborate what you are trying to say.
 Including real life examples would help the audience to relate with what you are trying to
say and they will not perceive the concepts presented as superficial or something
unrelated to them.
 Make a strong start one that will capture the attention of the audience, and end stronger
so that the impact of your message remains with the audience for a longer period of time.
 Including humor is always a good idea, but using it the right way and at the right time
matters. Humor brings the attention of your audience back to what is being said. It gives a
light tone to your presentation and refreshes the audience.
 Use audio-visual aids to complement your presentation and not the other way around.
 Involve the audience ask then to share their experiences pertaining to the topic under
discussion. Ask questions and engage your audience by starting a discussion [depending
on the availability of time].
 Be confident; don’t hold yourself back because of fear of making a mistake. People are
not there to judge you but to listen to what you have to say.
 Expect the unexpected. You may have to face technological failure, the mike might stop
working or the multimedia got stuck. Be prepared to handle such situations.
 Change the tone of your voice to emphasize on important points, but always keep a
steady pace.

Don’ts
 Do not overwhelm the audience with too much information, especially if they are not
familiar with the topic.
 Do not overwhelm your presentation with numbers, fact and figures. Only use them to
supplement your ideas.
 You cannot please everyone so do not try to make the effort.
 Do not try to control the behavior of the audience; just try to engage them through
discussion.
 Never go unprepared or speak on a topic about which you have little information or are
not comfortable with.
 Do not speak in monotone. It will surely cause your audience to sleep or leave the room.
 Do not wander away from the topic. Always remain focused.
 Stimulate your audience through Humor and Humility

Public speaking is not that difficult, most of us can do that. However the kind of public
speaking that captivates and stimulates the audience is not that easy. Speakers use variety of
techniques to stimulate the audience and to connect with them, among them two such techniques
are humor and humility. They make your talks entertaining and keep the audience involved in the
conversation.

In public speaking humor can work wonders; it makes the situation light, uplifts the
mood of your audience, and makes your talks all so enjoyable. However using the humor at the
right time and the right way also matters. If you are comfortable with the use of humor and
usually use it in your conversation with friends go for it. It works the best in almost every
situation. You can even turn the negatives in your lectures into positives through the use of
humor. For example, if the multimedia stops working or the mike fails instead of being nervous
you can lighten the situation by giving small witty remarks about it like ‘ I think the multimedia
got angry coz you were giving more attention to me than him’.

Humility refers to being humble and modest. Excepting in-front of the audience that you
are a human like them capable of making mistakes. For example while giving speech on
effective speaking skills one can start by admitting that they were not too good at it either when
they begin. Acknowledging your weaknesses in-front of the audience gives them the courage to
share their weaknesses with you, it creates a climate of cooperation and understanding between
the audience and the speaker. They connect with the speaker better when they realize that they
are not very different from the speaker and if the speaker has overcome his/her weakness, may
be they can too.

Being humble and genuine in front of the audience increases your credibility. Moreover
you can combine both humor and humility to capture the interest of your audience. Sharing with
them funny stories about yourself to strengthen or support your point, can be downright
entertaining and stimulating for the audience and they leave the hall with a positive view about
your talk. They might even recommend others to your talks.

For example you can admit before the audience that when you got up on stage you were
so nervous that you almost stumbled on the stairs or while giving your first public speech you
were so nervous that you forgot all of it. Using such examples is always stimulating for the
audience and they accept you as being one of them, not just an expert who is over and above
them.
 Effective Public Speaking

Effective public speaking is a skill that can be acquired with a lot of practice and
experience. It is not as difficult as some people presume it to be. You do not have to be an expert
or a know it all to be effective at public speaking. With the help of little preparation, thorough
research on your topic and by following few simple strategies you can be an effective public
speaker.

All you need is to focus on two or three main points. There is no need to overwhelm your
audience by giving all the information you know about a particular topic. You are not there to
teach them an entire course in one day. Giving too much information can be chaotic; your
audience will not be able to remember any of it. So it’s better to focus on a few main points and
stick to them in your presentation, especially if the topic of discussion is not very common. The
audience will be able to understand and remember a few points better than if you bombard them
with huge amounts of data.

Moreover you need to have a clear purpose in mind as to what you are trying to
accomplish through your speech. Generally the spirit of public speaking involves imparting
something of value to the audience, to educate them and to give them information. The purpose
of public speaking is not to gain something, although it could be if you are trying to persuade the
audience to vote for you, its sole purpose is to impart knowledge and to make the audience aware
of crucial issues about which they are not familiar with. Thus your strategy should be to make
sure how you can accomplish this task.

Don’t be afraid to lose, otherwise your fear will hold you back. Public speaking is not
about winning, it’s about giving not taking. It doesn’t matter if you are not awesome as long as
you are able to give something of value your audience will always appreciate you. You cannot
control the reaction of the audience so do not worry about it. Just do your best.

The truth about speaking in public is that no matter how great you were, still there will be
some people who won’t agree with you or your point of view. Some people will always differ
with you or criticize you, its part of human nature, either because they really didn’t like or agree
with your views, or because you were so good that they feel resentment towards you. So do not
worry about them, you do not necessarily have to be liked by all members of the audience. Your
goal was to share something of value to them, if you have accomplished that be content with
yourself.