Speaking to a large audience

[Ando85]

I like a lot of people find speaking to a large crowd to be very nerve wracking. Whenever I do this and start to get nervous I lose my train of thought which just makes the situation worse. So, besides picturing everyone in their underwear is there any things that help?

 

[aba1]

find a position that makes you comfortable and get used to doing it for example sitting down then practise. Like everything practise makes perfect I used to be very shy before highschool then those 4 years I put myself in situations I wasnt the most comfortable with and now I am alot more comfortable with different things.

 

[blaqknoise]

Know what you're talking about. If you know your stuff then you won't have to worry about mixing it up.

 

[Aurgelmir]

Find a few people around the room that seems to be interested in what you are saying, and speak to them. Switch between them so it seems you are speaking to the crowd.

This way you don't look all around the room and look nervous. And its easyer to speak to 4 people than 100 people.

 

[Limecake]

Find a few people around the room that seems to be interested in what you are saying, and speak to them. Switch between them so it seems you are speaking to the crowd.

This way you don't look all around the room and look nervous. And its easyer to speak to 4 people than 100 people.

pretty much this, you should always try to talk as if you're talking to an individual instead of a crowd.

when looking into the crowd look people in the eye, it honestly helps to relax your nerves. being expressive might also help, using your arms while talking will help you sound more enthusiastic which could help boost your confidence.

 

[lettucethesallad]

I have a list of bullet points so I know exactly what I want to say. I find that if I have it all planned out in my head, I don't get as nervous as if I'm just making it up as I go along, hoping I won't miss anything.

 

[Hectix777]

This may sound kinda self absorbed but try to love being the center of attention and learn not to care of others opinions. If you learn to love being in front of a lot of people it won't bother you and it might just excite you. Instead of thinking of all those people out there are watching to see you crash and burn think that all those people are here for you, and that's the only reason why they're there. Revel in the fact that as of that moment in time, you are the most important man in the room. Your the VIP, the big shot, the Chairman of the board (we love you Dino), the man of the hour. Don't fear it, embrace that mutha'f*****. I love being in front of crowds, the fact that all eyes are on me, that I'm the center of attention, that for one instance the world revolves around me. Just remember a couple of things: Speak to for yourself, impress you not them; the people of the crowd are no different than you, no one there is your superior; don't care as much and have fun with it.

 

[Togs]

I unfocus my eyes so the rooms blurry and then try and act like Im super confident.
It mostly works- just watch the volume and speed of your voice- if your going to loud or quiet or too quickly it will get worse as these will make you feel stressed.

 

[Twuk]

Basically what all the others have said, but I would stress the preparation bit. I found myself last semester getting up to make certain speeches and I found that when I actually prepared for them (rather than covered them Whose line style) I found the experience to be much less stressful.

 

[jobu59749]

I've done a lot of public speaking since high school, I still get nervous. The amount varies depending on the size of the crowd. Before speaking, take a few minutes and breath. Inhale through your nose and exhale out of your mouth. It's scientifically proven that doing this, will actually slow down the adrenaline pumping through your system.

Do some loosening up exercises. Seriously, stretch everything. Your shoulders, arms, legs, back, and your jaw. This will also help you relax and the best speaking always happens when everything is loose and relaxed.

If you can have note cards, then do so. Make them small and don't write your speech on them, but rather important points. These can be a great aid to help keep you on track if you feel like you might forget something.

Practice, practice, practice. Then practice some more. Get comfortable with your speech, the sounds of your words. They should flow from you like a smooth and calm river. If your speech is memorized, close your eyes and imagine the room you'll be speaking in. Imagine 100 faces, and make your speech. This helps set your mind to the moment.

Eye contact is key. As another poster said, you should speak to the crowd as though it were just one person. I like to find key faces around the room to focus on. Usually 3-4 and speak to them at different intervals to make that appearance of speaking to the crowd. I know someone said this above, i'm just too lazy to copy the post...lol. It's all true though.

The big thing that will make you better at speaking, is to continue doing it over and over again.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Do little things that might make you feel more at home. For instance, when I started playing in a band I would have a flask of tea on stage and occasionally drink from it. Slightly stranger, but Tim Minchin doesn't wear shoes on stage for the same reason. I suppose you might look odd wearing no shoes, but you might be able to think of something like that which would make you feel more at home and relaxed.

 

[Simalacrum]

Do it more often. We all get jitters the first few times, best thing to do is get used to it. Also, before you speak, try to make a very set structure of what you're going to say beforehand, I always find that helps.

 

[BrassButtons]

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. Write down your speech, then practice it until you can recite it without even thinking about it. Then when you're in front of people thinking "Oh crap they're all looking at me what should I be doing with my hands it's hot up hear what was I supposed to say--" your mouth will already be working. And if for some reason your mental freak-out causes your mouth to stop, just take a deep breath. A momentary pause can be enough to get you back on track, and it won't really be noticeable to the audience. You may also feel more comfortable if you also have note cards, just as a backup.

As with most things, this gets easier with practice. And if you can get to a point where it no longer bothers you, you will have a very valuable skill.

 

[SilentCom]

Picturing people in their underwear would be too distracting for me... and awkward. The best way for me to speak to an audience is to rehearse before hand and make sure I know the content of my presentation extremely well.

 

[Zantos]

Practice, practice, practice! Also if it helps try and get someone you trust to sit in near the front and if you get nervous just start talking to them and ignoring everyone else in the room. You can't do it for the whole time, but it's just good for getting into your stride for the first few minutes.

 

[WhyBotherToTry]

What I always found helped me when I did debating was to pick two or three points in the room like windows or bits of the floor etc. that were near people so that way if you're too nervous to look at the audience directly it at least seems like you're looking at them. It also means you're not looking into their eyes so it doesn't seem like they're staring at you.

 

[Erana]

Roleplay.

Chances are, you're a geek, since you're on this website.
Don't do the presentation, let your level 85 Blood Elf Paladin do it.

 

[molesgallus]

Big crowds are the easiest. It's much more difficult to be 'called out'. A small group can easily band together and poke fun. A large crowd cannot. The larger the better.