"Do's" and "Don'ts" of Public Speaking

Don’t

• If you want your audience to see how confident you are, never say, “I am nervous right now,” “I have never spoken in front of others,” or I didn't prepare". They will never know unless you mention it, and they don't need to know.
• Do not memorize your speech. Prepare cue cards with key points to make your speech flow and sound natural.
• Watch out for giving too much information and using too much technical words. Select and develop around what is most important. You want to keep your audience interested, not make them fall a sleep!
• If you are doing a power point presentation, do not put too much information on one page. Your audience will be spending more time reading it than listening to you. Put a picture with key words that will be more memorable. Use it as a support for your speech, not as a focal point.

Do

• Once you finish your speech, focus first on what worked. Make a list of what really went well and then find what did not work and how you can do differently next time.
• Utilize your whole body, voice and hands and a space around you as props. They will add more characters, colour and volume to your story, and support the audience’s imagination.
• Include a personal or familiar story that the audience can connect to.
  
• Focus more on how you are going to engage with your audience rather than what if you make a mistake or what if people don't like you. You don't know what will happen. If you you focus on a result you want, you are more likely to get that result!