Public Speaking Tricks | Dominate The Podium

The Role Of Criticism

Posted on 11. Dec, 2008 by Crazy J in Criticism

Words have the power to both heal and destroy, and when words are both true and kind, they can change our lives. Wise words spoken by the Buddha and public speaking is a remarkable way of getting across a message to a select audience.

Whilst public speaking is often viewed in the corporate environment, public speaking is a skill that permeates all different walks of life and it should be noted that the skills that you develop for it can be used elsewhere.

Most of us are terrified at the prospect of public speaking, feeling rather vulnerable and exposed, worried about being judged and about making a fool of ourselves.  All too often, a nervous speaker allows their nerves to get the better of them and thus spoils their speech, hindering their delivery and limiting the effectiveness of their message.

Mistakes are natural, and if dealt with correctly will actually help you win your audience over because it makes you appear more human, as a common criticism of public speeches is that they are rather contrived and sterile.

If you feel like you are about to sneeze, cough or you end up losing your train of thought, make a small joke of it to the audience to help break the ice. If you feel a little nervous, tell the audience so, and take a few deep breaths. If it means you deliver a more competent speech, then by all means, go for it.

Practice makes perfect for all things, and public speaking is no exception to this rule, so make sure you run through your speech or material a few times before the actual delivery for maximum impact. Reading through it several times will make the delivery more fluid and natural; it will also mean that you can more easily and effectively maintain eye contact with the audience which is another powerful tool to win their approval.

Why not enlist the help of a friend or colleague? Let them hear you delivering the material, and ask for feedback. Remember, this is intended as constructive criticism, not to destroy your confidence! Get their views on how they feel you deal with the subject matter. Did you make the delivery in a clear, concise way, with total objectivity?

Did your delivery at times stretch out into a monotonous drone? Our perceptions of how we interact with others quite often end up differing from other people’s opinions and so it is vital that you get feedback so as to competently identify areas to improve on.