Although some people are born with an abundance of natural confidence, most of us have to learn, grow and develop it. And though a person may be confident generally, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will naturally translate to motivational speaking. There are many ways to increase public speaking confidence, however, the easiest way to do so is to practice your presentation and delivery. Nothing replaces the experience of gaining composure and public speaking ease than actually giving your presentation in front of a live audience. In the beginning, this can be achieved by joining Toastmasters and by volunteering your speaking services around your community. Any professional speaker will tell you that they have reached their present ability level not because of having read books on the subject of speaking (though that may indeed help), but rather because they have had years of speaking experience in front of live audiences.
Here are a few ways to be build your confidence as a speaker:
1. DEAL WITH ANY NEGATIVE PAST PUBLIC SPEAKING EXPERIENCES.
You may have experienced an extended awkward pause and wished the ground would swallow you up. Or perhaps you have literally fainted under the pressure. Regardless of the severity of the negative experience, the flashbacks can cause you to freeze or throw up at even the thought of ever speaking publicly again. Like with any negative experience you get to make a choice. Will you allow it to impact your future and define you or will you face it, deal with it and move on? It may be as simple as deciding not to replay it in your mind anymore. Or you may need the help of someone else to move past it. You can’t move forward and build confidence as a public speaker if you are haunted by negative experiences. You can’t move forward and build confidence as a public speaker if you are haunted by negative experiences.
2. USE POSITIVE PRIOR SPEAKING EXPERIENCES TO INSPIRE YOU.
While the style and size of the audience may be different, or the speech topic may be different, drawing on positive prior public speaking experiences can help you develop confidence for your upcoming speech or presentation. You can do it again if you did it before! It's all too easy to forget about a successful event. It is thus advised that you write down what you did well, why you think you succeeded, and any encouraging comments you got while it is still fresh in your memory. As part of your preparation for your next event, you can then refer back to your notes, recall the past event and adrenaline high you felt and this can boost your confidence.
3. WATCH YOURSELF AND WRITE DOWN THE THINGS YOU ENJOY.
Observing oneself on camera is a fantastic method to have a better understanding of what your audience is going through while you talk. However, analyzing your recording and identifying all of the issues you need to address is only one side of the equation. It's also crucial to go through your film and figure out what you enjoy about your speech. This type of examination ensures you don't become utterly overwhelmed by everything you think you need to address. Concentrating on what you enjoyed and, preferably, writing it down, can help you gain confidence.
4. BACK YOURSELF WITH YOUR WORDS
Words have a lot of power. Your future will be shaped by what you say about yourself. Speaking negatively about yourself as a speaker may be detrimental to your confidence, and negativity is not appealing. Instead, use your words to back yourself up. You may not yet be where you want to be, but beating yourself down will not help you get there. It is feasible to speak candidly and freely about your speaking talents without adding fluff and to put a positive spin on it that will boost your confidence. Consider how nasty remarks leave a bad taste in your mouth. Remember, if you can't say anything good about yourself as a speaker, it's probably best not to say anything.
5. CONFIDENCE AND ARROGANCE ARE NOT THE SAME THINGS - DON'T BE AFRAID OF BEING CONFIDENT.
While there is a point where the scale may tilt from confidence to arrogance, don't be afraid if you're a confident speaker in any manner that your confidence will be misinterpreted by the audience. The fact that you're worried tells everything! Because they are preoccupied and focused on themselves, arrogant people are unconcerned with the audience's perception. As a speaker, you won't come off as arrogant if you have a healthy mindset and attitude. As a result, you won't have to be concerned about how your confidence is viewed, allowing you to enjoy and grow your confidence.
Good Luck!
To your speaking success!
Inspiring Speakers Bureau15
