Effective Public Speaking Index


Maintaining Eye Contact with the audience is important in effective public speaking.In conversation, we all tend to look at the person we are talking to. Yet in public speaking, many beginners make the mistake of looking at everything but the persons they are addressing. Looking at the eyes of the audience makes people feel that you are interested in them. It also gives you more assurance. Let your eyes sweep around from person to person, section to section, forward and back, side to side. You need not keep eye-contact constantly. But do not neglect this excellent method of establishing and maintaining rapport with your audience. If you intend to read a quotation during the speech, do not keep your eyes glued to the page. Take in a half - dozen or more words of the text and then look up at the audience as you say them.

Notes :

There is little use bringing disorganized scribbling to the platform with you. Your notes should consist of key-words, phrases or brief sentences. These should be written clearly on small, numbered cards which can be kept in order and held unobtrusively in the hand. Quotations should be copied out in their entirety, preferably type-written and double-spaced. If you plan to read from a book, use a large and obvious marker for your place. Neither you nor your audience will enjoy your search for an elusive page.