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Posted Feb. 22, 2013

How to Suck Less at Your PhD Presentation

Public speaking can be one of the most nerve-wracking things that any of us have to endure.

Unfortunately though, especially for those who feel shy speaking in front of others, it is a necessary part of just about every single Ph.D course.

The good news? There are a number of ways to make the whole situation seem a little less scary, and a little more manageable.

If you want to suck less at public speaking take note of these steps: Admit you are Nervous As silly as it may sound, admitting out loud that you're scared can actually release a lot of tension and help to calm your nerves. The chances are that the majority of the audience will totally understand why you feel nervous and will empathize with that, relieving some of the pressure. Experiencing feelings of nervousness before public speaking is normal. Is how you deal with those nerves that matters!

Talk at One Person at a Time If the thought of talking to 10, 100, or even 1000 people is simply too overwhelming to bear, remember this - you can only talk to one person at a time. By avoiding talking to a sea of faces, fix your gaze to one single person for a few seconds at a time. Once you have talked directly to them for a few seconds simply move your eye contact to another member of the audience. When you talk to the audience one person at a time it invariably makes it seem much less daunting.

Research the Topic Thoroughly One of the biggest factors that amplify feelings of nervousness and anxiety before doing a stint of public speaking is when people do not fully understand the topic they are talking about. There is nothing worse than standing up in front of a group of people, talking about something that you clearly know very little about, or are not well versed in. Once you are confident in the subject, the nerves lessen, and you can speak with authority and certainty.

Be Honest If you are giving a presentation that includes questions and answers, ensure that you are completely honest with your audience. There is nothing worse than getting into a situation where you are lying, bending the truth, or making things up completely because you don’t know the answer. There are effective techniques for dealing with a situation where you do not know the answer. Be straight with them and let them know that you are unsure of the fact and will look into it and get back to them, or why not open up the question to the wider audience, asking if they have any insights to share.

Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More Whilst some people are natural born speakers with the amazing ability to get up in front of others, completely unprepared and talk for hours without any sign of nerves, for most of  us this would simply end in disaster. If you're not a natural born public speaker, and you're not an expert in your subject, practice is the key to making your public speaking suck less. The best way to do this is out loud, and if possible, with an audience. Anyone will do - friends, classmates, family, and even your dog! Practice the words, the delivery speed, the tone, and the projection of your voice. All of which is guaranteed to help.

What techniques do you use to ease the pressure of public speaking?
 

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