Know your audience
So many of us have a fear of impromptu speaking. For example, we fear being asked to stand up and speak in a meeting at work, without warning.
We fear being put on the spot. We fear not having anything to say.
What so many of us also don’t realise is that we speak on an impromptu basis everyday.
How many people have asked you ‘how are you?’ today?
How many free-flowing conversations have you had?
These questions, and your answers, are impromptu public speaking. You did not prepare an answer, you most likely answered instantaneously.
I wouldn’t believe that you struggled for an answer to any of the questions you have received in the course of conversation today, so why should you struggle if asked another simple question, if you are asked to speak at work in a meeting, or at a family gathering?
Never be worried about not having prepared anything to say. You survive without preparing answers throughout the course of your everyday life.
The only difference is the size of your audience – an aspect which I will cover in a future blog post.
Keep your eyes peeled over the coming weeks and months as I also cover tactics for creating great speeches ‘off the cuff”!
