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Tips for Public Speaking

Most everyone has faced that moment when they are asked to present or give some kind of speech. For many people, it is a challenge to be able to stand in front of an audience and also keep their cool long enough to get out an intelligible thought. If you are a Wellness Advocate who is trying to build a businesses you probably face this fear often—every time you hold a class. However, being able to conquer your fear and give a clear and welcoming presentation is a necessary skill to have. Those who are comfortable and can be themselves in front of a captive audience quickly gain the advantage.

 
1. Focus on the topics you love. If you already have a passion for essential oils, they will be much easier to talk about. Most often Wellness Advocates do not have an issue with loving doTERRA® products, however we do hear frequent feedback that some new Wellness Advocates feel they must be experts in everything doTERRA before they will hold a class. While expertise is a good thing, it is not necessary to have every part of doTERRA nailed down—just talk about what you know. This way, you will have confidence in what you are saying and the expertise can come over time.
 
2. Remember that the audience wants you to succeed. Put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Do you want to waste your time listening to a boring speech? Chances are the answer is no, and neither does anyone else. Time is an incredibly valuable resource, and watching you fail would be a poor use of your audience’s time. They have come to your class wanting to be informed as well as to have a good time. Keeping this in mind as you speak will help you remember that audience is not your enemy—they are actually rooting for you.
 
3. Wait before you start. Taking a deep breath, finding your place, and then waiting a few seconds to talk is the advice of numerous professional speakers, including Simon Sinek, the third most-watched TED Talks presenter. Sinek adds, “I know it sounds long and tedious and it feels excruciatingly awkward when you do it. But it shows the audience you’re totally confident and in charge of the situation.”
 
4. Make eye-contact with attendees, person-by-person while you talk. It is important to connect with each individual on a personal level. While this is easier in smaller classes, try doing this in larger classes too. Your eye contact alone can communicate confidence as well as create vital connections in a way that simply scanning your audience without looking in their eyes will never do. Create that connection and you will have more of a conversation, rather than a lecture with your audience.
 
5. Speak slower than you think you can. You tend to speak faster as your heart rate increases, which makes it harder for people to understand you. Though it may feel strange at first, speaking slowly normalizes your speech and reinforces the control you have over the presentation.
 
6. Get the attendees to interact with you in some way. Ask questions, pass out oils for them to experience, and don’t be afraid to answer their questions. An interactive audience is more ready to listen to you and understand what you are saying.
 
7. If you have a habit of saying ‘um’ or ‘uh’ repeatedly, or you know you pull weird faces, practice speaking for a short amount of time each day. At first, stand in front of a mirror and watch yourself give a presentation. Work on cutting down the number of times you say ‘uh’—but don’t replace it with a new word. Then, move on to giving your presentation to another person, like a friend or family member. Remember, practice makes perfect.

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