Many people are nervous about public speaking, even many of the students who come for our acting classes for kids in Overland Park. Getting up in front of others to give a speech or presentation can fill people with dread. But good news! It gets easier! You need to have stage presence. That is defined as “the quality that attracts attention to a person when they are in front of others”. Here are the Four Tips to Have More Stage Presence.
Tip #1: Be positive
Your audience wants to hear what you have to say and want you to succeed. Audience members don’t want to be bored; they want to be entertained and informed. If you approach public speaking positively, your chances of success increase dramatically.
Remember this when you step up to the stage, podium, or front of the class. Remind yourself that the audience is eager to hear what you have to tell them. The connection between the speaker and the audience is crucial to public speaking. It would be best if you had a positive attitude towards connecting with them. If you do, they will want to connect with you.
But what if you don’t feel optimistic? Use the old standby: “Fake It Till You Make It”. Just pretend you feel good about what you are saying. When you do this, you can win them over with your outward appearance.
Tip #2: Connect with your listeners
It would help if you connected with everyone watching to ensure your performance, speech, or presentation is authentic.
Concentrate on making genuine eye contact with everyone in your audience. By honestly looking at them, people will be drawn into your performance. They will start to care about your speech or the character you are portraying.
Also, make sure to be emotionally authentic. Audience members can feel whether or not you truly mean what you are saying. If you stay authentic, you will always draw their attention to you.
Tip #3: Have fun!
The more joy you bring to your words, the more charismatic you will become. Being great on a stage is more than just reciting lines from a script. Having stage presence comes when you are having fun with what you are saying.
Happiness and excitement can be contagious. If you enjoy talking in front of others, they will match your energy and give it back to you tenfold. So spend less time worrying and more time having fun, and you will do just fine!
Tip #4: Practice, practice, practice
Whether you practice independently or with others, practice your presentation or lines as much as possible. The human mind learns best through repetition, so say the words repeatedly until you know them by heart.
An excellent way to practice is by speaking to someone else. Ask a friend or family member to be your practice audience. Try giving your speech or reciting your lines to them repeatedly, and have them correct any mistakes you make. Try to connect with them as your audience. Remember, practice makes perfect!
If you want to improve your stage presence, join one of our acting classes for kids in Overland Park! We will help you improve your public speaking abilities and encourage you to have fun. Classes forming now.