Women, Be Heard: How to Speak with Confidence in Public

A study reveals that more than 70% of adults often encounter a fear of public speaking. Whether it is a university presentation, business meeting, or wedding event, it can be nerve-wracking. You should be aware that even professional public speakers face such situations where they go blank while speaking. Public speaking is a skill, and confidence is one of the traits that impact the way we communicate or represent ourselves. Here, we will share effective ways to speak with confidence.  

Make Eye Contact 

Eye contact plays a significant role while we are socializing and communicating. The eyes are the first feature that most people scan while talking to one another. You must maintain eye contact with the audience to exhibit your confidence and build better connections with them. Consider practicing and recording yourself before the actual event to be better prepared for the situation. 

Be Prepared 

If you want to learn how to speak with confidence, you should start preparing for the coming situation. Here are some of the things you can follow to ensure everything is in place. 

• Consider visiting the venue and room where you will have to speak 
• Take a printout of the materials that you may require 
• Arrive on time for your speech 
• Practice in front of other people and get their feedback  
• Create cards and practice papers that you would want to use 
• Be prepared for technical glitches (For instance, the video not playing during the presentation) 

Practice  

You should be well-versed in the concept that you are going to speak about. To deliver an effective speech, here are some tips to help you master how to speak with confidence. 

• Do not just read the message. Try to make it interactive. 
• Practice and record yourself 
• Speak in front of your family members to improve your confidence  
• Practice the pitch and see how loud you would want it to be 

Read Also: How to Rebuild Your Self Confidence and Esteem

Know Your Audience  

You can be fully prepared when you actually take steps to know your audience. Try to find out who will be attending the event. When you are well-versed in the behavioral pattern of the audience, you will be prepared for different situations. Besides the audience, you should also have a thorough understanding of the topic you are communicating to let go of the fear of public speaking. 

Pause and Breathe  

Whether it is a presentation or a public meeting, you cannot speak like you are reading an essay. You need to build engagement and pause strategically to emphasize stress on particular things. Pausing will also help you avoid filler words and may give your audience the opportunity to think about what you just said. Avoid speaking too quickly and learn how to speak with confidence by following this simple trick. 

Confident Body Language 

Your body language and posture play a significant role and will help you appear more confident. You must use hand gestures and facial expressions to emphasize and stress particular points. Move around and match your facial expressions with the verbal words. Breathe slowly and think of habits that make you feel nervous. When you are aware of the habits, you will be in a better position to prevent and let go of the fear of public speaking. 

Identify Your Excuses 

To understand how to speak with confidence, you must first identify the challenges. Try to find out the key aspects that impact your confidence levels and make you feel nervous. Most people are often concerned that they cannot speak in public or that the audience will label them as incompetent. Try to change these thoughts and smother the negative thoughts with positivity. Change the way you see things and focus on the message you are communicating. Avoid getting distracted by what the audience is doing. Try to connect to the listeners who are actually listening and paying attention to your speech.  

Create a Stage Persona 

Creating a state persona is another effective way that may help speak with confidence. Think of the confident public speaker you admire and analyze their pattern of speaking. Think of the ideal personality and features you want to highlight when speaking on stage. Remember, mistakes can happen, and you should be prepared for them. Have a backup strategy in mind as to what you can do and how you can maintain your calm during public speaking. 

Read Also: How Can Body Language Project Self-Confidence in Women

Eliminate Filler Words 

A lot of people use filler words and phrases such as ‘Um’ and ‘Like.’ Using these words during public speaking can impact the communication level. To learn how to speak with confidence, you must first pay attention to the words you are using. Use professional language and be polite in your approach. Do not use filler words or any foul language. 

Dress for Success 

How you dress up and appear can also have a significant impact and affect your thoughts. You should dress professionally and avoid wearing flashy clothes. Make sure that you are comfortable in your attire. If you want, you can carry a piece of paper and write down the bullet points on it. However, you should use it only when required. Try to learn the speech by heart and describe what comes to your mind. 

Learning to speak with confidence in public is not easy. You will have to maintain your calm and change your response according to the audience. If you feel the audience is not interested, try to make it more exciting or change the subject a little. Follow these tips and become a confident public speaker.