How to Speak in Public
Martin Luther King Jr.
, the world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement, was also one of the greatest orators of all time.
Take a minute to watch an excerpt from his famous speech "I Have a Dream," above.
I know public speaking may seem like a moot point, but I guarantee you: Being a confident, fluid, and engaging public speaker will do many things for you.
I myself have been there, having made numerous speeches to crowds of thousands.
Why learn how to speak in public? Instill true confidence in yourself.
Learn to be extremely persuasive, a life skill in itself.
Learn how to lead people.
Being accustomed to being in front of hundreds of people will make other leadership-oriented tasks seem menial.
Get an adrenaline rush.
And guess what? You will conquer the #1 fear of all people: Public speaking.
Dr.
Michael Telch of the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders (LSAD) in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin said, "The biggest fear is public speaking, with 15 percent of American experiencing a dramatic fear of it...
People have had to turn down jobs, and certainly students have dropped classes because of it.
" So, if you learn how to speak in public, you can be proud to have conquered the #1 fear of Americans.
From the years of experience I've had in public speaking (I started when I was 8 - I'm not claiming to be an expert though), here are some of my personal tips if it's your first time in front of people: RELAX.
I cannot stress this enough.
It is not the end of the world if you mess up.
Breathe.
Before every major speech I give, I take 3 huge, deep breaths.
Literally try to fill your lungs as much as possible, hold it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale.
Think to yourself "It's not nervousness - It's excitement.
" Those butterflies in your stomach aren't there because you're nervous, they are there because you're so excited for the opportunity to be able to speak in front of people.
Look people in the eye.
Now, there's definitely a trick to this.
Looking at people's eyes when you're making a speech and looking someone in the eye during a conversation are two very different things.
In a conversation, you are (obviously) conversing with the person, thinking about what they're saying, what you're about to say, etc.
However, when making a speech, you still look people in the eye, but you're really looking at their eyes the same way you would look at the walls next to them because you aren't thinking about what they're saying or doing.
* You should nearly have the same demeanor on your face if you are looking at person sitting in a chair or just looking at an empty chair.
Have fun with it! Call me crazy, but I get more of an adrenaline rush and more excitement doing public speaking than I do from a roller coaster.
It's exciting, fun, and engaging.
If you can learn to have fun with speaking, your speeches will be more interesting and people will be more engaged.
Slooooooowwwww dooowwwwnnn.
The huge majority of beginner speakers talk way faster than they think they are.
Take note of how slowly Martin Luther King Jr.
speaks in the above video.
Talking slow does not sound bad- it makes you sound wise, educated, and confident.
Smile! While your exact facial expressions depend on the speech, a smile conveys warmth and love to your audience - People love it.
These are simply some beginner tips that I hope can get you started.
However, I want you to get involved in some real public speaking experiences.
High schoolers & Middle Schoolers: Check out the YMCA's program, "Youth and Government.
" I served as Governor of Texas Youth & Government and literally had the best experiences of my high school career here.
If you live in Texas, I can personally get you connected.
Feel free to contact me.
Also, check out the Model United Nations program.
College students: Check out College Youth in Government, the growing extension of the high school program.
There is also National Model United Nations and the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference.
Everyone: Toastmasters International is a great non-profit organization that will help you go from beginner to professional, whether you want to increase your abilities, ace that job interview, or practice your seasoned skills.
Good luck! I hope I'll see you one stage on day.
*Note: Not taking note of the crowd response is a beginner method.
As you get better at public speaking, you will learn to "feel" the crowd and interact with them, change your dialogue, emphasis, tone, and volume accordingly, etc.
, the world-renowned leader of the Civil Rights movement, was also one of the greatest orators of all time.
Take a minute to watch an excerpt from his famous speech "I Have a Dream," above.
I know public speaking may seem like a moot point, but I guarantee you: Being a confident, fluid, and engaging public speaker will do many things for you.
I myself have been there, having made numerous speeches to crowds of thousands.
Why learn how to speak in public? Instill true confidence in yourself.
Learn to be extremely persuasive, a life skill in itself.
Learn how to lead people.
Being accustomed to being in front of hundreds of people will make other leadership-oriented tasks seem menial.
Get an adrenaline rush.
And guess what? You will conquer the #1 fear of all people: Public speaking.
Dr.
Michael Telch of the Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders (LSAD) in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin said, "The biggest fear is public speaking, with 15 percent of American experiencing a dramatic fear of it...
People have had to turn down jobs, and certainly students have dropped classes because of it.
" So, if you learn how to speak in public, you can be proud to have conquered the #1 fear of Americans.
From the years of experience I've had in public speaking (I started when I was 8 - I'm not claiming to be an expert though), here are some of my personal tips if it's your first time in front of people: RELAX.
I cannot stress this enough.
It is not the end of the world if you mess up.
Breathe.
Before every major speech I give, I take 3 huge, deep breaths.
Literally try to fill your lungs as much as possible, hold it for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale.
Think to yourself "It's not nervousness - It's excitement.
" Those butterflies in your stomach aren't there because you're nervous, they are there because you're so excited for the opportunity to be able to speak in front of people.
Look people in the eye.
Now, there's definitely a trick to this.
Looking at people's eyes when you're making a speech and looking someone in the eye during a conversation are two very different things.
In a conversation, you are (obviously) conversing with the person, thinking about what they're saying, what you're about to say, etc.
However, when making a speech, you still look people in the eye, but you're really looking at their eyes the same way you would look at the walls next to them because you aren't thinking about what they're saying or doing.
* You should nearly have the same demeanor on your face if you are looking at person sitting in a chair or just looking at an empty chair.
Have fun with it! Call me crazy, but I get more of an adrenaline rush and more excitement doing public speaking than I do from a roller coaster.
It's exciting, fun, and engaging.
If you can learn to have fun with speaking, your speeches will be more interesting and people will be more engaged.
Slooooooowwwww dooowwwwnnn.
The huge majority of beginner speakers talk way faster than they think they are.
Take note of how slowly Martin Luther King Jr.
speaks in the above video.
Talking slow does not sound bad- it makes you sound wise, educated, and confident.
Smile! While your exact facial expressions depend on the speech, a smile conveys warmth and love to your audience - People love it.
These are simply some beginner tips that I hope can get you started.
However, I want you to get involved in some real public speaking experiences.
High schoolers & Middle Schoolers: Check out the YMCA's program, "Youth and Government.
" I served as Governor of Texas Youth & Government and literally had the best experiences of my high school career here.
If you live in Texas, I can personally get you connected.
Feel free to contact me.
Also, check out the Model United Nations program.
College students: Check out College Youth in Government, the growing extension of the high school program.
There is also National Model United Nations and the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference.
Everyone: Toastmasters International is a great non-profit organization that will help you go from beginner to professional, whether you want to increase your abilities, ace that job interview, or practice your seasoned skills.
Good luck! I hope I'll see you one stage on day.
*Note: Not taking note of the crowd response is a beginner method.
As you get better at public speaking, you will learn to "feel" the crowd and interact with them, change your dialogue, emphasis, tone, and volume accordingly, etc.