12 Key Strategies For Excellence In Public Speaking Video Voiceover Script

Practice, Practice and Practice Again.

Lots of practice allows you to familiarize yourself with the topic, which helps alleviate nerves and anxiety. Practice your speech in front of a mirror, or better yet, a camera. Take note of any moments of bad posture or hand gestures and fix accordingly. Pay attention to what your body language is saying and organize your speech in the way you want to deliver it.

Speak to your audience

Never read your speech, nothing is worse for an audience than a speaker reading in monotone. It’s boring!

Do not memorize your speech

Prepare an outline to have in front of you and practice often delivering your address just using these bullet points as reminders of what you want to say.

Keep eye contact with your audience and avoid looking down at your notes.

Practice often so you can recreate the speech from memory covering your main ideas and details but using the words that come naturally to you at the moment.

You are telling a story, not reciting a script. And the more relaxed and conversant you sound, the easier your speech will be for you and your listeners.

Dress Professionally But Comfortably

When you feel confident, you will be confident, and your clothes are one way to help you feel good about yourself.

It Is Normal To Be Nervous

Your nerves will calm down once you start speaking and see the audience react to you. Practice your relaxation techniques, take deep breaths, and remember that you are prepared and have practiced, so you will be just fine!

Watch Your Pacing

When you are nervous, it is natural to talk more quickly. This is because of the extra adrenaline that is released during stressed as well as a psychological desire to end your ordeal as quickly as possible. Make a deliberate effort to slow your speech, practice this often.

Be Aware Of Fillers

One frequent problem with nervous speakers is the use of verbalized pauses, such as “um” or “uh” to fill the void when you don’t know what to say or are getting back on track with your speech.

When you say these words a lot, you sound less confident in your topic. While practicing your speech, watch out for these types of fillers, and work to eliminate them from your speech patterns.

Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, no one expects you to be perfect. Practice helps to reduce the likelihood of mistakes and builds confidence. If you make a minor mistake, do not call attention to it. Just keep going with your speech.

For significant errors, use humor to deflect the situation. Acknowledge that you are nervous, take a deep breath, and move on.

Take A Class

If you are new to or nervous about public speaking, take a class. There are many free, online courses available on this topic, and getting help and support from a mentor can help you gain the skills and confidence you need. Join a local Toastmasters International group, where you will have many opportunities to practice speeches and get feedback from experts.

Meditate

You can clear your head of negative thoughts by practicing daily meditation.

Meditation is a perfect strategy for overcoming fear and anxiety. There are many guided meditation apps that can help you get started.

Prepare Your Body and Mind

Make sure to prepare your body. Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Do not drink too much coffee or tea that day, as caffeine can make you more anxious and jittery. Have water handy during your speech to keep your mouth from getting dry. Make sure you eat a healthy meal before the speech that is not high in
sugar, which can spike your blood glucose make you feel jittery.

Be Yourself

Your audience will respond more positively to you when they see the real you.

Establish your expertise early on, but make sure your listeners know something about you as a person, too.

Practice Dealing With Distractions

Do your speech with the TV on or when there are children running around.

Try to answer a text message while staying on track with your talk.
While these are different from what you may encounter during your talk, they show that you can keep talking and deal with distractions that may arise.

You can’t have too much practice when it comes to public speaking. If you really want to improve your skills, get out there and do it more often.