It’s the thing that is feared by so many people and yet we all have conversations every single day, mostly without thinking twice about it. So why is public speaking difficult for so many people and how can we make it a bit easier?

Well, here’s five nuggets from Personal Impact Specialist & CIPR Trainer, Dannie-Lu Carr, that may help you understand what’s going on and how you can soon be on your way to becoming a public speaking success.

ONE: We are way more engaging for any audience the minute we let go of being who we think we ‘should’ be or trying to impress. The more you speak as if you were chatting to your friends over dinner, the more effective you will be as a speaker.

TWO: Don’t think about getting to the end. Whenever we get hung up on doing that we are more likely to rush, make less sense and be less present with our audience. Pace it and enjoy it.

THREE: Keep it and yourself relatable. Don’t try to be better than or less than your audience. Be equal to them and share things. Be generous with your knowledge, wit and wisdom.

FOUR: Be gracious, polite and self-aware. You are there to make your audience feel at ease and not the other way around!

FIVE: Don’t try to get it perfect. Let it be real. No speaking event ever goes how you think it will. So let go and enjoy the ride.

The CIPR runs 50 courses each year with more than 220 dates to choose from in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Newcastle – book your place today!

Photo by Nicholas Green on Unsplash