Public speaking has long haunted those who loath and like it. In every stage of life, since high school, college, even up until reaching the corporate world, no one is totally free from its clutches. Whether it is for the purpose of show and tell or pitching to a client, public speaking skills is an important necessity in your waking life.
There is a way to make public speaking easy to do and less stressful. Breaking down the process into steps helps anyone have a clear mindset on what it is one should talk about, how, why, etc.
First, you should be able to know or at least decide on your goals and objectives for bringing up that particular topic for public speaking. If you are comfortable with your reasons and understand them wholeheartedly, chances are your audience will too.
In public speaking, the objective of the introduction is for you, as the speaker, to connect with the audience. At this point, they should be able to understand why you are in front of them. They should also have a basic idea of the point you are trying to make.
This is also the part where you could mention your thesis statement as well as give them a run down of the topics you will be covering through the duration of your presentation.
The body is the center of your presentation. This is the part where you get to support the thesis statement you presented during your introduction. Sometimes, the use of visual aids such as a computer program like Powerpoint or transparencies, etc., help lend support to your presentation as well as catch the attention of your audience.
The conclusion, believe it or not, is one of the most important parts in a presentation. This part should be able to provide a summary of your ideas in a clear, simple and straightforward manner. This is also the best time to address any questions that the audience may have and you, as a speaker, should be able to answer them appropriately. At this point, the audience must know what is it that they should do or what you would want them to understand or realize or think as based on your presentation.
However, this breakdown will be ineffective if you do not prepare. You should know your audience. Respect your audience and they will respect you. It is unethical to talk down to them as well as to talk them up. Your presentation should be compatible with the knowledge they are given about the topic. Talking about filing taxes to an audience of literary writers will best be appreciated by providing them first with the basic technical jargon.
