Are you afraid of speaking in front of an audience? Here are 5 ways to overcome public speaking anxiety by building rapport with your audience.

From the rank amateur to the ignorant professional, the prospect of speaking in front of an audience can generate public speaking anxiety, no matter how small an audience you are speaking to.

From a single person to a crowd as big as the fans in the Super Bowl, speaking with confidence in front of a serious listening audience is the true test and baptism of fire.

Despite this, audiences are predictable. Audiences listen to you because they want to learn something from the speaker.

Following this logic, as a public speaker, you would do well to make your public speaking speech informative as well as interesting to listeners so they are motivated to see your speech through till the end.

Whether you’re a coach, trainer, or public speaker, these tips will help you build rapport and have your audience listen to you in rapt attention.

Know your listeners’ interests

It is always a good idea to find out what the crowd you are speaking to is interested in.

For example, if you have more teenagers in the crowd, you don’t really want to talk about your subject in a way that bores them. Other aspects to consider would be the local culture, age, sports, religious inclinations, etc.

Talk about what’s important to them, something they can easily relate to without a stretch of the imagination. This speech writing checklist will help you draft a speech that engages your audience.

Praise the audience

Audiences are human, and each and every one of them has a need to be acknowledged as much as you want to be acknowledged for speaking with confidence in front of them.

There is only one requirement for this maxim, that your praise is one hundred percent sincere. Anything less and you’ll have resentment in your hands.

Connect with the audience

Find a common thread that makes the audience relate to you, and you’ll find that the speech will come through really well.

Finding a common thread humanizes you and your public speaking speech. It makes them want to listen to you because it may in some way be of great benefit to them.

Have the audience participate

Get somebody to come onstage and participate in a demonstration. Ask questions of the audience. Get feedback.

Encourage them to walk up to the microphone and give you a piece of their mind. The point is to involve the audience, taking them along with you in your experience and making it more real to them.

Less you, more them

Play yourself down. Nobody, especially an audience, likes to be lectured to. This will cause resentment that will last a long time. Never feel that you are above them.

The better way to think about your audience would be that you care about their welfare. Think of yourself as their best friend, and more often than not, this will hold you in good stead.

You can overcome speech anxiety and learn the art of public speaking to become a successful and confident public speaker with the tips above.

Learn how to improve speaking skills and start speaking with confidence with free publicspeaking books and exercises from famous public speakers and public speaking coaches.