One of the most dreaded activities for studenst is public speaking as it puts you in a vulnerable position with all eyes and ears focused on you. However, there are tips and strategies on how to ace your public speaking skills and make your audience captivated. Here are 4 TED talks from different people that give you an insight on what public speaking should look like.
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Nigel Marsh teaches you that one of the best ways to hold your audience is to ask a question that you can't answer. That might sound illogical but does not stop there. You need to tell the audience why you cannot answer the question and that will hold their attention. More so, admitting to your audience that you cannot answer it humanizes you and lets them really listen to what you have to say.
Susan Cain's TED Talk titled "The Power of Introverts" gives a valuable lesson that in order to hold the attention of your audience, you need to share something they don't know. In order to do that, you have to research the type of audience you have and their general interests as well first before you research about your topic.
Once you know your audience, find a surprising and unusual fact or analogy which is related to your topic. In her talk, Cain told the audience that every time people blush, the lining of their stomach also turns red. That got you, didn't it? So will your audience.
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Best-selling author Seth Godin knows how to hold his audience. His secret? Pausing for 10 seconds. Why 10 seconds, you might ask. Godin explained it himself saying that a 10-second pause will give the impression that you did it on purpose while a two or three-second pause means you lost your train of thought. Only seasoned and confident public speakers are comfortable with silence. More so, the 10-second pause will also get the attention of the audience.
In this TED Talk, speaker Elizabeth Gilbert talks about her dream of being a writer and the challenges that come along with it. With that, the next valuable tip in public speaking is share a real, emotional story (could be yours or someone else's) to your audience. Then, couple it with emotions showing on your face and you are able to make a connection with your audience.
