How to speak in front of an audience. It may be one of the most difficult things to overcome but if you follow a few simple rules, you can go from horribly terrified and terrible to good or even better. It doesn’t take much to give a decent presentation and most people employed by a company who are called upon to speak in front of a group often do a horrible job.
　　
　　Whether it is 20 or 200 people, most people stumble when it comes to speaking in front of a group. But as long as you know your subject and can talk about it, you’ll be fine. That is the first suggestion, know your subject The better you know your subject and the better you can articulate it, the better off you are. That way, you won’t get sidetracked if someone throws out a question to you. Which will help with the second suggestion.
　　
　　Have a conversation. If you know your subject well enough and can come across and discuss that subject in a conversational style, your presentation will be more relaxed and smoother. This will also put you much more at ease.
　　
　　Don’t read your presentation. Don’t use a Power Point presentation if possible but don’t ever read it. If you plan on simply reading each slide of your Power Point presentation to us, then just send us the presentation and let us read it. This will save us time and not put us to sleep. Reading your slides is the number one way to put your audience to sleep. Instead of reading, have your slides accentuate the points that you are making.
　　
　　Stand up, Speak up, Shut up! In other words, get up and say what you have to say, make your point and nothing more (don’t drone on and on), then shut up and sit down. Too many people who are nervous will drag out their presentation, looking for an escape hatch that they can’t find.
　　
　　Tell a story. That is one of the best things that you can do. If you have a story (or several) that you can tell which makes your point, then tell them. A story gets your point across so much better and will be remembered a lot longer than anything else you say. A story will resonate with your audience and draw them in. You will capture their attention.
　　
　　Practice, practice, practice! The only way you will get comfortable is to practice your presentation over and over. By practicing, you will work the bugs out, improve your timing and get to know your topic well enough to deliver it almost flawlessly.
　　
　　Speaking is not difficult. No, it is not something most people like to do however, as long as you don’t follow the habits of others, you can turn out a good presentation and present it in such a way that your audience will enjoy your subject.

What are your suggestions for speaking in front of an audience?