Fear of public speaking? Check out 5 tips to overcome this problem.

And in addition to the tips that we here from Mega Curioso reveal in the animation above, check out other tips that can help - and a lot - you when facing an audience:

1 - Mentalize

The first thing to do before facing the audience is to find a quiet and peaceful place to relax and replay your presentation mentally. That way, you're in the mood and getting ready to take the stage full of energy and confidence.

2 - Organize your presentation

In addition to knowing the content you will cover in detail, as we mentioned in the animation, you need to keep in mind that the audience will decide if they like you - and will hear what you have to say - in the first 30 seconds of your speech.

Therefore, it is essential to win the audience in this first contact and find a way to catch their attention, planting little seeds with the most important information that you will discuss throughout the presentation. Also, the last 30 seconds are also very important, because that's when the audience will decide whether or not you deserved your time.

3 - Know your audience

Nothing better than identifying your audience to speak the same language as him! To increase the chances of creating a connection with the audience, try to learn more about them beforehand by finding out information such as what motivates them and what their concerns and expectations are.

With this knowledge in hand, you can prepare a speech that allows you to speak directly to the audience and make people feel that you are not simply chattering in front of them, but that you understand their perspective as well.

4 - Body language

In the animation above, we commented on the importance of walking and looking at the audience and avoiding arms crossed. For, according to many experts, a huge amount of information is transmitted through our bodies - not exclusively through speech.

You can, for example, start walking or changing direction when presenting new information, or leaning slightly toward the audience, such as telling a secret, when entering meaningful data. Also, use your hands - when talking about three important points, indicate with your fingers.

5 - Don't be afraid of silence

If you are feeling nervous and feel that you are losing the thread in the middle of your presentation, don't be afraid to stop for a few seconds and be silent. Take this time to rearrange your ideas and regain focus. And don't worry about the audience, as while they wait for you to speak again, the pause will have created a sense of anticipation and curiosity about your speech.

Bonus

Limit your time

Let's say you let go and you start to love this story of dominating the stage and having a whole audience attached to you! This does not mean that you should be talking non-stop indefinitely. Human attention has a limit, and after that, all the work you have had to create a connection with the public can be lost.

Try splitting your presentation into blocks of up to 20 minutes, and intersperse these periods with questions, displaying graphics and images, showing a supporting video, or making a basic joke. The thing is to interact with the audience, create breaks and restart the attention cycle.

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* Posted on 3/8/2016