Friday, August 28, 2009

Public Speaking Exercises Can Help You Too

If you hold any position of authority at your job or if you happen to be self-employed, it is inevitable that there will come a time where you will be asked to give a presentation to a group of people. If public speaking is something that you are not really accustomed to, you may feel a sense of anxiety and literally lose sleep wondering how you're going to overcome your fears. This article will aim to provide public speaking exercises that you can use to make your public speaking engagement a positive experience.

Love them or hate them, public speaking exercises can really improve your public speaking abilities. The first exercise is to tape yourself with a voice recorder or camcorder. A camcorder will give you the advantage of hearing how you sound in addition to seeing how you look when speaking. Recording and reviewing yourself will provide you with fastest improvements in your public speaking. While this exercise will undoubtedly be your least favorite exercise, it is the most effective and will provide the fastest improvements.

The second exercise is to practice tongue twisters before giving your speech. You may think that sounds silly. After all, what do tongue twisters have to do with public speaking? Of all the public speaking exercises that exist, only by practicing tongue twisters out loud can you improve your diction in such a short period of time. If nobody can clearly understand what you're saying, you can expect your audience to quickly tune you out and ignore what you have to say, no matter how useful or important your presentation is.

The final exercise is all about relaxation. Relaxation can be achieved with purposeful breathing. Before going on stage, inhale deeply through your mouth and exhale very slowly through your nose. Breathing in this manner will help you to relax and calm your nerves. When you're relaxed, you appear very confident to your audience while simultaneously appearing as though you're a complete natural when it comes to speaking in front of groups of people.

Remember that most people fear public speaking and the fact that you are doing what they fear will automatically put you in a positive spotlight. Public speaking exercises like recording yourself, perfecting your diction, and focusing on your breathing will all contribute to you looking like a pro. No longer will you have to experience anxiety or lose any sleep if you commit to practicing the exercises that you have learned here.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Is A Public Speaking Career Right For You?

Are you looking for a new career that offers the ability to travel, meet a lot of new people, has a flexible schedule, and pays really well? If so, a public speaking career could be the perfect choice for you. While all of these benefits sound great and might be just what you're looking for, this field isn't for everybody. This article will explore some of the things you will want to take into consideration before making the move to a public speaking career.

Given the fact that communication is a necessary part of our very existence and well being, one would think that speaking in front of a group of people would be easy for all of us. You, of course, know this isn't the case at all. In fact, for some people, nothing frightens them more than having to orally present a topic in front of a group of people. This is the very first thing that you will need to give careful thought to. If you are comfortable speaking in front of people, then a public speaking career may be perfectly suited for you.

The second thing to consider before embarking on a public speaking career is that you will need to be a recognized expert in your field. This isn't as difficult as it sounds. You don't need a PhD or have to be some world renowned expert. Giving workshops about your topic to your local chamber meetings, submitting articles to your local newspaper, and similar actions can easily establish you as an expert in your field. Additionally, you may be pleased to learn that using the Internet can help you become a recognized expert in no time at all.

Finally, don't expect to be paid the big bucks when first starting out. You will need to start your public speaking career on a local level which will pay the least amount of money. From that point forward, your goal will be to expand your public speaking reach by speaking regionally, statewide, and then nationally. As you move along from speaking locally to national speaking events, your pay per speaking engagement will increase.

Entering a public speaking career can be very rewarding if you are willing to pay your dues. You must be comfortable speaking in front of small and large audiences, establish yourself as an expert in your field, and willing to start off small and work your way up to national speaking engagements. Follow the correct path and before you know it, companies and organizations will be contacting you to speak at their event while paying for your travel, lodging, and speaking fees.