Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organisation whose mission is training communication skills and leadership. It brings together more than 14 thousand speaking clubs around the world, including the Czech Republic. Its president in New York is Joshua Rinaldi - a man who not long ago was scared of performing in public but now teaches others how to improve their speaking and presentation skills. Businessinsider.com found out how he managed to achieve this.
Speak from memory
This advice may sound like a cliché but it is the true foundation of successful public performances. Joshua Rinaldi recommends first to write the entire speech down, read through it several times and then start rehearsing it using your own words. Your final speech will be similar to the original but not word for word the same. If you want to take some notes with you onstage, these should contain just a few points, not whole sentences or even pages of text. The purpose of using notes is to remind you of the main points of your speech, not so you can read from a paper.
Show your true self
Involve your personality in the speech. If you are good at telling funny stories, do not hesitate to add a joke. You can also use analogies from various activities in your life (e.g. sports, cooking, etc.). In general, keep in mind that your speech is essentially a dialogue with the audience. Present the topic as if you were in conversation with fewer people. Even if you have to study complex materials, simplify the information for the audience. Always build your speech around who will be sitting in the audience.
Breathe deeply and skip the coffee
Prior to going onstage, even experienced speakers will benefit from calming down with the help of slow, deep breathing. Thirty seconds to a minute is enough. Clenching your fists or tightening your thigh muscles may help too. Rinaldi also advises skipping coffee or other caffeinated beverages at least one hour before the presentation. In combination with the adrenaline rising from the upcoming performance, it could cause more harm than good.
Do not apologise
The fact you are not quite sure of yourself does not mean you have to draw attention to it. Beginners often make the mistake of including several excuses right at the beginning of the presentation. These may be "I am sorry if I am talking too fast." or "I'm sorry, I did not have too much time to prepare." The audience is not interested in such apologies and you may unnecessarily undermine your credibility.
Do not hurry
Check in advance how much time you will have for your speech. Then rehearse it so as to take full advantage of this time. It is not a race. A nervous person tends to talk faster and therefore you should consciously pay attention to the pace of your speech. If you speak too quickly, people will not understand you and it can also happen that you will run out of breath. If you forget something, do not worry: a short pause to take a breath and regather your thoughts is no problem.
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