Imad El Atiki El Ghennouni Mohammed has been a motivational speaker for 15 years, helping clients with various aspects of their professional and personal development, including skills development, working as a team, career changing and business mentoring. Imad Ghennouni also imparts the importance of taking time out to exercise, enjoy hobbies and socialize to help clients maintain a sustainable work-life balance.
Prior to becoming a motivational speaker, Imad Atiki El Ghennouni Mohammed worked in a corporate setting, specializing in various fields, including financial services and sales. Imad Gennouni draws on the experiences he gained along the way to help others develop their careers and achieve their personal and professional aspirations.
This article will look at public speaking, providing tips and pointers to help inexperienced orators deal with their nerves and present themselves in an interesting, engaging and articulate way.
Today, an estimated 75% of adults suffer a fear of public speaking. Addressing a crowd typically triggers the release of stress hormones that can manifest themselves in various unhelpful ways, making the voice harder to control, causing lapses in concentration, and even leaving the speaker physically trembling.
Even the most confident and charismatic business leaders must deal with nerves. The key to navigating this is developing effective coping strategies. The first step to pitching perfectly is preparation and organization, both of which help the speaker to increase their control over the situation, reducing the risk of things going wrong.
Sensible preparatory measures include visiting the venue in advance and getting a feel for the room. Materials should be printed at least a day ahead. Cue cards are a great idea, providing the speaker with a safety net should they become distracted. Orators also need to prepare for technical faults, for example, having a back-up plan in case a video does not play. On the day of the presentation, it is vital to arrive at the venue early, having practiced the speech repeatedly beforehand.
Nerves can be an extremely challenging aspect of presenting. Fortunately, there are measures orators can take to help them manage anxiety. Mindfulness exercises can be surprisingly effective, particularly those that include breathing exercises. Many experienced speakers practice controlled breathing just before going onstage to alleviate anxiety and keep them relaxed. Exercising earlier in the day can also go a long way towards keeping stress levels in check, triggering the release of feel-good endorphins.
Great public speakers maintain a sense of positivity. They stand up straight, delivering their presentation eloquently, speaking clearly and loudly enough so that everyone can hear, and using words everyone can understand. Projecting the voice is important since a strong, articulate voice demonstrates authority and confidence. Practicing voice projection helps speakers to appear more confident, enabling them to get their message across effectively.
Adept presenters know their content inside out, reeling off data and statistics seemingly effortlessly. The key to achieving this is practice. Presenting the speech in front of a mirror can be an effective means of committing it to memory while helping the speaker to loosen up and have fun with it. Adding humorous tidbits can go a long way towards retaining the audience’s attention and interest. Even for experienced speakers, cue cards are an invaluable way of remembering key points and keeping the presenter on track.
Public speaking is an activity that strikes fear into the heart of many. For most people, the idea of addressing a large group and delivering a speech is intimidating to say the least. However, the ability to communicate effectively and present ideas in an authentic and compelling way is integral in many professional spheres.
Fortunately, building confidence in public speaking is achievable through practice and perseverance, paving the way for professional and personal growth and success. While fear activates the fight-or-flight response in many, causing both mental and physical symptoms, understanding and harnessing this fear can be achieved through careful preparation and meticulous organization, ensuring that all bases are covered, and nothing is left to chance.
