Ensure your speech will be captivating to your audience as well as worth their time and attention. Videotape your presentation and analyze it. Emphasize your strong points during your presentation.

Be solemn if your topic is serious. Present the desired image to your audience. Appear relaxed, even if you feel nervous. Establish rapport with your audience. If a microphone is available, adjust and adapt your voice accordingly.

Master the use of presentation software such as PowerPoint well before your presentation. Persuade your audience effectively. Speak loudly and clearly. Sound confident. Maintain sincere eye contact with your audience. If what you have prepared is obviously not getting across to your audience, change your strategy mid-stream if you are well prepared to do so. Allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think. Keep audience interested throughout your entire presentation. Remember that an interesting speech makes time fly, but a boring speech is always too long to endure even if the presentation time is the same.

Check out the location ahead of time to ensure seating arrangements for audience, whiteboard, blackboard, lighting, location of projection screen, sound system, etc. are suitable for your presentation.

Tell audience ahead of time that you will be giving out an outline of your presentation so that they will not waste time taking unnecessary notes during your presentation.

Here are just a few hints, public speaking tips and techniques to help you develop your skills and become far more effective as a public speaker.

• Mistakes

  Mistakes are all right.

  Recovering from mistakes makes you appear more human.

  Good recovery puts your audience at ease – they identify with you more.

• How to use the public speaking environment

  Try not to get stuck in one place.

  Use all the space that’s available to you.

  Move around.

  One way to do this is to leave your notes in one place and move to another.

  If your space is confined (say a meeting room or even presenting at a table) use stronger body language to convey your message.

• Tell stories

  Stories make you a real person not just a deliverer of information.

  Use personal experiences to bring your material to life.

  No matter how dry your material is, you can always find a way to humanise it.

• Technology

  Speak to your audience not your slides.

  Your slides are there to support you not the other way around.

  Ideally, slides should be graphics and not words (people read faster than they hear and will be impatient for you to get to the next point).

  If all the technology on offer fails, it’s still you they’ve come to hear.

• Humour

  Tell jokes if you’re good at telling jokes.

  If you aren’t good, best to leave the jokes behind.

  There’s nothing worse than a punch line that has no punch.

  Gentle humour is good in place of jokes.

  Self-deprecation is good, but try not to lay it on too thick.

You can learn to enjoy public speaking and become far more effective at standing in front of a group of people and delivering a potent message.

And remember to keep practicing!

Power of positive thinking

Admit it we live in a hostile world where all of us have a constant need to be accepted,loved and admired.Our fears,dislikes and outbursts are mostly mere manifestations of our negative thoughts.When you give out negative thoughts,youre most likely to attract more negativity in your life.

People often underestimate the power of positive thinking.We think how can I affect the outcome of my actions by just thinking in a particular way But have you ever thought about the fact that there isnt a single moment when you arent thinking and that every thing that happens,begins with a thought.

One positive thought can change your attitude towards a task,which in turn changes the outcome.Experts say that if you want to live longer,be happy,healthy and successful,thinking positive plays a big role.Easier said than done,heres how you can start…

Recognise negative thoughts as they arise and bury them before they take root.Dont let your emotions take the better of you.Imagine how youd look back at the situation the next day.

Hang out with people who think positive.When you surround yourself with people who are a delight to be around,you will start behaving like them,too.While negative thoughts attract negativity,positive people are very likely to attract positive thoughts.

Eat right and exercise regularly.When you look good on the outside,its easier to feel good on the inside.
Live in the present.Most of our negativity stems from past regrets or future fears I wish Id acted differently or I wish this doesnt go wrong. However,the present is the only time we have and living in it will make you happier.
De-clutter your home.And your life.Surround yourself with things that you love and things that make you feel good.Photographs of loved ones,plants,flowers,art,puzzles or anything that has value for you will make you think happy thoughts.

Be happy with what you are and what you have.Dont try to be some one you arent.If youre not satisfied with the person you are,identify what you dont like and change that aspect of yourself.Concentrate on what you have and not what you lack.

Have a goal in mind that you would like to pursue.Keep yourself busy in planning it out.It can be anything from wanting to go skydiving to winning a competition or pursuing a hobby.While not everybody may believe completely in the power of positive thinking,follow these simple tips and notice the impact it has on your life!