5 Tips that Can Help You Become a Better Speaker

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Getting over the fear of speaking in public.


Speaking in public is one of the most common fears that people have. Just the thought of it can bring even the most pulled together of us to break out in a cold sweat. It doesn't even have to be on a stage or to a large group to make the anxiety kick in. In fact, for many people who are looking for a job, this fear hinders there ability to do things like write a great cover letter, interview without nervous mistakes or even just making a follow up phone call.


If you have this fear, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to the majority of us. The thing is, speaking in public doesn't have to be a painful process. The key is to find ways to get others interested in what you are saying. Once you have an audience listening to what you have to say, the nerves disappear.


Here are 5 tips that can help you be a better speaker and get rid of anxiety:


Tell a story - Think about it. We all love a good story. Stories ignite our imagination and make us interested in finding out what happens next. Make your resume, cover letter and even interview responses tell a story about who you are and what you have to offer. Think about your story and arrange your presentation around that. This way, when an employer reads your cover letter and resume, they will see the story of you.


Respect your audience - One mistake that many people who are nervous about speaking in public make is trying to impress their audience. In an interview, coming in with the goal of impressing a hiring manger often backfires. It can come off as being arrogant. Instead of having the goal of impressing them; try to respect them and make a real connection.


Make eye contact - They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, so use them to show that you mean what you are saying. I don't know about you, but I instinctively don't trust people who won't look me in the eye. Even if you are speaking to a group, take a moment to make eye contact with each person. When you look at them, they feel more involved and connected. Without good eye contact, anything you say feels like you are just reciting information rather than just talking.


Repeat the important points - When writing a speech or just outlining the things you want to say in an interview, keep in mind that the most effective speakers tell you what they are going to say, then they say it, then they tell you what they said. For example, you can start by saying that you are an excellent fit for the job because you have the skills, training and motivation to be the best. Then, tell them about it. After, mention that with all of the assets you bring to the table, you believe that you would make a great member of their team. It might seem a bit repetitive at first, but research has shown that people believe the things they hear more than once - even when the same person is telling them it.


Keep it simple - Our brains have limits and when it comes to remembering things, this is especially true. Try to keep your presentation down to less than 7 key points. Anything more than that and you audience will become confused and lose interest. Personally, I think that filtering it down to three or four key points works best. For example, if you say that you have the skills, training and proven track record of success for a job, touch on those three things, then summarize.


If you think that your anxiety about speaking in public is holding you back, or you want to become a better speaker, look for local classes at your public library, toastmasters group or community college.


Are you afraid of speaking in public? What things help you overcome it? Please share your thoughts in the comments.




By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog and Beyond.com, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

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10 Ways To Raise Your Chances Of Landing The Job You Really Want

Everyone wants to raise their chances of standing out from the pack and landing the job. Here are 10 ways to be a better candidate.

The job market is starting to turn around, but it is still an employers market out there. For every job opening that gets posted, there are hundreds of applicants. So, how can you raise your odds of standing out among such a large group of professionals?

There are several things you can do to be a better candidate. Some of them are fairly easy, while others might take a little more work. But if you are serious about finding the job your really want, here are 10 things that you can do to gain a competitive edge:

1. Practice public speaking – How difficult this one is depends on how comfortable you are with speaking in public right now. If the thought of it causes you to sweat and feel like you might be sick, then you will have a little bit more work to do. A good public speaker exudes a capable confidence. You can look for books on public speaking techniques at your local library, and if you look around, you may be able to find classes or workshops that can give you more hands on help.
   
   
2. Know what you want, and what you're willing to accept – You aren't going to be able to find a job that will give you everything you ever wanted. There are going to be some compromises, it's just a fact of life. Make a list of the things you absolutely have to have and then decide what things you are willing to compromise on, and how much. This will give you confidence when negotiating things like salary or benefits.
   
   
3. Create a website – Add a link to your website on your resume and your business card. This way, if the employer wants to find out more about you, they can easily access the information. Keep you page simple and professional, remember that they could be looking at your site to determine if they want to invite you to interview.
   
   
4. Be enthusiastic – This one doesn't take time or money, it just takes a positive attitude. Enthusiasm is catchy, and your interviewer won't be able to help being a little happier after having met an enthusiastic candidate like you.
   
   
5. Update your resume – Do a web search on what a new resume looks like. The format has changed a whole lot over the past 5 years or so. Now, the resume is a marketing tool. Make sure your resume shows that you are current on the latest business trends.
   
   
6. Practice, Practice, Practice – Before your interview, you should practice answering interview questions in front of your friends and family or even a webcam. Role-playing the interview with a partner is a great way to be more confident during the interview.
   
   
7. If you are overqualified or are taking a step down, address it in the cover letter – For some reason, it seems that many people think that the employer will understand that they are willing to take a lower level position. The truth is that unless you address the fact that you are overqualified and give a brief reason for it, you resume is probably not even going to be read.
   
   
8. Copy your interviewer's body language – This is one of those tricky things that actually work. It you want to create stronger rapport, mimic the interviewer's body language. When then lean in, you lean in. This is a psychological technique called mirroring, and it is shown to increase trust.
   
   
9. Smile – Especially during a phone interview. When you get ready to pick up the phone for a scheduled interview, smile big before you say hello. If you have to, place a mirror near you so you can make sure you are smiling throughout the call. When you smile, people can hear it in your voice and it makes you instantly more like-able.
   
   
10. Don't be afraid to fail – It happens to all of us at some point of another. If you never fail, it is because you never really take a risk. You may not get offered the job, but it's good practice for the next interview.

What do you think about these easy tips for increasing your odds of landing the job you really want? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Top Four Business Presentation Tips

Do you have a fear of public speaking? If so, you are not alone as this fear is a quite common one. However, with practice, your fear of this type of activity will diminish – and who knows you may even learn to enjoy making public speeches?!





That said, if you do have to make a public presentation, you want to create a business presentation that will engage your audience. To keep your audience interested in what you have to say, you should keep the following information in mind:






Focus on the Important Information


As your audience is more interested in "quality information" over a "quantity of information", it is vital that you focus on only what is truly important to the audience. For instance, think about the purpose of your presentation and only talk about items that support this purpose. Give the audience concrete examples as well so that they can personally relate to what you are saying.






Provide Handouts


In order to keep the attention span of your audience, it is important that you do not make the presentation too long. If you have quite a bit of information that you wish to cover, you should only discuss the most important points - as any additional information can be explained in a handout that you give to your audience.







Be Organized


In order to give a memorable presentation, it is vital that you present your material in an organized and cohesive manner. You should begin your presentation with an introduction that briefly covers what you will be discussing – and from there, you should explain your main points in a thorough – yet concise manner. Lastly, you should sum up these main points with a short conclusion.






Remember to Rehearse


As the most successful presentations are well-rehearsed ones, it is important for you to go through your presentation beforehand until you are one hundred percent prepared. Besides helping to calm your nerves, rehearsing it will also help with the timing of your presentation. As you may only have an allotted time to speak, determining how much time to spend on each of your points is particularly important.






While public presentations can be daunting for some people, both practice and learning presentation techniques can be quite helpful.






Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues for PhillyJobsBlog.com and other topics for a variety of international websites and magazines. Please visit her other blogs at PhillyJobsBlog.com and view job posting at Beyond.com.