If you’ve been asked to deliver a speech, it’s understandable that you might feel a little nervous. It takes a lot of confidence to stand up in front of a group of people and talk, especially if you don’t know everyone. However, giving a speech is also an honour and it’s important to remember that everyone wants you to succeed. Fortunately, there’s lots you can do to prepare, to feel more confident and to ensure you do yourself justice.
The Importance of Practising Your Speech
You’ve probably all heard of the saying practice makes perfect, and it makes a lot of sense. The more you practise something, the more you’ll progress, the better you’ll get at it and the more confident you’ll feel. When it comes to a speech, while not all of us are able to memorise words, practising saying them can make them feel much more natural. Try practising your speech in front of the mirror, in front of others and in different settings. Put yourself out of your comfort zone when you’re practising and you’ll feel more prepared for your big moment.
How to Connect with Your Audience
While you might want to hide behind something or someone, your audience wants to see you. So, if you can, try to stand nice and tall and make sure that your audience can look at you. Then, once you can see your audience, you’ll want to try to connect with them. If you’ve written a great speech, you’ll immediately create a connection with your words. However, you can add to that by looking up from your notes and making eye contact with your audience. It doesn’t have to be for the whole speech, but looking up a few times at least can make a huge difference. Also, gestures can help you to accentuate certain points and inject a bit of personality. However, you should let these happen naturally rather than over-practising them.
Why Content is King
A speech isn’t something that many of us are able to put together the night before or make up on the spot. Instead, a speech is something that deserves time, thought and patience. It’s about making sure the words truly reflect your feelings and convey the messages you want to pass on to your audience. It’s about getting the right balance of sentiments; even a sad speech can have moments of humour and vice versa. And, most importantly, it’s about being true to yourself. Feel confident in what you’re going to say, and the rest will seem so much easier.
When it comes to delivering a speech, confidence is everything. However, that doesn’t just mean having the confidence to stand up and speak in front of people; it’s also about having confidence in what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it. If you’re confident in the content, you’re much more likely to get the rest right and deliver a speech to remember for all the right reasons.