People from all walks of life frequently find themselves in situations where they have to speak to other people in public. It may be because they have been invited to present a speech at a conference or a convention of some sort, or because they have to present a proposal in a business situation. Or it may simply be because they are in a position of authority where they have to give guidelines to other people.
Whatever the reason for needing to talk to groups of people, public speaking presentations will affect the way others perceive you. You do need to recognize and accept this. But do not be intimidated by it. Planning a speech thoroughly, and presenting it in a creative way, will gain you huge respect.
Sometimes you may have to speak spontaneously or off-the-cuff, but if you have the opportunity to plan your speech (or talk) beforehand, this is what you should do. Plan, and then prepare and practice. You will probably be surprised to learn that the best public speakers spend an enormous amount of time beforehand researching and then preparing what they are going to say.
While you obviously need to research whatever topic you're going to cover in your presentation, you also need to know a bit about your audience. For example, you may be asked to talk to your department about some new type of product your company has just launched. In that case, your speech will be rather different to one you would give to potential buyers. If you are asked to talk about the same product at a conference, you will need to link the product to the theme of the conference, to make it valid and authentic within this context. All three speeches will differ from each other.
Now we are going to take the planning and preparation process one step further. Many people employ others to write speeches for them--you probably are aware of this. The problem with this approach is that the presentation will never really be your own. In fact most people who have speeches written for them end up either learning them by heart or reading them, politicians included. But a really good presentation will appear as if it comes from your heart. For this reason you need to know your topic forwards and backwards. This doesn't mean you have to share everything you know, but rather that you have some knowledge in reserve - what speaking guru Dale Carnegie used to call "reserve power."
Once you know what you are going to talk about and have decided what to say, you need to plan very carefully how you are going to present your speech. It always helps to write an outline first, just as you would if you were writing a book. Formulate an introduction and a conclusion and list your main thoughts in an order that makes sense. If you are going to quote anyone or tell stories, decide where they will best fit in.
Then practice giving the presentation, if possible to some sort of audience or to someone who can give you constructive criticism. Practice breathing while you speak. Practice relaxing and feeling at ease. Also be conscious of body language and unnatural pauses where you add "ums" and "ahs" that really do not belong. A moment of silence is much better than an "um!" Never forget this.
When it finally comes to the moment that you have to stand in front your audience, remember everyone is there to listen to a good presentation. They want to be engaged and informed, which means they want you to succeed as much as you do. If you have prepared well and practiced, you will be sure to do this.
