Regardless of how experienced you are as a speaker, the thought of how the audience about you would have surely crossed your mind many times. If you are always worried about how your audiences think about your speech, here is a short public speaking guide to ensure that you boost your impression amongst your audience.

1.  Refrained from reading notes

It is acceptable to glance at your notes infrequently, but not all the time. When speaking, always make eye contact with your audience. Ensure them that THEY are the important people in your eyes during that moment of time. Speak out loud and clear. Sound confident. Do not mumble. If you made an error, correct it, and continue. Don't apologize profusely; the audience probably will not notice it.

2. Pause and relax

Allow yourself and your audience a little time to reflect and think. When shifting from point to point in your speech, your audiences probably need time to digest whatever is being said. Don't race through your presentation and leave your audience, as well as yourself, feeling out of breath. Relax your muscles and your jaw. While giving time to your audience, maintain your smile. Before you start again, count to three. ("One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform your nervous energy into enthusiasm.

3. Communicate with your audience

The key to a successful speech, in fact, any presentation is to communicate ideas to your audience. If what you prepared beforehand seems to be misaligned with the audience, do not hesitate to make improvements on the spot. If you find out mid-way that your audiences are interested in politics, mix some of them in it. If they are interested in finance, use currency as an analogy. Be prepared to make changes, or even simplify your speech. Ultimately, you want your audience to understand you and your ideas.

Applying the subtle techniques in this public speaking guide will transform your audiences' impression of you. Practice them constantly to bring out the best in yourself.

Good luck,

MJ