How to Stop Scripting Your Speeches
Many working professionals find themselves scripting their speeches instead of speaking naturally. This can often lead to anxiety and a lack of confidence; working professionals find themselves stuck in this exact situation. In fact, according to pain management specialist Jordan Sudberg, it’s prevalent. This blog post will discuss Sudberg’s tips for stopping the scripting habit and becoming a more natural speaker and start delivering them with confidence.
1. Start by analyzing the root of your problem.
Often, we script speeches because we are anxious or nervous about speaking in public. Once you have identified the root of the problem, start to address it head-on. Sudberg recommends starting with small steps, like attending a Toastmasters meeting or working with a speech coach to help become more comfortable speaking off the cuff.
Don’t try to fix everything at once. Addressing one issue at a time will make it easier for you to stay on track and make progress.
2. Be aware of body language.
When we are nervous, our body language often gives us away. We might start to fidget or cross our arms over our chest. Sudberg recommends standing up straight and keeping our hands by our sides to appear more confident. Make eye contact with the audience and speak slowly and clearly. Focusing on our body language can help us appear more confident and natural when speaking in public.
3. Take advantage of natural speaking style.
We all have our unique way of communicating, and that’s a good thing. One may not need to fit some preconceived notion about what a public speaker should sound like for audiences to take us seriously as an authority on whatever topic they are talking about. Embrace who we are and let the personality shine through when delivering presentations or speeches so people can relate better with what they hear from their perspective.
This is not necessarily something that can be learned on its own, though having someone else help us figure it out could make all the difference in how well these tips work for our specific situation.
4. Practice speaking without reading from a script.
Rehearse speeches and practice talking in front of others to be comfortable giving them even when there is no written text available to refer back to during delivery time; this will ensure success.
The more experience we gain with public speaking, the better prepared you’ll feel for the next opportunity. It’s ok to have an occasional reminder about what topic was supposed to come next, or points made earlier on to keep going smoothly; pause briefly, then resume where you left off at any given point without missing a beat.
Conclusion
When we stop scripting our speeches and start speaking more naturally, Jordan Sudberg believes that the audience will relate better to what they hear from their perspective. This is not necessarily something that can be learned on its own. It takes practice but having someone else help us figure it out could make a difference in how well these tips work for your specific situation.