Josh Peace Looks at How to Become a Confident Speaker
In business, it’s essential to be able to present your plans and ideas successfully. It’s a skill that’s utilised every day, whether it’s talking to colleagues or business partners in an informal situation, making a pitch, or addressing a meeting or conference. Some people can find it difficult to address a large number of people, while it comes easily to others. A recent article on Entrepreneur.com looked at 6 ways to overcome stage fright, and make a perfect presentation. Here, Josh Peace reviews the article, and explains the secret of his success.
“Confidence is all important in business, particularly when it comes to public speaking”, said the entrepreneur and public speaker Josh Peace. “The good thing is that it’s possible to learn to be a good public speaker, and train yourself to be better every time you step up to the podium. The article includes some excellent tips that new entrepreneurs in particular will find useful.”
The article gives six steps that will lead to a great presentation. The first of these is to think of the bigger picture, and consider the most important thing that you want your audience to take away with them. This should be the same whether you’re addressing 5 people or 500. Gentle humour is always good, and explain the point of your speech at the start, so the audience won’t get lost. Add a visual element to the speech, whether this is through slides or props. This helps to keep the audience engaged. Don’t walk around too much, or people will start to watch what you’re doing rather than listening to the words.
A good speaker imagines that they’re speaking to the back row, this creates good amplification. It’s also important to vary the tone and pitch of your voice. If possible, don’t read from cards. By speaking from memory, you immediately look and sound more confident. Practice the speech over and over, and the words will soon become familiar to you. The final point the article makes is to stick to your plan, even if things go wrong. Don’t try to shorten a speech, or change it on the hoof.
“Public speaking is my job, and I love it”, said Josh Peace. “I wasn’t always as confident as I am today, however. It’s come through practice, hard work, and perseverance. The main thing I would say to nervous public speakers, is to embrace and enjoy it. Some of the greatest performers in the world are nervous until they take to the stage, but they adopt a new more confident persona when they start to perform. You can be the same.”
Josh Peace has recently been a key speaker at a business conference at the Tower Bridge Guoman Hotel. His expertise can help businesses take the fast track to success.
