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“You’re on mute,” and “My connection is poor,” seem to be the most repeated lines of the past year. It has been easy to play off speaking mishaps as a tech issue. After all, everyone is at home, so how could they truly know you flubbed your speech? As we start to move back into in-person events, this luxury will be gone. Speakers and presenters will have to practice, keep notes, and rehearse... or run the risk of messing up while facing live audiences.
Practice these three tips for a successful speech:
Tip One: Don’t Fall in Love with Your Words
After the grind of writing, editing, and practicing, it's painful to make edits. Most of us love our work and don’t want to change it, but polishing your work is necessary and it can make your speech better.
Tip Two: Practice, Practice, and Practice Some More
Rehearsals are your friend! As much as you practice at home or in front of friends, there is nothing quite like the main stage. If you’re attending a virtual or in-person event, always ask if there is a rehearsal option. This gives you a feel for the stage, comfort with the settings of the platform and environment, and most importantly a run-through of how your presentation will go on the big day. Good things take time, and speeches are no exception.
Tip Three: Murphy was a wise man - Expect the unexpected
We've become accustomed to tech issues during events and presentations. Similarly, we need to get back in the mode of expecting the unexpected during an in-person event. Many things can go wrong at a virtual or in-person event; for example, your mic won’t work, the speaker before you ate up half of your time, or maybe your slide show won’t work. To ease panic in these situations, create some backup plans. Be ready to cut information down, or even present without a slide show. Since it's impossible to prepare for every possible scenario, focus on being calm and confident prior to your presentation or speech. There are several physical and mental exercises to remove stage fright. Such as deep breathing, and posture practice.
These tips are for both virtual and in-person speaking engagements. Just because it is virtual, doesn’t remove the requirement of being fully prepared. Follow these best practices to make your upcoming speaking engagement your best one!
Tweet us @Eventcombo to share your best tips to be prepared for your next speaking engagement!
