You are happy with the speech you have written, but now you are worried that on the day you won't be able to deliver it correctly. Let's look at a few things you can do to improve your performance.
Practise
We have mentioned this before, but it is worth saying it again. As one expert put it, the three secrets to public speaking are practice, practice and practice. It is a fact that a thorough knowledge of your material will dramatically boost your confidence.
We have mentioned this before, but it is worth saying it again. As one expert put it, the three secrets to public speaking are practice, practice and practice. It is a fact that a thorough knowledge of your material will dramatically boost your confidence.
Rehearse your speech out loud, including the pauses for laughs and intonations of your voice. Practice it in front of a friend who will give you constructive criticism. This will highlight any areas of the speech that don't quite sound right. You can even tape yourself (video or audio) and listening to the recording will suggest some other improvements.
After going through this process a few times you will start to feel proud of your speech and it will be burnt into your memory. Part of you will even be looking forward to delivering it and getting those laughs.
Notes
Most experts say you should not read your speech and only use 'bullet-point' notes as a prompt should you get stuck. However, in my experience if you are not a confident public speaker this can increase the anxiety of forgetting your lines. It is always comforting to know that you have the back-up plan of simply reading out loud should you need to.
Most experts say you should not read your speech and only use 'bullet-point' notes as a prompt should you get stuck. However, in my experience if you are not a confident public speaker this can increase the anxiety of forgetting your lines. It is always comforting to know that you have the back-up plan of simply reading out loud should you need to.
Have your speech written out in full (including non-verbal directions) in large, easy to read text. A5 sized sheets are easier to handle than A4. If you have practised a few times you will find that you remember most of it when you are up there anyway.
-www.bestmanguide.co.uk
So in summary some good tips on actually delivering a speech are:
- Practise practise practise!
- Rehearse out loud
- Record yourself and listen to it
- Ask a friend to hear your speech and get constructive criticism. Have a crit!
- You could use bullet points just to give you pointers
- Try and sound natural and conversational
- A5 sheets are easier to handle than A4
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