Public speaking is one of the most common fears around, as it affects up to 30% of the general population. A person speaking in front of a crowd, whether it be for a school project, a job interview, or in a meeting, assumes they are just shy and simply hope that they won’t have to deliver a speech again. This is not always the case, however. Sometimes more help is needed from someone to help another person reduce public speaking anxiety. Below are some tips to help.

Greet the Audience

As a speaker, it’s important to let the audience know who is speaking as well as that the speaker knows the audience is there and listening to what they are saying. The audience won’t always feel the need to pay attention to a given speech, but addressing and greeting the audience will help gather their attention.

Don’t Stall Getting to the Point

Many audience members find it difficult to sit still and listen to a speech for an extended amount of time. For this reason, it’s wise to save all the small talk in a speech until the end and get directly to the topic of the speech. Doing so will give the listeners early knowledge of what they will be hearing and will keep them more focused while listening.

Be Legible

No one typically takes a speaker seriously if they can not see or hear a speaker or any visual aids that the speaker may have. To ensure this does not happen when speaking, sentences should always be clearly stated and should not be lengthy and quickly spoken. To make sure the audience understands any presented visual aids, they should be large and should include colors that are attractive to audiences but do not clash together.

End the Speech with Thought

The speech conclusion is just as important as the speech itself because it is the last thing the audience will remember of what was said. A stuttered and a nervous conclusion typically won’t be remembered by listeners. A good way to end a speech is to look at the audience and restate the topic and thank the audience for listening.