This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.
Public speaking is one of the most common fears. So many students struggle with class presentations, interviews and auditions because of this phobia. There are, however, some things you can do to increase your confidence when having to speak in public. As a student in COM, I have noticed over my four years here the same verbal tics, nervousness and speaking faux pas that students suffer from in class. I have compiled a list of ways to overcome these issues so your professors, fellow classmates and potential employers will truly listen to what you say and believe you when you say it. Here are my top tricks of the trade:
- It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it: My number rule is that sometimes, it’s not exactly about what you say, but rather how you say it. Although speaking accurately is obviously better than saying something factually wrong, simply sounding confident will make all the difference. Think about politicians. In the first presidential debate this past year, Romney dropped so many inaccurate “facts” into his arguments but the general consensus was that he “won” the debate. Why? Because he acted like he was on top of his game. He was confident in everything he said so America believed everything he said. Believe in what you’re saying. Your audience will too.
- Don’t play with your hair: Playing with your hair conveys a sense of insecurity and nervousness. It shows that you need to hold on to something to feel more secure while speaking.
- Use your hands: If you’re standing, try to use your hands while talking – when your hands are just hanging by your sides, it looks a bit awkward. Don’t stand with your hands in your pockets because this looks lazy and too informal. Try using your hands to demonstrate what you’re saying if possible.
- Limit verbal tics: Try to omit verbal tics, such as saying um, like and you know. Without these, your speech will sound much more fluid and will make you sound secure and confident in what you’re saying.
- Get rid of up-speech: Ending all of your sentences with a question inflection (your tone of voice when asking a question) just sounds bad. It’s not professional, plus it sounds kinda Valley-Girlesque.
- Feet position: When standing, don’t point your feet inwards—it conveys a sense of insecurity
- Eye contact: Make eye contact with your audience. They will pay attention to you if you connect with them.
- Notecards: Don’t read directly from cheat-sheets or notecards. You can have them in your hand, but practice speaking with them beforehand so you’re not simply reading from them. You should be looking at them as references but looking up at your audience most of the time.
- Speed: Talk with a steady pace, not too slow, not too fast. Talking too quickly also conveys nervousness.
- Don’t slur your words: Slurring words, mumbling or trailing off at the end of your sentences is not professional and no one will able to understand you. Plain and simple.
- Answer the question you are being asked: In interviews, answer the question they are actually asking you. Don’t be like politicians, who never answer the questions they are asked in debates. Be clear and concise. You can give examples, but don’t be repetitious or give roundabout answers.
- Pausing: You can pause to think about an answer in interviews. Don’t feel like you need to speak immediately after the interviewer stops talking. It’s ok to think for a second and not rush to an answer. It’s much better to think over a good answer than immediately respond with a bad answer.
- Don’t apologize for being nervous: If you apologize to your audience for being nervous, you will look insecure and immature. The audience may not have even noticed that you’re nervous.
- Don’t speak in a monotone: Your audience will fall right to sleep if you talk in a monotone. Talk like your subject matter is incredibly interesting even if it’s not (again, it’s not always about what you say but how you say it).
- Smile: It’s ok to smile every now and then, unless you’re talking about something super serious. You don’t want to come across as completely stoic and aloof, so smile from time to time to lighten the mood.
And there you have it! Try out these tricks the next time you have to give a presentation in class or you’re on a job interview. I promise, they really work. Do you have any other public speaking tips? Leave a comment!