7 Tips to speak with ease...still working on

The words public speaking strikes fear in the minds of otherwise competent and confident small business owners. There are many ways to increase business exposure so why bother to overcome your speaking jitters? Stepping up to the podium not only positions you as an expert in your area of business but provides effortless referrals and improved sales opportunities.

Presenting a non-sales informative speech warms up your target market and builds trust. Unlike endless cold calls the people you present to and follow up with are more receptive to listening to your offering of products and services.

Overcome your fears of public speaking and boost your business with these 7 speak with ease tips:

Start Small: If you’re new to the world of speaking, start small.
Find a few friends and family to practice on. Begin by speaking to smaller groups and build up from there.

In my business speaking career I speak to groups of 30 to 3,000. One discovery I made is the size of the audience makes no difference. If you know your topic, you’re pre-speaking fears will quickly evaporate.

Prepare: Nothing helps ease the speaking fears than knowing your material. The ability to connect with your audience comes from having the confidence you won’t get lost during your delivery. Rehearse several times before the big talk. Time your presentation and always have back up material in case time is left over.

Don’t Memorize: Success in public speaking comes not from memorizing word for word your entire speech. The real pros know their material by remembering key points and prompts on sub topics and examples to cover.

Avoid Bullets: The majority of business presentations and speeches are boring monologues filled with endless PowerPoint slides and bullet points. Trash the PowerPoint presentation and make your material the focal point of the talk. If you do use PowerPoint, take the approach of using visuals that quickly convey your message.

Reduce Stress: The most fearful moment of any presentation is the one minute before your stage entrance. Use the tactic of elite athletes by visualizing a positive outcome and using deep belly breathing to reduce stress and build confidence.

Find a Friend: Prior to your speaking on stage introduce yourself to a few members of the audience in the front row. During your talk look these people in the eye to ease your nerves and connect with your audience.

Engage the Audience: Creating a monologue presentation puts the entire task of informing and entertaining the audience on you. Make your talk a two-way interaction with questions and participation to reduce boredom and speak with ease. Having the group involved also gives you time to reorganize your thoughts if things are going off track.

Make public speaking part of your marketing function and boost your business success. Your fears will evaporate over time and you’ll wonder why you didn’t start sooner.