Van Norman Law’s Public Speaking Tips (Part Two)
Welcome to part two of Van Norman Law’s public speaking tips.
3. Study the Greats
What better way to learn public speaking than by studying the greatest public speakers of all time? In the modern age, your resources are nearly limitless. Hop on YouTube and you can spend hours watching some of the most influential speeches of all time. You can study the habits and tendencies of history’s most charismatic individuals. Pay attention to how they can captivate an audience with just a few words. It is okay to imitate a few of their techniques, however, to keep it original. When speaking publicly the audience will be able to tell from your facial expressions and your tone of voice whether you are being sincere. Remember they want to hear from you, not someone you’re pretending to be.
4. Remember Body Language
They say that over 90 percent of communication is nonverbal! It is easy to forget this when you are speaking in front of a group of people. While you are in front of everyone, you think about what you are saying and how you are delivering it, but you don’t consider what your body is doing! Your facial expressions, your posture, the way you use your hands, all of this sends a message to the audience. Make sure it is the message you WANT to be sending. Stand up straight and use your hands to accentuate your points. Act like you are grabbing success right out of the air in front of you!
5. Watch Yourself
You have already spent some time watching great public speakers, now it is time to watch yourself. Most smart phones have a video record function. Prop yours up on a dresser and deliver your speech. Now it is time to play it back and watch. Pay close attention and try to identify ticks or bad habits so that you can correct them. Remember from our previous blog, practice makes perfect. After correcting bad tendencies a few times while practicing, it will become a habit.