如何做一次好的演讲

　　Most of us don’t like giving speeches. Unfortunately, sometimes there’s no way to weasel out of delivering them. Maybe your jerk boss asks you to put together a presentation. Or your jerk friend decides to get married and you have to give a toast. Or some jerk milkman leaves an empty milk crate¹ on the street for you to stand to warn people about the end of the world. Whatever the situation is, you need to be ready to perform when the time comes.

　　To help you pull it off without embarrassing yourself, we asked Daniel Rex, executive director at Toastmasters International, for pointers on how to give an engaging speech.

　　Test Your Material

　　Write down what you’re planning to say and practice. And when you’re done practicing, rehearse a little more. Then you should find an audience to practice in front of to help you iron out any kinks. Ask your girlfriend, a coworker, the homeless guy on the corner — anyone. When it’s over, ask which parts of your speech worked, and which parts made them want to pelt³ you with tomatoes.

　　Control Your Mannerisms

　　You might use the word “like” too often, or say “uhh” during every pause, or maybe you tap your fingers on the desk or podium. Not only will those subconscious⁴ tics make you look like an amateur, they’ll also distract the audience. Since you won’t notice them — trying to find them would like trying to smell your own breath — ask your rehearsal⁵ audience to spot them. And make sure you tell them to be brutally⁶ honest. It might sting a little, but a few people calling you out will be much less humiliating than an entire room.

　　Use Selective Focus

　　Keep in mind that most of the audience is rooting for your speech to succeed. (If it sucks, they’ll be bored to tears.)  But if you see people playing on their phones or nodding off, ignore them and key on audience members who appear attentive⁷. ”Focusing on those people should help ease any jitters,” Rex says.

　　Look Comfortable (Even When You’re Not)

　　If your speech bombs, you’ll look (and feel) like an ass². So it’s normal to be nervous beforehand. Thing is, you can’t sell that you have butterflies while you’re speaking; if you look and sound in control, the audience will buy it. If you don’t, they’ll tune⁸ you out. ”Don’t put your hands in your pockets, don’t crack your knuckles⁹, and don’t constantly run your fingers through your hair,” he advises.

　　A Story Can Be Your Lifeline

　　If your speech is going down in flames — and the feeling that you’re dying a slow, painful death will let you know if it is — resist the urge to panic. Instead, when you sense you’re losing the audience, tell a story. If you’re at work, tell a funny office-related tale the crowd can relate to. If you’re at a wedding, ditch the cue cards and dive into the time the groom¹⁰ ate his weight at Godfather’s Pizza.

　　Learn How To Stall

　　You won’t always have ample time to prepare a speech. So if your boss puts you on the spot and asks you to explain a simple and fun topic like nuclear fission¹¹, buy yourself an extra second or two to formulate¹² a response by repeating the question. “Pause for a moment and say, ‘So if I understand correctly, what you want me to do is …’” Rex suggests. “You’ll make sure you know exactly what you’re supposed to answer, and the pause will allow your brain more time to develop an answer.”

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