The podium can be an intimidating place. Even seasoned public speakers feel anxious when standing in front of a microphone. This is natural. Connecting with your listeners is hard work, and now you have to contend with a big, intimidating box being placed between you and your audience.If at all possible, avoid letting this happen. Ask the audio/visual team if you can have a lavaliere microphone so you can be mobile and move away from the podium. This is especially helpful when you many presenters before you have stood at the podium. Your job of creating a connection with your audience is simplified when you remove this barrier.
But, sometimes this just doesn’t work. It is a formal environment that calls for all presenters to make the pitch from the podium. When this is the case, pick up the book, Speaking from a Podium: Simple Tips to Get Started, by Daniel Kennedy. He suggests four tips for making your next speech from the podium sing with confidence:
- Keep your feet planted and stand up straight. This will convey poise and strength, even if that’s not what you’re feeling.
- Don’t memorize. Unless the speech is very short, the anxiety of trying to remember your lines will only make your task harder.
- Find a place for your hands. Put your hands in one place — for example, on the sides of the podium — and then forget about them. You will bring them up naturally to gesture as long as they have a place to return to.
- Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse as many times as you can, in an environment as close to the real experience as possible.
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After completing the Communicate to Win workshop, you will have the most compelling argument and the best ideas. With this complete package, you will gain the tools necessary to guarantee that you have the best ideas and that you can present them confidently so you will WIN. Read what participants say.
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