There is nothing wrong with being an introverted entrepreneur. It’s a part of you, and you should find ways to use your introverted-ness to your advantage as an entrepreneur.
Public speaking is something that many people struggle with, and it’s not too uncommon to be a little nervous before you address a gathering of people, big or small.
If you are afraid of public speaking, then it can have a pretty significant impact on your wages and income, around 10%. Practice the tips in this article to break free from your fears of public speaking.
Public Speaking Fundamentals for Introverted Entrepreneurs to Master
Here are some public speaking fundamentals for introverted entrepreneurs to master:
Learn about your audience and venue
To be an effective orator, it is vital to have a deep understanding of who your audience is.
The more you know about the audience, the easier it will be to write content that will resonate with them. As a public speaker, you want to leave a lasting impression on your audience.
Your audience doesn’t need to remember your speech word for word. They just need to remember how it made them feel emotional. This will be a lot easier if you know who you’re dealing with.
How much money does your audience make on average, where do they live, their relationship status, their general likes, and dislikes. All of these indicators (and more like them) will help you deliver a speech that will be remembered.
Watch to learn
Knowing about the venue as it will have a pretty significant impact on your speech.
If the venue is outside, you will need to dress and prepare appropriately. If you don’t know about the details of the venue in advance, you might get a little under pressure. The venue will also give you an estimate of how many people will be attending.
One way to learn about your audience is to ask your website visitors to use a live chat app. You’ll get to know what visitors are thinking about your upcoming speech and what they’d want to hear.
As an introverted entrepreneur, you might be thrown a little off guard if you don’t know how many people will be attending the event where you are speaking. So be prepared.
Write a compelling speech
Once you know your audience, the next step would be to start writing your speech.
Some people go in without having prepared a speech. It can and does work often, but you want to maximize the chances of your success.
Start by writing your main points. They should be something that you and your audience mutually care about.
Include a story or two to make the whole speech engaging. People won’t remember facts, but they will be more likely to remember a story that touched their hearts.
One thing that you should always do before you get to writing a speech is to research great speakers an how they are able to motivate their audience. Use SEO tools and note key phrases that strike a chord with people.
Another thing that you want to keep in mind is that your talk should have a variable length. What I mean by that is you should be able to summarize or expand your subject material based on how people are responding to it.
Dress appropriately
Dressing appropriately is essential if you want to give a great speech.
If you are not dressed in accordance with the audience and venue, you will stand out like a sore thumb. You don’t want that. You want to be distinctly different from the audience, but not so much so that it makes you seem out of place if that makes any sense.
Dressing nicely will also give you a confidence boost. Confidence is critical when you are engaging with an audience.
Being an introvert does not mean that you suffer from a lack of confidence. With the frame of mind and the right attitude, you can continue to be an introvert and still be confident as any other speaker.
Use positive body language
Body language is an important part of your overall speech. People will not only be listening to you; they will also be looking at your every move (no pressure).
This is where body language plays a crucial and important part. With positive body language, your audience will believe you more.
But positive body language does not mean that you have to wave your fists in the air for an impact. What it means is that your body’s actions should match what you are saying. Focus on subtle cues. One might think that they go unnoticed, but they don’t.
Use your voice to your advantage
Since you’re giving a speech, you’ll want to ensure that your voice is used to provide you with an advantage.
Make sure that the contents of your speech are understandable and that they are clearly audible. Also, ensure that your voice is loud enough to reach the people sitting at the back of the venue.
Have a little gargle and hum a little before going onto the stage. It will do wonders for your delivery.
One mistake that several people do when giving a speech is that they maintain a single tone. You don’t want to do that. Change your tone when appropriate, as it will keep your audience attentive.
Eye-contact
Make proper eye-contact.
As an introvert, it might be difficult for you to make eye contact, but trust me that it’s not too hard.
The best way to start eye-contact is to maintain it for a reasonable amount of time with different parts of the audience.
You want to address all of your audience and not just a particular part.
Read your audience’s reactions and respond appropriately
Understanding your audience’s reaction is a fundamental part of public engagement and interaction. If your audience is positively responding to your speech, you’re doing a great job. If not, then you have a chance to change things for the better.
If people love what you have to say, continue on that path. But if you notice a decrease in your audience’s attention span and engagement, immediately change tracks by telling a joke or story or something that surprises them.
Conclusion
Becoming a master at public speaking is a goal that everyone should have, especially entrepreneurs. For entrepreneurs that want to be recognized in public and on the street, being a prolific speaker is an excellent means to an end.
Getting the fundamentals of public speaking down is the first thing that you need to do on your path to become an effective orator, but the road does not end there. There is always room for improvement, so keep learning and growing.
Hamzah Adil is a digital marketer who is passionate about entrepreneurship. He is presently working for a startup that has developed a new live chat app called SwiftChat.
