Most people are more terrified of public speaking than they are of death. Topping the list of people’s worst fears, the art of public speaking can not only be nerve-wracking but also difficult. Although the fear of presenting to the public may never fade, here are a few tips that can assist in making the most of any presentation.

Dress to Impress

Looking the part is half the battle. Dressing in a professional manner allows for the audience to understand you are prepared. The audience will also be impressed by how prepared you are for the presentation and will be more attentive. Before presenting, you should take into account where you will be speaking and dress accordingly. Your outfit should make you feel confident when confronting the challenge of public speaking.

Look Fear in the Eye 

When sitting through a presentation, it is easy to notice when the presenter is unprepared and nervous as the presenter glances aimlessly and continuously looks up. To curb this habit, one has to focus on making eye contact with their audience one-by-one. Although this can seem overwhelming to a presenter, it is a key component to any good presentation. Maintaining eye contact with audience members exudes confidence and allows a presenter to look comfortable on stage.

Speak with Confidence 

Presentations revolve around what you say and how you say it. Strong speakers know how to captivate the audience with their words and stuttering and mumbling only hinder the process. Mumbling not only causes disinterest in the audience but also makes the speaker seem as though they do not really know what they are talking about. Another essential part of delivering a presentation is avoiding words such as “uh”,”like”, “so yeah”. Avoiding these phrases allows the speaker to have a strong flow of ideas and come off as knowledgeable. The more nervous one becomes, the more likely they are to increase their rate of speech. A resolution to this problem is taking a deep breath and concentrating on continuing at a slow and steady pace.

“Public speaking can be scary for a lot of people and whenever I feel that I’m speaking too quickly I like to play the song Eye of the Tiger by Survivor in my head to regroup and continue my presentation,” sophomore Dylan Carol said.

Practice Practice Practice

As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” This may seem cliché but it is full of truth. Going into anything unprepared only increases stress exponentially for no reason. It is always better to know what you are doing before walking into it, especially with presentations.

Public speaking, along with all other skills, requires practice and coaching. Rehearse your speeches in front of small crowds of people you trust to build up confidence. Slowly, mixing in techniques, such as engaging eye contact and speaking clearly will allow one to improve as a speaker and gain the skills necessary to captivate any audience.