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Re: Week 5 | Discussion – Speaking With Confidence

by Amber Hutton – Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:34 PMI chose preparing well and visualizing success. Preparing well helps minimize the feeling of nervousness. If you prepare well and practice it will help when you are ready to present. Preparing well doesn’t include just practicing your speech it includes making sure you have the information and topic you are presenting learned. You have to know what you are talking about. Like the text said there is a difference between knowing what you are talking about vs. knowing what you are going to say. Knowing what you are talking about is probably one of the number one thing that will help me with a presentation. It gives me more confidence when speaking. If I know what I am talking about I can talk naturally and in a less nervous way. It comes off as a lot less “memorized.” This way it is easier to answer questions when asked and the audience perceives you as a more credible presenter which in turn will give you more confidence as the speaker. Visualizing success is also a helpful method. If you can visualize yourself doing the speech and being and effective presenter it helps with the outcome. I think this is a different way to practice. I know a lot of times when I am going to present something, I find myself going over it a lot in my head. If I can visualize myself actually doing the speech with an audience this may be helpful and decrease my nervousness. If I feel and appear less nervous it can definitely help be a confidence booster when presenting. I plan on using both of these techniques when doing my final presentation speech. I feel like I always do better when I feel that I have prepared well and my presentation will come across more effectively to the audience if I can visualize myself doing a good job.

y Jennifer Conklin – Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 2:50 PM

The two techniques that I will adopt in preparing for my speech will be cognitive restructuring and practicing out loud, not in front of a mirror. Cognitive restructuring is a method I have used before when I have had to give speeches in front of a class. I know the majority of students are very nervous and because of that they are pretty open minded when it comes to understanding when people make a mistake or appear nervous during their speech. I’ll always remember in high school one of the most popular, outgoing, talkative people in my class took a pass on an oral presentation and refused to get up in front of the class and speak.