Use These 7 Exercises to Become a
Public Speaking Pro
Having a good pitch can either make or break
your business--so start honing those skills.
Your pitch serves as a gateway between every
new person you meet and their contribution to your enterprise. Land the pitch, and you'll open the door to a bigger
conversation that could lead to a new client, a new adviser, or maybe even new
funding. Slip up, and you might not get an opportunity for
further discussion.
Of
course, stronger business ideas naturally lend themselves to more convincing
pitches than their weaker counterparts, but there's only so much you can do to
perfect your business plan. The real key to a successful pitch is delivering it
in a personable, compelling, and effective way, and that requires strong public
speaking skills.
If
you're trying to perfect your pitch, try these seven public speaking exercises
to help you get there.
1.
Explain your idea to a child.
This
exercise is all about conveying your business idea in as few terms and as
simply as possible. Children have far less experience in the real world than
adults, and need ideas simplified for them--meaning you have to remove all
those fancy-sounding buzzwords and fluff sentences. The twist is that even
though you'll simplify your pitch, you'll actually end up with one that carries
more meaning. Use this to get used to using simple, concise phrases.
2.
Practice small talk.
Small
talk is your reliable segue into your pitch. Never walk up to a stranger and
immediately pitch to him--instead, start up a short conversation about the
weather, about the venue, or about a piece of clothing he's wearing. To get a
better feel for the rhythms and niceties of small talk, practice it on a daily
basis. Find someone new to talk to every day--gradually, you'll become more
comfortable with it.
3.
Write out your main points.
Written
exercises help your mind visualize and absorb information better than speaking
exercises. Your pitch might sound great in your head when you speak it audibly,
but when you write it out, you might find that you're forgetting a major point,
or that one of your points isn't necessary to include. Chart out your pitch's
main points on paper, and use that as a platform to improve.
4.
Perfect your posture.
Posture
may not seem like a big deal, but it can improve your image (and first
impressions) while simultaneously improving your diction and delivery. Stand up
straight and tall with your shoulders back and your hands in front of you or at
your sides (not in your pockets). Make eye contact with people and breathe deeply--it
makes a big difference.
5.
Experiment with variations.
Don't
practice your pitch over and over using the same vocabulary and the same speech
patterns. Eventually, you'll sound like a robot. Instead, intentionally play
with different words, different phrasing, and different main points altogether.
This form of practice prevents that robotic, over-rehearsed sound and makes you
seem like a more natural speaker.
6.
Play with your pacing.
Different
people speak at different rates, but you might find that your pitch is better
heard spoken slowly than quickly. Play around with different styles of pacing,
and listen to which sounds better. You might enlist the help of an outside
party to do this. No matter where you settle, you'll at least get different forms
of practice in, further diversifying your potential approaches and forms of
delivery.
7.
Record your pitch.
Last
but not least, use a recording device to listen (and watch) yourself speak.
You'll likely find there are subtle tics or choke points that you don't notice
about yourself from a first-person perspective, interfering with your delivery.
For example, you might discover that you pause too long, or that you tend to
shrug your shoulders after every line. Use these recording sessions to iron out
these disruptions and flaws.
Repeat these exercises as necessary until you
feel comfortable rolling out your pitch to a wider audience. Remember, even a
"perfect" pitch can (and will) be rejected by a percentage of the
people you talk to, so try not to take things personally. Keep your delivery
light and natural, and seek out diverse new audiences to maximize your chances
of success.
BY LARRY
ALTON
http://www.inc.com/larry-alton/7-public-speaking-exercises-to-perfect-your-pitch.html?cid=em01014week41a
No comments:
Post a Comment