Public Speaking skills are important.  Why important? One of the main reasons– it inspires, influences and transforms. There are many benefits to public speaking whether you’re an individual or a business, in education, and in the public arena.The goal of speaking in public, many times, is to influence, educate, entertain, or inspire listeners. Very often, the speaker uses tools like audio-visual aids to enhance the speech and make it more interesting to listeners.

But is public speaking as easy to learn or do? How many of us are comfortable speaking in public, in front of an audience?  I doubt if many would raise their hands.  As studies have it, public speaking is considered to be the biggest fear a person has, even worse than the fear of death. Everyone is nervous about public speaking, whether be it a seasoned public speaker or a novice, everyone experience butterflies in their stomach before and while facing and speaking in front of an audience.

It is important to understand that, public speaking skill, if mastered, will add tremendous value both in the personal and professional space.  Imagine being able to keep your audienceengaged for hours. Imagine the kind of influence you could have on them; they would love your talks and hang onto your every word.  Imagine the kind of name and fame such visibility would bring for you.

Public speaking,as the name suggests, is done before a live audience.  The audience could vary from speech to speech. It is therefore important to have the right attitude, knowledge, confidence and posture when presenting and speaking to a large audience.  There are many factors the speaker needs to take into consideration so that the speech goes off well and the audience gets what they came for.  It is because of this that many times people get nervous with fear that they might blunder or might not deliver as required.

How can one be a Powerful Speaker?

Public Speaking is an art one must cultivate.  It doesn’t happen overnight.  One of the best ways to learn is, by using tried and tested NLP techniques.

With NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), you will learn some powerful transformational skills you will not learn anywhere else. The techniques used in NLP enable you to get rid of your fear, and equip you with the ability and mastery to deliver speeches spontaneously and effectively. It will help you take control of your emotions and quickly turn fear into power.NLP tools will help you think on your feet and build an almost hypnotic rapport with your audience and keep them engaged. This engagement will help you generate emotional breakthroughs in your audience through subliminal language.

What is NLP?

Developed in the early 1970s, NLP uses behavioral and communication techniques to make it easier for people to change their thoughts and actions. NLP explores the links between the way physiology and the brain work, how we use words and accepted patterns of behavior.

Where enhancing speech and communication is concerned, NLP uses a set of tools, models and techniques that will help us understand ourselves, people and their behavior,  which in turn helps us prepare,have the right mindset and be more successful in whatever we do. In this case, it can help take your speech to the next level.

Two methods NLP follows to enhance communication and presentation skills

• OVERCOMING FEAR

Fear, more often than not, is instilled in us from childhood through our upbringing, parents, schooling, friends, and experiences. This ‘programming’ is so strong and includes everything we perceive through our senses. This fear is deeply ingrained in our systems. So, how do we remove it? How do we overcome our fears? NLP does it by listing down the fears, recognizingthem,understanding the triggers that enable fear and then breaking the pattern effectively. It is a process whereby, one can learn and practise these skills thus gaining confidence in turn.

Fear is not always bad.  It is many times, a good motivator and can often enable us to take actions that are necessary. But, we have to ensure we are aware of this and are not controlled by fear. If we allow fear to control us, it slowly becomes an addiction. NLP teaches us to be aware of our fears, face it and move on.  To be in the here and now is crucial. The process also allows us to recognize the triggers, the patterns that invoke fear in us and use techniques to break this pattern, especially by changing your mindset, to acknowledge fear and change your reaction to it.  This is so powerful that it ultimately changes the way you live your life.

• MODELING SUCCESS

If you want success, do what other successful people do.  In NLP, this refers to modeling behavior. This process is very powerful as success behaviors are not just modeled on the outside, what someone does in the inside is more important. Modeling the mindset of successful people is what leads to results. Apart from being able to see and hear what and how someone does on the outside, you can infer what they are doing internally. Through NLP techniques, we can get the whole picture of what successful people do well, externally and internally.

How does it work? We all have seen people talk and present on stage and we have been in awe of them.  How do they do it in such a powerful manner that they are able to hold their audience attention, make them laugh, motivate them, maintaining eye contact throughout, using the correct posture and body language to get their message across, moving with purpose, speaking in a strong clear voice, bringing emotions whenever required. Oh wow. With NLP, we can get to understand what the speaker is doing internally or how he has prepared himself to achievethis success.  It is a process called visualization. Before going to the actual venue, the speaker goes through the motions of what all he would cover, visualizeshimselfgiving a great speech, marks where he will stand on stage at intervals and rehearses what key pointshe will cover when he is at a certain place, maintain eye contact and so on. He has already visualized the process and outcome, hence when he actually delivers, he is at his best, completely prepared.

In conclusion:

If you can speak, you can influence.  If you can influence, you can change lives. It is always be good to be prepared, understand the techniques and process and get help with powerful tools like NLP before you go on stage and give a super powerful presentation. Public speaking plays a major role in education, business and government sectors. We all know the power that words have.  Words are used to inform, persuade, educate, and even entertain.  It becomes even more powerful in the hands of the right speaker, hence one must ensure that they are used wisely and in a way that would only add value to anyone who listens to them.

NLP Training Dubai (www.nlptrainingdubai.com) – powered by UV Consultants, is a global NLP training & coaching platform which offers quality NLP training and coaching certification programs in Dubai and other locations across the middle east. To know more about our NLP & Coaching programs, please write to nlptraining@uvconsultants.com or call +971 4 8525752 | +971 50 670 5615.