Let's speak up!

In front of audiences! Yes, its Public Speaking Techniques by Mr. Farizal and Miss Tara on 11th March.

One thing that came to mind when heard of the term 'Public Speaking'- stage fright/nervousness. 5 minutes before any presentation or speeches, there will be upset tummies, excessive and unnecessary sweating, nausea and worst, vomiting before going up to the stage. Here are some tips to get rid of stage fright and have an effective speech:

• Be prepared. Have the speech prepared earlier to ensure there is no room for embarrassing mistakes. If using the IT services (Powerpoint, projector, AV system), test it out 10-15 minutes before presentation time.
• Mini handouts, not scripts. Have in hand mini notes of points to be emphasized in the speech, not entire script of the speech. People tend to get tongue-tied or stuck when they could not remember the words in scripts but can speak more naturally when they have notes.
• Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! In front of the mirror, parents, friends, brothers, sister. If they could not understand you, most probably your audience wont be as well. Rehearsing builds confidence!

So, never be afraid to speak up, loud and clear. Stay focus on getting the message across. On that day itself, we familiarized ourselves with several presentations including Press Conference, Debate and Forum. Each discussion have different styles but the focus is still there: Speak up, effectively!