Integrity Score 170
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For the longest time I suffered from stage fright. I would do anything I could to escape presentations or if I had to give any then I would fumble. My self confidence was naturally low because I felt insecure about how I presented myself on stage.
My breakthrough came when my cousin instructed me to practice a speech I was nervous about. I practiced numerous times and everytime I fumbled, he would ask me to begin from the start. I practiced a 2 minute speech for 2 hours until he clapped and told me I was ready. I presented the speech really well. However, that was because I had memorized the speech.
As a student of media and communication, we have to deliver many impromptu presentations on short notice. It is time consuming to memorize a speech and does not really help deliver an effective presentation. Memorizing a speech deters you from engaging with the audience. To deal with the problem I made use of mental cues (much like mental flash cards). I would remember certain keywords and loosely articulate a few paragraphs. It didn't matter if I didn't remember the paras. I would articulate and improvise on the spot in order to engage with the audience. After several trials and errors, these are some things I would suggest you can do to improve your presentation skills:
1) Practice- but not too hard. Just go through your speech twice or thrice to build confidence.
2) Visual cues: Your audience will find it easier to follow you.
3) Try following the 10 slides-20 minutes-30 font size method by Guy Kawasaki when making PPTs
4) Engage with the Audience. Interact, ask questions, get feedback. It's important to sustain their attention.
5) Remember but don't memorize.
Do you also face problems with stage anxiety? How do you overcome them?