PUBLIC SPEAKING AND INTERVIEWS

PUBLIC SPEAKING AND INTERVIEWS

Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners.

Do you feel anxious at the thought of public speaking or going for an important job interview?

Are you filled with worry as soon as you find out that you will have to talk in front of a small or larger audience?

Do you get stomach jitters?

Do you keep going over and over it in your head?

Well help is at hand to aid you in overcoming your anxiety and improve your confidence so that you remain cool, calm and collected when it comes to public speaking.

Alix Needham can help you to feel more relaxed and in control when it comes to talking to groups or in any social situations. Alix will help you harness the power of your unconscious mind to deliver a great speech or giving your best performance at an interview.

Your old negative programming will be replaced by more positive thought patterns so you feel excited rather than nervous and jittery about the challenge. You will develop greater self-assurance and feel confident that your opinions are just as valid as everyone else’s.

You will discover how to approach public speaking with a feeling of relaxation and confidence. The effects will be long lasting and will not go away.

TIPS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING

Rehearse your speech A huge amount of your success is determined before the presentation. Your audience will know if you didn't rehearse. Taking time to practise beforehand minimizes your nervousness. The more comfortable you become with your material via rehearsing, the more comfortable you will be with your body language.

Closing and Opening Try to memorize your opening and closing words. 90 seconds of each is enough. The most important thing your audience will remember is your closing. Second most important thing they'll remember is your opener. Start with something attention grabbing, like a quote or statistic, which relates to your topic.

Use Family and Friends to Help Have a quiet dinner with a friend and go through your speech with them. You won’t be as concerned about your public speaking skills if you can  feel at ease with your material.

Changes Try not to make many changes in the last 24 hours. There is nothing worse than being re-writing your material at the last minute.

Notes Make notes and review your notes and visual aids the evening before. Your notes should only be brief memory joggers in bullet form, and are NEVER read to the audience.

Diet Eat a good breakfast the morning of your presentation. Even if you're not speaking until that evening, feed your mind and body the proper fuel.

Mirror Check your appearance in a mirror before starting your speech. Knowing that you look good will give you an added feeling of confidence when you start to give your presentation.

Audience Know your audience before designing your speech. What are their ages? Will they like a little humour or simply the facts. These are important things to think about when before putting together your speech or attending your interview.

Eye Contact Keep eye contact look at the audience frequently to establish rapport and a connection.

Interviews For interviews, anticipate possible questions and prepare model answers.

Time Date and Venue Lastly make sure to confirm the time, date, and place with the appropriate contact person. If possible, arrange to see the room ahead of time so you can practice visualizing in the exact location of your presentation. At the minimum, arrive at least one hour ahead of time.

A Last Word

Public speaking or going for a job interview can be quite a difficult task if you are not mentally prepared for it. If you need more help to become confident with public speaking or interviews then please contact Alix Needham on 0207 935 1965 or email info@alixneedham.com for a free initial consultation

Read a case study here which explains the way in which Alix has helped overcome a fear of public speaking.