Public Speaking Training and Tips

The irony of public speaking fears lie in the fact that all of us have been speaking all through our lives and been public speakers at various levels. Even when you speak to a group of your friends it is public speaking, as public speaking need not necessarily have a stage situation with a podium and a microphone. Only when we imagine ourselves in such a situation, public speaking becomes a nightmare, Whereas, if you can remind yourself that you have already been a public speaker all through your life right from your childhood days then you will be in a better position to handle the situation.

One of the ways great public speakers over come their stage fear is by practicing their speech in front of a mirror. If you have a full size mirror it would be all the more better. While performing before a mirror, try and observe the following about yourself:

1. Your posture - How you are standing - whether you have a straight posture or are you slumped down? How graciously you use your arms? Whether you have got the speakers footworking style - one foot in front of the other at least half a foot apart.

2. Eye contact - Do you maintain regular eye contact with the audience? In this case when you are practicing before a mirror - look straight into your own eyes.

These are the few things you can pay attention to. These help in over coming our stage fright to a certain extent because a considerable amount of fear is contributed by our preoccupation that how we look before others and what others are thinking about our appearance. If we are not confident about our own image - it would reflect in our speech.