Public Speaking Guide for Introverts

Public Speaking Guide for Introverts

Introverts enjoy the inner workings of the mind; social situations and crowds of people drain their energy. It follows that public speaking or large presentations would be a bit daunting for an introvert. However, preparation is the key to success when it comes to public speaking.

 

Everyone knows the old saying, “practice makes perfect.” You probably heard that phrase for the first time as a kid when you were taking piano lessons, playing soccer, or preparing for a dance recital. Even though you’ve grown up, not much has changed – practice still makes perfect. Below are some necessary steps an introvert should take to make presentations less intimidating.

 

• Write your speech in advance, then memorize it. If you make a mistake you won’t be stuck frantically searching for what to say next. You will have enough time to compose yourself and continue without alerting the audience to any difficulties.
• If there’s a problem, don’t let it show! The audience doesn’t know your speech in advance, so they won’t know if you make mistakes.
• Practice, practice, and practice some more.
• Practice in front of a friend or family member, or record yourself. It’s important to practice giving the speech, but also important to get feedback on it.
• Practice on the stage if possible – it’s good to prepare your speech realistically.
• Treat your audience as your friends – they want to see you succeed. Nobody in the audience will know you’re introverted; in fact, they are all coming to this conference, event, or presentation to hear you speak. They think you have something worthwhile to say, and they want to learn from you.
• If you practice enough (do you see a common theme here?) it will become second nature to stand in front of a crowd and present. The more you do it, the better you’ll be at public speaking.

 

Public speaking is a muscle you should exercise often – even if it’s only in front of a few close friends to start. Take the necessary steps to prepare yourself, and you won’t have a problem. Presentations are a combination of performance and discussion, so try to be compelling – storytelling is a powerful tool that will engage the audience. Most importantly, smile, relax, and try to enjoy yourself (or at least try not to panic). And remember, practice makes perfect.